The trees trembled as if an invisible monster were moving among them. Punches and kicks made the ground vibrate, lifting leaves and dust everywhere. In the middle of it all, two figures faced each other with intensity.
Garp threw his fists with the force of a cannon. Each blow created a shockwave that broke the ground around him. X, on the other hand, moved precisely: he dodged, spun, blocked with his forearm, or deflected the attacks using the vice admiral's own weight against him.
His movements were fluid, dance-like, a combination of speed and technique that Garp had never seen before. Every time X managed to land a hit, the sound was strong, but Garp barely flinched, smiling with amusement.
"Your punches are fast, but they lack weight," the vice admiral mocked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's what the man says who isn't even affected by an earthquake," X replied, pushing himself back before counterattacking with a low kick.
The impact lifted a gust of wind that tore nearby branches, but Garp barely took a step back.
The vice admiral let out a powerful laugh. "You've got guts, kid!"
X took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling — it had been a long time since he had faced someone with such inhuman endurance — watching every movement of his opponent.
Then, in the middle of the exchange, his thoughts grew deeper.
"What surprises me the most about this new world is that humans can evolve and become much stronger without depending on trust... I even heard that not only humans exist, but also other species. There are strange objects, like the Devil Fruits, that grant unique supernatural abilities in exchange for the inability to swim. A clear example is Luffy, who ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
As far as I know, there are three types of Devil Fruits: the Paramecia, which grants paranormal powers; the Zoan, which allows transformation into animals; and finally, the Logia, which grants control over elements.
Of all these... this old man doesn't have a single Fruit. He uses abilities that I still can't understand. I suppose the Marines teach this kind of thing to those of high rank." thought X, while skillfully dodging several blows from Garp, who seemed to be enjoying each one of his attacks.
"Hey, kid! You're awfully quiet! What are you thinking about?!" shouted Garp, increasing the speed of his attacks.
"I was just thinking about how you obtained such power... without a Devil Fruit," replied X, dodging a kick that passed right above him.
"Mmh... you're still too young to know that," answered Garp with a barely noticeable smile.
X nodded slowly, understanding what he meant.
"It's probably a very difficult ability to obtain, since no one on this island possesses it. I'll confirm something…" thought X.
Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, and Garp turned into a two-dimensional character walking on the ground. However, in an instant, the vice admiral activated his Haki, breaking through reality itself and returning everything to normal.
"That power again, brat!" shouted Garp, as an intense red aura completely covered his fist. With a single punch to the ground, he destroyed everything around him in a twenty-meter radius, making the entire mountain tremble.
"What a destructive power, sir," commented X, floating calmly in the air.
"This is nothing. I'm just playing with you, kid," replied Garp, smiling fiercely.
"Grandpa!" shouted Luffy, who began to fall off a cliff formed by the impact.
"Luffy!"
"Relax, I'll get him now."
With another snap, Luffy appeared suspended in the air, being held by the shirt in X's hand.
"Waaahhh! I'm flying!" he shouted excitedly.
"You're not flying, I'm holding you," replied X with a drop of sweat sliding down his temple, exhausted from the constant use of his abilities along with the fight against Garp.
Luffy sighed in relief, realizing that nothing had happened to him.
Several minutes later, X slowly descended to the ground, exhaling calmly. He extended a hand toward the horizon and snapped his fingers once more.
The air around him began to vibrate. The rocks lifted by Garp's impact floated in the air, breaking into small luminous fragments that rose like stardust. The cracked ground rearranged itself, each stone fitting perfectly into place. In a matter of seconds, the mountain returned to its original shape, with no trace of destruction.
The entire environment regained its harmony, as if time itself had reversed.
Garp watched the scene in complete silence.
"What kind of ability is that…?" he murmured, without taking his eyes off X. "It's not a Devil Fruit. I would've noticed."
X smiled slightly, adjusting his glasses with two fingers.
"Let's just say it's something… more complicated to explain."
"Well, I think I went a bit overboard. I used more power than necessary. Good thing you rebuilt the mountain. Hahaha!" declared Garp, laughing at himself, scratching the back of his neck as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, the sound of coordinated footsteps and commanding shouts echoed among the trees. Dozens of figures emerged from the forest, advancing in tight formation like an army. Each wore the classic white Marine uniform: an open jacket with golden epaulets, blue pants, and the word 'Justice' written on the back. The higher-ranking officers wore white peaked caps, while the regular soldiers had metal helmets and rifles slung over their shoulders.
Among them, several men escorted a group of prisoners. They wore dirty black-and-white striped suits, stained from the journey, and were chained hand and foot with seastone shackles, the marine mineral that nullified the powers of Devil Fruits. Their eyes reflected resignation… and a deep fear toward the man who had captured them.
One of the marines stepped forward, saluting energetically.
"Vice Admiral Garp! We have brought the prisoners as ordered, sir! We came as fast as possible when we saw your attack!"
Garp nodded, his cheerful expression slowly disappearing into a more serious and authoritative demeanor. The presence of the vice admiral alone was enough for the marines to straighten their posture and for the prisoners to lower their gaze, terrified. X, on the other hand, remained silent, observing every detail with calm curiosity, as if analyzing the scene from outside the real world.
"Luffy, X, I have to return to my duties," announced Garp, crossing his arms behind his back. "I'll be back next week. In the meantime, work hard to improve."
"Yes! When you come back, I'll already be able to control my power!" shouted Luffy enthusiastically, nodding up and down, full of determination.
"We'll be waiting for you," said X, showing a faint smile.
Then he slowly turned his gaze toward the prisoners. The chains that bound them jingled with the movement of the wind, and the reflection of the sun glinted off their seastone shackles.
Among the murmurs, some marines commented on the prisoners' fate:
"They'll be sent to Impel Down, the most feared prison in the world…"
"Not even the most powerful pirates have escaped from there."
X turned and waved goodbye to Garp, while the vice admiral walked away with the marines. Beside him, Luffy jumped with pure joy, caring about nothing but his stomach.
"X, let's go to the bar! I'm starving!" he shouted, with a smile that covered his entire face.
"My God…" sighed X, putting a hand to his face. "Because of you, I have to work extra hours just so Makino will give you more meat."
"That's why I'm grateful!" replied Luffy, raising his fists with determination. "When I become the King of the Pirates, I'll pay you back for everything, I promise!"
X looked at him for a few seconds in silence, then let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
"If you really do that… I suppose it'll be worth helping you," he murmured, smiling amicably, as both walked away from the clearing, the sun slowly setting behind the trees.