A Clash in the Shadows

"It's almost time." He glanced at the intelligence report: a small island on the Grand Line.

Teach sat quietly in a pub, but the people around him seemed to ignore him, going about their own business.

He drank glass after glass of rum, savoring the familiar atmosphere of the tavern—an atmosphere that had long since vanished after he decided on the future direction of the Night Pirates.

If he could, he would certainly choose to be a simple, true pirate.

Unfortunately, such pirates have no future and will eventually be left behind by the wheels of history.

The power of the Twist Fruit creates a distorting force field around them, twisting all light and creating an invisibility effect. Only a few perceptive individuals might glance at Teach with a strange look.

Three months have passed, and Teach has been away from the Night Sea Domain for three months.

This is a spontaneous trip, all alone, leaving the New World for the Grand Line.

Time seemed to rewind to the time when he left the Whitebeard Pirates and headed to the East Blue alone, passing through island after island along the way.

The Grand Line has changed a lot since many years ago, especially Gaya Island, and all of this started because of him.

After a period of waiting, it finally happened. Garp will be leaving headquarters and the Grand Line, heading to the East Blue.

Just as planned, he intended to attack Garp to test the power of the Twist Fruit.

The massive dog-headed warship sailed away from the Marine Headquarters port. Garp, dressed in a white suit, stood at the bow with his arms crossed, a smile on his face, preparing to go back and see his grandson.

I've been very busy lately, fighting pirates, training the navy, having heart-to-heart talks with Zephyr, and finally having some time to take leave and go back to my hometown.

The trouble caused by Smoker and the other Marines spurred Zephyr out of his confusion and made him realize that he couldn't go on like this, so he pulled himself together.

It's recovering now, and teaching will be able to resume in a few days, which is great news for the Navy.

After all, the new recruits in the elite training camp this year are far behind those in the past. Their performance in exchanges with elites from branch schools that have been established for a long time is not good, which makes the Marine Headquarters lose face.

The rapid development of the various Marine Branch is a good thing, but the Marine Headquarters also needs to maintain its authority.

There is a certain finesse between branches, and between branches and the headquarters.

In the past, the Marine Branch also had some trained personnel exchange with elite training camps, but the scale and number were relatively small. Now that it has expanded, such competition will only become more intense.

Ever since he learned that his grandson wanted to become the Pirate King, he would return to the East Blue every now and then to discipline his grandson and help him "return from the wrong path".

Putting that aside, the close relationship between Luffy and Ace was something that Garp was happy to see and hoped for.

Whatever they want to do in the future, everything must be based on strength. Without strength, everything is meaningless. Facing the pursuit of the Navy and the terrifying monsters lurking in the New World.

Garp could only try his best to teach them in his own way.

Only those with exceptional talent can survive under Garp's tutelage.

The route was familiar, passing several Marine Branch to replenish supplies. Because the target was clear, rumors circulated among the pirates, and upon learning that Garp was coming, they all fled this route.

Soon, the Red Line came into view.

Suddenly, Garp had a bad feeling, as if he was being watched by someone.

This kind of instinctive intuition rarely has any problems.

Removing his cloak of justice, Garp stood solemnly at the bow of the ship. Upon seeing Garp like this, the veterans who had followed Garp for many years became wary.

These veterans, though only the lowest-ranking privates in the Navy, are at least colonels in terms of skill. If they have any intention of leaving, headquarters can directly grant them the rank of colonel.

"Who is it!"

A question echoed in the air, but received no response.

But Garp was absolutely certain that the warship was being watched, and that feeling was growing stronger every day.

"Clap clap!" A crisp clapping sound rang out, and a figure appeared in the air. But it wasn't human-shaped; it was multicolored, making it impossible to discern its features. It flowed and changed like paint, appearing extremely eerie.

"As expected of Vice Admiral Garp, you actually managed to find out."

Immediately afterwards, centered on "it," the sky and sea in their line of sight were continuously covered by chaotic colors, including the warship beneath their feet.

