"Zuhhh—!!!"
Might Guy let out a furious roar.
White steam surged around his body, twisting and hissing like an unleashed force of nature.
Even amidst the chaos, those watching couldn't help but be stunned.
There were no weaklings here.
And yet, Guy's technique… was purely taijutsu—no chakra constructs, no ninjutsu enhancement.
Just raw, overwhelming physical power.
"This guy… usually looks like a loud, hot-blooded fool, always shouting about youth and passion. Who would've thought he was this strong?"
Uchiha Madara crossed his arms, nodding with rare approval.
"Hahaha~"
"Don't underestimate the power of youth, Madara."
Senju Hashirama's gaze was fixed on Might Guy with admiration in his eyes.
At this moment, Guy's hair spiked up. White steam exploded outward, writhing like a living entity.
ROAR—!!!
From the boiling mist emerged the shape of a giant tiger's head.
"Fighting someone like this really gets my blood pumping!"
Garp grinned and raised his fist.
Armament Haki flared to life, black and crackling.
"Come at me!!!"
"Yo~!" Guy responded without hesitation.
Forming a unique hand seal, he pointed forward.
The Daytime Tiger launched forward with a deafening roar.
The sound alone was enough to draw everyone's attention.
The clash between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines came to an abrupt halt.
Heads turned.
From below the execution platform, a brilliant white tiger shot forward, surging straight toward Garp.
Even Akainu and Aokiji narrowed their eyes at the display. This kind of taijutsu defied their understanding of what was physically possible.
It wasn't like Garp's strength.
It was something else entirely.
"Fist Bone Impact!!!"
Instead of dodging, Garp charged head-on, kicking the ground hard and launching himself at the tiger.
Armament Haki surged to his right fist.
BZZZT—
The sheer force of Garp's attack ignited his fist.
Flames licked the surface of his magma-colored arm.
And then, he punched.
Fist met tiger.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
The collision of their raw might triggered a massive shockwave.
WHOOSH—!!!
The wind howled violently, shaking the execution platform to its foundation.
Had it not been for Hashirama's Senpō: Myōjinmon (Sage Art: Gate of the Great God), the entire structure might have been obliterated.
On top of the platform, Ace and Shanks' first mate, Benn Beckman, both widened their eyes.
Their faces betrayed utter disbelief.
Neither of them could handle that level of power.
Though, in fairness, Ace had an edge due to his Logia powers. As the wielder of the Flame-Flame Fruit, he could still slip through many attacks by turning into fire—no Haki needed.
CRACK—!!!
The clash triggered an explosion of terrifying scale.
Garp was blown backward by the blast wave.
Skidding madly, he gouged deep trenches into the ground with his feet.
Hashirama's wood release lashed out instinctively, absorbing the impact and scattering shards of timber.
"Hah… hah…"
Garp was breathing heavily, but the wide grin on his face hadn't faded.
When the smoke finally cleared…
Might Guy was still standing.
Blue steam hissed off his body.
"What?!"
"Is this… is this really the level of a taijutsu user?!"
"He tanked it… Vice Admiral Garp actually took that punch head-on!"
"And look—he's not even seriously hurt!"
"Unbelievable!"
"..."
The Marines roared in celebration.
But Sengoku's expression darkened.
Because to him, this wasn't a good thing.
Both sides were testing the waters, not fighting for real.
And there were still monsters who hadn't even moved yet.
Sengoku narrowed his eyes and looked toward the Moby Dick.
Minato Namikaze sat casually on the deck beside Whitebeard.
Whitebeard even tossed a wine gourd to him, as if they were just enjoying the show.
This was during the Warring States Period, after all.
"The flaw is exposed."
"Whitebeard!!!"
A tall Marine suddenly appeared—wielding a massive double-edged axe, his face obscured by a T-shaped mask.
He stood behind Whitebeard, axe raised high with both hands, ready to strike.
Neither Whitebeard nor Minato moved.
BOOM—!!!
The axe came crashing down.
Minato was squarely within its range.
SWOOSH—
But just as the blade was about to strike, Minato vanished.
He dissolved into countless beams of light—Flying Thunder God: Level Two.
Still facing forward, Whitebeard spoke calmly, "He's aiming for me."
Quake—!!!
A deep rumble echoed out—the sound of the Gura Gura no Mi, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Whitebeard swung his fist slowly.
A spatial crack split the air in front of the descending axe.
BOOM BOOM—!!!
The double-edged axe halted mid-swing. The Rear Admiral's massive frame trembled violently.
Then—
CRACK—
The enormous weapon shattered completely.
It hadn't been blocked—it had been crushed by the shockwave from Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"Drink——!!!"
At the same time, a giant hand entered the Rear Admiral's field of vision.
It was growing larger by the second.
Whitebeard growled lowly.
In a flash, his palm slammed down, crushing the Rear Admiral's head against the deck like swatting a fly.
CRACK—!!!
The air distorted.
A spherical shockwave of white mist formed in Whitebeard's palm—a focused Gura Gura impact.
It enveloped the Rear Admiral's skull.
BOOOOM—!!!
His mask shattered to pieces.
The face underneath was ghastly: blood streamed from his eyes, nose, and mouth; several teeth were missing; his pupils were already dilated.
