Gate of Hurt: Open!
After realizing that his current strength was not enough to deal with Garp, Natsuya did not hesitate. He immediately opened the fourth gate of the Eight Inner Gates!
When he fought Rob Lucci before, Natsuya had only developed the Eight Inner Gates up to the third gate.
But Natsuya had not slackened off during this time, so he had now developed the Eight Inner Gates to the fourth gate—the Gate of Hurt!
This was also the first time Natsuya had used the Gate of Hurt in battle!!
The moment the Gate of Hurt opened, veins bulged all over Natsuya's body, even across his face, making him look utterly ferocious.
This was a sign of bodily damage.
Only after opening the fourth gate of the Eight Inner Gates could one be considered to have truly entered the Eight Inner Gates state.
And the true Eight Inner Gates naturally damaged the body in exchange for immense power!
At that moment, an even more terrifying force suddenly surged from within Natsuya!
BOOM, BOOM!!!
Terrifying bursts of force erupted alongside green energy, making the surrounding air rumble dully.
"Oh!?"
Garp's face immediately showed surprise at the sight.
He could tell at once that Natsuya was further squeezing out his body's potential and unleashing even greater power.
But the question was, had Natsuya not already done that once just now? Why could he keep squeezing out more!?
As for Smoker, the others, and Nami, all of them were utterly shocked.
Natsuya's hair whipped wildly, his skin flushed red, and veins stood out all over him. He no longer looked human, but more like a frenzied beast.
And in fact, that was exactly what he was!
With his strength further enhanced, calling Natsuya a humanoid beast would not be an exaggeration!
Then, without another word, Natsuya glanced at Garp, stepped forward, and vanished with a thunderous burst!
Smoker and the others' expressions changed at once.
In their eyes, Natsuya's figure flashed like lightning and shot straight toward Garp.
BOOM!
Natsuya raised his arm, and a muffled explosion instantly rang out in the air.
There was no doubt that this seemingly simple movement contained terrifying power!
This time, even though Garp had activated Armament Haki, he was still blasted backward.
Next—
Natsuya moved again, turning into an afterimage as he continued his pursuit of Garp.
Finger Pistol!
Tempest Kick!
Empowered by the Gate of Hurt, every Rokushiki technique unleashed astonishing might.
BANG, BANG, BANG!!!
Smoker and the others could only stare in stunned disbelief.
"How is that possible!?"
Under their gazes, Natsuya actually suppressed Garp this time.
Garp was trapped in the middle of those afterimages, struck again and again, looking completely helpless as he took the blows!
Nami, inside the Different Dimension, was also frozen in shock.
Lord Natsuya seemed far stronger than she had imagined!
Could he really defeat Garp!?
But clearly, Nami was overthinking it.
Although opening the Gate of Hurt had indeed brought Natsuya's strength to an astonishing level, it was still not enough to defeat Garp.
Just as in the next moment—
Garp gradually broke free from his passive situation and soon became completely at ease.
His speed also grew faster and faster, gradually matching Natsuya's!
"Hm!?"
Natsuya's heart sank the moment he noticed this.
Smoker and the others, meanwhile, were once again shocked.
At this moment, Natsuya had become nothing but an afterimage in their eyes, yet Garp could still keep up with that speed with ease!
And once that happened, the outcome was obvious.
After his strength was no longer an advantage, Natsuya quickly found himself outmatched by Garp.
The next second, Garp sent him flying with a single punch.
With a spurt of blood—
Natsuya coughed up a mouthful of blood. The shock in his eyes as he looked at Garp was impossible to hide.
Iron Fist Garp truly lived up to his reputation!
Just one punch had nearly knocked him down!
Fortunately, Natsuya had opened the Eight Inner Gates, so even if his body was injured, the energy would rapidly heal it.
Of course, that also meant the backlash he would suffer afterward would be even worse.
At that thought, Natsuya's expression turned grave.
But at the same time—
Garp was somewhat shocked as well.
He knew perfectly well that while Natsuya's state looked powerful, it was actually extremely fragile.
Yet after taking one of his Iron Fist blows, Natsuya had not fallen. He really was tenacious.
Thinking of that, Garp beckoned to Natsuya and laughed. "Come on, brat. You should still have some strength left, right?"
Natsuya's tenacity had also stirred a hint of fighting spirit in him.
Hearing that, Natsuya narrowed his eyes and suddenly retreated at high speed.
"Hmph, you forced me to do this!"
His words made it sound as though he was about to unleash some ultimate move.
Garp was immediately delighted when he heard them.
Smoker and the others, however, felt their hearts tighten.
They had not expected Natsuya to still have another trick up his sleeve at this point!
But in the next moment—
Both Garp and Smoker's group were dumbfounded.
After retreating, Natsuya suddenly opened an Air Door and slipped inside.
At the same time, Nami, who was waiting in the Different Dimension, also froze.
When she heard Natsuya say that, she thought he was about to unleash some powerful ultimate move.
Instead, after entering the Different Dimension, Natsuya directly took her and withdrew.
To be more precise, Natsuya was running away.
He had no choice.
Even the Gate of Hurt could not do anything to Garp. If Natsuya did not run now, was he supposed to wait to be captured!?
Besides, he had already thoroughly tested his current strength against Garp. Why would he keep fighting him!?
He was not some fool like Ace.
In short, Natsuya left with a perfectly clear conscience.
But Garp, out in the outside world, found it hard to accept.
This young man had no martial ethics!
They had been fighting just fine, and he actually ran away!?
Staring at the spot where Natsuya had vanished, the legendary veteran was unable to react for a moment.
As for Smoker, Tashigi, and the others, every one of them wore extremely strange expressions.
They had never imagined that Natsuya, who had looked ready to fight Garp to the death just moments ago, would simply flee without hesitation!
And at this moment, it seemed to confirm what Smoker had said earlier.
If Garp was not careful, Natsuya really could escape from him.
And now, Natsuya really had escaped!
What now!?
Smoker cautiously asked Garp, "Vice Admiral Garp, that Natsuya seems to have escaped. Now..."
Garp came back to his senses, his face darkening.
He had obviously won this fight, yet he felt as though he had been played!
He had personally stepped in, yet failed to capture a mere hundred-million-berry criminal. His reputation in his old age was truly ruined.
For a moment, Garp did not even know where to put his old face.
But after thinking it over, he instructed Smoker, "Smoker, tell Sengoku that Natsuya escaped. Do not tell him I came here. Just say he escaped from your hands."
Smoker: "..."
Before you continue