"Surrender, kid, or I won't be merciful," Garp said, his confident grin unwavering as he flexed his arms, brimming with anticipation.
Kaito, still holding his ground, couldn't help but laugh. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
Garp's expression darkened. "Then you mean to resist stubbornly. If that's the case… Marines, open fire!"
At his command, the Marines raised their rifles, lining up their sights on Kaito.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Dozens of rifles barked in unison, the volley of bullets tearing through the air like a swarm of angry hornets, converging on their target. The hail of gunfire was relentless, filling the space between Kaito and the firing line with a dark cloud of projectiles.
Yet Kaito stood motionless. He made no move to block, deflect, or evade. Instead, he faced the onslaught head-on.
Garp watched, amused at first, but his grin slowly faded as he noticed something unusual. The bullets, which should have ripped through Kaito, clattered harmlessly to the ground. Not a single one penetrated his skin.
"What the—!" Garp's laughter stopped cold. His eyes narrowed as he studied Kaito more closely.
Marines nearby gasped, their composure breaking. "It didn't even scratch him! How is that possible?"
"Not a drop of Armament Haki, nothing! He just stood there!"
"This guy…is he made of steel or something?"
Their disbelief grew louder. To them, firearms were the most reliable weapon against pirates. They had faced countless criminals, and guns had always proven effective—until now. The bullets they so proudly trusted couldn't leave so much as a mark on Kaito's body.
In truth, Kaito's Sage Body had advanced to the mid-level, greatly enhancing his physical durability. His skin, bones, and muscles had grown incredibly tough—enough to render a bullet strike as ineffective as a pebble skipping off hardened steel.
Garp's shock quickly turned into excitement. "Interesting. So the Rocks Pirates have monsters like you. I think I'm going to enjoy this!"
With that, Garp shrugged off his Marine coat of justice and stretched his muscles. "Stand back!" he ordered the other Marines. "This one's mine."
Marines moved away, giving the two combatants a wide berth.
Kaito, seeing Garp's enthusiasm, readied himself. He raised his blade, a cold gleam in his eyes as he watched Garp's every move.
"Let's get started, boy!" Garp bellowed.
He launched himself forward, moving faster than most could track. Within a moment, Garp was in front of Kaito, fist cocked back and glowing with black Armament Haki. He swung with all the force of a cannon blast. The air around his fist seemed to scream under the pressure.
Kaito reacted in an instant, his blade flashing up to meet Garp's iron fist. Armament Haki coated his sword, and he slashed at Garp's attack head-on.
"Bang!"
The clash of blade against fist was deafening. A tremendous shockwave erupted from the collision, flattening nearby grass and trees. The ground beneath them cracked and buckled, dropping several meters as if the earth itself had recoiled in fear.
Garp grinned, unfazed by the blow. "Not bad! It's been a while since anyone's made my fist feel some resistance!"
Kaito's focus remained sharp. The force of Garp's punch was beyond anything he had faced before, but his own slash had held firm. The strength of his Sage Body and the Armament Haki wrapped around his sword allowed him to meet Garp's incredible power.
The two pushed against each other, neither willing to yield. The ground beneath them fractured further, the sheer force of their wills and strength causing the very earth to tremble.
Garp's grin widened. "Now this is a fight! No tricks, no running—just pure power!"
For half a minute, the two were locked in this stalemate, neither giving an inch. But then Kaito began to press harder, channeling every ounce of strength he had. Slowly but surely, Garp's stance faltered, and he was pushed back.
Garp stumbled slightly, regaining his footing after being forced to retreat a few steps. He looked at Kaito with newfound respect. "Well, I'll be damned," he muttered under his breath.
The Marines who had been watching the fight from a distance were left dumbfounded.
"No way… Did Garp just lose that exchange of strength?"
"Garp's punches can shatter mountains! How is that guy still standing?"
"That pirate… he must be one of the Rocks cadres. No one else could stand up to Colonel Garp like this."
Garp cracked his knuckles, his enthusiasm undimmed. "It's been a while since I've met someone who can match me blow for blow. This is getting interesting!"
