"Old man, isn't this punch a bit too dismissive? Or are you truly getting too old?"
As their fists collided, the resulting shockwave sent Rowan's white hair standing on end. His expression was sharp and spirited, a wide grin plastered on his face as he spoke.
"Brat, I'm just afraid of crippling you with one hit! I'm only testing your limits—don't look down on me because of it!" Kong laughed heartily, his tone characteristically boisterous.
Rowan roared back with laughter: "Haha! Rest easy and hit me with everything you've got! My strength isn't as fragile as you imagine!"
"Then don't blame me for being ruthless!"
With those words, a surge of energy erupted from both men, sending them flying backward. But without a second to breathe, they both charged again, launching a simultaneous offensive.
RUMBLE!!!
The impact of this second collision was exponentially more violent than the first. The Marines watching from the sidelines felt a gale-force wind blast against their faces. The sheer volume of the boom caused several eardrums to throb with pain, forcing many to clamp their hands over their ears.
"Hey, Garp. Who do you think is going to come out on top in this spar between Mr. Kong and the Old Man?"
At the highest vantage point of the training grounds, Zephyr kept his eyes locked on the two combatants. He licked his lips and nudged Garp with his elbow without looking away.
As a former Admiral, Zephyr's strength might have been slightly lower than Sengoku's or Garp's, but his tactical eye was second to none. He could clearly see that neither Rowan nor Kong was using their true power yet; they were simply feeling each other out. After all, this was a casual spar between friends, not a blood feud.
Garp stood tall with his arms crossed, his posture straight as a spear. He watched the duo with his signature toothy grin. "Heh, is there even a need to ask? Mr. Kong's past record might be more impressive, but I'm putting my money on Pops. You want to know why? Simple—because he's my old man!"
"You old fool..." Zephyr was speechless.
He had hoped to hear some profound technical insight from a combat maniac like Garp regarding the clash between these two legends. But the moment Garp opened his mouth, Zephyr realized he was dealing with nothing more than Rowan's biggest fanboy.
Technical insight? To Garp, it was all nonsense. He just wanted the Old Man to win.
As for Zoro, upon learning that Rowan didn't plan to use swordsmanship, he hadn't bothered to show up. He was currently in some remote corner of the Headquarters, training like a madman. To him, the World's Greatest Swordsman was the only goal that mattered. Pure physical brawling failed to pique his interest.
Sengoku, however, wore a grim expression.
Twenty years ago, when Kong was still Fleet Admiral, Sengoku and Zephyr were already Admirals. (Actually, that third Admiral seat was meant for Garp, but the old brat had refused the promotion time and time again). Having served under Kong for so long, Sengoku understood Kong's power intimately.
Judging by the way the two were testing each other, Sengoku noted that Kong's strength hadn't regressed a single bit despite him being over a hundred years old. If that remained the case, Sengoku believed Master Rowan stood no chance of winning.
In terms of pure Taijutsu, throughout the last century of Marine history, no one—save for Garp—could suppress Mr. Kong. Even Sengoku himself would have to rely on his Mythical Zoan Buddha form to even hope for a draw. In Sengoku's estimation, without his swordsmanship, Master Rowan had zero chance of victory. He expected the Old Man to be forced into a loss before long.
While the spectators were busy with their own thoughts, the fighting in the arena grew increasingly fierce, entering a white-hot phase. Every collision caused the air to ripple and issued deafening, explosive booms.
While the fight was a visual masterpiece, it was physically punishing for the lower-ranked soldiers. Not long after the start, many were forced to retreat, unable to withstand the shockwaves of the battle. However, Marine Headquarters was never short on elites. Every time a common soldier stepped back, a commissioned officer stepped forward to fill the gap. For these officers, witnessing a fight of this caliber was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
CLANG!
Suddenly, a piercing sound of metal striking metal shrieked across the grounds. Under the gaze of thousands, the two fists collided once more. But this time, both Rowan's and Kong's arms were pitch black, radiating a sense of immense, crushing weight.
As the metallic ring echoed, a powerful pressure wave swept over the audience. Under this gale, everyone below the rank of General—even the Colonels—was blown back several steps!
A collision of top-tier Armament Haki!
"Hehe, brat! How does it feel to taste one of my punches?"
Kong's voice rang out. Seeing Kong's composed expression, Rowan remained unfazed, a faint smile touching his lips. Rowan hadn't expected the old fellow to be able to unleash such immense pressure. At seventy percent of his strength, Rowan actually found himself being slightly pushed back.
It made sense; there was a reason Kong could still serve as Commander-in-Chief at his age. Since Rowan's system had been activated, Kong was the strongest person he had ever faced. Whether in physical constitution, Taijutsu mastery, or the intensity of dual-color Haki, Kong was at the absolute peak of the world. He was the definition of "vibrant in old age."
If Rowan hadn't activated his system, he wouldn't have lasted a single second against Kong.
But now? In Rowan's view, Kong was still lacking. Because Rowan now possessed the strongest physical constitution on the sea, and his three-color Haki and martial arts were all maxed out. He was the ceiling of this world's combat power. Before this ceiling, no matter how strong Kong was, he eventually had to bow!
Rowan's mouth curled into a smirk. "Old man... don't get too ahead of yourself."
The next moment, the grin on Kong's face froze. He felt the force coming from Rowan's fist begin to mount, heavier and heavier.
Wait... something is wrong with this brat!
Kong's eyes narrowed. In that instant, he felt a sudden, terrifying chill of danger radiating from Rowan!
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