The whole world seemed to have changed. If it weren't for the tactile sensation under their feet that made them feel like they were still standing on a warship, they would have truly felt like they had entered another world.

"What kind of ability is this?"

"Pigment Fruit? Color Fruit?"

Bogard, Garp's second-in-command, was deep in thought, drawing his sword and warily surveying his surroundings.

Who exactly are you?

The chaotic colors, everything around, there was no trace of the culprit, as if they didn't exist.

Garp could not sense anything, but he could detect an unfamiliar presence everywhere.

Importantly, this person spoke as if they were very familiar with him, as if they knew him well.

But there are just too many people who know Garp.

This made it difficult for him to identify the perpetrator; Garp himself didn't have as much information as Tsuru, making it impossible for him to analyze the situation.

Familiar figures flashed through my mind, but none of them matched this ability.

However, it cannot be ruled out that a martial arts expert has eaten Devil Fruit and is now coming to cause him trouble.

Garp has roamed the seas for so many years, and he has far too many enemies.

"Does it matter? Go fight another match, go to the other side, if you don't want your subordinates to be affected."

A calm voice, tinged with a hint of amusement, echoed throughout the chaotic space.

They've come with ill intentions, looking for trouble—that's the conclusion Garp reached from the beginning, and now it's completely certain.

"Oh no, Vice Admiral Garp, all communication equipment has failed." A navy officer in the back looked somewhat flustered.

"Spatial abilities?"

It really does look very similar. There aren't many people on the high seas who possess space-time Devil Fruit abilities, and even those who are somewhat similar are extremely troublesome.

Right now, Garp hasn't been able to pinpoint the enemy's exact location or strength; everything is unknown, even their abilities.

But this contradicted their initial assessment; the sensation under their feet indicated that they were still on a warship, still at sea.

"Ever!"

Bogard swung his sword, unleashing a slash that cut through the air and landed on the surface of the sea.

The entire slash was swallowed up in an instant, without causing the slightest ripple.

"We haven't been transferred to a special space, but rather to an artificial area of effect, similar to space itself. We're still at sea, but I can't break through it." Bogard shook his head. "However, I've noticed a strange force in the air resisting my attacks, rapidly weakening their power."

Bogard was not completely oblivious; this information was very useful to Garp.

This also means that this unknown enemy is even more difficult to deal with.

Teach remained hidden in the shadows; everything around him was merely an illusion created by distorted light and sound. Just as Bogard had guessed, they were actually still at sea and had not been transported to another dimension.

Teach had to admit Bogard's wisdom in analyzing his current situation so quickly.

Bogard's slashes, with their twisting power constantly distorting and weakening, caused the light and sound to be distorted when they landed on the sea, making it appear completely calm.

In fact, the sea not far from the warship was completely divided in two, with huge waves surging in both directions.

After all, Bogard is a top-tier powerhouse, though he's not well-known on the high seas, and he has a presence in various top-tier powers.

That strike was delivered without any restraint; it was a truly terrifying blow.

However, their sight and hearing were deceived; it was all an illusion.

Due to the distorted space, the turbulent sea did not affect the warships. Under the influence of the distorting force, everything returned to calm, creating a huge illusion for Garp and his crew.

Even the wind was distorted; there was no sea breeze, no breath of the ocean.

Who exactly are you?

Garp took a step forward, using Geppo, knowing that the sea was still there and he could fall into it if he wasn't careful.

This was the third time Garp had asked.

"Who knows? Since they've come out, let's begin." Teach was somewhat excited, his slightly hoarse voice echoing throughout the space.

In the blink of an eye, Garp's expression changed, and the numerous marines behind him vanished, disappearing not only in their figures but also in their aura.

From Bogard's perspective, Garp's figure suddenly disappeared; a simple distortion of light made it impossible for either of them to see each other.

Garp wanted to return to his original position, but an invisible, powerful force was affecting his body.

A powerful twisting force bound Garp's limbs like an invisible restraint, causing Garp to hang in mid-air as if he were about to be executed.

