"Wait, Ace… is Garp's grandson? But isn't he a pirate?!"
Morgans, the news tycoon, was bursting with excitement. He was itching to fly back to headquarters and break this sensational story with an urgent edition! With Garp's fame, it would sell like crazy!
The rest of the crowd was equally shocked.
People quickly began piecing together stories about Garp's life, especially since Ace had a different last name. Whispers spread about a tragic tale—a naval hero who abandoned his family for his career.
Luckily, the arena had a soundproof barrier, or Garp might have been too embarrassed to fight after hearing the audience's speculations.
Meowth grabbed the microphone, noticing that the two contestants were ready. He raised his paw and announced loudly:
"The first match of the semifinals! Monkey D. Garp versus Portgas D. Ace!"
"Begin!!!"
Whoosh—
Boom!
The familiar sound of fireworks echoed in the sky. Special cannons fired, filling the sky with colorful explosions and deafening noise, signaling the official start of the match.
...
...
"Come out, Machoke!"
"Let's go, Charizard!"
As Meowth's voice echoed, both Ace and Garp threw their Poké Balls simultaneously.
In an instant, a muscular figure and a fierce, fiery lizard materialized on the battlefield.
Ace smirked at the sight of Garp's Machoke.
It was clear now—Garp hadn't gone through the Bond Evolution, meaning he wasn't pulling any tricks.
Against other opponents like Zoro or Nami, Garp's level 60+ Pokémon would still be a challenge. But against him and his Charizard? Ace felt confident.
There was no doubt in his mind—he had the upper hand here.
Sure, people might call it brute strength, but when Ace thought about his Bond Evolution combined with Dynamaxing Charizard, he couldn't help but feel unbeatable.
"Huh?"
Garp, ready to launch an attack, noticed Ace standing still. Curious, he called out:
"What's the matter? You too scared to evolve your Pokémon?"
"No, no…"
Ace responded, a hint of apology on his face, but there was a sly smile in his eyes that he couldn't hide.
"I'll evolve soon enough... but first, old man, I've got a little surprise for you."
"What surprise?"
Garp was baffled by Ace's sudden hesitation, lowering his guard, curious about what Ace had planned.
Then, Ace did something unexpected—he withdrew Charizard back into the Poké Ball.
"Huh!? What are you doing?"
Not just Garp, but the entire audience was confused. What was Ace up to? Could it be that he knew he couldn't win and was pulling out to surrender?
The crowd's imagination ran wild.
But then...
A brilliant pink-purple light burst forth from Ace's wrist, instantly catching everyone's attention.
The light morphed into glowing paths of energy that shot into the Poké Ball in Ace's hand.
All of a sudden, the Poké Ball started to expand, becoming larger than a basketball, with intricate patterns of energy swirling across its surface.
"Now then… get ready for a show!"
"Dynamax, Charizard! Let's go!!!"
Whoosh!!!
Ace threw the now gigantic Poké Ball, and unlike a normal summoning, the light it emitted was almost a hundred times more intense!
What emerged was a towering Charizard so large that the audience had to crane their necks just to catch a glimpse of its face.
"Oh my god…"
In the stands, the crowd was in complete awe:
"What's happening?! Why did Charizard suddenly become so enormous?!"
But since most people in the audience didn't own Pokémon, no one could answer.
Just as the shock settled in, the Gigantic Charizard began to glow once more.
It was evolving—this time, in its Dynamax form!
"Roar!!!"
With a deafening roar, Ace's Dynamax Charizard appeared in its final form, fully evolved. Its powerful fists were ready to strike, and its massive tail, flicking from side to side, whipped up strong winds.
The flames on its tail were so immense that embers constantly fell to the ground, creating the effect of a fiery rain that was strangely beautiful.
Meanwhile, Machoke, who had been psyching himself up by pounding his chest, took a couple of steps back at the sight of the towering Charizard.
"Machoke… (Yeah… Let's leave this to my trainer)."
As a Fighting-type Pokémon, Machoke couldn't help but think that... without any shame.
At the same time, Ace, now in his full form, took a deep breath, becoming accustomed to the fiery energy coursing through his body.
Fwoosh!
A blazing fire flashed in Ace's eyes, and even his breath seemed to radiate intense heat, warping the air around him.
"What do you think, old man? Am I worthy of fighting you now?"
Ace grinned as flames erupted from his body, trembling with power as they surged outward uncontrollably.
Garp, meanwhile, was fixated on the massive Charizard standing before him. The audience assumed he was awestruck by Charizard's sudden transformation, but then Garp unexpectedly blurted out:
"Damn, this is so cool! How did you do that, Ace? Teach me too!"
"..."
"..."
The entire stadium fell silent. The excitement caused by Dynamax Charizard vanished in an instant. Everyone stared at Garp in disbelief.
That's your opponent, not some shiny new toy!
