"Not bad at all, brat. Your physique, your Haki—they've all reached this level, and you're even a Grandmaster Swordsman! I'll definitely make you join the Marines!" Garp said, thrilled. To him, this was a proper admiral candidate—no way could he just let him slip away.
"Then come and try, old man!" Leno shook out his numb arm, cursing inwardly. 'As expected of a peak martial artist—his body's been trained to the absolute limit. Even my top-level physique can barely endure.'
With that, the two clashed again.
"It's been almost a whole day… they're not tired?" Nami asked anxiously.
"That's how battles between the strong go. It's hard to decide a winner in a short time. Don't worry, Leno's fine. He hasn't even used his abilities yet," Kuina reassured.
"Grandpa's this strong?!" Luffy was dumbfounded. He'd only ever thought his grandpa's punches just hurt like hell—he'd never known his strength was this terrifying.
Nami shot him a glare. "Your own grandpa—you didn't know?!"
"Nope, no idea," Luffy said with perfect confidence.
After another clash, Leno was slightly out of breath, his clothes torn, revealing bruises underneath. Garp's fists were truly hard—even Armament Haki was struggling to hold up. His body burned with pain, but through this prolonged battle, Leno's mindset began to shift.
'Now, I can stand toe to toe with top fighters. Maybe I don't need to live like before—always cautious, always hiding, afraid of trouble.
If I've gotten strong, but still cower and hide… then what's the point of becoming strong?'
Across from him, Garp's own clothes were shredded, so he tore the remains off, revealing his muscular frame.
"Hmm? That brat's aura just changed." Garp's eyes narrowed as Leno loosened his body, stretching casually, completely relaxed.
"He's changed!" Kuina muttered.
"Huh? What changed?" Nami looked at Kuina in confusion.
"Leno feels different, like he's let go of something. He seems… lighter," Kuina said, brows furrowed in thought.
"Yeah… I feel it too," Nojiko nodded.
Nami squinted at Leno. "Really?"
Then came a roar—Leno's body grew taller, soon surpassing five meters. Twin horns sprouted from his head, his body covered in purple dragon scales, a long tail swaying behind him—a full dragon-human form.
"Sugeee! What's going on? He turned into a dragon-man!" Luffy shouted, eyes sparkling.
"Hahahaha! So it was you who killed Golden Lion! No wonder that sword felt familiar… It was you! Perfect! I finally found you. You must join the Marines—I'll make you an admiral!" Garp roared with laughter.
Armament Haki flowed down Leno's right arm, coating his blade in petal-like wisps. "Save it, old man. Take me down first, then we'll talk!"
In a flash, he appeared before Garp and slashed down.
"So fast!" Garp barely managed to raise his Haki-coated arm in defense.
CLANG! The blow drove him back. Blood welled from a fresh cut on his arm, and his gaze grew solemn.
"Brat… your power's increased this much, and you've learned Ryuo. Not bad! Looks like I'll have to go all out too—hahahaha!"
He charged again, fists raised.
"Finally, Vice Admiral Garp is hurt," Nami breathed in relief.
"Grandpa… bleeding? You've gotta be kidding me!" Luffy yelled in disbelief.
"Iron Fist—Meteor!" His pitch-black fist streaked with sparks as it rocketed toward Leno.
Petals swirled from Leno's blade, surging to meet it. "Dragon's Might—Heavy Slash Combo!"
BOOM! GRRIND! The screech of steel on steel filled the air.
The shockwave rippled outward like a storm, shattering ground and stone, leveling the mountainside.
"It's coming! The shockwave's coming! Just how far are those two going to take this?!" Nami shrieked, on the verge of collapse.
"Help! I wanna go home!" Luffy screamed, legs kicking as Kuina carried him by the collar.
"Still strong as ever, old man!" Leno gritted, blade locked against Garp's fist.
"Hahahaha! You're not half bad yourself, brat!"
The pounding continued, their figures blurring into streaks of red and blue light, colliding again and again.
The onlookers could only track by the crashes and sparks, stunned.
"Five days now… and Vice Admiral Garp's still fighting. Too strong," whispered Marines who had gathered after hearing the commotion days earlier.
"At first I thought Kaido had come… but it turns out it's that kid from the tavern. Incredible."
"Yeah, who'd have thought that clean-cut boy was so powerful?"
"No matter how many times I see it, Vice Admiral Garp's strength is terrifying."
"This is what it means to be a top-level powerhouse of the seas," they murmured.
"Kuina… should we…" Nami edged close to Kuina, whispering as she eyed the gathering Marines.
"No need. Let's wait for Leno's outcome," Kuina said firmly.
Nami looked back at the battlefield, anxiety clear on her face.
"Haa… haa…" Leno's hair clung to his forehead, dragon scales cracked in several places, blood at his lips, chest heaving.
"Brat, can't keep up? Come back to the Marines with me and I will train you, hahaha!" Garp was also covered in cuts, bleeding freely, yet he laughed, panting.
"Old man, I just can't bear to hit you too hard. What if I broke you? The Marines would hunt me down!" Leno smirked.
"What?! You looking down on me, kid?!" Garp glared, furious.
"Iron Fist—Meteor Shower! Take this, brat!" He leapt high, fists blazing, unleashing a storm of blows.
"Dragon's Might—Slash Barrage!" Leno roared, blade flashing in rapid arcs.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! Explosions filled the sky, waves of force shaking the land. Before the blasts had even faded, the two blurred forward again.
The battlefield stretched further and further, leaving the earth overturned and broken.
The onlookers stood dumbstruck, staring at the wasteland, speechless.
Nami gave the others a look; quietly, they slipped away.