— — — — — — —
Silence.
The moment Garp and Aokiji heard Kaito's words, their expressions darkened instantly.
"Looks like we have no other choice!" Aokiji sighed. "Guess we'll just have to go all out!"
With that, he swiftly leaped off the battleship.
The moment his feet touched the surface, ice rapidly spread out from his landing point.
In just a matter of seconds, with Aokiji at the center, the sea within a radius of over three thousand meters—including Garp's warship and the Uchiha Pirates' ship—was covered in a thick layer of ice, more than ten meters deep.
"Whoa!"
Seeing this, Kaito couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "This level of freezing… Looks like you've developed your Ice-Ice Fruit to an insane degree!"
"Well then, let's have a real fight! I'm your opponent today!"
As he spoke, Kaito transformed into a streak of lightning, appearing a thousand meters away on the ice in the blink of an eye. He waved at Aokiji, grinning. "Over here! Come on! Let's go all out!"
"I'll leave that side to Vice Admiral Garp, my first mate, and the battle squad captain!"
Hearing this, Aokiji furrowed his brows. "So, you've planned this out, huh?"
The next moment, Aokiji activated Shaveand shot toward Kaito at high speed. At the same time, an ice sword rapidly formed in his hand as he slashed at Kaito.
In response, Kaito willed his weapon into existence—a radiant black blade appearing in his grip.
Immediately, Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki surged over the weapon.
BOOM!!!
A powerful collision erupted, generating a massive shockwave.
Cracks and pits appeared all over the ice beneath them from the sheer force of their clash.
Sizzle!Sizzle!
Due to the Conqueror's Haki infusion, their weapons never actually touched.
Instead, an invisible barrier of energy separated them.
Black and red lightning crackled between them, illuminating the battlefield.
"This… This is Conqueror's Haki infusion? Impossible!" Aokiji's eyes widened in shock. "At your age, how could you possibly master this level of power?"
"Unless… you're just disguising your real age?"
"No, that doesn't make sense! Your life force clearly tells me you're still young!"
Aokiji stared at Kaito in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
The sheer strength and precision of Kaito's Armament and Conqueror's Haki were far beyond what a teenager should be capable of.
Even Garp, observing from a distance, felt his pupils contract as he muttered, "Looks like we really underestimated this brat's strength."
"With this kind of potential, we absolutely can't let him escape. Otherwise, he'll be a massive threat to the Navy in the future!"
Despite his words, Garp made no move to assist Aokiji in fighting Kaito.
Not only because Hashirama and Koshiro were already closing in on him, but also because a part of him wanted Kaito to grow stronger and cause trouble for the World Government in the future.
Ever since Roger was captured and executed, the World Government had been deliberately suppressing the Navy's growth.
As a result, the Navy's power had not only stagnated but actually declined over the years.
This was especially evident in their waning control over the New World.
If not for the emergence of Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru—three Logia prodigies—the Navy's strength would have deteriorated even further.
Because of the World Government's suppression, the Navy was unable to dominate the seas.
This led to the rise of the Four Emperors, creating three major superpowers in the New World that the Navy struggled to contain.
And in response, the World Government proposed the Seven Warlords system.
On the surface, it seemed like a strategy to use pirates to fight pirates.
But in reality, it was another way to weaken the Navy, preventing it from growing too powerful and becoming uncontrollable.
They would rather support pirates than allow the Navy to expand further.
How despicable.
But what could Garp do about it?
Nothing.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't create trouble for the World Government in his own way.
For example—letting Kaito and his crew go, allowing them to grow stronger.
The balance of power in the New World wasn't yet at its peak—there was still room for another Yonko crew.
So why couldn't that crew be the Uchiha Pirates?
At least they had a code of honor. They wouldn't harm the innocent. In fact, they might even take down criminals instead, wouldn't they?
"I can tell you two aren't weak," Garp said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see just how strong you really are! Hahahaha!"
As Hashirama and Koshiro approached, Garp wasted no time.
He dashed forward like a bullet, swinging his massive fist straight at them.
Without hesitation, Koshiro unsheathed his sword, coating it in Armament Haki as he slashed forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, he was locked in an intense battle with Garp.
Their blows were so fierce that even Hashirama hesitated to step in right away. He felt it wouldn't be fair teaming up against Garp.
Meanwhile, Hatake Sakumo led a squad of Uchiha and Uzumaki ninjas against the surrounding Marines.
"Haha! I underestimated you!" Garp laughed as he clashed with Koshiro. "Even among admiral-level fighters, you'd hold your own! I didn't expect another powerful swordsman to rise in the world! Interesting!"
"Let's go again!!"
