So he hadn't been seeing things earlier—that purple treasure chest really did belong to the Sea King.
"Lend me your sword for a moment," Creed said to a nearby Marine.
The moment his right hand gripped the blade, his aura shifted completely—his eyes sharpened, his presence cutting like a drawn blade.
He swung forward in one decisive slash.
A massive blade of energy burst from the sword tip.
The slash split the sea wide open, cutting the Sea King beneath the surface cleanly in two, its blood staining the water red.
In Creed's mind, a prompt chimed: [Congratulations! You have obtained a Purple Mysterious Treasure Chest].
Beside him, Garp's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Just where had his grandson gotten this kind of strength?
The nearby Marines were equally dumbfounded.
"Where did you learn that swordsmanship?" Garp asked, unable to hold back. That level… was already swordsman-class, perhaps even a master.
"Just messed around on my own. Whenever I had nothing to do, I swung the sword a bit, and eventually I could do this kind of slash."
Creed's answer left them speechless.
What did that make of all the swordsmen who'd trained decades without ever reaching that level?
"Hahahaha!" Garp's booming laugh echoed. This was an unexpected joy—his grandson was a natural with the sword, reaching swordmaster-level just by "messing around."
In an instant, all the frustration from Luffy's constant talk about becoming a pirate was swept away.
"Come, Creed—let's have a little spar, just us grandpa and grandson," Garp said with a grin.
Creed was eager. He'd never had a true test of his S-rank swordsmanship; there were no real experts in Windmill Village to spar with.
At the same time, he scanned Garp's abilities, and the results left him stunned.
[Abilities]: SSS-rank Armament Haki (cannot be extracted), SS-rank Observation Haki (cannot be extracted), SSS-rank Rokushiki (Six Styles) (cannot be extracted), SSS-rank physical combat (cannot be extracted), SSS-rank Iron Fist (cannot be extracted)…
[Overall Strength]: SSS-rank
Creed's mouth twitched. 666 indeed—not for nothing was Garp the man who had chased the Pirate King across the world. Four SSS-rank abilities and only one at SS-rank—inhuman strength.
It was normal, though—Garp was still in his prime. Aside from a bit of white at his temples, his hair was still pitch-black, his body in peak condition.
Creed felt a thrill at the thought of crossing swords with one of the world's strongest.
"Creed, you attack first," Garp said, arms crossed.
Creed gripped his sword, then shot forward in a blur, swinging at Garp with full force.
He held nothing back—against Garp, there was no need for mercy.
Clang—
Garp didn't retreat. He simply extended one finger, which instantly turned pitch-black, gleaming like metal.
Finger and sword tip met with the screech of steel on steel, sparks flying at the point of contact.
Creed's body flickered, reappearing behind Garp—
But it was as if Garp had eyes in the back of his head. He tilted his head, his shoulder turning black, the blade striking it with a spray of sparks and not even cutting through his clothing.
A pulse of force traveled through Garp's body, sending Creed flying back.
Mid-air, Creed twisted and landed on his feet.
His arms tensed, muscles bulging—the gorilla's strength activating. He launched forward again, his sword tearing the air as it swung down toward Garp.
"Oh? Testing strength now?"
Garp once again extended a single finger and flicked the incoming blade.
Buzz—!
The sword in Creed's hands vibrated violently, forcing him back several steps, nearly knocking it from his grip.
Still too far apart in strength.
Creed narrowed his eyes. "Old man, watch yourself this time."
Standing tall, sword in hand, spine straight as a blade, his robe fluttering, Creed's eyes sharpened to a killing edge.
His aura built and built. The calm sea began to ripple, the air turning oppressive.
When it reached its peak—
Creed moved. The blade rose—
And fell.
A black wave of sword energy tore through the air toward Garp, the sound of it cutting through the wind like a scream.
Garp's face didn't change. His right fist turned black, and he punched forward.
Boom!
Sword energy and fist collided, the ship lurching, seawater erupting around them.
The slash shattered beneath Garp's blow.
The sword in Creed's hands, unable to withstand the force of the attack, splintered into countless pieces.
He shook his head. The gap was still too great—his strongest strike hadn't moved Garp an inch.
Still, Creed wasn't discouraged. At Marine Headquarters, countless strong fighters awaited—targets from whom he could extract even greater power.
Garp, however, was quietly impressed. He had underestimated Creed's swordsmanship—he hadn't expected that last strike to force him to cover his entire fist with Armament Haki.
And…
Lifting his right hand, Garp saw a faint line of blood on his knuckles.
That meant Creed's slash had actually cut through his Armament Haki, managing to wound him—if only slightly.
…
(End of Chapter)
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