Chapter 125.2 : Haki Training Method!
With the twelfth duel concluded, attention turned to the thirteenth and final confrontation.
The thirteenth contender emerged – Garp the Fist.
[Garp, known as Iron Fist, Grandmaster of Conqueror Haki, Armament Haki and Observation Haki, and Grandmaster of Marine Six Styles, Marine Vice Admiral, Marine Hero]
[Might Guy: Hahaha, a Marine Vice Admiral? This should be a breeze. Let me handle this one! He's also renowned for his mastery of Taijutsu, which piques my interest!]
[Kakashi: Kai, don't let up. While your strength isn't weak, without opening the Eight Gates, you're at most on par with a high-tier Kage. The opponent you're facing in the Otherworld isn't someone to take lightly. Come on! Otherwise, if you're forced to open the Eight Gates, it'll cost you dearly, wasting your life force.]
[Might Guy: You're right! I'll conserve my life force!
[Uzumaki Naruto: Let me go this time!
[Hyuga Hiashi: Naruto, if you're in danger, how can I face Hinata?
[Hyūga Hinata: Naruto-kun, whatever you decide, I support you!
[Fourth Hokage: This Garp is a Marine Vice Admiral. He should be weaker than an Admiral. Naruto should be fine. Let him go!
[Hyuga Hiashi: Alright, then I'll extend the invitation to Naruto.
Soon, Hyuga Hiashi invited Naruto, who agreed immediately.
---
In the arena,
Naruto and Garp stood facing each other.
"You're just a kid, about the same age as my grandson. I don't want to hurt you. It'd be better if you surrender," Garp said, tweaking his nose.
Naruto smiled back. "Grandpa, I'm not weak."
With that, Naruto activated his Sage Nine Tails mode, the chakra cloak of the Nine Tails enveloping his body, emanating immense power.
"Hmph, you're not weak indeed. Then, I won't hold back!" Garp declared, not wanting to face another defeat. The Pirate World had suffered too many losses, and another one would be too embarrassing.
Naruto swiftly employed the Shadow Clone Technique, creating multiple clones and forming Rasengan.
"Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!"
Naruto charged towards Garp with the massive Rasengan.
Garp, covered in Armament Haki, countered with a punch aimed at Naruto's Rasengan.
"To think you'd challenge my Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise but continued his assault.
Boom!
Garp's fist collided with the Rasengan, shattering it with a single blow. The force carried through, striking Naruto's Nine Tails cloak and sending him flying.
In the livestream room,
[Jiraiya: What kind of punch was that? He shattered Naruto's Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan with just one blow! Naruto's in trouble. Why does this old man seem even more formidable than an Admiral?
[Might Guy: Phew, I'm glad I didn't go. If I hadn't opened the Eight Gates, I wouldn't have lasted a single exchange. I'd have been finished instantly!
[Fourth Hokage: My son is in trouble. The title of Marine Vice Admiral is misleading. I thought they were weaker than Admirals, but this is beyond expectations!
Back in the arena,
Naruto felt the pain riddling his body. The opponent's strength was overwhelming.
"I can't get close. I need to attack from a distance!"
Naruto immediately hurled Sage Art Rasenshuriken from afar, aiming for Garp.
However, Garp effortlessly smashed through Naruto's various ninjutsu with his iron fists, displaying a dominance of shattering everything with a single punch.
"Kurama, let's unleash the Tailed Beast Bomb together!"
Naruto's determination rang out.
"Alright!"
The Nine Tails echoed his sentiment.
Without delay, Naruto and the Nine Tails merged their powers, concentrating their energy to form the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Soon, the Tailed Beast Bomb condensed successfully, hurtling towards Garp.
Garp sensed the impending danger and instinctively gathered his Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, launching a powerful punch in response.
Boom!
The collision caused space itself to warp as the punch met the Tailed Beast Bomb head-on.
A blinding explosion ensued, engulfing everything in its vicinity. Naruto awaited the outcome with bated breath.
To his surprise, a figure emerged from the blast, slightly battered and bruised but resilient.
Meanwhile, Garp wasted no time, charging towards Naruto with incredible speed.
Naruto tapped into the Nine Tails' power, transforming into the massive Nine Tails form, meeting Garp's charge with a powerful punch.
Boom!
The Nine Tails' form shattered, sending Naruto flying through the air.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Naruto swiftly summoned a multitude of Shadow Clones, launching attacks from every angle.
Garp struggled to discern the real Naruto amidst the clones, but he had his own methods.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
A formidable aura emanated from Garp as his Conqueror's Haki crushed the Shadow Clones one by one, revealing Naruto's true form.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The clash between Garp and Naruto persisted, with Naruto enduring blow after blow.
However, Naruto's youth gave him an edge over the aging Garp, despite his own mounting exhaustion and injuries.
But Naruto's advantage began to wane as his chakra reserves dwindled, unable to keep pace with his expenditure.
"Alright, I yield," Naruto conceded, realizing that there were formidable opponents beyond the realm he knew.
He understood that his strength needed continual growth.
As Naruto admitted defeat, Garp slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
"Ha! When you're old, you just can't keep up. If you held on a bit longer, I'd be the one gasping for air!" Garp remarked with a grin.
[Garp emerges victorious, gaining a resurrection card.
"Resurrection card, capable of bringing back the departed. What a treasure!" Garp exclaimed, taken aback.
He quickly stowed it away, recognizing its potential value for the future.
As for resurrecting Hawkeye or any other, Garp never entertained the thought. Such invaluable artifacts were to be safeguarded for his kin!
With the conclusion of the thirteen matches, the arena dispersed, ushering everyone out.
In the Golden List live room:
[ Uzumaki Naruto: Uncle, I apologize for my defeat.
[Hyuga Hiashi: Naruto, there's no fault in your loss. Garp is formidable; your Nine Tails mode couldn't match him. He even nullified the Tailed Beast Bomb with a single strike. A man of immense strength indeed, losing to him is no disgrace.
[ Tsunade: The opponent's prowess is truly daunting. Putting aside Yasao and his Summoning beasts, everyone else was bound to fall!
[Kakashi: With the Challengers card duels concluded, I wonder what rewards the Hyuga clan will receive.
[Hyuga Hiashi: Winning the majority of the duels should yield significant rewards!
[Hidan: And if there's a good reward, it's thanks to my efforts!
Amidst eager anticipation, the Hyuga clan's reward was unveiled.
Hum!
Displayed on the screen was a scroll:
[The Art of Haki Mastery: encompassing Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and the rare Conqueror's Haki.
Note: Conqueror's Haki is an extraordinary ability, only accessible to those deemed worthy of kingship.]
Witnessing this sentence, the Hyuga clan members brimmed with excitement.
All three types of Haki! Having witnessed the potency of Haki in battle, this knowledge was a boon for Taijutsu practitioners. The prospect of Hyuga clan members mastering all three forms of Haki filled them with anticipation of their newfound prowess!
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24