Boom!
Shirayama realized he had underestimated the power of the iron projectile.
The moment it struck, it felt as though a mountain had crashed into him. The terrifying force made his expression darken instantly. It felt like his entire skeleton was groaning in protest. His blood surged wildly, and a sweet taste filled his throat before he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The energy shield he had deployed cracked violently, fissures spreading across its surface. It was on the verge of shattering.
"Who has this kind of power?!"
Through sheer willpower, Shirayama forced his eyes open to look in the direction of the attack. What he saw stunned him—a fully armed naval warship, with a man wearing a dog-head hat standing at its prow.
"So, it's him. But why is he attacking me? And what's his purpose here?"
When he saw the unmistakable dog-head hat, Shirayama felt a strange sense of relief.
"Haha, interesting! He's quite a capable kid," the man on the ship said with a hearty laugh.
Onboard the warship, Vice Admiral Garp watched Shirayama's reaction and nodded in approval.
He had only used 15% of his strength in the attack, but that was still the equivalent of a full-power strike from a pirate with a bounty of 300 million.
The fact that Shirayama had managed to withstand it proved he possessed strength on par with a pirate worth at least 150 million.
Only someone with this level of power could handle such an attack.
On the Shore
The people on the beach were dumbfounded.
They couldn't believe their eyes—a naval warship had just attacked Shirayama, leaving him coughing up blood.
To them, Shirayama was practically a deity, an untouchable force of nature. And yet, he had been injured.
Cough, cough!
Suppressing the pain in his chest and the weakness in his body, Shirayama plummeted to the beach, clutching his chest as he coughed violently.
With a loud hum, the warship sliced through the waves and stopped in the shallows.
"Hahaha!"
Before the ship even fully came to a stop, a figure stepped into the air, walking as though on solid ground. The sound of hearty laughter followed, booming like thunder and ringing in everyone's ears.
"Dammit, Garp! Why the hell are you attacking me?!"
As soon as Garp landed, Shirayama barked angrily, his face filled with irritation. It was clear he wouldn't let this slide unless Garp gave him a good explanation.
"Haha, you're a fiery one, aren't you? But it's interesting that you know my name. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've met."
Garp stared at Shirayama, curiosity etched across his face.
"What's the big deal? Ask around a bit, and everyone knows about the dog-head helmet of 'Iron Fist' Garp!"
Shirayama retorted with a casual nose-pick, his expression screaming disdain, as if Garp were some clueless idiot.
"Uh…"
Garp was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Shirayama to be so casual and self-assured, showing none of the usual awkwardness of meeting a high-ranking officer for the first time.
"Alright, tell me, why is Vice Admiral Garp himself here? If it's something I can help with, I'll try my best."
Shirayama, knowing full well Garp wouldn't show up for no reason, decided to cut to the chase. T-Bone had barely left, and now Garp appeared. There was no way this was a coincidence.
"Fine, since you're being so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush," Garp said, settling himself down on the ground and locking eyes with Shirayama.
"You're an exceptional talent. Why not consider joining the Navy?"
"Join the Navy? What's in it for me?"
"If there's no benefit, why should I join? My life is free and unrestrained right now. Why would I willingly shackle myself?"
Shirayama looked at Garp, his face full of disinterest.
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