First Spar with Karp

"Have you heard? Colonel Jin An... oh no, Colonel Jin An challenged Vice Admiral Karp to a duel!"

"People challenge Vice Admiral Karp all the time. What's so surprising about that... Wait... Colonel Jin An issued the challenge?"

"That's strange. It seems like I've never heard of Colonel Jin An taking the initiative to challenge anyone..."

"Have you considered that maybe it's because there was no opponent in the South Blue worthy of Colonel Jin An challenging first..."

"Gasp... Now that you mention it, that really does seem to be the case..."

"In that case... we can't miss this match..."

"Come on, come on, let's go watch!"

The entire Marine base was filled with laughter.

The mountain that had been weighing on them had finally been lifted, and since they had not encountered anything this interesting in a long time, everyone wanted to join in the excitement.

Karp rubbed his fists together. His "Fist of Love" was going into action again today.

He said to Jin An, who was warming up across from him:

"My fists hurt a lot. Are you mentally prepared?"

Karp laughed heartily. With these iron fists, he had defeated countless opponents, and it was also with them that he had earned the title of "Hero."

He had his own pride. Every time he had made a move so far, it had been against a formidable enemy.

Ordinary people were not even worth his intervention...

"Thank you, Vice Admiral Karp, for giving me this opportunity to spar."

Even without a system mission, Jin An had wanted to test himself against Karp.

The chance to fight one of the strongest people in this world was something many people could not obtain no matter how desperately they wished for it.

Jin An directly drew his Wild Goose Feather Saber. Before Karp, he did not dare to be overconfident.

When he saw the saber in Jin An's hand, even Karp, who did not use a blade himself, felt his eyes light up.

"That's a fine saber!"

With that, he stripped off all the clothes covering his upper body, revealing his powerful muscles.

"I heard Vice Admiral Karp has never eaten a Devil Fruit."

It was not only Marines watching this spar. Some well-informed townspeople had come as well.

"That's right. Everyone in the Marines knows about that."

"Vice Admiral Karp is incredibly strong."

The surrounding Marines responded enthusiastically.

"When I grow up, I want to become a Marine too!"

Some younger children looked on with longing. Although they did not know who the two people on the field were, they wanted to protect those around them and be noticed by others.

The Marines beside them proudly puffed out their chests at those words.

What they were proud of was not their own status as Marines, but the fact that the Marines had gained recognition from others.

Even now, pirates were still the dream of most children in this world.

But now, because of that man, the Marines had also become a goal for some children. There would surely be even more in the future.

Compared to Karp, who came from the East Blue, the people of the South Blue were more familiar with Jin An.

Over the course of more than three years, that man had joined and organized Marine operations, eliminating more than twenty pirate crews of all sizes. In every battle, he had led from the front, charging at the forefront of the fight against pirates.

His valiant fighting style had drawn the attention of Marine Headquarters in just a few years. From this alone, it was clear that his potential was no less than that of seniors like Sengoku and Zephyr.

Soru!

Jin An shot forward like a gust of wind, raising the long saber in his hand as he charged straight at Karp.

"They've started fighting!" someone exclaimed.

Karp was like an eagle spreading its wings. At the same moment, he raised his fist and lunged at Jin An at high speed. Under the sunlight, his fist seemed coated in a layer of radiance as it met the blade head-on without dodging.

Everyone felt a fierce gust of wind sweep over them, making their bodies sway uncontrollably.

The field was spacious enough for them to maneuver freely within it.

After landing the first blow, Karp did not let up. He raised his fist and continued his fierce assault on Jin An.

Facing Karp's fist wind, Jin An not only did not retreat, but stepped forward under everyone's stunned gazes. His right hand gripped the saber and swiftly blocked the fist, while his left hand struck out forcefully, somehow neutralizing Karp's entire attack.

"Good lad, well done," Karp praised.

Just as Jin An had neutralized that attack, Karp suddenly shifted backward. Then, with both fists clenched, he abruptly smashed them toward Jin An's face.

Karp wielded his fists with masterful skill. Countless fist shadows overlapped, carrying such momentum that no one would dare confront him head-on.

At the same time, Jin An's body, enhanced by the Azure Dragon Fruit, was extraordinarily durable. Fearless, he leaped forward.

But the gap in strength between them was too great. Jin An still could not withstand Karp's barrage of fists.

After taking a punch head-on, Jin An flew backward. Only by driving his saber into the ground did he disperse that immense force.

"Haa..."

Jin An exhaled, now fully aware of the power of Karp's iron fists. Yet that only stirred his competitive spirit.

A fight between men really was most exhilarating when fought hand-to-hand.

"Crackle... crackle..."

Jin An's expression turned solemn. He clenched his fists as a powerful force brewed within his body.

"Mm... Not bad..."

Karp stood quietly to the side and watched Jin An gather his strength, offering a word of praise.

They were only sparring, after all. There was nothing wrong with waiting for the other to use his full strength.

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground beneath Jin An's feet cracked apart, with the fractures continuously spreading outward.

A stream of azure energy gently coiled around his body. This was his strongest state in human form.

"This brat actually has such power contained within his body!" Karp was startled by the force erupting from Jin An, then a hint of fighting spirit rose in his eyes.

Army-Breaking Slash!

Azure energy wrapped around the long saber, and then he swung it.

Whoosh!

At that moment, every gaze focused on the slash Jin An had unleashed. This time, they seemed to hear the cry of a dragon accompanying it.

Crack!

All the glass in the base's doors and windows shattered, scattering across the ground.

Karp's fist looked plain and unremarkable, but it contained enough strength to smash boulders. His expression did not change as his fist drove straight toward Jin An's abdomen.

One of their attacks was earth-shattering, while the other was plain and unadorned.

Boom!!!

The sword energy and fist both struck the other's body precisely at the same moment, unleashing a tremendous roar.

The sound was deafening!

Jin An's saber stopped against Karp's Haki-coated skin, unable to harm him.

Unlike Karp's calm composure, Jin An trembled like a shrimp pulled from the water as he collapsed to the ground, his body bent at a ninety-degree angle to ease the pain in his stomach.

"Ah!" Karp cried out. "I got too excited and used too much force."

Seeing Jin An's condition, he guiltily dropped to one knee and began checking him over.

"I'm fine..." Jin An said in a trembling voice, while a trickle of blood silently ran from the corner of his mouth.

Inside, he felt utterly bitter. It's over. I've embarrassed myself completely this time...

"Woooooah!"

When the battle came to an end, loud applause and cheers immediately erupted across the entire field. Only now did they understand how terrifying the strength of Marine officers could be.

(Ordinary people could only judge the difference in strength through the destruction caused by battle.)

And that was when neither of them had used their full strength...

[ Ding! Congratulations, host. Mission completed... ]

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