Colonel Carter cursed himself under his breath and scanned the perimeter of the training grounds frantically, hoping to find a decent vantage point.
Hmm?! Found one!
Suddenly, Carter's eyes lit up. He spotted a windowsill at the back of the main fortress building where only three people were standing. If they squeezed together, there might just be enough room for him. What delighted Carter even more was that the three field officers on that ledge were all his old comrades-in-arms. He was confident they wouldn't refuse his small request to join them.
Without a second's hesitation, Carter stomped the ground, using "Soru" to launch himself into the air, followed by a rapid succession of "Geppo" steps to climb toward the windowsill dozens of meters above.
"Brothers! Save a spot for me!" Carter shouted as he approached.
The three officers, who were staring excitedly at the center of the grounds, were momentarily stunned by the shout. When they turned and saw their old friend flying toward them, they instinctively shuffled to the side to clear a space.
With one foot on the sill and the other hand gripping a crevice in the wall for balance, Carter finally let out a breath of relief. It was a tight squeeze and a bit far away, but from here, he could finally see the arena. Better yet, the duel hadn't started.
"Colonel Carter, what took you so long?" the three asked, looking at the panting officer with curiosity.
Carter chuckled. "Just got back from a mission. By the way, how did Mr. Rowan become a Vice Admiral again? And an Honorary Admiral to boot? Did you guys know about this?"
On his way over, Carter had overheard other Marines discussing Rowan's new titles.
"You haven't heard the news yet?!" The three looked at Carter as if he were a freak. "The whole Headquarters is talking about it! Fleet Admiral Sengoku issued a formal proclamation yesterday. Vice Admiral Rowan, just yesterday..."
As the three were filling Carter in, down in the center of the training grounds, Kong heroically shrugged off his "Justice" coat and tossed it to Sengoku before stepping into the ring.
Without the coat, Kong's explosive musculature was fully exposed to the gaze of the thousands of Marines, leaving everyone in awe.
"I can't believe Mr. Kong can maintain such a formidable physique at his age..."
Aside from his snow-white hair and beard and the wrinkles on his skin, Kong's body did not look like that of a centenarian at all. Opposite him, Rowan, dressed in casual clothes, looked fit and robust, but he appeared somewhat slight compared to the massive Kong. However, Rowan's complexion was ruddy, and his spirit showed no sign of the frailty associated with old age.
Kong performed a few stretches, and after a long period of inactivity, his joints popped and crackled like roasted beans. After loosening up, Kong looked at Rowan—who was still holding his large tobacco pipe with a relaxed air—and couldn't help but laugh.
"Brat, are you really not planning to use a weapon?"
Recalling the eruption of sword intent in the conference room yesterday, Kong had been itching to clash with Rowan's blade. He was clearly a bit disappointed that Rowan intended to stick to hand-to-hand combat. After all, what he wanted most was to experience that legendary swordsmanship.
Seeing Kong's visible disappointment, Rowan lowered his pipe and chuckled. "Old man, do you really have so little faith in my Taijutsu?"
"Besides, this is just a spar, not a life-or-death battle. Just consider it giving me some pointers on my technique, won't you?"
Kong could only shake his head helplessly. "Fine then. Let me see if your Taijutsu can make me marvel as much as your swordsmanship did."
With those words, Kong clenched his fists, his expression turning instantly solemn as his presence became intensely aggressive.
"Watch out, brat! Here I come!"
At Kong's booming shout, the surrounding Marines held their breath, their eyes glued to the two elders. In this moment, under the gaze of the entire Marine Headquarters, the peak duel began!
BOOM!
Without giving Rowan time to prepare, Kong stomped the ground, his massive frame shooting forward like a cannonball. The air rippled beneath his feet, creating a shockwave that blasted the dust away.
Appearing instantly before Rowan, the muscles in Kong's right arm surged as he pulled back a fist and swung it toward Rowan's chest with zero fanfare.
This was the combat style of "Cyborg" Kong: direct, honest, and utterly devoid of trickery. He crushed his enemies with absolute, overwhelming dominance—a style very similar to Garp's. On this sea, aside from physical freaks like Whitebeard or Kaido, or naturally gifted beings like Big Mom, very few could withstand a direct blow from Kong's iron fist. The name "Cyborg" (Steel Bone) referred precisely to his terrifying, superhuman physique.
Faced with the world-shaking punch, Rowan's expression didn't flicker. He simply grinned and shouted, "Bring it on!"
He hardened his right arm with "Tekkai" and met the strike with a punch of his own.
THUMMM!!
The two iron fists collided, creating a thunderous roar that sent tremors through the surrounding space. The spectating Marines felt their hearts skip a beat from the vibration.
"Good grief! The power of Mr. Kong's punch is absolutely terrifying!" "Is this what it looks like when the top powerhouses of the world clash?" "I can't believe Vice Admiral Rowan blocked it head-on. I thought he'd dodge!" "We only heard about his swordsmanship; who knew his Taijutsu was this fierce?" "It seems the old rumors about Mr. Rowan being average were total lies." "Well, obviously! How could the man who raised Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku be weak!"
The Marines discussed fervently, their spirits soaring. Most were junior officers or ordinary soldiers, including many new recruits. Very few had ever seen a battle of this caliber; they felt their blood pumping. Knowing the Navy possessed masters of this level gave them a newfound sense of confidence for when they eventually set sail to hunt pirates.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.