How strong is Garp?
Even Whitebeard, a man from the same era, couldn't provide a clear answer to this question.
In Whitebeard's memory...
Back when he was still a crew member of the Rocks Pirates, Garp and Roger had joined forces to defeat their seemingly invincible captain, Rocks, in the Valley of the Gods, shattering the Rocks Pirates' dream of world domination.
From that point on, Whitebeard began his own journey.
While he wasn't exactly law-abiding, Whitebeard had little contact with Garp during his time collecting sons for his crew, as he rarely committed crimes.
He once thought Garp, like himself, had become a relic of the old era.
Unexpectedly, Garp's strength hadn't waned with age—it had actually grown stronger!
"What a terrifying guy!"
Whitebeard couldn't help but sigh, glancing at his sons who were all fixated on the massive screen.
At that moment, he failed to notice a pair of shadowy eyes among his crew members—eyes full of greed and focused on Ace and Charizard, displayed on the screen.
"The power of a Pokémon can reach this level..."
Teach muttered to himself, his despair over Whitebeard's return to youth transforming into a renewed sense of ambition.
——
At the same time...
Celestial Island fell into silence under the power of Garp's punch.
Even with Leo's protective shield, the sheer force of Garp's display left everyone trembling!
At that moment, not only the likes of Johnny and Joseph, but even seasoned veterans like Crocodile and Doflamingo felt something unfamiliar welling up inside them.
A feeling of fear—a reaction their bodies involuntarily produced when faced with overwhelming power!
For the two of them, barely at levels 60 to 70, Garp's strength was far beyond their comprehension!
But just as Crocodile and the others believed Ace was done for, a blazing light appeared in the sky!
"What is that?"
People's attention was instantly drawn to it.
From the fireball high above, Ace's powerful roar echoed:
"Fire Dragon — Dive!!!"
Boom!!!
The fire in the sky swelled rapidly, blocking the sun in an instant. Like a falling star, it hurtled towards the arena!
Even though the audience couldn't feel the searing winds or the extreme heat that could scorch the skin, the sheer sight of the flames made them feel as if they were being consumed by fire!
"No way! That kid can still fight!?"
Even Dragon, watching the enormous fireball plummet from the sky, was stunned, unable to believe that Ace could withstand his father's full-power punch.
And as everyone remained in shock, the colossal fireball—nearly 100 meters in diameter—descended upon the ring, targeting Garp.
In front of the massive fireball, Garp's figure seemed as small as an ant.
Yet no one, least of all Ace, would think of Garp as an ant.
Even Ace, in the midst of his attack, was already bracing himself for another potential knockout.
Prepared for failure, he shouted:
"Come on, old man! Show me your power again!"
But...
As the massive fireball closed in, Garp—standing in the ring—suddenly retracted his aura, leaving his stance wide open, as if defenseless.
It was as if he were saying: I've lost my strength from the previous attack. Do as you will.
But the subtle smile of relief on Garp's face told a different story.
"Hey! Ace!..."
Garp suddenly called out to the sky.
His voice, strong and clear, cut through the roaring flames, reaching Ace's ears.
"Huh?!"
Ace, focused on gathering his fiery energy for a full-force attack, frowned in confusion.
At that moment, Garp called out again:
"Ace—do you remember our conversation in the restaurant?"
Ace, still perplexed, responded loudly:
"The conversation in the restaurant? Was it about which is better, apple pie or pineapple pie!?"
"....."
"You brat, of course not!"
The sudden heat ignited the Navy cloak of justice on Garp's back, but he ignored it, letting the flames lick at his body as he shouted:
"Remember!"
"When you win the championship, show me... your prize!"
"What!?" Ace was shocked!
The next moment...
Boom!!!
The massive fireball struck the spot where Garp had just been standing.
The resistance Ace had anticipated never came. Judging from Garp's state, Ace realized something had changed.
In that instant, Ace's face paled.
