Chapter 25: Another Move
Kravitz, age 24. Marine.
During the "Sabaody Riot Incident," he served as a temporary squad captain.
Shortly after, as one of the few Marines who witnessed the direct clash between the "Demon" and the "Naval Hero," he was debriefed by Chief of Staff Tsuru.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Yes, I witnessed their entire confrontation. But honestly…"
"Thank you, Granny Tsuru. I'll calm down."
As an elder, Tsuru effectively soothed the young Marine, allowing him to recall the details clearly.
"After the civilians retreated with our unit, Vice Admiral Garp and Alvin Vergil began their fight."
"But… how should I put it? I'm not sure 'fight' is the right word!"
"Granny Tsuru, you know Vice Admiral Garp is the founder of the Navy's Six Powers. He always taught us to train diligently."
"But after seeing Vice Admiral Garp and Alvin Vergil go at it… a question stuck in my mind—"
His eyes wide with shock and confusion, he murmured,
"Are the conventional combat styles we learned… a bit too small for these seas?"
Rewind to the present.
Heroic.
No matter what anyone thought afterward, in that moment, any witness to the clash between Vergil and Garp would have that word in mind.
Undisputed heroism.
The two equally brawny, towering figures first dismissed the civilians and Marines. Then, with a laugh as the signal, they swung their fists simultaneously.
THUMP!
On one side: the Iron Fist, hailed as a hero.
On the other: the monstrous strength of a Mythical Zoan.
Their fists crossed paths, neither intending to block. They aimed straight for each other's faces.
BOOM!
On impact, the very air seemed to tremble.
Everyone stared. Both Vergil's and Garp's fists had landed squarely on the other's face.
Two utterly different, monstrous forces erupted simultaneously upon their cheeks.
A pause, seemingly.
Then—
WHAM!
A dark figure was blasted away, crashing into a pile of rubble, buried beneath bricks and tiles.
All eyes followed. A collective sigh of relief. No surprise.
The one still standing was Garp.
The best possible outcome.
The Marines present couldn't imagine the upheaval if the Naval Hero had been sent flying by Alvin Vergil.
"Ahaha! That's the stuff!"
Garp grinned wide. He pouted, then spat out a mouthful of light blood-flecked foam.
He hadn't used Armament Haki. He'd accidentally bitten a tiny piece of his tongue. Stung a little.
"Haven't thrown a punch like that in ages!"
Garp clenched his fists, exhilarated. "Hey, kid! What do you do in the New World?"
Garp wasn't one for overthinking—not that he couldn't.
A mighty Mythical Zoan with such exaggerated strength couldn't stay unknown in the New World.
Yet according to Tsuru's intel, Alvin Vergil wasn't on any wanted list.
"Another troublesome rookie fresh off the docks?"
"Speaking of which… is 'kid' right? I don't look that young…"
Garp's thoughts wandered.
Suddenly, his pupils narrowed slightly. He sensed something odd.
He glanced toward the rubble pile where Vergil lay buried. Faint vibrations came from within.
Then, the massive, heavy wreckage was torn apart, mingled and compressed into two huge "boulders."
Alvin Vergil gripped one in each hand, hefted them, and rose from the debris.
"In terms of existing… I've probably outlasted all of you."
"But in terms of living—" Vergil hurled both boulders at Garp, grinning wildly.
"I've only just started a few days ago!"
THUMP! THUMP!
The boulders came one after another. Garp shattered them easily.
"A Mythical Zoan's ability?"
Garp was impressed, seeing the wreckage compressed into single, dense masses.
As he was about to speak, he noticed movement beneath his feet.
Vergil raised his right leg high and stomped down.
Stomp!
BOOM!
At Garp's feet, a sharp earthen spike shot upward. Garp leaped aside.
But the earth's trembling didn't stop.
Where Garp landed, dozens more spikes erupted, attacking from all angles.
Bursting Earth Spikes!
Unavoidable?
Then don't avoid it!
"Kid, hold steady!"
Garp's grin widened. He grabbed two spikes, then clenched his fists.
Some of the strongest Armament Haki in the seas gathered upon his knuckles.
He aimed—not at Vergil, but at the ground beneath his own feet.
One punch descended.
Fist Bone Impact!
BOOM!
A massive wave of Armament Haki exploded, surging through the spikes straight toward Vergil.
Vergil took a deep breath, digging his feet into the earth like steel stakes.
He raised his arms, tore a huge slab from the ground, then compressed and solidified it continuously, forging two massive, thick earthen shields.
BOOM!
The Haki blast struck, obliterating the first shield instantly.
Vergil used the second to resist while pulling up a third from the earth to block Garp's terrifying punch.
Break one, replace it with another.
Vergil was experimenting.
Experimenting with what?
What could counter Haki of Garp's caliber?
He lost count of how many shields shattered. Finally, the force of Garp's punch dissipated.
By then, Vergil had been pushed back over a hundred meters, his legs carving two deep trenches in the ground.
"Huff…"
Vergil exhaled a stream of hot breath. His thick arms still trembled uncontrollably.
Countless ideas flashed through his mind, seeking Garp's flaw.
Finally, they locked onto one point.
"I've got another move!"
Vergil slowly crouched.
Seeing this, Garp's grin widened. He rolled his shoulders.
"Haha, bring it!"
It had been too long since he'd thrown a serious punch. He was in rare high spirits.
So Garp readied himself, curious what ability Vergil would unveil.
Then, Garp saw—
Vergil turned around, giving everyone his back, and ran. Sprinting wildly.
He laughed as he fled. "After I figure it out, we'll fight again!"
Garp: "…"
Garp: "…"
Garp: "Huh?"
And the companion watching nearby—
Tiger: "?"
(End of Chapter)
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