The powerful Armament Haki directly isolated Teach's twisting power, preventing Teach from affecting Garp's body from the inside and forcing him to act only from the outside.

I decided to do it right away; the purpose of this was to test how strong my abilities were.

It was as if there were invisible giant hands forcefully twisting my limbs, neck, head, and all directions, up and down.

A tearing sensation, a strange power like a blade, left wounds on Garp's body, causing Garp pain.

Garp resisted fiercely, his powerful Armament Haki flowing through his body, further isolating the twisting power from his body.

Even though he was wearing an invisible suit of armor, it didn't change the fact that he was affected by the power of distortion.

On the other side, Teach became completely serious from the start, his hands forming claws and exerting force in the air, his hands trembling slightly and veins bulging.

He released and manipulated the power of distortion, which possessed great offensive power. Invisible, curved blades, like scimitars, clamped down on Garp's armor, desperately twisting it in one direction.

This is a battle.

Garp didn't know what force had attacked him, but he knew he had to break free from its grasp.

His entire arm was bent at a 360-degree angle; if this continued, his arm would break.

Similarly, the same applies to other parts of the body. The whole process felt like being meat being put into a meat grinder. Garp's imagination could only come up with this, but it was also very apt.

Garp was initially unaware of this, so he was caught off guard. This power was equally strong, unlike the direct power of the vibration, but it was more bizarre and more terrifying.

He could personally feel just how powerful this force was; even he found it extremely difficult to deal with, let alone others. Even a lieutenant Vice Admiral- level expert could have their entire body and limbs twisted and broken by this force.

Coming to his senses, Garp decided to break free with all his might. He had been confident in his strength and wanted to experience this power firsthand.

If the stalemate continues for too long, you'll definitely be the first one to give in.

This was too much of a drain on his physical strength and Haki, and he didn't know how much his enemy was expending.

Now he was certain that this unknown enemy was a top-tier fighter, a huge threat, and had attacked him suddenly for no apparent reason.

Such stealth capabilities would have unimaginable consequences if used against other naval units or even Marine Branch.

Furthermore, the disappearance of Bogard and his group also alarmed Garp, who wanted to quickly defeat the enemy.

No longer held back, Garp's body shuddered, and his twisted limbs, resisting the twisting force, returned directly to their original positions.

He saw through Garp's thoughts, but in the distorted space, as long as Teach had the strength, the distorting power was endless, filling the entire space.

Even if it couldn't twist Garp's body, it could still bind Garp. His limbs were bound by a powerful force, as if connected by chains, making it extremely difficult to move, let alone move quickly by stepping on the air.

Within this space, through the power of distortion, Teach seems to be able to indirectly control everything.

Garp relies on his Haki and powerful bursts of energy in battle. Although he is strong, he is no match for these monsters.

Big Mom, Kaido, Ares, etc.

After a period of stalemate, Garp realized that it would be difficult to break free on his own.

A powerful Armament Haki swirled and flowed around Garp's body like a gas.

Despite the impact of the twisting power, a ruthless glint flashed in Garp's eyes. He roared and unleashed an astonishingly terrifying power, shattering the invisible shackles surrounding his body.

It resisted the twisting force squeezing in from all sides.

Invisible black Inazuma flashed continuously around Garp, and the powerful force field generated by his Conqueror's Haki collided with the surrounding distorting forces.

This scene made Teach's pupils shrink; the extreme aura startled him, but soon, Teach's eyes became excited.

Garp was forced to unleash his Conqueror's Haki, something he hadn't anticipated.

Teach underestimated his ability to develop the Twist Fruit. As a world-class powerhouse, developing a Paramecia was naturally a rapid process for him.

The reason for seeking out strong individuals to test the power of the Twist Fruit is that the power of distortion has already reached a terrifying level, which ordinary strong individuals simply cannot withstand.

With its own immense power, and after several years of development, the Twist Fruit is nearing Awakening.

Garp possesses Conqueror's Haki, that's for sure!