Garp grew more and more excited as they fought, feeling the razor-sharp edge of Koshiro's blade. He couldn't help but roar in exhilaration.
The next moment, he unleashed an even more ferocious barrage of attacks.
By now, he had completely abandoned the idea of holding back.
Because he realized—there was no need to.
The Uchiha Pirates were much stronger than he had initially thought.
This was turning into a battle he could truly enjoy.
Facing Garp, who was still in peak condition and fighting at full power, Koshiro started to feel the pressure and gradually fell into a disadvantage.
His grip on his sword tightened as the skin on his hand began to crack, showing just how terrifying Garp's strength was.
From a distance, Hashirama noticed this and immediately stopped watching, stepping into the battle himself.
"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!!"
With a single clap of his hands, a gigantic wooden figure emerged beneath Hashirama, lifting him high into the air as it charged toward Garp.
At the same time, two massive wooden dragons burst from the ice, coiling and lunging toward Garp.
"Oh? Is this a Logia-type Wood-Wood Fruit?"
Seeing this, Garp raised an eyebrow.
He easily repelled Koshiro with a single punch before swinging his fist toward the two wooden dragons.
"Crack!"
With ease, he smashed the wooden dragons' heads apart.
Just then, Hashirama, standing atop the towering wooden giant, charged forward.
Controlling the massive figure, he swung a powerful punch toward Garp.
Garp countered with his own fist.
"Crack!"
In the next instant, the wooden giant's fist shattered upon impact.
However, Garp was also forced back dozens of meters before he managed to stabilize himself.
"Hahaha!"
Laughing loudly, Garp stomped down, creating a deep crater in the ice, before launching himself at Hashirama again.
"It seems regular wooden giants and dragons aren't strong enough to deal with you! Let's try Sage Mode!"
Seeing this, Hashirama adjusted his stance, gaining a new understanding of Garp's strength. Without hesitation, he activated Sage Mode.
"Sage Art: Wood Release—Wood Human Technique!"
"Attack!"
With a surge of Sage chakra, the wooden giant expanded even further, growing to over 200 meters in height.
Its broken arm instantly regenerated.
Not only was it larger and stronger, but its durability had also increased significantly.
"Boom!!!!"
The enormous fist of the wooden giant collided fiercely with Garp's small yet powerful fist.
A violent shockwave rippled outward in all directions.
The next moment, Garp was sent flying.
Meanwhile, the wooden giant remained firmly in place, only showing a deep indentation on its fist, which promptly began to repair itself.
"What?! Vice Admiral Garp got knocked back?! Is the enemy really this strong?!"
The Marines were shocked as they witnessed Garp being sent flying.
Fortunately, Garp was able to stabilize himself in mid-air, landing firmly on the ice. He skidded backward for several dozen meters, leaving deep trenches in the ice before finally coming to a stop.
With a serious expression, he looked at Hashirama standing atop the wooden giant and said, "Looks like I underestimated you. Someone like you shouldn't have remained unknown until now!"
"Would you mind telling me where you all came from?"
Garp's expression had turned grave.
He could feel it—he might not be able to defeat Hashirama.
This realization truly surprised him.
"Haha!"
Hashirama laughed heartily and said, "There's nothing to hide! I come from Konoha, a hidden village. You've probably never heard of it!"
"We've only recently stepped into the world!"
"So? Do you still want to fight?"
"You're really strong! Aside from Madara, you're the toughest opponent I've ever faced!"
These words were part of the background story that Kaito had prepared for them.
As for whether the World Government or the Marines would believe it?
Kaito and the others didn't really care.
Believe it or not, it made no difference to them.
After all, they weren't about to reveal their true origins.
This mix of truth and lies, along with Hashirama's straightforward personality, made Garp believe it to some extent.
"Konoha? A hidden force? That does sound mysterious!"
Garp narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Fight!"
The next moment, he roared and charged at Hashirama once more.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"
The battle erupted once again.
Several times, Garp attempted to bypass the wooden giant and attack Hashirama directly.
But Hashirama wasn't foolish—his body had only recently been revived and wasn't in good condition for the Pirate World yet. His mastery of Haki was still lacking.
Naturally, he wasn't going to engage Garp in direct combat.
Instead, he continued to manipulate the wooden giant to counter and block Garp's every approach.
One pair of arms wasn't enough?
Then the wooden giant would grow another, and another if needed.
No matter how hard Garp tried to break through and attack Hashirama directly, the wooden giant's fists intercepted and repelled him every time.
For the moment, Garp was forced to remain on the defensive.
However, his powerful physique and endless stamina only made him more excited as he fought, showing no intention of stopping.
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.
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