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"I will never let you succeed, Rowen!" Garp clenched his fists and roared, his voice filled with fury.
"Why?" Rowen raised an eyebrow in confusion. "To this day, you still place your hope in the World Government? Or do you think I can't become a true ruler?"
"Neither!" Garp shot back angrily. "I just don't want to see this world descend into total chaos."
"Enough people have died in this Pirate Era... every living soul deserves our protection!"
"That's complete nonsense!"
Rowen raised his thunder halberd high, electricity crackling around him, creating a storm that made him appear as if he were a god or a demon. His hair stood on end, and a glowing symbol of "Thunder" appeared on his forehead.
"You, who once sheltered the son of the Pirate King, Portgas D. Ace, and ignited the Marineford War, have no right to lecture me! The souls of the comrades who perished at Marineford are watching you, Garp!!!"
"Enough!!!" With a roar, Garp charged forward, his eyes burning with anger. "Since you're so stubborn, let's settle this with our fists, kid! I'll show you what's right through pure power!"
"Heh! Interesting, but don't say I didn't warn you if you end up dead, old man!" Rowen smirked, electricity sparking from his eyes as he lifted his halberd.
"Heaven-resisting Thunder Cry · Third Style · Cloud Dragon Kill!"
Roar!!
The halberd shot forward like a dragon, crackling with lightning and roaring as it surged through the air. In an instant, the sky shifted, and the clash of Haoshoku (Conqueror's Haki) split the dark clouds overhead, creating a stunning, breathtaking scene.
Zī...!
With a swift diagonal strike, Garp's left hand deflected the thunder halberd's sharp thrust, the blade scraping against his Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and producing sparks. The halberd's powerful strike left a white mark on Garp's defense.
"What a tough punch!"
Seeing this, Rowen's heart skipped a beat.
No wonder he's called the "Iron Fist", even with his Busoshoku Haki, he blocked a strike that could slice through mountains.
But there was no time to think. Garp, his hair and beard wild like a beast, had already closed the distance, his fist roaring with compressed air, creating an orange-yellow aura that surrounded his blow, radiating with overwhelming power.
An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous.
Rowen knew he had to close the gap and seize the initiative.
Just as Garp's fist was about to land, Rowen suddenly grinned.
"You think I didn't see that coming?!"
Zī zī...
With a crackling sound, Rowen's form exploded into a storm of lightning. Garp's heavy punch struck, sending a blast of compressed air that left a dent in the distant sea, but nothing solid was hit.
"Could it be?!"
Thunder Clone!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Muffled thunderclaps echoed as every bolt of lightning that struck from the sky revealed another "Rowen."
As twelve Rowens appeared, the sky above erupted with blue light, and the gathering electricity formed a phantom pattern resembling a throne, casting off the dark clouds.
"God's Cry Hall · Thunder God Assembly · Twelve Guardian Palaces!"
"Your attack patterns are too obvious, old bastard… You, who only excel at hand-to-hand combat, are no match for me in close quarters. You were a worthy mentor, but now the tables have turned."
The twelve Rowens spoke in unison, their voices thundering, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the fake.
Or rather... they were all real!
These Rowens weren't mere illusions formed by electricity, they were tangible clones of Rowen.
"Combat is about exploiting weaknesses with one's strengths. Don't think I'm naive, Garp!"
'This little brat…'
'Has he been treating me as an enemy from the start?'
Garp's expression grew serious as he raised his hands defensively, his feet shifting as he sought an opening.
But he couldn't find one...
No matter which Rowen he focused on, they all seemed equally real.
"Have you really developed the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) to this level? This is trouble..."
Garp let out a heavy sigh.
There was only one chance to attack, and with his physical abilities limited by range, he knew that once he committed, the remaining eleven Rowens would strike in unison.
Faced with Rowen's overwhelming power, even Garp couldn't be sure he could withstand it.
"So you've decided to wait for an opportunity... What a foolish choice."
Rowen let out a quiet laugh as he observed Garp's defensive stance. All twelve clones raised their right hands in unison, gathering a ball of white light in their palms.
"Awakening Technique · God's Cry · Falling Thunder Spears!"
Buzz!!
A deep, vibrating hum filled the air, and the electric charge, even from a distance, sent a tingling sensation down Garp's spine.
The longer this battle dragged on, the more dangerous it became for Garp. BIG MOM and others had already proven just how dire the situation could become.
"I have no choice. It's now or never!"
Suddenly, feeling the pressure, Garp shouted in frustration and swung his fist.
"Naive!"
Rowen's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, all twelve thunder guns were unleashed, streaking across the sky like meteors, leaving brilliant trails of light that converged at their target.
Then...
"Boom!!"
With a snap of his fingers, the falling thunder spears erupted in a burst of crackling electricity, the blinding white light consuming most of the island in an instant.
In the wake of this cataclysmic force, golden water continuously dripped from Golden City. Yet, before it could reach the ground, the searing heat of the lightning evaporated it midair.
The shockwave surged forward, accompanied by the shrieking sound of twisted metal, as the massive structure leaning against the cliff crumbled and toppled over, crashing to the other side.
Huā Lā La!
A gargantuan ship, ten kilometers long, slammed to the ground with a deafening crash, sending up a colossal spray of water that blocked out the sun. It was as if an earthquake had struck, causing the sea to churn and surge wildly.
It was clear that after this battle, Golden City would need to be completely rebuilt.
But Rowen wasn't satisfied with this attack.
"I see, you created an escape route underground with your fists to avoid the full brunt of the initial explosion."
He looked at the circular passage left behind in the center of the island's foundation, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned upon him. He sighed.
"Unorthodox flight techniques and unconventional methods... truly fitting for the Monkey Family."
On one side of the island, the forest and rocky ground had been obliterated to a depth of several dozen meters by the falling thunder guns! Yet, there were still visible depressions at this depth, suggesting that Garp had burrowed even deeper.
But...
"You're not a user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit), so aren't you worried about drowning down there?!"
With a sharp motion, Rowen stepped forward, raising his hand.
The twelve clones acted in perfect unison. With a resounding crash, a massive whirlwind surged around them, and the seawater above seemed to have a mind of its own, gathering and then pouring directly into the pit.
"In terms of creative combat, don't forget that I don't hold back either!"
Suddenly, Rowen's ears twitched, and his eyes snapped toward a desolate rocky layer.
"Don't think you can run!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He stomped down hard, shattering the solid ground beneath him. But more rocks compressed under his feet, sinking several meters deep into the earth.
For any ordinary person hiding underground, the consequences of this stomp would be catastrophic.
But... it wasn't an ordinary person.
Boom!!
In that moment, the seawater-filled pit erupted with a deafening roar, and a figure shot up from the depths, poised to strike amidst the flying water.
"Indeed, your Heavenly Network can't penetrate the rock layers to track my movements, Rowen."
"Did you think I was fleeing?"
"Dammit, I've been tricked!"
Rowen's eyes widened in realization.
No one had anticipated that the commotion Garp had caused underground wasn't an attempt to avoid the incoming seawater. Instead, it was a clever ruse to draw Rowen in.
In this high-stakes race against time, Rowen, instinctively reacting, had used his real body to deliver the final blow.
Now, with his back turned to Garp and less than ten meters between them, there was no time to dodge.
"This is the old man's Love's Iron Fist, you brat!!"
With a furious roar, Garp swung his fist upward.
(End of this chapter)