BANG!
Garp's muscular body slammed heavily into the wall. A soft crack echoed as a thin fissure webbed across the reinforced concrete.
Braced against the wall, Garp's heart hammered in his chest, his face a mask of pure astonishment. The Old Man's physical techniques... are this powerful!
Although he looked a bit disheveled, Garp wasn't actually injured. However, he knew in his heart that he had utterly lost this "bout."
Even though the Old Man had attacked suddenly—bordering on a sneak attack—the fact remained that Rowan had used nothing but raw physical techniques. Garp, on the other hand, had not only utilized the "Six Powers" but had also been forced to use Observation Haki to track Rowan's movements, and ultimately Armament Haki to block that final, heavy punch.
"I lost."
After pushing himself off the wall, Garp let out a long sigh, shaking his head with a bitter, helpless smile.
Hearing this, Rowan withdrew his fist and raised his pipe once more, chuckling. "Well, boy? Even after decades of retirement, your Old Man is still your Old Man."
Silence fell like a hammer. Everyone was stunned. Even Zephyr felt a surge of disbelief; he knew the Old Man was strong, but he never imagined he could actually best Garp. Though it was only a brief skirmish, Garp's strength was the gold standard of the Navy.
"Master's strength... is incredible!" Tsuru murmured, her weathered face alight with a vibrant, youthful spirit as she watched Rowan.
After the initial shock, Momousagi let out a bright, ringing laugh. "Heehee! Not even little Garp is a match. Physical techniques of this level... as expected of Mr. Rowan."
Among the crowd, the most dramatic reaction came from Sengoku. His expression had completely frozen on his elderly face. While the world knew him as the "Resourceful General," one should never underestimate his combat prowess. Before becoming Fleet Admiral, he—like Zephyr—was the Navy's "Highest Combat Power," an Admiral.
For someone of his caliber, the sheer force behind Rowan's fist was palpable. Though the Old Man hadn't used Armament Haki and the moves weren't flashy, the speed and power were impeccable. Specifically, the speed at which Rowan had repositioned to pursue Garp after the first dodge was something Sengoku couldn't even track with his naked eye. He could only vaguely pinpoint the location using Observation Haki.
More importantly, the Old Man had used pure physical strength to blast back a Garp who was in full defense with Armament Haki-hardened arms. This alone proved how terrifying Rowan's technique was.
"Old Man, when did your physical techniques become this strong?!" Garp demanded, eyes wide. As the victim of the "ambush," he had felt the bone-shaking weight of that punch. It was horrific.
In Garp's view, the Old Man's mastery of the Six Powers had reached an inconceivable level. The Six Powers were the foundation of Marine combat; any soldier with enough seniority could train in them. But Garp had never seen them applied with such devastating efficiency.
The first "Finger Pistol" had been blocked by Garp's "Iron Body," yet Garp still felt a numbing vibration in his arms—a sign that his physical density was actually lower than Rowan's. And that "Tempest Kick"? The wind pressure alone had grazed his skin with a force that made his hair stand on end.
But it was the final move that truly rattled him. To Garp's expert eyes, it was a masterful combination of the explosive speed of "Shave" and the hardening of "Iron Body." The sense of crisis it triggered was so intense that Garp had instinctively flared his Haki. He genuinely didn't know if he could have come out unscathed without it.
"Great-Grandpa has been using those moves to train me for years. After all that time, how could he not be strong?" On the sofa, Luffy—whose head still looked like a swollen pig's—mumbled through his bruises.
"You talk too much!" Garp barked, glaring at his grandson.
Rowan, meanwhile, sat back in the chair Sengoku had vacated for him, smiling serenely. "Actually, Luffy isn't wrong. Training this brat every day with the Six Powers keeps me sharp. Over time, it just became second nature."
Rowan certainly couldn't say it was all thanks to the system. Naturally, he took all the credit himself.
"Hahaha! Sengoku, Garp! Now do you finally believe what I said?" Zephyr leaned in, his grinning face right in Garp's personal space. He looked even more delighted than if he had landed the punch himself.
"I lost to the Old Man; there's no point in being stubborn," Garp nodded helplessly. This level of physical mastery alone surpassed every Vice Admiral at Headquarters. Even the three current Admirals might not match the Old Man in pure physical skill. (Of course, those three were Logia users; without Haki, physical skill had its limits.)
"Sengoku, what's the verdict?" Garp turned to the Fleet Admiral, looking for the final call.
Sengoku looked at the nonchalant Rowan. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.
"Fine. Teacher, I will restore your rank as Vice Admiral immediately. However, regarding the promotion to Admiral..." Sengoku shook his head. "An Admiral rank is still out of reach for now."