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Under Garp's instruction, Kōjin quickly learned how to throw cannon shells by hand.
Of course, the important thing wasn't the act of throwing itself, but the unique power-generating technique. It was a move exclusive to Garp, and it would be nearly impossible to master without a proper teacher.
The master and his apprentice stood at the bow of the ship, repeatedly hurling cannon shells forward.
From this simple action alone, one could clearly see how strong Garp was. He could throw a cannon shell two kilometers away while maintaining that ridiculous speed.
"Hold them there, Bogard! Kōjin, keep practicing."
Garp let out a long breath, pulled a bag of doughnuts from his coat, and began eating them loudly.
Kōjin treated the act of throwing cannon shells as a form of training. He soon realized that it greatly strengthened his wrists and improved his overall control over his power.
Growing stronger after death only increased his physical attributes. It did nothing for the fine control of that strength. That part could only be honed through training.
Day after day passed. The pirate ship was up front, and the battleship was behind. Sometimes the distance between them widened, and sometimes it suddenly closed again.
The future Pirate King and the Marine Hero were locked in a long chase that spanned days.
"That kid is way too much of a bastard! He keeps throwing cannonballs at us!"
"The aura coming off that guy is strong; it's no weaker than the Captain's! He might become a powerful enemy of ours in the future!"
On the Oro Jackson, Shanks and Buggy leaned over the railing and glared at the young Marine behind them who kept hurling cannonballs.
The crew casually slapped the shells away, and they exploded one after another without harming the ship.
They had been enduring this same thing for days now.
The boy seemed tireless. He threw during the day and even while he slept at night. The entire ship crew couldn't sleep properly, and they were all deeply impressed by him.
"He's been throwing nonstop for five days... this is insane! He only sleeps for two hours at night!" Buggy's bloodshot eyes twitched as he spoke.
"How do you know?" Shanks asked in surprise.
"I've been watching him the whole time!" Buggy replied.
Shanks was speechless. He glanced at his friend.
"You're a monster, too."
The chase continued. Sometimes, the vice-captain and the others on their ship would slash backward toward the Marines. Other times, Garp would throw a ridiculously long-range punch.
But all of that was only occasional. The only constant was the flood of cannon shells from the black-haired boy.
Even Captain Roger sighed, wondering how many shells Garp's ship had stocked.
...
Half a month passed.
The chase continued, leaving the Roger Pirates completely exhausted.
"That guy Garp is a lunatic!" Gaban gritted his teeth.
Rayleigh's gaze sharpened, and the rest of the crew no longer bothered to hide their frustration.
"Roger!" Bullet roared.
He could no longer stand it, especially with that black-haired kid throwing shells. Most of the time, he was the one intercepting them, and it drove him to the brink of rage.
Roger turned toward his crew and suddenly smiled. "I understand what you want."
"There's an uninhabited island up ahead. Bring the ship alongside it! We'll fight Garp there... head on!"
His declaration ignited a fierce blaze in everyone's eyes, and they responded with thunderous roars.
At the same time, on the Dog-Head Battleship...
"Hurry up and get back here, Garp! We have tons of work to do! Pirates are wreaking havoc everywhere. Stop chasing Roger! Do you know how many major military operations you've delayed?!" Sengoku's furious shouting blasted from the Den Den Mushi.
Garp casually picked his ear and flicked away the wax. "Got it, got it. I'll come back once I find Roger."
"You bastard!" Sengoku cursed.
Suddenly, the casual expression on Garp's face vanished, replaced by excitement.
"They're docking! Looks like they want a full-scale battle! I'm hanging up, Sengoku!" Garp tossed the Den Den Mushi to Kōjin as he spoke.
"Hey!" Sengoku's roar echoed out.
"Vice Admiral Garp is busy. He'll return the call later." Kōjin replied calmly, hanging up with practiced ease.
Conversations like this had been happening nonstop recently. He'd gotten used to it. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked toward the barren island ahead.
...
Half a month had passed.
From initial anxiety and anticipation about a possible fight to becoming accustomed to the never-ending chase, they had finally arrived at the long-awaited battlefield.
'What would the result be?'
For everyone, it no longer mattered.
Kōjin turned his head and saw Kuzan fully armed, Sakazuki standing in a stern formation, and the other officers ready for battle.
"Huh..."
He took a deep breath and his eyes sharpened.
"It's time!"
"Time to measure the gap between myself and the strongest beings in the world!"
The battleship sped rapidly toward the shore of the deserted island.
"Do not fear! Do not panic!"
Pride is the greatest obstacle to survival, but fear is the fastest shortcut to death. Even when facing the strongest in the world, hold your heads high! Raise your weapons! Confront them head-on!"
It was hard to imagine Garp saying such morale-boosting words, yet he did. Kōjin turned and saw the officers' eyes flashing with excitement. Clearly, Garp's words had worked—their morale was soaring.
"Charge!" Garp roared.
The next second, the Marines leapt off the ship like dumplings falling into a pot. They shouted at the top of their lungs as they charged onto the island.
Kōjin was at the very front, his eyes shining.
"Pirate Roger!"
"Dark King Rayleigh!"
"Let me witness your power!"
His heart roared wildly and his pulse pounded uncontrollably.
"That brat..." Sakazuki gritted his teeth. Despite running at full speed, he couldn't catch up to Kōjin.
Kuzan laughed breathlessly.
"The Marines sure have high morale! We're not weak either!"
Up ahead, beneath a coconut tree, Roger slowly rose from a rock, drew the long blade at his waist, and laughed loudly.
"ROAR!"
His crew shouted back in unison.
"Leave that kid to us!" Shanks and Buggy shouted, their eyes locked on Kōjin.
A second later, they charged forward.
Silent and cold-eyed, Douglas Bullet followed behind them.
The two groups rushed toward each other across the beach, their momentum shaking the sky.
In the blink of an eye, they were face-to-face.
The first people Kōjin saw were two young children, around eleven or twelve years old, one with a red nose and the other with red hair.
"Die, Marine!" Buggy roared.
"Out of my way! You two little runts aren't my opponents!" Kōjin roared back.
In an instant, the three of them collided.
Kōjin punched and kicked.
BANG!
The two brats, who were barely reaching his waist, had their shouts cut off abruptly as they were blasted away like cannonballs.
Next, he saw the cold-faced Douglas Bullet.
Bullet suddenly bent his knees, leaped high into the air, and black-red lightning, overflowing with Conqueror's Haki, coursed over his fist.
"State your name, Marine brat!"
Bullet roared, tightening his fist as an overwhelming aura exploded from him.
"Kōjin!"
Kōjin dove downward from above, his fist cracking as he clenched it. The sky behind him darkened suddenly as a violent aura erupted.
"Good... Kōjin! I won't let you go!" Bullet snarled, leaping high to meet him head-on.
Lightning tore across the sky as they clashed in that instant.
"Fist Bone — AEROLITE!" Kōjin roared.
Black-red lightning burst outward. Bullet's pupils shrank, and his entire body froze as he took the punch squarely to the chest.
Then...
A sharp ka-cha sounded from within his body, and he plummeted and crashed into the ground like a meteorite.
Roger, Rayleigh, and the entire crew behind him jolted violently. The shock was visible in their pupils as they stared at the black-haired boy who had landed in front of the massive crater Bullet had created.
One shot.
He had actually one-shotted Bullet. Someone not the least bit weak then them.
(End of this chapter)