Kaito, steadying his breathing, smiled faintly. "I'd expect no less from the man who will one day be called the Marine Hero."
Kaito held his blade, standing calmly, the traces of his skirmish with Garp visible all around: deep fissures in the ground, splintered trees, and scattered rubble. His breathing steady, he reflected briefly on how far he'd come since joining the Rocks Pirates.
Under Rocks' guidance, Kaito's strength had surged. While still young, he had been tempered by the crew's chaos, forging his body and mind through battle. His Sage Body, inherited from the legacy of the Sage of Six Paths, granted him unparalleled physical prowess. With that power now elevated to the mid-level, Kaito's physicality was nothing short of extraordinary.
This unique advantage gave Kaito the edge. Even a Marine as physically dominant as Garp, renowned for his raw power, found himself evenly matched, if not slightly overpowered. As the skirmish continued, Garp's strikes carried his signature brute force, each punch capable of crushing solid stone, but Kaito countered with the precision of his blade and the unyielding strength of his hardened physique.
Garp, clearly enjoying himself, let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! I didn't think I'd have this much fun today. You're full of surprises, kid!"
Kaito, far less enthused, kept his gaze level. His blade glimmered as he adjusted his stance. Without a word, he launched another attack, his weapon slicing through the air. Garp met him head-on, raising his fists once more.
The clash was a violent cacophony of steel meeting Haki-clad fists. Each collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, flattening the already-ruined landscape further. The ground beneath them cratered and cracked, the sheer force of their strikes shaking the surrounding area.
Garp, never one to shy away from battle, grinned even wider. "What do you say, Kaito? Join the Marines!" His words were punctuated by another devastating punch, which Kaito deflected with his blade.
Kaito's response was sharp and immediate: "Don't be ridiculous."
The Marines watching from a distance could only gape at the fight. Their rifles, now abandoned, lay scattered around them. It was clear none of their weapons could even touch Kaito. The sight of him matching Garp blow-for-blow left them stunned.
Garp pressed on. "You've got real talent, Kaito. You'd be an incredible asset—"
"No," Kaito interrupted, his tone cold. "I'll never serve those who bow to the Celestial Dragons."
Kaito's conviction was unshakable. While the Marines touted justice, their true purpose was often in service to the corrupt and oppressive ruling class. For Kaito, that was reason enough to refuse. His place on the Rocks Pirates wasn't because of shared ideals—there were none—but it provided opportunities. Rocks himself, for all his tyranny, at least offered the chance for Kaito to grow stronger and pursue his own goals.
Garp's face hardened at the refusal, but the light in his eyes never dimmed. "Then I'll just have to put you down myself!"
Kaito's grip on his blade tightened. "Try it." His voice was calm, but his strength surged as he struck out once more. This time, he poured every ounce of force into his blade. The impact knocked Garp back several paces, his boots carving grooves into the earth as he struggled to maintain balance.
Then, with a slight smirk, Kaito released his weapon and raised his hand. A pulsing, swirling orb of white energy began to form. This was no ordinary technique—it was the Big Ball Rasengan, a powerful ninjutsu Kaito had recently unlocked. The ball grew in size, humming with intense power, its surface spinning so quickly that it seemed almost alive.
The Marines froze, their confidence evaporating. "What…what is that? Is he a Devil Fruit user?"
"Whatever it is, it's not something we can stop. We need to get out of here—now!"
The tension in the air was palpable. Even Garp, ever brash, grew more serious. He watched as Kaito lifted the Rasengan, the glow illuminating his determined face. The technique's energy was overwhelming, its destructive force enough to rival a natural disaster.
Yet Garp only smiled. "Come at me!" he bellowed, his voice a challenge and a declaration all at once.
He coated his entire body in Armament Haki, his darkened fists shining like iron as he prepared for impact. Garp charged forward, undeterred, a living symbol of Marine strength.
Kaito raised an eyebrow at the sight. "He's insane," he muttered. Then, gripping the swirling Rasengan, he stepped forward to meet Garp head-on.