"Shit…"
"Looks like… Orin really overdid it this time…"
Forcing down another mouthful of blood, the twenty-two-year-old Orin once again felt as if his organs were shifting inside him.
Creating clones was already a technique that consumed tremendous amounts of stamina and mental energy. Just keeping the clones strong enough so they wouldn't immediately lose against opponents of the same level was already the limit.
And yet, the main body still had to face a monster like Rocks. For Orin, it had been a long time since he'd felt such helplessness.
At this moment, not only his true body but even the clones began showing strain. Under the combined attacks of Roger, Garp, and the others, they were starting to falter.
Roger and Garling were still holding back somewhat, out of regard for his identity, and wouldn't go all out.
But Garp and Rocks—those two bastards didn't pull their punches at all, striking blow after merciless blow, several times nearly making Orin cough blood on the spot.
Of course…
They weren't having an easy time either.
Orin's attacks pierced defenses every time. Even someone like Garp, a pure master of physical combat, was bleeding all over, his body already marked with cuts.
"Hey!!! Orin!!! You bastard—if you can't hold on, don't force it!!!"
Slashing down to force back Orin's blade-wielding clone, Roger's face showed worry. He glanced at the pale-faced Orin and decisively sheathed his sword.
"That's enough. My purpose today isn't to purge the crew!!!"
Roger's choice to stop fighting instantly eased some of Orin's pressure. After all, Roger's real aim here was Rocks, not his own son.
On the other side, after clashing with Orin for several rounds and barely managing to parry his kick with a reverse slash, the slightly winded Garling also noticed Orin's struggle.
Curling his lip with a trace of boredom, he too sheathed his sword.
"In this condition, even if you win, it's meaningless. We'll have our duel another time."
Garling turned and stepped aside. Proud and arrogant as he was, his self-confidence and pride were immense.
Of course, this respect—
Applied only to Orin, who was also a Celestial Dragon.
With that, two of the four clones were freed up.
Orin didn't keep posturing. After glancing at Roger and Garling, he didn't press them further but instead sent the two clones to provide support.
Just as Garp clashed with Orin's Fist infused with Conqueror's Haki, a shadow suddenly appeared behind him without any warning.
A kick wreathed in fire and lightning shot upward, slamming into Garp's waist with brutal force.
That single kick sent him tumbling hundreds of meters away, smashing through countless trees and boulders before he barely managed to steady himself.
Brushing rubble off his body, Garp stared in disbelief at the two identical figures standing side by side before him.
One's fists glowed with red light, the other's legs crackled with flame and lightning. Both were glaring straight at him.
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself just now, Garp!!!"
"Come on then—show me again if you've got the guts!!!"
"Galaxy Impact!!!"
"Teleport Kick!!!"
The strongest techniques of martial skill and raw power—Orin unleashed them with full strength, channeling monstrous force and Conqueror's Haki into both fist and kick, striking Garp simultaneously.
Whoosh—
Boom—!!!
With a mouthful of blood spraying from his lips, a massive crater a kilometer wide instantly formed. Garp's body bore several faint indentations.
Unleashing his power without restraint—for Orin, who normally had to keep himself restrained and dared not release his full physical strength—it was intoxicating, even if…
That intoxication came at the cost of immense burden on his body.
"Old man… since childhood, I've never once lost in a contest of strength…"
His trembling hand told Orin just how much splitting into four had pushed him past his limits.
The strain was so severe, he could hardly even light a cigarette now.
But in the crater below, the figure who had been nearly crushed out of shape by that fist and kick suddenly stood back up, blood gushing from his mouth.
"You think I'll go down that easy, Orin!!!"
Ignoring his injuries, the figure leapt from the pit in an instant, appearing right before Orin.
With a feral, hellish grin, Garp charged in, cruel and relentless, locking Orin into brutal close combat.
One against two, yet showing no disadvantage at such range.
Punch after punch, kick after kick—Orin clashed with Garp's fists, his own face growing paler and grimmer by the second.
If it were only his true body, Orin would not fear Garp in the slightest.
But now, with so much stamina and focus also spent on Rocks—the monster beyond monsters—Orin was clearly struggling.
"…"
Watching Orin take a punch to the gut and instantly spit blood, Roger, who had been recovering stamina on the sidelines, finally couldn't sit still.
"Damn it, Garp!!!"
"Don't you dare take advantage of him like that!!!"
The young Roger roared in fury. His son was unable to display his peak state because of Rocks, only to be beaten senseless by Garp. What father could stand to watch that!?
Taking advantage of a brief opening in their exchange, Roger burst forward in a flash.
...
"Divine Departure!!!"
Crackkk—!!!
Garp's eyes widened as his blackened fist clashed with Roger's strike.
"Roger!!! You bastard!!!"
The two clashed and then split apart. Seeing Roger daring to strike at him, Garp instantly forgot about Orin—the real opponent—and turned to resume their eternal love-hate battle.
This left the two Orin clones momentarily stunned.
They exchanged glances.
"…Go help the main body. Rocks won't be easy."
"Got it!"
...
The four clones, in truth, were all Orin—just different manifestations in space. In a way, they could even be considered bodies before and after teleportation, infused with spatial-temporal factors. Their consciousness remained one.
Now, Orin finally faced Rocks alone.
Punch and kick struck Rocks in an instant—
But Orin never lingered, wary of being caught and nullified by his opponent's abilities.
The only reason he could hold his own against Rocks was his teleportation ability.
He wasn't about to throw that advantage away.
"Is this all you've got—running back and forth??? Orin!!!"
Forcing back the clones, Rocks sent dust billowing across the battlefield.
His aura blazed sky-high, shredding the haze in an instant.
But as the dust cleared, a dreadful premonition exploded in his mind. A wave of danger swept over him.
Because before him stood two towering figures side by side:
One held a sword, the other a spear-like staff, their weapons crossed together.
"This next strike… is my final and strongest aria. Don't you dare die too easily— Rocks!!!"
The two Orins' eyes were calm to a terrifying degree. A monstrous storm of lightning gathered where sword and spear crossed.
At that instant, the watching world was stunned into silence. Even the Elders trembled, eyes wide, voices failing them.
That ultimate strike—
It cleaved not only God Valley but split the seas for thousands of miles beyond.
This combined technique bore a name of domineering authority:
"Supreme Sea!!!"