Then, without a second thought, Whitebeard hurled him into the frozen sea like discarded garbage.
"Come on—let's keep going."
"Gurararara~!"
Minato reappeared on deck beside him, smiling as he sat down.
"A war between us was always fated."
"When I left home, I didn't expect to see the sunrise tomorrow."
Whitebeard chuckled. "It's still early. And besides—I'm curious to meet Uzumaki Naruto, the one who took down Kizaru and the Celestial Dragons."
"Gurararara~!"
Whitebeard laughed again, raising his gourd and clinking it with Minato's.
He downed it in one gulp.
Minato sipped his drink too, then smiled and said proudly, "That's my son."
"Hmm?!" Whitebeard blinked.
The words hit a nerve.
And above, Garp narrowed his eyes.
"…So your power comes with a cost."
"With your current strength... if you'd mastered Haki, I would've already lost."
Might Guy answered, expression calm:
"Even with rigorous training, the Eight Gates Formation always carries a price. You can reduce the damage, but never completely avoid it."
"The medicine I took earlier has both pain-suppressing and regenerative effects. Even if I open the Gate of Death, it can stabilize my heart meridian."
He gestured toward his chest and right arm.
"At most, just a broken arm and a few ribs."
"Wha?!" Garp's eyes widened.
But more than the wounds, Garp was sensing something deeper—a final gate that hadn't been opened yet.
That didn't make sense…
Just a while ago, this weirdo looked like a frail fool. Now? A living hurricane.
Might Guy suddenly said, "If you had chakra—and knew how to use it—I'd already have lost."
Garp was stunned.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Interesting!"
"You're strong!"
"I'm Monkey D. Garp!"
Might Guy exhaled slowly as his energy surged again.
"Might Guy!"
"Let's go!"
He turned his head slightly, eyes gazing into the distance.
Lee was flying in on the purple Gundam.
"My youth isn't over yet."
As soon as the words left his lips, his aura flared even more intensely.
Both Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were visibly shaken.
"Guy! That's enough!" Hashirama shouted.
"Oi~!" Guy replied cheerfully.
"Minato, it hasn't come to that. No need for a suicide match!" Madara growled, concern creeping into his voice.
Sengoku noticed their expressions and grew wary.
But he knew—even as Fleet Admiral—he couldn't stop what was about to unfold.
"No way...!"
Kakashi, who had paused mid-battle, suddenly looked up in alarm.
"Guy?!"
SWOOSH—
Just then, a Flying Thunder God seal activated.
Senju Tobirama appeared beside them in a blur.
"Brother, Madara, calm down."
"That kid's been holding it back for a while. With help from Shinnō and Orochimaru, he's managed to overcome the Gate of Death's aftereffects."
"He'll still need to lie down for a while afterward… but he'll survive."
At Tobirama's words, both Hashirama and Madara eased up. They had been seconds away from leaping in to stop Guy themselves.
"…So this really is it, huh?"
"The final gate."
"Very good."
Garp's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He was itching for a real fight.
Not far away, Ace and Luffy, who had been listening to their conversation, were now struggling desperately against their restraints.
But the seastone shackles alone were enough to sap their strength. And now—on top of that—they were sealed by the Myojin Sect's suppression jutsu.
There was no breaking free.
Might Guy bent forward slightly.
The ribs and right arm that had been damaged earlier were already starting to heal rapidly.
"The Blue Beast of Konoha… no longer exists."
"It's time for the Red Beast to rise."
He paused.
"I don't know if I'll survive this... even though Orochimaru and Shinnō both said I wouldn't die."
As he said this, Might Guy slipped off his Konoha flak jacket, letting it fall behind him.
Garp froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected the man in front of him to unleash a power that could kill himself just from the backlash.
BOOF—!!!
A burst of Haoshoku Haki erupted from Garp's body.
The air vibrated around him as his muscles swelled—his presence growing more intense by the second.
"In that case... I'll fight you at full power."
BO—
Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, then pressed his hand to his chest—right over his heart.
"Chakra... is gathering at the Death Gate's tenketsu."
In the crowd, Uchiha Madara's Sharingan spun rapidly.
And then—
Red steam began to pour from Guy's body, thick and furious.
This was it:
The final gate. The gate of death.
Once opened, it unleashes power strong enough to rival gods... but at the cost of the user's life.
His blood itself was evaporating.
"The Eighth Gate... Gate of Death... OPEN—!!!"
BOOOOM—!!!
Guy let out a roar as his chakra surged.
His form began to change.
The blue steam that had cloaked him before was now replaced by thick blood-red mist.
His normally black hair turned crimson, like a burning flame.
Even his signature thick eyebrows were now glowing blood-red.
"Eight Gates Formation: Sekizō! (Evening Elephant)"
"Red steam..." Madara narrowed his eyes.
"So this is the legendary blood mist that appears only when all Eight Gates are opened."
He shook his head.
"If this is all it is… it's not enough."
"Like autumn leaves falling from the trees… dying beautifully, but still dying."
"No, Madara. Look more closely," Senju Hashirama said, eyes wide with awe.
SWOOSH—!!!
While the two legends were speaking, Might Guy vanished.
He reappeared instantly—directly above Garp's head.
"First Step—!!"
...
TN:
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