The fiery power he and Charizard had amassed erupted all at once, engulfing the entire arena.
But as the flames receded, the figure of Garp, now consumed by fire, was nowhere to be seen.
"…This old man…"
Ace and Charizard, still enveloped in flames, touched down on the ground.
Without hesitation, Ace unleashed his Haki to scan the center of the flames...
Only to find a comatose old man lying quietly on the marble-like floor—his body burned.
For a moment, Ace's eyes were wide with shock.
"What happened!?"
He asked himself, confused.
Ace couldn't comprehend why Garp would suddenly concede at this moment.
He refused to believe that Garp's previous punch had exhausted all his strength.
Those masterful acting skills could fool Luffy, but Ace couldn't accept that Garp had lost to him from mere exhaustion.
"What's really going on?"
Ace and Charizard stood there, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, after a long battle, the flame barrier parted, and someone rushed through the sea of fire to rescue the seemingly unconscious Garp. With a gesture toward the referee's stand, they signaled surrender.
In that moment, the first match of the semi-finals officially ended.
The victor? None other than Ace, who had never been favored by anyone.
The direction of the entire match had defied everyone's expectations.
Most had believed that Garp—renowned and powerful on the seas—would be the undisputed champion of the Pokémon League Tournament.
Based on the power he displayed earlier, he certainly deserved the title of Champion.
But who could have predicted that in the end, this seemingly kind-hearted and honest-faced Navy officer would choose to end the match in such a way?
It left many in the audience puzzled.
Had there been a casino on Celestial Island, this result alone would have thrown the entire betting scene into chaos.
However, even though there were no casinos on Celestial Island, it didn't mean that there weren't any outside of it.
Due to the worldwide broadcast of the Pokémon League, nearly every casino in the world had placed bets on the outcomes of the matches. Naturally, the high-stakes battle between Garp and Ace was no exception!
While gamblers around the world were left in despair over Garp's unexpected defeat, a group of individuals had discreetly placed substantial bets on Ace's victory at numerous major casinos. In the end, these individuals walked away with enormous profits, thanks to the exceptionally high odds, before quietly vanishing!
——
Meanwhile, at the Marineford Headquarters, inside the Fleet Admiral's office...
"Hmm... yes, I understand. Don't worry about anything that happens along the way, just return as soon as possible."
Click.
The phone in Sengoku's hand snapped shut, and he wore a look of elation. His eyes sparkled as he exchanged a glance with Vice Admiral Tsuru, who shared the same excitement.
With just that glance, Tsuru immediately understood his intentions. She gathered the documents in front of her and began her report without delay:
"Including the earnings Major General Rònīl just reported, we've amassed a total of 20 billion Beli... 5 billion more than expected!"
"Twenty billion already?!"
A flash of surprise lit up Sengoku's face. He then turned to Aokiji, whose expression remained puzzled, and said, "Aokiji, make sure you check the system mall in the next couple of days. As soon as the Pokémon League concludes, we'll contact the dimensional merchants and start trading."
"With 20 billion Beli, we'll be able to elevate the special forces department to a whole new level! With this, we'll be better prepared for the final battle!"
"Uh... Fleet Admiral..."
Aokiji's face grew increasingly conflicted. It had only just dawned on him...
Sengoku and Tsuru had known the outcome of the battle even before it began. What's more, these highly respected figures in the Navy had secretly sent trusted individuals to bet on Garp's prearranged defeat. Their goal was to make a fortune from the staged fight!
Although Aokiji wasn't morally opposed to such underhanded tactics, seeing these officers, who had always prided themselves on justice, engage in this behavior for the sake of Beli unsettled him.
For the first time, he wondered if they might be slipping down a dangerous path, one where they would forsake everything for personal gain.
——
Noticing the doubt in Aokiji's heart, Tsuru smiled gently. Despite her wrinkles, her expression radiated a sense of calm.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "This wasn't something Sengoku and I orchestrated. Garp himself decided to lose to Ace."
