Age of the Demon King

"Hard to imagine, after all these years.

I had thought I'd beaten every strong man on the seas.

Yet there was still a kind of martial art I'd never encountered."

Garp looked up at Ye Zhuo, one hand pressed against his chest.

Haki flowed around both fists, forming an invisible pair of gauntlets.

"If this is the extent of your strength, then Sengoku's plan is destined to fail.

Becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea would only be a disgrace to you.

But you will never have a chance of becoming one of the Four Emperors either!

I will end you here!"

As Garp spoke, he threw a punch.

His body tilted forward, and while his right fist looked unremarkable, it contained all his Haki and strength.

Anyone struck by that punch would suffer grave injuries.

"I didn't expect this kid to actually have some skill."

Crocus held his harpoon and silently watched the scene.

In his eyes, Ye Zhuo was absolutely qualified to fight Garp on equal footing.

With the support of the three great demonic auras of water, fire, and lightning,

Ye Zhuo's strength and speed had undergone another transformation, coupled with all three advanced forms of Haki.

No matter where on the seas he stood, Ye Zhuo could be called a powerhouse at the pinnacle of the world.

"Is that so? Then let this era turn the page!

I am a pirate, destined to stand above every powerful man!

When I rule the world, all shall kneel before me!"

Ye Zhuo looked at Garp. He was just an old man.

Ye Zhuo had lived to ninety-nine in his previous life!

By age alone, Garp should have called him senior.

"Iron Fist!"

Garp threw a punch, pouring all his power into it.

"Hung Fist! Bridge Interception! Thrusting Punch! Tiger Claw!"

The two clashed, their fists striking flesh with every blow.

The sea was whipped into wave after wave of madness.

Even Crocus felt his throat tighten.

It was as though he had returned to those great battles of the past.

One former enemy after another flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr...

In the blink of an eye,

he had grown old as well, and new powerhouses had long begun to dominate the seas.

They were strong enough to challenge old men like them.

Legends would eventually come to an end too, wouldn't they?

The explosive force of the Fire Chi, every burst scorching and searing.

The Water Demon Aura raised towering waves hundreds of meters high, astonishing even Laboon.

The Lightning Chi descended like a god, sweeping across the vast heavens.

The Demon Sorcerer Form, enhanced by the Twelve Talismans and supported by three advanced forms of Haki.

Traditional martial arts and kung fu from his previous life, along with modern combat and sanda, had all been fused together.

"Bajiquan, Mountain-Breaking Fist!"

Pfft!

Garp was struck once again.

He spat out a mouthful of black blood in disbelief.

"Your body hasn't suffered even the slightest injury?"

What Garp found most absurd was that Ye Zhuo had clearly taken many punches himself, yet remained completely unharmed.

"You're old, so you get hurt. I'm young, so naturally I don't."

Ye Zhuo's Dog Talisman granted immortality, while the Horse Talisman healed all wounds and illnesses.

With the balance of the Tiger Talisman, he could wield every power with perfect ease.

"Brat, I've only suffered a minor injury."

Garp threw another punch. He refused to believe Ye Zhuo was truly invulnerable.

"You can't do it, Garp."

Ye Zhuo had no intention of wasting any more time.

Armor forged from Lightning Chi began to cover his body, with a pale blue cloak condensed from the Water Demon Aura draped over it.

He spread his arms wide, gathering all his power to its limit.

"Full Power!"

The Lightning Chi and Fire Chi, combined with the powers of the Pig Talisman and Dragon Talisman.

Energy waves erupted from both hands, both eyes, and his open mouth at the same time!

Haki wrapped around them, forming shockwaves forged from lightning and flames!

Already injured, Garp threw a punch at the five incoming shockwaves.

Boom!

The sea churned violently, yet Garp still desperately held them back.

This power was practically a fusion of the Magma-Magma Fruit, Glint-Glint Fruit, and Rumble-Rumble Fruit developed to their utmost limits.

Combined with Ryuo and Conqueror's Coating.

It dealt continuous, relentless damage!

"Vice Admiral Garp!"

His adjutant Bogard grew tense at that moment.

He drew his sword. If he did not intervene now, something might really happen to Garp!

From afar, the scene looked like hell itself.

All five energy shockwaves struck at once, each second unleashing damage comparable to Ikoku Sovereignty.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The Pirate Empress kicked Bogard away, sending him crashing directly into the warship's cabin.

"How can we let you interfere in our captain's battle!"

Tashigi stood on the deck, staring blankly at the battle before her.

The Navy hero, Garp!

Even a legendary figure like him appeared hard-pressed when facing Ye Zhuo!

"This sea can never lose justice!

No matter how strong you are, brat, I will never let you have your way!

What my Iron Fist protects is justice!"

Garp fought desperately, but he had no choice but to cover his entire body in Haki to withstand the attacks.

Counterattacking was even more impossible!

"Then you have no choice but to lose!"

Ye Zhuo let out a dragon's roar.

Using the Monkey Talisman, he transformed into a Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Form.

This further amplified the power of his flames and lightning, while also granting him wind-blade damage.

An azure dragon coiled through the sky, its hands and feet transforming into four dragon claws.

The shockwaves became seven!

And they were even stronger, each as large as a warship.

Boom!

"Vice Admiral Garp!"

Bogard swung his sword once more.

Garp blocked with all his strength, yet still spat out blood.

Had the sea finally come to eliminate even him?

Under normal circumstances, no matter how powerful or how many elements a Mythical Zoan possessed, it was still only a Mythical Zoan.

No matter how strong each element was, it could not compare with a Logia.

But Ye Zhuo's demonic auras were complete versions to begin with, incomparably powerful. Not only could they transform into Logias, they could also command the natural elements around them.

Combined with the Tiger Talisman, he could perfectly fuse every power together!

In other words, these seven shockwaves were equivalent to seven admiral-level powerhouses attacking Garp simultaneously!

"Garp, it is time for the next era to change hands.

Let us!

SHOW TIME!"

Ye Zhuo stood high above, already a powerhouse who truly ruled the seas.

No matter how strong Garp was, he could not possibly withstand damage equal to seven admirals.

His entire body tensed like a spring.

As Ye Zhuo erupted with power once more,

Garp could no longer hold on!

What he did not know was that, afterward, there would never again be an opponent capable of contending with Ye Zhuo for so long.

That was an era when the Demon King swept across the seas and ruled the world alone!

"Pfft!"

Garp's entire body remained covered in Haki, but he was still blasted toward the sea by the shockwaves.

If he relaxed for even a moment, he might lose consciousness.

The victor between the strong was decided in an instant.

"Ice Age!"

At the critical moment.

The sea froze over in an instant.

A frigid chill swept across heaven and earth.

Admiral Aokiji looked up at Ye Zhuo in the sky.

Boom!

Garp crashed onto the ice immediately afterward, smashing out a massive hole.

"Old man, you all right?"

Aokiji asked casually.

"What do you think?"

Garp no longer had the strength to stand. He took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Not even a little chance?"

Aokiji stared at Ye Zhuo, still wanting to give it a try.