Under the power of Golden Lion Shiki's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, a truly astonishing scene unfolded.
The surging waves seemed to defy gravity, rising toward the sky as if the entire world had flipped upside down. Massive volumes of seawater twisted into the shapes of fierce, majestic lions.
Four or five colossal "sea lions" surrounded Garp, each opening their gaping maws wide enough to swallow an entire ship, crashing toward him like an apocalyptic tsunami.
Water can carry a ship, but it can also sink it.
When seawater takes the form of a raging tsunami, its destructive power can rival the wrath of the gods themselves.
"Garp!"
"Didn't you say you wanted to see my power? Today, I'll bury you in the sea!!"
Golden Lion's expression was the embodiment of arrogance and unshakable confidence. He stood tall like an invincible lion, eyes filled with disdain for the rest of the world.
That was just who he was untamed and fearlessly dominant.
"Haha…"
"Golden Lion, you're the one who's going to sleep with the fishes today!"
Garp roared with laughter, his body crackling as his muscles tensed, veins bulging, and his blood roared like iron chains being drawn taut.
He let out a mighty shout, "Now that's more like it!!"
With a roar, he hammered out punch after punch like a relentless pile driver, slamming into the charging sea lions one by one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each massive sea lion made of seawater shattered under Garp's brutal fists, bursting apart in explosive sprays of seawater.
Rain poured down like a torrential waterfall, pounding against the ocean's surface with deafening force.
The sheer exhilaration of releasing his power left Garp feeling absolutely ecstatic. He laughed heartily, "That's what I'm talking about! Golden Lion, bring it on!!!"
His blood was burning, his spirit surging it was downright addictive.
The fierce battle raged from day to night.
Even Kaido began to yawn, unable to stifle it. "Ahhh~ When are they going to finish already?"
The thunderous sound of the battle overhead had practically numbed his ears.
What had once been thrilling and heart-pounding now just made him sleepy.
When the fight first began, Kaido had been wildly excited, practically like watching his first "action film" new, intense, and exhilarating.
But after several hours of nonstop combat, even he began to develop a tolerance.
Unless something flashy or truly spectacular happened, he wasn't even moved anymore.
He had essentially reached the level of an "action connoisseur."
At this point, it was all starting to feel… bland.
"The outcome won't be settled until the very end. But I do wonder how much longer Ares can hold out?" Wang Zhi's left hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his palm subconsciously tightening around it.
From his vantage point, Ares was still fighting with incredible spirit, but his body was now covered in injuries.
His attacks weren't as ferocious as when the battle had started.
His power and speed were clearly beginning to fade.
Yet what genuinely surprised and impressed Wang Zhi was Ares' sheer mental fortitude. Even after several hours of battle, his fighting spirit remained sharp, unwavering.
Wang Zhi couldn't help but admire him. "This kid Ares has monstrous mental strength…"
"He really has no weaknesses."
This kind of high-intensity battle places an enormous strain on a person's willpower. Maintaining such extreme focus for so long? Most people would've already lost their edge or grown distracted.
But Ares was different. Wang Zhi couldn't help but think back to Ares' brutal, almost suicidal training regimen. "If he could endure that level of punishment, it's no wonder his willpower is leagues beyond others."
"Maybe…"
"I should find time to start teaching him Observation Haki. That would definitely boost his strength."
Wang Zhi could already tell even without Observation Haki, Ares' reaction speed and combat instincts were already monstrous.
That alone was hard to explain.
Wang Zhi could only attribute it to Ares' unrelenting willpower and mental conditioning, forged through years of extreme training.
"Wang Zhi, do you think this kid Ares will surpass Shiki and Newgate in a year?" Silver Axe asked, rubbing his chin.
Wang Zhi stroked his long, black beard, thought for a moment, and said, "Hard to say. The stronger you get, the harder it is to grow…"
"Ares is still too young and hasn't fought enough life-or-death battles."
Wang Zhi wasn't fully convinced that Ares could surpass monsters like Shiki and Newgate within just a year.
After all, those two were already at the pinnacle.
High in the sky.
Zephyr, still unable to bring down Ares, was beginning to sweat. Blocking another of Ares' strikes, he shouted toward Garp, "Garp, fall back for now!!"
There were still two other powerful cadres on the enemy's ship Wang Zhi and Silver Axe.
Even if he managed to take Ares down in the end, Zephyr knew he wouldn't be in any shape to face those two next.
Boom!
His foot exploded against the air using Moonwalk, his figure shooting toward Garp like an arrow.
Zephyr's voice was firm as he called out, "Garp, let's continue this tomorrow! We're done for today!"
A wave of scorching dragon breath shot toward him Ares' Dragon's Roar.
Zephyr smashed through the flames with a punch and gritted his teeth, cursing, "How the hell does this guy still have that much stamina? It's like a damn nightmare!"
Under Zephyr's urging, Garp finally backed down. As he casually picked his nose, he called out to Shiki, "Golden Lion! I'm heading back for dinner. I'll fight you again tomorrow!"
The two of them retreated at lightning speed faster than hawks.
Ares was still eager to keep fighting but was quickly stopped by Shiki, "Ares, let them go. Those two are tough nuts to crack."
Even though Shiki believed he could win, he knew there was no way to bring Garp down in a short fight.
"Why not chase them?" Ares hovered next to Shiki on his flame cloud, visibly dissatisfied.
Shiki lit a cigar, taking a deep drag. "If we want to settle this, it'll take days. By then, Navy reinforcements will probably show up."
"Even if we win, it wouldn't be worth it."
Hearing Shiki's explanation, Ares nodded and they both quickly returned to the ship's deck.
Silver Axe chuckled as he stepped forward and gave Ares a hearty slap on his broad, iron-hard shoulder, praising him, "Well done, kid! You really held your own against Navy Vice Admiral Zephyr."
"You're already stronger than me. I bet you'll become one of the Rocks Pirates' top officers in no time!"
Then, with a sly grin and a shameless wink, he added, "Hehe, when you meet some gorgeous women, make sure you introduce me, okay?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster!
p@treon.com/_theon
Change @ to "a"