Aokiji looked at her, confused. Tsuru continued, "Garp made the decision to throw the match days before the event. That's why we seized the opportunity to place those bets. We simply profited from information we already knew."
"Huh?"
Aokiji was taken aback. Although doubts still lingered, he let out a sigh of relief.
At least the leaders he admired hadn't entirely given up on their principles. If Garp had planned to lose all along, taking advantage of that information to make money didn't seem like a betrayal of justice.
Still...
Aokiji's gaze shifted to the big screen, his mind buzzing with unanswered questions.
"Why did Garp-san choose to lose to Ace? Was it just because Ace is his grandson? But... what's the point of that?"
Confusion clouded Aokiji's thoughts, just as similar doubts began to spread across the world to those watching the Pokémon League.
——
Across the globe...
As the victory announcement for Ace blared from Meowth's loudspeakers, and Ace returned to the lounge to prepare for the finals, spectators worldwide were left perplexed.
They couldn't understand why Garp had chosen to forfeit at the last moment. The unexpected result sparked an uproar across the globe.
So much so that the upcoming semi-final match between Nami and Zoro was barely given any attention.
Compared to the epic clash between Ace and Garp, the spectators, though aware that both Nami and Zoro had strength comparable to the Shichibukai, could not muster the same level of excitement.
——
In the arena...
Zoro, with his Doublade in hand, had evolved into a lightning-fast swordsman, bolting towards Nami at breathtaking speed!
So swift was his movement that even Pikachu, a master of speed, struggled to keep track of Zoro's figure. Despite Pikachu's Electric Orb boosting its attack power to near level 70, its other stats couldn't match up to Zoro's rapid growth during the battle.
Nami, on the other hand, despite wielding lightning powers of her own, had only reached level 50 as an "ordinary human." The destructive power of her railgun was undeniable, but if she couldn't land a hit, it meant nothing.
In the end, after Zoro fully embraced the meaning of his "Lightning Sword" technique, he deflected Pikachu's attack and knocked Nami unconscious with the flat of his blade. He then squared off against Pikachu, enduring pain and battling through, finally securing his victory.
——
With that, the semi-finals of the Pokémon League officially concluded.
Ace still hadn't fully grasped why Garp had conceded defeat when the final match drew near.
Time flew by, and the day of the much-anticipated finals finally arrived.
The crowd filled the arena in advance, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement. However, instead of debating who would win the championship, the spectators were more curious about the rewards awaiting the four contestants from the mysterious dimensional merchant Leo.
——
Suddenly, the Rotom sound system came to life, followed by the familiar sound of Meowth clearing its throat.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Meowth's voice echoed throughout the stadium, "Welcome to the Finals of the Pokémon League Tournament! Thank you all for coming to watch this exciting match!"
"Now, without further ado, let's get to the point!" Meowth announced enthusiastically.
"Let's invite the contenders for today's third-place match... Miss Nami! And Monkey D. Garp!!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireworks exploded in the sky, painting it with vibrant colors as Garp and Nami rose slowly from the underground platform, ready to face the world.
At that moment, Jessie, standing at the rostrum, grabbed the microphone, her voice electrified by the crowd's energy:
"Okay! Our two contestants seem more than ready, eager to begin this duel, dedicated to everyone here!"
"But…"
"Before the match kicks off, there's something important!"
Jessie pointed upward, extending her hand toward a high platform suspended above the rostrum.
No one had noticed when it appeared, but there it was, hovering in the air.
Two elegant figures stood atop the platform, letting the breeze wash over them, their auras brimming with power.
Jessie continued, her voice full of anticipation:
"You must be familiar with these two figures, right?"
"So, let's give them the warmest applause as we welcome the special guests for the Pokémon League Conference Finals!"
"First, the leader of Celestial Gym – Enel!'
"And alongside him, the visionary behind this grand event…"
"The dimensional businessman from the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce – Lord Leo Drago!"