"I… I'm still standing, aren't I?" Garp muttered, his voice filled with stubborn resolve.
His legs trembled beneath him, his body bloodied and battered from the intense battle with Kaito. Despite his bravado, Garp knew deep down that he wasn't Kaito's match.
Every breath felt heavy, and even the act of standing was a Herculean effort. Moving, let alone attacking, was out of the question.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder with every passing moment.
"Tap, tap, tap!"
Kaito's sharp eyes caught sight of the approaching figures. A squad of Marines rushed onto the battlefield, their numbers countless. At the forefront were three imposing figures: Sengoku, Zephyr, and Crane.
Kaito clicked his tongue, his expression darkening. "Tch… three more troublesome ones. Just my luck."
Though Garp had been a formidable opponent, the prolonged battle had taken its toll on Kaito. His stamina was severely depleted, and facing three elite Marines, all of whom were comparable to or stronger than Garp, would spell his defeat.
"Garp!!!"
Sengoku's voice boomed as he caught sight of his bloodied comrade. His sharp eyes widened in shock, and his normally composed demeanor cracked. "What happened to you?!"
Hearing Sengoku's familiar voice, Garp let out a faint sigh of relief. A weak smile crossed his face. "You… You made it, Sengoku."
The moment those words left his lips, Garp's legs buckled, and his body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Forcing himself to stand earlier had been sheer willpower. Now, with reinforcements present, Garp knew he didn't need to risk his life any longer.
The surrounding Marines froze in disbelief as they took in the scene.
"Colonel Garp… defeated?" one whispered, his voice trembling.
"How is this possible? Garp is one of the strongest in the entire Navy!"
Another Marine pointed toward Kaito. "Who is that guy? Could he be one of the Rocks Pirates' cadres?"
"No, I've seen his bounty poster before," someone interjected. "His name is Kaito. His bounty… it's only 100 million berries."
The Marines fell silent, the weight of that revelation hitting them hard.
"One hundred million berries?! Are you kidding me?" a Marine finally shouted. "How can someone so terrifying have such a low bounty?!"
Garp had earned a legendary reputation within the Navy, even at his current rank of colonel. His feats were unmatched—he had single-handedly captured pirates with bounties far exceeding hundreds of millions of berries. Yet here he lay, defeated by a pirate with only a 100-million-berry bounty.
Their attention turned back to Kaito, who stood atop the battlefield unscathed. His clothes remained pristine, his breathing steady.
"Look at him," a Marine muttered. "Not a single scratch. He's completely unharmed."
The contrast was stark: Garp, one of the Navy's brightest stars, was lying on the brink of death, while Kaito stood tall, exuding an aura of quiet confidence.
Another Marine's voice cracked as he spoke. "Doesn't this mean… this guy's strength far surpasses Colonel Garp's?"
Whispers spread through the ranks.
"Kaito is younger than Colonel Garp… And yet he defeated him without taking any damage."
"That kid's a monster!"
The Marines' shock turned to dread. If Kaito's strength at this young age rivaled or even exceeded Garp's, his potential was far beyond anything they had seen before.
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Crane stood in grim silence. They had always known Garp was destined for greatness—he was already being groomed as a future Admiral, possibly even a Fleet Admiral.
Yet here was a young pirate, barely older than Garp, who had crushed him in battle.
Sengoku's fists clenched. "Kaito… You're no ordinary pirate."
Kaito's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, you've got that right, Sengoku. But I don't have time to play with all of you."
Despite his bravado, Kaito's mind raced. He couldn't afford to fight three high-ranking Marines in his current state. His best option was to retreat and recover for the inevitable clash that would come next.
What About Kaito?
The Marines couldn't help but wonder—how terrifying could Kaito's future growth become?
The more they thought about it, the more deeply unsettling the prospect became.
"Sengoku… should we retreat?" Zephyr asked as he and Crane rushed to Garp's side. Together, they helped their battered comrade to his feet.
Garp gave a weak laugh, his signature defiance flickering even in his injured state. "Not yet," he muttered, though his voice betrayed his exhaustion.
Sengoku's expression darkened. "You idiot! Why don't you ever listen to my advice?" he snapped, his voice tinged with both anger and sorrow.
Seeing his long-time comrade beaten so severely was difficult for Sengoku. They had fought side by side countless times, but this was the first time Garp looked so vulnerable.
Garp gave a helpless smile. "Sorry… I didn't think he'd be so…" His words trailed off as he thought of Kaito's overwhelming strength. "So terrifying."
Zephyr, however, interrupted. "No, Sengoku, I think Garp did the right thing today."
Sengoku, Crane, and the others turned to him, their expressions puzzled. Before they could respond, Zephyr continued, his voice solemn.
"If Garp hadn't fought Kaito today, we would never have known just how dangerous he is. We wouldn't have realized that the Rocks Pirates have recruited someone with such unimaginable potential."
The truth of Zephyr's words began to settle over the group.
If Garp had been defeated by a veteran cadre of the Rocks Pirates, it would have been understandable. Many of those officers had years of experience and were hardened by countless battles.
But Kaito?
Kaito was young—far younger than any of them had anticipated. His bounty of 100 million berries, while notable, had not drawn much attention from the Marines. No one had considered him a significant threat.
"This battle revealed something we didn't see coming," Zephyr continued, his voice heavy with conviction. "Kaito isn't just dangerous now. He's a ticking time bomb. If he's allowed to grow within the Rocks crew, his future strength will reach levels we can't even comprehend."
Crane's gaze shifted toward Kaito, who stood calmly in the distance, his demeanor unfazed despite the devastation he had caused. Her expression was solemn as she added, "If not for Garp, the Navy would've remained ignorant. We wouldn't have known the Rocks Pirates have recruited such a monster."
Her thoughts darkened as she studied Kaito. "And he's not just a monster… He may surpass Rocks himself."
Crane, who had extensively studied Rocks D. Xebec and his rise to power, compared the two. Even in his teenage years, Rocks hadn't demonstrated the same destructive potential or composure Kaito had shown today.
"Kaito's strength… His talent… His potential… It's beyond even Garp's. He's a rare genius, the kind we see once in decades. If we let him grow unchecked, he could become something far worse than Rocks."
Zephyr nodded grimly. "Kaito is beyond anything we've seen before. A monster without precedent."
Sengoku's fists clenched as the weight of their words hit him. "A monster beyond common sense…" he muttered, his tone laced with both fear and determination.
Crane turned toward him. "Sengoku, we need to report this to Naval Headquarters immediately. The Rocks Pirates will have sensed the disturbance here. They'll be coming soon."
Sengoku nodded, his expression firm. "Let's move. Everything that happened today must reach the Fleet Admiral. This can't be ignored."
As the group began to retreat, Kaito watched them calmly from the edge of the battlefield. Though drained from his battle with Garp, his confidence remained unshaken.
He smirked, his gaze lingering on the retreating Marines. "You've seen a glimpse of what I'm capable of," he said softly to himself. "But I'm far from done."
The battle had only solidified his place within the Rocks Pirates as a rising force—and perhaps one day, something far more dangerous.
Visit patreon.com/shirokendama to read up to 20+ chapters