Chapter 176: Sparring
A welcoming reunion.
"Hey, what's one of the Seven Warlords doing here?"
Garp picked his nose, as if just noticing Rhodes's presence. "Could it be you also want a taste of my fist?"
"Greetings, Garp-san."
Rhodes held great respect for this naval hero, not only for his strength but also for his character.
"Tsk, quite polite."
Garp showed a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected this young man who'd rocked the world just last year to be so calm and courteous. Furthermore, he seemed to have a good relationship with Luffy's crew, and was rumored to have even beaten Ace.
So Garp had a favorable impression of Rhodes. He grinned and said:
"What do you want from me?"
"I'd like to spar with Garp-san."
A hush fell over the room.
Coby and the other Marines stared at Rhodes with incredulous eyes, clearly thinking: "You're asking for a beating!"
Even Luffy and his crew were surprised.
While they'd never truly witnessed Garp's strength, having cornered the Pirate King multiple times, Garp must be among the most powerful beings on the seas.
"Sparring?"
Garp was momentarily stunned. It had been years since anyone had asked him that. But after noticing the fighting spirit in the young man before him, he smiled broadly:
"Alright."
"It's been a while since I've gotten some exercise. Let me see how strong a young man who can beat Ace really is."
Water 7, Scrap Island.
The place was already packed with spectators, crowds pressed together in a truly spectacular sight.
"Luffy, have you ever seen your grandpa fight?"
Nami watched from afar, worry crossing her face.
"Ah, of course I have."
Luffy scratched his head. "But it always seems like whether it's a monster, me, Ace, or Sabo—they all go down with one punch."
Zoro, Sanji, Chopper: "..."
What a terrifying comparison!
Among the Marines:
"Finally, we get to see Vice Admiral Garp in action."
"Against a newly appointed Warlord, no less. This should show us Vice Admiral Garp's true strength."
"Don't be ridiculous. Maybe seventy percent at most! Vice Admiral Garp cornered the Pirate King countless times. The Dragon Slayer is still too weak."
The Marines chattered eagerly, especially Coby and Helmeppo.
Out at sea, Rhodes and Garp both used Geppo, soaring into the air.
The aftermath of their battle would be too devastating. If they fought in Water 7 proper, they'd destroy half the city. Only the open sea could withstand their clash.
Garp, wearing his Vice Admiral coat, folded his arms and looked at Rhodes nonchalantly with a chuckle:
"Come on, young man."
"Thank you for your guidance."
Rhodes took a deep breath, suppressed all distracting emotions, and focused completely. Then he slowly drew his cursed blade and struck.
Ittoryu: Iai!!
WHOOSH!
A silver-white flying slash instantly burst forth, traversing the sky. This strike was far more powerful than what he'd used against Ace.
Iai was a swordsman's all-out attack—for a pure swordsman like Mihawk, it was practically a full-power strike. Its power depended on arm strength, understanding of sword technique, and Haki mastery.
Rhodes had been constantly training his swordsmanship lately. While still far from becoming a Great Swordsman, he'd made considerable progress at the peak of ordinary mastery—rivaling even Vice Admiral Momonga.
Furthermore, after learning from Enel's Mantra network, Rhodes's use of Observation Haki had improved significantly. Though not as extensive as Enel's coverage of all Skypiea, it was still formidable.
His Armament Haki allowed him to harden at will across his face, chest, and even his back.
Although he hadn't reached the level of Haki flow, the benefits of the Book of Knowledge had enhanced all his abilities, making mastery of Armament Haki relatively effortless.
With further refinement, he could achieve full-body Armament hardening.
The increased control over Armament Haki manifested in his swordsmanship, where the coating became far more potent.
SLASH!
The flying slash swept across the air, carving a deep trench through the sea and stirring a raging tempest.
Even from hundreds of meters away, the sharp aura sent tingles through the scalp and chills through the heart—especially for a swordsman like Zoro.
"Not bad."
Garp gazed at the slash, muttering praise. His response was simple: a single punch.
His punch was silent, yet arrived first.
BOOM!
When his fist collided with the slash, there was no earth-shattering explosion as everyone expected.
Just a low, muffled impact.
The silver slash that had torn through the sea—seemingly splitting heaven and earth—instantly vanished without even a ripple.
It was as if Garp's punch had annihilated the entire attack!
"Such power control..."
Watching this, Rhodes's mouth twitched slightly.
Long ago, he'd witnessed the power control of two martial artists and felt inferior. But now, seeing Garp's fist, he truly understood the saying "there's always a higher mountain."
The complete absence of residual shockwave was perfect testimony to Garp's strength!
He'd mastered his power to near perfection. A single punch to Luffy's head would produce exactly one bump, not two.
This level of perfection far surpassed even Diamond Jozu, who during Marineford could shatter an iceberg with a single strike.