Teach wasn't surprised. How could Garp, who refused to be promoted to Admiral and refused to serve the Celestial Dragons, not possess Conqueror's Haki?

Most importantly, Teach witnessed Garp's true strength.

Even without Conqueror's Haki, Garp was already one of the world's top monsters, thanks to his Haki Armament Haki Haki and his internal destruction techniques.

In the New World many years ago, he clashed head-on with Kaido and Big Mom, and even gained the upper hand.

Now, with the addition of Conqueror's Haki, the world's top-tier attack method, its destructive power is further amplified.

A suffocating aura emanated from the air, clearly visible and distinct from the surrounding atmosphere, like a Super Saiyan transformation.

Garp is incredibly powerful now, but Teach is not intimidated. He has everything Garp has, and Garp's strength is based on his super Armament Haki, techniques for internal destruction, and the control of Conqueror's Haki.

Not to mention the Conqueror's Haki that clung to him.

The Haki internal destruction techniques require strong control over the body and Haki. There are basically no more than ten people in this world who have mastered them; you can count them on one hand.

In the Navy, there's only one like Garp.

Having already Radelfield, without any Devil Fruit powers, single-handedly stood shoulder to shoulder with three legendary pirates.

Among the three giants of the night, Teach himself learned this move thanks to his amazing talent and Observation Haki.

Rediat gained experience directly from Radelfield's memories and later learned the technique.

Ares finally mastered it after years of study. This was even with Ares's monstrous nature and the guidance of Teach and Rediat, and he had endured countless blows that damaged the internal structure of Haki.

Most people don't even know that Haki can cause internal destruction.

Aside from these five people, Teach doesn't know who else possesses this technique; it's even rarer than Conqueror's Haki Entanglement.

Each and every one of them is a world-class martial arts expert, which forms the basis for learning internal destruction.

The battle continues, with Conqueror's Haki swirling around them, serving as both sword and shield.

Even with the power of distortion restraining him, Garp's punch carried an exceptionally terrifying force.

Boom!

This punch directly shattered the distorting force in front of him, creating a vacuum zone free of distorting force.

In that instant, Garp felt a strange sense of ease as the distortion power disappeared, and before the distortion power returned, he continued to break through in one direction.

An even greater power, capable of destroying a mountain with a mere gesture.

Garp wanted to break through this space, Teach naturally couldn't. The powerful distortion force continued to invade, used to its fullest extent, binding Garp's movements and weakening Garp attacks.

The effects caused by Garp could not extend beyond Teach's warped space.

The power of distortion recovers quickly, almost instantly.

Garp's attack speed is faster.

"Fist Bone - Meteor Shower!" Garp, unusually, felt his blood boil as he unleashed a barrage of punches against the seemingly endless blockade.

Because of the incredible speed, countless fist shadows appeared in the air, as if Garp had unleashed a barrage of punches all at once.

This move was too fast; the recovery speed of the distortion power simply couldn't keep up.

Finally, a gap was broken in the entire space, or rather, a path without the power of distortion appeared, which Garp forcibly created.

The colorful world resembles a small piece of torn cloth—a picture of the sea.

Garp's eyes lit up, and he rushed out.

Just then, the entire space vanished, leaving Garp slightly taken aback.

Even with Observation Haki activated, I still couldn't detect the enemy's presence.

Instead, they sensed the presence of Bogard and his group, just 400 meters away on the sea, and nothing happened to them.

Even so, Garp still felt somewhat uneasy; if Garp didn't go all out, he would indeed be a threat.

As for who exactly made the move, aside from the effects of the abilities, information about the enemy is extremely scarce.

When did this monster suddenly appear on the high seas?

"Vice Admiral?" Bogard couldn't help but ask when he saw Garp return, looking as if he had just gone through a fierce battle.

"I'll talk to Sengoku. Now let's go back." Garp shook his head, not wanting to say more.

On the other side, Teach left when he foresaw that Garp had breached the space; he had achieved his goal.

Feeling somewhat relieved, the Twist Fruit truly is an invincible ability, not only in terms of attack, but also with the potential for further development.