The scorching sun beat down on the ground, making it sizzle.
Fortunately, a sea breeze drifted in from the distance, whisking away some of the heat and making the air a bit more bearable.
On the deserted training ground, Goku and Garp stood facing each other, their eyes locked in focus.
"Gramps Garp, you'd better watch out! I'm really strong now!"
Goku dropped into a horse stance and took a fighting pose, his voice full of determination.
"Is that so? Hahaha! Then bring it on!" Garp laughed heartily, his posture completely relaxed as he idly picked his nose.
Seeing this, Goku felt like he was being underestimated, making his teeth itch with frustration.
Without another word, he kicked off the ground with his short legs, launching himself at Garp like an arrow from a bow.
As he reached his opponent, he leaped into the air and drove a small, pale fist straight toward Garp's face!
*Smack!!*
With a sharp crack, Garp's palm appeared in front of his face, catching Goku's tiny fist in his massive, fan-like hand.
Goku's eyes widened, and he immediately tried to pull his hand back.
But despite straining with all his might, he found he couldn't move it an inch.
Thinking quickly, he gave up on pulling away and instead used Garp's palm as a pivot, whipping his short legs around in a kick toward Garp's chin.
He moved so fast that he kicked up a visible gust of wind.
However—
This sudden flash of brilliance failed to connect.
Garp's other hand had risen at some unknown moment, snatching both of Goku's feet out of the air.
In a flash, Goku was held by one hand and both legs. He struggled desperately with his one free arm, but he couldn't break the man's grip.
"Goku, you don't seem quite as strong as you said you were."
Garp teased the boy as he watched him squirm.
"Dammit! Let me go!" Goku shouted, his face turning a deep shade of red.
Garp let go, and Goku went flying backward.
He shook out his fist and looked at the red palm print on his skin, sucking in a breath of cold air. "Whoa! You really are strong!"
He began to view Garp in a new light, realizing that the old man was a truly formidable opponent.
He took up his stance once more, his expression serious. "That last time was just a mistake! I'm going to start getting serious now!"
Garp cleaned out his ear and flicked away the wax with a bored expression. "Is that right? I'm waiting."
*Whoosh... whoosh...*
A sea breeze swept through, fluttering Goku's messy black hair and Garp's white officer's coat.
This time, Goku didn't rush his attack. Instead, he carefully observed Garp's movements.
But no matter how he looked, Garp seemed to be nothing but openings, as if an attack from any direction would land easily.
'That's so weird. How did he catch my attacks so easily before?'
Goku wondered to himself.
He didn't dwell on it for long, though. With a shift in his mindset, he decided to attack from behind.
'I'll use that move I just learned!'
Steeling his resolve, he suddenly vanished from the spot.
In the next heartbeat, he was behind Garp, launching a kick aimed straight for the man's lower back.
If Bogard had been watching, he would have found the scene very familiar.
After all, he had been the one Goku sent flying into a metal wall using Soru and this exact same maneuver.
Now, Goku had replicated the movement perfectly.
So, would Garp be kicked away like Bogard had been?
The answer...
...was obviously no.
Just as Goku's foot was about to touch Garp, Garp's body vanished as well.
A split second later, just as Goku's momentum was about to carry him past, Garp appeared behind him and slammed a massive fist downward!
It made direct contact with Goku's head.
*BAM!!!*
Goku hit the ground head-first, his feet dangling in the air.
A moment later, two large bumps comically sprouted from his head.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!!"
Goku performed a quick kip-up and clutched his head, tears of pain welling in his eyes once again.
After the pain faded slightly, he looked at Garp in disbelief. "When did you get behind me?"
With his sharp senses, he hadn't even been able to track Garp's movement, which left him thoroughly shocked.
Garp had somehow pulled out a bag of rice crackers and was casually eating them. Between bites, he said, "Guess."
Goku gritted his teeth at the response.
"Hmph! Then see how you handle this! This is my latest invention!"
Garp glanced at him, showing a flicker of interest.
"Oh? A move you invented?"
Goku nodded vigorously.
It was an idea he had come up with right after learning Soru.
He lunged forward, his body assuming a flying kick pose in mid-air as he aimed for Garp's face.
Garp reached out to block, but then he paused in surprise. Goku's body had suddenly frozen in the air.
At the same time, another Goku appeared behind Garp with a mischievous, confident grin, launching an identical kick!
*Swish!!*
A moment later, Goku's kick passed through nothing but air, and his momentum sent him tumbling forward.
"Waaaaah!!"
Goku flailed his arms and legs in mid-air like a bird that had lost its feathers, heading for a crash landing.
Luckily, his superhuman reflexes and flexibility kicked in. Instead of hitting the dirt face-first, he managed to twist and land on his feet.
Once he found his footing, he spun around and looked at Garp, who was now standing a short distance away. "Gramps Garp, how did you dodge that? Did you know I was behind you?"
He knew his new technique could create an afterimage convincing enough to fool anyone. (It was actually the Afterimage Technique, which he'd developed on his own without ever seeing Master Roshi use it.)
Just now, his afterimage was right in front of Garp. Logically, Garp should have been tricked. How could he have known Goku was actually behind him?
Garp was actually a bit surprised himself.
'That was a close one! I almost fell for the kid's trick!'
'I can't believe he came up with a move like that on his own!'
The truth was, when Goku used the Afterimage Technique, Garp really had been momentarily fooled by the phantom.
If his Observation Haki hadn't warned him that the Goku in front was a fake and the real one was attacking from behind, he might have actually been hit.
Even though he'd nearly been caught, he didn't let it show. He just casually remarked, "You really think a little trick like that can get past me? Keep dreaming!"
Goku was stunned by the man's prowess. He gasped, "Whoa! I didn't realize you were so amazing, Gramps! You actually saw right through it!"
He'd thought this move would be a game-changer, but it had met its match the very first time he used it.
Garp laughed to himself but kept a mocking smile on his face, even letting out a yawn. "So is that the best you've got? This is nowhere near enough. I'm so bored I'm about to fall asleep!"
Goku, who was still pondering how Garp had seen through his Afterimage Technique, got so angry at the comment that his hair practically stood on end.
He gritted his teeth and snarled, "Hmph! You just wait! I'm going to make you take this seriously!"
—