The slash, imbued with the terrifying gravitational pull of Blue was further enhanced by Black Flash.
Renji's strike landed on Garp's kidney, and at the same time, the Blue that had reformed on the field burst forth violently.
Boom!
A fierce cloud of smoke billowed up.
"His talent in combat is astonishing. Vice Admiral Garp, caught between two attacks, will undoubtedly suffer the most violent blow instantly." Bogard clenched his fist, his eyes openly expressing his admiration for Renji.
"His combat skills are so perfect that even I have to commend him."
"Uh... no! That black lightning just now. Could that be..." Bogard stared in shock at the battlefield obscured by smoke.
After commenting on Renji's combat prowess, he finally recalled that unusual black light.
As Garp, the Marine Hero's aide, how could he not know about the top-tier application of Conqueror's Haki?
Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
Could this kid, at such a young age, have already mastered such a top-tier combat technique?!
Miruko, standing nearby, widened her eyes, then broke into a smile. Although she didn't understand, judging by Bogard's tone, Renji must have accomplished something incredible just now. She was very happy.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
The observing Marine soldiers couldn't help but exclaim.
The commotion caused by that exchange was considerable. Could Vice Admiral Garp really have been defeated by this kid?
The swirling wind carried the smoke away, gradually dispersing after a moment, revealing the two figures within.
Renji's fist was pressed against Garp's waist.
"Kid! You really know where to hit." Garp had a smile on his face, completely devoid of any pained expression from the attack.
Seeing this, Renji sighed inwardly, 'As expected.'
That sensation was like a towering mountain. And his Heavenly Six Eyes could observe a layer of flowing energy protecting Garp's body, its defensive power incredibly astonishing, almost unimaginable.
The strength of this Armament Haki was, at least for now, not something his current Lv. 1 skills could break through.
Bogard, who had watched the entire spar, had a glint in his eyes. Unfortunately, that was probably not a Conqueror's Haki infused attack. After all, he hadn't felt the unique oppressive sensation released by Conqueror's Haki.
But to force Garp to use Armament Haki to tank the attack without time to dodge—
Among the Marines, not many could achieve that.
Although it was predicated on Garp's carelessness, facing a top-tier expert while remaining calm in a crisis, with clear combat thinking...
This was enough to show that the kid named Renji had limitless potential. Perhaps he had the makings of an Admiral.
"As expected of the Marine Hero, my attack was like tickling you, wasn't it?" Renji chuckled softly, retracting his fist.
Garp laughed heartily, patting Renji's shoulder. "Hahaha, you kid, you won and you're still playing coy. But I really like you more and more."
If he hadn't protected himself with Armament Haki in time, his kidney might not have been safe.
Pat... Pat..
Terrifying monstrous strength reverberated.
If he hadn't already gained the physical enhancement from Martial Arts (Lv. 1), Renji couldn't guarantee he wouldn't spit blood.
Damn it! He really doesn't know his own strength!
It seems that not directly confronting Garp head-on just now was a very correct decision.
"By the way, kid, what was that black attack you used just now!?" Garp asked curiously.
Bogard leaned forward slightly, he was very curious as well.
Renji said, "That's a derivative application of my Devil Fruit ability, I suppose."
Since they all thought it was a Devil Fruit, he might as well just blame it all on that.
"Hahaha, it's a good attack method, thankfully my kidneys are well-traine. Otherwise, you really would have gotten me."
Pat... Pat...
The more Garp patted, the more enthusiastic he became. This kid's physical condition was also good. He hadn't spat blood after taking so many shoulder pats from him.
Being able to perfectly utilize his characteristics in battle—amazing speed, sharp slashes, and that seemingly very promising Devil Fruit.
He truly was a rare genius!
This time, no matter what, he has to bring him into the Marine.
Returning to East Blue and picking up such a genius for free, Sengoku would surely be surprised.
He had recruited such a potential asset for the Marine. When the time came, he would definitely make that stingy old Sengoku bleed a bit.
This time, he'd need at least two boxes of special senbei.
No! Three boxes!
At this thought, Garp burst into happy laughter. "Kid, because you've killed so many pirates, you can only join the Marine."
