Rumble…
Thunderous explosions echoed across the deserted island without pause. The ground split open with massive cracks that spread outward like a spiderweb.
Everyone watching from the sea stood frozen in shock.
Boom!
The island trembled violently.
A massive earthquake erupted as the land shook endlessly, mountains swayed, and huge fissures ripped through the terrain.
Amid the flying sand and shattered rocks, two figures still stood facing each other.
Both of them radiated terrifying power that made people instinctively tremble… as if their bodies were warning them to turn and run.
Everything that had happened today—
was caused by these two men.
Monkey D. Garp.
Kairos D. Vale.
Whoosh…
Sandstorms roared across the island, sweeping in every direction. Dust filled the sky, blocking out the stars and moon—and obscuring the two fighters within.
"Come on, Garp…"
"Keep going…"
"I'm not done yet."
A low voice emerged from the storm of sand, carrying a trace of madness.
The moment those words echoed—
the island finally gave way.
Crack!
From the very point where Kairos and Garp stood facing each other, the land slowly split apart.
Mountains collapsed.
The ground fractured.
Seawater flooded inward.
Flames and smoke erupted across the landscape.
A single massive rift tore straight through the island—
splitting it cleanly in two.
On the left half, the forest had been flattened into barren land. Only broken tree stumps remained.
On the right half, the terrain had been violently pushed upward. Jagged cracks stretched across the land, cutting through the island from end to end.
Seawater rushed through the newly formed canyon, pouring across the exposed earth before cascading downward into the lower terrain.
For a brief moment—
a natural waterfall formed.
"This… how is this possible?!"
The Marine colonel shouted in disbelief.
He had never lost his composure like this before.
One clash.
Just one exchange—
and the entire island had been split in half.
Yet even after that—
Kairos was still asking to continue fighting.
If they kept going…
would the island be completely destroyed?
The colonel didn't dare imagine it.
All he felt was deep, overwhelming shock.
"…Heh."
Garp stared at Kairos, the corner of his eye twitching.
You battle maniac…
His suit was completely torn apart, and his dog-head cap had long since disappeared.
He looked unusually disheveled.
"Come on."
Kairos grinned wildly.
He rested the jagged blade over his shoulder and walked slowly toward Garp.
His steps were slightly unsteady.
Yet the terrifying battle intent burning within him still surged toward the heavens without weakening.
Golden spiritual pressure once again ignited across his body.
Seeing this—
Garp's eyelids twitched even harder.
At that moment, he made his decision.
"That's enough."
"I lose."
The words came out almost like a sigh.
As soon as he said them—
the black Armament Haki covering Garp's body faded away.
He had withdrawn from the battle.
"Not fighting anymore?"
Kairos froze.
The wild grin on his face stiffened awkwardly, like a machine suddenly losing power.
Then—
a notification rang out in his mind.
"Ding! Host has defeated Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp."
"Reward obtained: Kenpachi Zaraki Card (Unsealed Version — 3 Minutes)."
"Ding! Host successfully used Kenpachi Zaraki Card (Sealed Version)."
"Skill obtained: Sword Pressure."
The system prompts echoed.
Kairos immediately withdrew from the battle state granted by Kenpachi Zaraki.
The blazing golden pressure surrounding his body began to crumble apart like scattered stardust, fading gradually into the night sky.
This time—
Kairos was genuinely surprised.
The Sword Pressure skill wasn't what shocked him.
What truly caught his attention—
was the newly obtained card.
The Kenpachi Zaraki Card (Unsealed Version).
What he noticed was that instead of a usage count—
the card displayed a time limit.
Three minutes.
Which meant—
this card had no usage limit.
Realizing that, Kairos' breathing grew heavier.
When he fought Garp earlier, he had only used the sealed version of the Kenpachi card.
The unsealed version—
would be even stronger.
Though it lasted only three minutes…
that was more than enough.
"What a monster."
Garp glanced at Kairos' expression and muttered inwardly.
That look clearly said—
he still wasn't satisfied.
Garp knew his own condition well.
During the nearly two-hour fight, his stamina had been steadily draining. While he hadn't reached his limit, the battle had gone far beyond a typical sparring session.
Meanwhile—
Kairos seemed to grow more energized the longer they fought.
The more pressure he faced, the stronger he became.
Their stamina curves were moving in opposite directions.
More importantly—
this was only a sparring match.
The island had already split apart.
If they continued, it could easily endanger the Marines and reporters who had arrived nearby.
Garp understood that clearly.
That was why he chose to concede and end the fight.
"Want to grab something to eat?"
Kairos had already recovered from the excitement of gaining an unlimited card.
He looked at Garp with a relaxed smile.
This smile—
was no longer the wild, bloodthirsty grin of Kenpachi's battle madness.
This fight had been incredibly satisfying.
Kairos hadn't just relied on the Kenpachi card.
During the battle, he had even executed techniques like Tsubame Gaeshi and Telekinetic Blade Control with Kenpachi's Zanpakutō.
It had been a true all-out fight.
Even so—
he hadn't managed to defeat Garp head-on.
Fortunately, Garp had stopped the battle first.
If it continued…
Kairos wasn't certain he would win.
After all, he still didn't know Garp's true limits—
nor how long Kenpachi's power could truly last.
"Let's go."
Seeing Kairos fully return to normal, Garp casually threw an arm around his shoulder.
For men—
building camaraderie was often simple.
Sometimes it came from playing a game together.
Sometimes from fighting side by side.
And sometimes—
from an intense fight.
After all—
nothing built respect faster than a good battle.
After this sparring match, the relationship between Garp and Kairos had changed.
They were no longer distant acquaintances.
Now—
they stood as equals.
Friends.
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