Teach used his fist as a shield and met Garen's descending greatsword head-on.
Teach's muscles, far tougher than steel, collided with Garen's heavy, unerring greatsword, instantly blasting visible waves of air through the area.
Garen did not hold back in the slightest.
That strike made Teach's entire body tremble. The blazing golden-red holy flames on the blade even scorched the black Armament Haki covering his arm until it warped.
"Why are you acting with me?!"
Teach asked with a baffled expression.
Garen did not answer directly. He merely raised his greatsword and traded another blow with Teach.
As they fought, Garen explained in a sincere and earnest tone:
"Brother Teach!"
"I sparred with you once before, so I'm more familiar with acting with you!"
"I..."
All of Teach's anger lodged in his throat, and he could not force out a word for a long while.
At the same time, Teach could already feel countless gazes falling upon him from afar.
After Ace withdrew his flames, Water 7's shore returned to complete darkness.
Yet amid that darkness, the most conspicuous figure was undoubtedly Garen, with golden, green, and red lights flashing all over his body.
And the second male lead was clearly Teach, who was acting out a confrontation with Garen.
Having become the center of attention, Teach felt his scalp go numb beneath all those stares, as though he were sitting on needles.
"Brother Garen!"
Teach blocked Garen's blade with a punch and said miserably, "Can't you go find Ace and Sabo instead?"
"I can't help it either, Brother Teach!"
Garen's sword kept swinging, but his tone remained exceedingly amiable:
"Sabo's strength still can't keep up with my pace, and Ace's flames are even less effective against me."
"Fighting them wouldn't make for a spectacular, immersive, convincing performance!"
A surge