15 Chapter 15

"Die!" More than a dozen pirates from the Happo Navy surrounded me, their guns aimed and firing simultaneously. I could have dodged using my Observation haki, but I wanted to test something out. My instincts told me I could handle it.

"Tekkai!" I exclaimed, utilizing the technique I had recently learned. The bullets hit me, making a noise like clashing heavy metal. The pain was overwhelming, but the shots didn't pierce my skin. Every impact hurt like hell, but I gritted my teeth and endured.

Using my sword, I thrust it forward in an improvised move to use Shigan with my sword thrust. The attack punctured an enemy who swung an axe at me. Before he realized it, a fist-sized hole ripped through his chest, and his body thudded to the ground.

I immediately moved to my next target using Soru, a technique that granted me inhuman speed. The more mastery I could gain from the technique, the faster I could become. Currently, I only have initial mastery of Shigan, Tekkai, and Soru. As for the other three techniques, although I could use them, I was not confident enough to do so in battle, unwilling to risk it.

"Busoshoku: Koka!" I heard a sudden shout from my side, and my Observation Haki, alerted me to an incoming threat. Without thinking twice, I swung my sword to intercept the incoming punch.

"Clang!" A fist coated with Haki collided with my blade. Though I intercepted the blow, the force behind the punch was too much for me to handle, and I was thrown back about ten meters.

My assailant was probably a high-ranking member within the Happo Navy, able to use Armament Haki. I noticed the sword he held in his other hand was now coated with haki.

"Kid, you should not have messed with the Happo Navy. Die!" he declared, raising his sword to strike me down. He rushed forward, and I dodged a series of attacks, knowing I was no match for him. Even with one month of training under the legendary Garp, I had yet to awaken the rudimentary form of Armament Haki.

As I dodged the relentless barrage of attacks, a familiar figure suddenly appeared beside me. It was young Kuzan, his icy demeanor cutting through the chaos of battle.

"Ross, focus on the other targets. I'll handle this one," Kuzan instructed, his voice steady and determined.

Relieved to have some backup, I nodded in acknowledgment. With Kuzan taking on the high-ranking officer, I turned my attention to the surrounding pirates, assessing the situation quickly.

Several of them were closing in, their weapons raised and eyes filled with malice. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, my sword slashing through the air with precision.

Using my Observation Haki, I anticipated their movements, dodging their strikes and countering with swift, calculated maneuvers. Each clash of steel echoed through the air as I fought with all my strength and determination.

Beside me, Kuzan engaged the high-ranking member in a fierce battle, his icy powers clashing against the enemy's Armament Haki. Their exchange was a dazzling display of skill and power, with each move executed with precision and purpose.

I stayed close to Kuzan, keeping a vigilant eye on his back to prevent any surprise attacks from the pirates. Despite being outnumbered, the quality of the Marines under Garp's command far exceeded that of the Happo Navy. Dragon and Bogard, in particular, moved with deadly efficiency, dispatching enemies with ease as if they were mere practice dummies.

Observing the battlefield keenly, I noticed a minor detail that intrigued me. While I aimed to kill with every strike, most of the Marines under Garp's command seemed focused on subduing their opponents rather than delivering lethal blows. It was a stark contrast to my approach, but I was not about to change my outlook on the world just because of Garp's softer approach to combat.

As the fight raged on, I witnessed Kuzan impaling his opponent with an ice spear, swiftly encasing him in an ice sculpture, and effectively removing him from the battle. It dawned on me that if Kuzan had employed his Ice Fruit abilities during our spar, I would have undoubtedly been defeated within moments, especially with my inability to use Armament Haki.

"Hehe, Chinjao, it seems like you won't have much of a Happo Navy left if your subordinates keep falling at this rate," Garp commented. Although both combatants clashed fiercely, with the aid of their Observation Haki, they were aware of everything happening around the battlefield. With a quick observation, both knew that the Marines were quickly overpowering the enemy despite their lack of numbers. Despite having quite a few competent fighters among his pirate group, there was none who could match Dragon and Bogard's caliber.

"Boom!" Both fists, clad with Armament Haki, clashed with ferocity, the shockwaves sending several others flying who had ventured too close to the battlefield where Garp and Chinjao were fighting. It had been almost half an hour since the clash started, but the Happo Navy's numbers had dwindled by more than half. However, the casualties on the Marine's side were minimal.

With a resounding roar, Chinjao pushed back, creating a momentary lull in the chaos of battle. His voice boomed across the battlefield, commanding the Happo Navy to retreat. The pirate leader's eyes blazed with a fierce determination as he issued his challenge to Garp, demanding a one-on-one duel.

Garp, weighed his options carefully. His orders were clear: subdue Chinjao and teach him a lesson for his audacity in attacking countries affiliated with the World Government. Despite the risks, Garp knew that facing Chinjao in single combat was the easiest way to achieve his objective.

With a nod of acknowledgment, Garp accepted Chinjao's challenge. The two warriors stepped forward, their gazes locked in a silent exchange of resolve. Around them, the battlefield fell silent, the sounds of battle fading into the background as all eyes turned to witness the clash of titans.