Hearing this, Bogard's lips twitched.
What did he mean, killing so many pirates meant he could only join Marine? Was there any necessary relationship between the two?
"Eh? Renji is joining the Marine?" Miruko was a bit surprised, a fleeting look of disappointment crossing her face.
"You are absolutely right, Garp-san. I'll join the Marine." Renji smiled.
He was just worrying about where to go. He didn't expect the opportunity to come to him like this.
Moreover, following Garp, even in Marineford, he would be quite respected. After all, Garp was a Marine Hero who didn't even care about the Celestial Dragons, and his reputation was excellent.
"Hm? He actually agreed?" Bogard frowned.
Hearing Renji agree, Garp was delighted, his conviction in his idea growing stronger.
In the future, if he encountered any other geniuses, he could just beat them up and bring them under his command.
"However, Garp-san, I have a small condition."
Renji looked at Miruko in the distance, then continued, "Miruko and Reiko are my benefactors, so I hope that after I join the Marine, you can guarantee their safety."
Hearing such a condition, Bogard relaxed, and his gaze towards Renji showed even deeper admiration.
Garp readily agreed, "Haha, no problem. We'll bring them to Marineford. There's no safer place on the high seas."
As for the authority to arrange such matters, it was something Sengoku could easily handle with a single phone call. Moreover, such a request was reasonable and fair. A super genius like Renji naturally enjoyed extremely high preferential treatment.
"Alright, Vice Admiral Garp." Renji smiled.
Miruko and Reiko were not opposed to moving. The tavern was destroyed, and it was no longer safe to stay there. With Renji joining Marine, moving to Marineford would make it easier for them to meet in the future.
—
Soon, the massive dog-head warship set sail.
"Your current rank is Petty Officer, but I believe you'll soon make a big splash in Marine."
"No-sword style is very rare. But if you had a suitable famous blade, the power of your slashes would surely be even more astonishing." Bogard gripped the sword at his waist.
Renji looked, and through the observation of his Heavenly Six Eyes, he saw that Bogard's sword was no ordinary item. It seems Garp's people are well-treated.
The path of the sword, though diverse, ultimately converges. Bogard's words were not wrong.
And speaking of which, since Innate Fighter (Lv. 1) could perfectly integrate and utilize skills. Perhaps he could integrate the sword arts of this world with slash. If he could succeed, the power would certainly skyrocket.
A slash that severs the world!
"Perhaps, at least I haven't found a suitable famous blade yet." Renji replied.
"I will help you search."
A simple sentence represented Bogard's high hopes and affirmation for the young man before him.
"I'll remember this kindness."
...
The more Bogard looked at the young man before him, the stronger the curiosity in his eyes became.
"But I'm very curious, how exactly did you train your sword arts and martial arts?"
As he spoke, Garp looked at Renji with some anticipation.
On this small island with few strong individuals, did he learn by himself?
He really wanted to know the answer to this question.
Miruko and Reiko had already woken up, their eyes also fixed on Renji. Especially Reiko, who feigned pouting and hugged Miruko's arm.
"You are so amazing, and you kept it a secret from us."
Facing the gazes cast upon him, Renji slightly smiled. Since they were all so curious, it seemed he couldn't get away without a serious explanation.
"Actually, all of this..."
It was as if invisible eyes were watching, anticipating his answer.
Renji's lips curved into a smile as he said, "It's all thanks to my perseverance and hard work."
As soon as he finished speaking, Renji immediately started doing push-ups on the spot.
[Today's Check-in Progress: Standard Push-ups (1/100)!]
Under everyone's gaze, Renji exercised rhythmically.
Push-up +1... Push-up +1... Push-up +1!
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing today's check-in!]
[Reward: Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 4)]
[Reward has been issued, please check!]
He hadn't expected Conqueror's Haki to come so simply and directly. Looking at the skill description, Renji couldn't stop his lips from curving up.
[Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 4)]: Extraordinary power of will. Provides a terrifying increase in Haki reserves.
Capable of using Conqueror's Haki Infusion to deal substantial damage, with a diffusion range of up to three thousand meters.]