However, Ace, hearing Garp's enthusiastic request, laughed cheerfully and said:
"You want to learn? I'll teach you!"
"But…"
"You'll have to wait until after I beat you!"
BOOM!
Blazing flames erupted from both Ace and Charizard, turning most of the arena into a field of fire!
You should know...
Leo had always believed in the philosophy of "bigger is better, and more is beautiful," so the arena he designed was naturally enormous! Even the Gigantic Charizard could move freely without worrying about space constraints.
In previous battles, competitors had only occupied a small section of the ring, which was enough to fight. But now, the flames from Ace and Charizard covered most of the arena, showing just how overwhelming their power had become.
The combined force of Dynamax and Bond Evolution was fully displayed at this moment!
From the preparation area, Zoro and Nami stared at the fiery battlefield in shock, clenching their fists as they exchanged glances. The same thought crossed their minds:
"There are such terrifying monsters in this world!?"
Meanwhile...
"Tsk!"
Garp clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing Ace was playing games instead of being straight with him. He clenched his fists, and instantly, a dense coating of Armament Haki enveloped them.
"You haven't changed one bit! Who taught you that irritating attitude?!"
Garp grinned as a wave of flames crashed toward him like a tsunami.
But instead of fear, Garp's muscles bulged, and he threw a powerful punch forward.
"Fist of Meteor!!!"
BOOM!
A thunderous sound echoed as Garp's punch ripped through the air, creating a hurricane-like shockwave that collided with the sea of flames in front of him.
BOOM!
The wind and fire clashed, producing a deep, explosive sound. Under the immense pressure of Garp's punch, the flames were gradually suppressed and began to fade.
After a while...
The fire was blown out completely by the fierce wind, leaving no trace on the solid arena, as if nothing had happened.
Whoosh!
The wind blew through Ace's hair, revealing his healthy hairline. He raised his head and smiled at Garp.
"Impressive, old man."
Though the earlier flames had only been a test, it was clear that Garp's fist was no mere technique.
"Don't take this battle lightly, Charizard! We're going all out!"
"Roar!!!"
A ferocious roar echoed from 50 meters above Ace's head.
The next moment, a massive fist wreathed in flames descended from the sky, crashing toward Garp like a divine punishment.
Charizard's wings flapped furiously, creating gusts that intensified the flames in the arena!
Simultaneously, Ace vanished, transforming into a bolt of red lightning that streaked across the enormous arena, heading straight for Garp.
"Fire Fist—Fire God!!!"
Ace shouted as intense flame energy rapidly condensed on his fist. The color of the flames shifted from red to golden, like the scorching sun, radiating suffocating heat and incredible power.
Both Ace and Charizard, attacking from opposite directions, closed in on Garp for a devastating strike!
BOOM!!!
Without any warning, everything exploded in an instant! The overwhelming power of the flames created a massive explosion, sending fiery waves skyward, engulfing the entire stage.
But then...
A dark, shadowy figure appeared amidst the flames, blurry yet unmistakable. It was followed by two other shadows—one large and one small.
Through the blazing inferno, Garp's figure suddenly emerged, sliding backward as if skating on ice.
Ace and Charizard chased closely behind.
Garp raised his arms. In one hand, he tightly gripped Ace's fist, while the other hand spread into an open palm, effortlessly deflecting Charizard's massive blows.
"What!?"
Ace's expression shifted in shock as he felt Garp's iron grip tightening around his fist.
But Garp only smiled, that familiar, wide grin spreading across his face.
"Kid, if you want to challenge me, you're ten thousand years too early!!!"
Whoosh!
With a swift movement, Garp swung Ace—now engulfed in flames—over his shoulder, hurling him behind like a ragdoll.
Immediately, he turned to Charizard, catching its enormous claws—dulled by the Dynamax transformation—and shouted:
"Get off my back!!!"
Rumble, rumble...
In a series of thunderous blasts, Garp lifted the giant Charizard off the ground with an effortless throw.
"I've eaten 1,000-meter-long Sea Kings for breakfast! This puny 50-meter body is nothing!"
In Garp's hands, the sheer size difference seemed meaningless. He tossed the gigantic Charizard over his shoulder, sending it crashing toward Ace's landing spot.
BOOM!
The colossal creature hit the ground with a thunderous impact, sliding hundreds of meters across the arena before finally coming to a stop.
...
...
"Is… is this really happening?"
The crowd, who moments ago witnessed Ace and Charizard's tremendous power, now stood in stunned silence. They couldn't comprehend what had just happened. How could Garp, a single old man, throw such a massive creature like Charizard so easily!?
Even Ace...
How on earth did Garp handle Charizard's enormous size so effortlessly!?
At that moment...
Powerful figures like Doflamingo and Crocodile, who hadn't seen Garp's true strength in ages, finally understood...
Why Garp, even in his seventies, was still revered across the Navy and feared by even the strongest forces in the New World!