"If you insist on going, then I have no choice but to stop you here."
Carlos stepped out of the way and stood at the door, blocking Garp's way.
Garp stared at him for a long time and said seriously:
"If it were you, you would be qualified to let me punch.
"However, I will ask you one last time, are you sure you want to stop me?"
He knew that Carlos was not weak; in fact, he was very powerful. He had defeated Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Hawkeye, and many other strong players.
But to Garp, that was not enough.
After all, he had been fighting on the sea for decades,
Whether it was Roger the Pirate King, Whitebeard the Strongest Man in the World, or Rocks who dominated the sea,
He dared to challenge them all.
In terms of vision, experience, or strength, he believed he stood at the top of the world.
This was not arrogance but the confidence brought about by decades of undefeated battles across the sea.
However, subduing Carlos would not be easy.
Garp feared that if the fight escalated, he might unintentionally harm his opponent.
Up until now, his iron fist was aimed only at pirates.
If the other party hadn't committed any heinous act, it wouldn't be right to engage in combat.
Carlos shook his head and sighed slightly:
"I've told you, you don't need to worry about the Marines.
"You have your beliefs, and I have my convictions. There's no need for more words. If you wish to leave, let your strength speak for you.
"I came here intending to test my skills with holographic projections. Nevertheless, nothing compares to an actual battle. Let me witness the strength of Marine heroes."
Garp's eyes sharpened, his hair and beard flowing freely.
It was as if a slumbering lion had suddenly awoken.
"Then, as you wish!"
With those words, he vanished in an instant.
The next moment, his black iron fist struck with unmatched power.
A series of deafening roars erupted, as if the air itself was shattering!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The punch was incredibly swift and forceful. Even under ten times gravity, it approached the speed of sound.
The subsequent fist wind howled as if the earth was rending apart.
The tremendous force shattered the ground instantly, sending countless cracks spreading like a spider's web.
"Here it comes! So fast!"
Carlos narrowed his eyes and raised his arms in front of him without hesitation.
In the next moment, a great force collided with his arms clad in Armament Haki!
Under the immense impact, he staggered back more than ten steps uncontrollably before managing to steady himself.
There was no time to dwell on the aching numbness in his arms.
With Observation Haki, he sensed the opponent's attack descending like a meteorite impact!
"What a troublesome fellow..."
Carlos realized it.
Garp didn't possess a Devil Fruit power, nor did he wield a sword.
He had navigated the seas for nearly five decades armed only with his iron fists.
His reliance lay in extraordinarily exaggerated strength, unparalleled speed, vast combat experience, unwavering will, and the fearsome Conqueror's Haki!
This realization fueled Carlos's fighting spirit, propelling him towards the opponent instead of retreating.
The violent gust behind him scattered smoke, dust, and rubble in all directions!
The commotion in the training room alerted everyone in the adjacent square.
"Hey, what's happening? Is it an enemy incursion?"
"The noise seems to originate from the training area…"
While the crowd whispered anxiously, a dark silhouette hurtled outwards.
Amidst a thunderous crash, it slammed against the square's perimeter wall.
As the dust settled, the figure became discernible.
Approaching from the crowd, Akainu expressed dissatisfaction:
"Garp? What are you up to?"
Garp clambered out of the pit in a flurry, paying no heed to the onlookers as he massaged his shoulders.
"Hiss—"
"What a powerful blow! Kid, I underestimated you greatly! But next time, I'll get serious!"
It had been a while since he had experienced such a setback.
The long-absent embarrassment and the lingering pain in his body reignited the fierce fighting spirit within.
Brushing off his coat, wiping away a trickle of blood from his lip, Garp gazed into the distance.
At that moment,
Carlos, hundreds of meters away, also fixed his gaze upon Garp.
The two figures, separated by vast airspace, locked eyes, sparks seeming to fly where their gazes met.
In the subsequent moment,
Both vanished in an instant,
Two shockwaves clashed fiercely in mid-air!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of explosive sonic booms reverberated through the atmosphere!
The battle had just commenced,
Both combatants were ablaze with intensity!
Every second, they exchanged blows dozens of times.
Their force was so potent that it seemed to animate the very air!
Their speed was so immense that ordinary observers struggled to track their movements with the naked eye…
In mid-air, the blasts of their punches surged.
The shock wave born from their clash swept thousands of meters around.
Amidst the sustained explosions,
To Garp's evident admiration, he rubbed his sore right fist.
Since the demise of Roger the Pirate King, he hadn't engaged in such a satisfying fight in a long while.
Despite its brevity, the duel revealed each other's strengths to the fullest.
Across the span of his Marine career, he had confronted numerous formidable adversaries.
Comparing Carlos to them, he could be deemed the finest among his challengers.
"This individual is as fearsome as a monster."
"It's hard to fathom that he's in his twenties but wields such power. Even Roger in his prime wasn't this formidable."
Not only did Carlos possess incredibly robust Armament Haki, he matched Garp blow for blow.
His Observation Haki was equally potent, accurately anticipating and responding to every attack—whether it entailed parrying, evading, or confronting.
For a moment, neither could gain an upper hand.
The conflict entered a brief stalemate!
Drawing from his wisdom,
Garp perceived that if the stalemate endured, it might take days or nights to determine a victor!
"Yet, this level falls short!"
Garp proclaimed with a resolute tone.
"Moonwalk!"
Boom!
Propelled by an immense reactive force,
The ground beneath his feet cratered instantly, gravel erupting violently.
Woo
The air, compressed to its limits, emitted a sharp, shrill whistle.
Garp resembled an unyielding humanoid behemoth.
Exceeding the sound barrier in speed, he tore through the atmosphere, leaving a lengthy white streak in his wake, materializing before Carlos in an instant!
"Galaxy Impact!"