"Damn it," Doflamingo spat out a bloody glob and wiped the corner of his mouth. "The Haki of one of the Navy's top three is really that far behind the Haki of the Navy's number one?"
The gap truly was immense. Doflamingo even felt that the old bastard Garp's Haki had nearly advanced to an entirely different level—a level beyond Admirals and the Four Emperors.
Unfortunately, it was only nearly. At Garp's age, even if his strength could still improve somewhat, it was impossible for him to break through to a whole new major realm.
In truth, Garp was already over sixty and nearing seventy. Even with talent monstrous enough to defy reason, he had reached his absolute peak. From now on, training could only preserve his condition and combat strength. Further improvement was impossible.
Although the peak period and growth curve of the strong in this world were frighteningly long, this was not some fantasy cultivation world. Normal human lifespans were still limited, and even the strongest people could only live a little over a hundred years at most.
They could continue growing for more than half their lives. Thus, the top experts of the Pirate World were usually between forty and sixty, rather than in their twenties or thirties.
And Garp was undoubtedly at the very pinnacle of that peak.
"Hahaha!" Garp laughed loudly. "Do you think the difference between first and second is only a tiny gap? In reality, my Armament Haki is a whole level stronger than that fellow Zephyr's!"
Indeed, the Navy's second-ranked Armament Haki user was Doflamingo's teacher, the Navy Chief Instructor Zephyr, likewise a physical combat expert without a Devil Fruit ability.
When Doflamingo had studied in the Navy, he had still been rather weak. He had not understood Zephyr's true strength, but