Seeing his all-out slash easily negated, Rhodes completely unleashed his full power. With a gentle breath, dazzling silver lightning began emanating from his body, imbuing him with the majesty of an ancient war god.
Raijin no Yari!
The lightning converged and compressed above Rhodes's head, forming three spears gleaming with brilliant silver light. The interweaving energy was so intense that merely watching felt like staring into the sun—eyes stinging from the radiance.
However, after condensing these lightning spears, Rhodes didn't attack immediately.
These three spears might injure or even severely damage fighters like Corazon or Don Chinjao, but against Iron Fist Garp, they'd fall short.
Busoshoku!
The next moment, the solid tips of the lightning spears were suddenly coated with a fine layer of Armament Haki, while the rear halves remained brilliant silver lightning.
A slight sheen of sweat formed on Rhodes's forehead—controlling such a technique was considerably taxing.
While it might sound lengthy, Rhodes's entire sequence took less than five seconds.
WHOOSH!
Almost immediately after Garp shattered the slash, three lightning spears shot toward him.
Lightning was renowned for its speed, and this attack was no exception. In a split second, the three spears formed a triangular pattern, converging on Garp.
"Interesting."
Garp's expression grew slightly serious, yet remained calm. He swung his fists rapidly.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The terrifying fundamental technique reappeared.
Almost simultaneously, all three lightning spears were shattered by Garp's strikes, but this time, even with Garp's mastery, he couldn't completely negate the aftermath.
The air exploded.
The compressed lightning force detonated instantly, sweeping in all directions. Garp was inevitably caught in the blast, completely engulfed by blinding electrical discharge.
"Vice Admiral Garp was hit?!"
People were shocked, unable to believe it.
Especially Garp's subordinates—they couldn't accept it at all. In the past, no matter what pirate appeared, Vice Admiral Garp always knocked them out with one punch. Such a scene was unprecedented.
But in the next moment, a loud shout suddenly burst from within the lightning.
"HAH!!"
With this roar, the turbulent sea seemed suppressed. The water's surface where Garp stood collapsed downward, forming a massive footprint-shaped crater.
This was caused purely by air pressure.
Simultaneously, the sky full of lightning collapsed like rotted wood.
Huff.
Rhodes looked at this scene and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
It must be said—martial artists who'd reached this extreme were truly terrifying. No matter what technique was used, they'd simply punch and blow everything apart.
Ittoryu: Rairyu!
Without hesitation, almost the moment Garp escaped, Rhodes gathered his strength, unleashing his swordsmanship and lightning power to their fullest, striking with a single blow.
Normally, he wouldn't do this—it consumed too much stamina and was disadvantageous for prolonged battle.
But facing Garp, such considerations were irrelevant.
ROAR!
A terrifying Thunder Dragon, nearly tens of meters long, burst forth with bared fangs and claws. The wind it stirred was like a Category 10 typhoon—the sea trembled and waves churned violently.
"Thunder Sword Technique?"
Garp was a master who'd witnessed countless powerful warriors since the previous era. With a glance of his Observation Haki, he recognized the Thunder Dragon's nature.
But was this truly the power of Thunder Sword Intent?
The thought flashed through Garp's mind, but he didn't dwell on it. He clenched his fist as if grasping heaven and earth itself, then struck with full force.
BOOM!
With a single blow, the silver dragon—a demonstration of might powerful enough to destroy a warship—was shattered by Garp, sending arcs of lightning blazing through the sky.
Simultaneously, a terrifying shockwave rippled outward, radiating hundreds of meters, nearly knocking those on shore off their feet.
"This is absolutely ridiculous."
Rhodes's mouth twitched. This was too absurd.
This wasn't even human anymore.
A humanoid Tyrannosaurus—no, a humanoid Sea King.
No wonder Pirate King Roger was repeatedly cornered by him. This pure power, this unadulterated strength, was the ultimate nemesis of Devil Fruit users!
Devil Fruits could manipulate natural laws, making them dangerous to anyone.
After all, all abilities operated through specific rules.
But Garp was different.
He relied on a pair of iron fists to sweep across all directions, dominate the seas, and destroy everything.
What if the rules changed? As long as he rushed forward, he'd punch you in the face.
Moreover, his Armament Haki—arguably the world's best—gave him a physique seemingly impervious to all attacks, capable of defeating any enemy.
He had no special techniques. Like a super soldier—no, like a soldier enhanced tenfold—he could obliterate opponents with punches and kicks alone.
"But this should be your limit."
Garp assessed correctly.
To this extent, Rhodes had indeed gone all out.
After his lightning advancement, Rhodes's strength was completely sufficient to suppress someone at Doflamingo's level. Given the right circumstances, he might even be able to defeat him.
In Marine terms, he was a solid Admiral candidate.
This level of strength wasn't mere talk.
(End of Chapter)
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