As the tension mounted, Garp and Chinjao squared off, their fists clenched in anticipation. The air crackled with energy, charged with anticipation of the impending duel. With a thunderous roar, the battle resumed, with the combatants lunging forward to meet each other in a clash of strength and will.

Their fists collided with earth-shattering force, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Each blow was met with a flurry of counterattacks, as Garp and Chinjao pushed themselves to their limits. The intensity of their duel was palpable, a testament to the sheer power and determination of both warriors.

As the battle raged on, Garp and Chinjao exchanged blow after blow, their movements a blur of speed and precision. With every punch, they sought to outmaneuver and overpower their opponent, each striving for victory with unwavering resolve.

The Marines ceased their pursuit of the retreating Happo Navy upon receiving Garp's orders through Dragon and Bogard. Now, the outcome of the entire conflict hinged on the clash between Garp and Chinjao.

As the Marines regrouped, I found myself in the midst of an electrifying spectacle—the clash between two Conqueror's Haki users. Despite the apparent balance in their exchange of blows, a trained eye could discern Garp's advantage. He fought with a calmness that belied his immense power, while Chinjao strained with every move.

The battle raged on for an entire day, each moment fraught with anticipation as the Happo Navy and Marines alike awaited the outcome. Tensions ran high as the fate of the confrontation hung in the balance, with both sides holding their breath for the pivotal moment that would determine the victor.

As the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an orange glow over the battlefield, the clash between Garp and Chinjao reached its climactic finale. Both warriors stood at the pinnacle of their power, their auras radiating with the intensity of their Conqueror's Haki.

With each exchange of blows, the ground trembled beneath their feet, echoing the ferocity of their combat. The air crackled with electricity as Garp and Chinjao danced around each other, their movements a blur of speed and precision.

Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, Garp unleashed a devastating punch, his fist enveloped in a shroud of Armament Haki. The force of the blow was enough to send shockwaves rippling through the air, causing even the most seasoned warriors to pause in awe.

Chinjao, caught off guard by the sheer power of Garp's attack, attempted to counter, but it was too late. With a resounding impact, Garp's fist connected squarely with Chinjao's famed drill, flattening it under the sheer power of the impact and launching him towards the ground.

The battlefield fell silent as debris rained down around them, the echoes of the clash reverberating through the air. All eyes were on Garp as he stood victorious, his expression steely and unwavering.

In that moment, the legend of Garp, the Hero of the Marines, was cemented for all eternity. With a single punch, he had defeated one of the most feared pirates in the world, proving once again why he was considered one of the greatest warriors to ever walk the seas.

Garp waited for a few minutes, observing to see if Chinjao would rise to continue the fight. However, it became evident that Chinjao was incapacitated, having fainted from exhaustion. With his opponent defeated, Garp turned away from the fallen pirate and made his way back to the Marines, who erupted into cheers and applause.

"That fight was truly phenomenal," remarked Kuzan, who was seated beside me, his voice filled with admiration. He had come to realize the vast difference in power between himself and a powerhouse like Garp.

"It was indeed enlightening," I responded, nodding in agreement. "We still have a long way to go." Despite the daunting realization of our current capabilities, I remained determined to continue growing stronger. The battle had only reinforced my resolve to become powerful enough to challenge the world.

The news of Chinjao's defeat shook the world, and I, Ross, found myself at the heart of it all. Chinjao, with his infamous bounty of 540,000,000 Belly, was a force to be reckoned with, even within the treacherous waters of the New World. His association with the formidable Happo Navy only added to his notoriety. And when Garp, my mentor and a legendary Marine, flattened Chinjao's famed drill, he earned himself a new moniker: "Garp the Fist." It was a legendary feat that reverberated throughout the seas.

Inspired by the epic clash I had witnessed, I threw myself into even more grueling training. Time flew by as I dedicated myself to honing my skills under Garp's tutelage, alongside my fellow apprentice, Kuzan. Despite Kuzan's best efforts, he couldn't match the rapid growth I experienced.

Over a year had passed since I had joined the Marines to learn under Garp's tutelage. During this time, many significant events unfolded. Garp, relentless in his pursuit of the future Pirate King, set his sights on bringing down his archrival. Reassigned to the New World after his clash with Chinjao, Garp became obsessed with apprehending Roger. There were days when he would blindly charge into battle, only for Roger and his crew to narrowly evade capture, fueling Garp's determination even further. I witnessed firsthand the intensity of Garp's pursuit, learning invaluable lessons from each encounter.

The clash between Garp and Roger taught me more than I could have imagined, putting the skirmish with Chinjao into perspective. Roger and Garp existed in a league of their own, far beyond the likes of Chinjao.

During this year of training, I had honed my Observation Haki to unprecedented levels, surprising even Garp with my progress. Impressed by my growth, Garp shared with me a technique to conceal one's presence from others' Observation Haki, a skill I had previously been unaware of.

And it wasn't just the Roger pirates that we clashed with. Whenever Roger slipped past Garp's grasp, the frustration would boil over, leading him to target other notorious pirate groups. This penchant for relentless pursuit was why Garp was a Marine feared by all; his determination could sometimes border on the unreasonable. Occasionally, alongside his friend Sengoku, he embarked on joint ventures to subdue formidable foes like Whitebeard, a remnant from the Rocks crew whom Sengoku chased with the same fervor Garp chased Roger.