Lu Ge vs. Garp

"Even that was blocked? Looks like I still have room to improve." Lu Ge was somewhat dissatisfied.

Listen to him. Was that even something a human would say? He had injured Garp with a single sword strike. If word of this got out, his name would surely resound throughout the world.

"This kid is really damn formidable!" Garp's expression was grave. Even when they had once pursued the Pirate King Roger, they had never been in such a sorry state. It wasn't that Lu Ge had already grown stronger than Roger; rather, this man's ability was simply too troublesome and bizarre. Coupled with his terrifying swordsmanship, the slightest misstep could leave them seriously injured.

Sengoku was the best example. Because of Lu Ge's ability to redirect attacks, he hadn't even had the chance to use most of his techniques before Lu Ge suddenly struck him with a Revolving Door, catching him off guard. Then a single sword strike had severely wounded him and taken him out of the fight.

All one could say was that when certain inconspicuous abilities were paired with his peerless swordsmanship, the results were truly extraordinary.

Garp looked at Akainu's palm, which had been split open from the middle and was streaming with blood. With a solemn expression, he asked, "How is it? Is your hand all right?"

"It's nothing." Akainu silently shook his head, but his eyes remained fixed on Lu Ge ahead of them. His heart was filled with anger and unwillingness, yet he had to admit that Lu Ge was indeed very strong. The five of them had fought him together, and four had ended up injured. Only Aokiji remained unharmed. If word of this got out, the Marines would lose a tremendous amount of face.

With Aokiji supporting him, Sengoku got to his feet with a bitter smile. "I originally planned to catch him off guard and take him down in one move. I never expected that I'd be the one ambushed instead."

As he spoke, he twisted his body. His upper half suddenly spun around with a gurgling sound, completing a full 360-degree rotation. If Aokiji hadn't been quick enough to hurriedly steady him, Sengoku probably would have demonstrated the hula hoop all over again.

"..."

The comical scene nearly made Garp and the others burst out laughing, but they forcibly held it in.

Seeing this, the skin on Sengoku's face twitched. He could only pretend he hadn't noticed and look toward Garp. "Garp, can you still fight?"

Garp rolled his arm and grinned. "Just a minor flesh wound. It's nothing."

His right shoulder had been pierced through by sword energy, and he still called that a flesh wound? It had to be said that the people in this world had freakish physiques, especially the handful of powerful ones.

Garp's expression then turned solemn. "That kid's ability really is difficult to deal with. Long-range attacks get redirected, while in close combat, you get turned into a Revolving Door. The slightest carelessness, and he'll severely injure you with a single sword strike. I don't want to admit it, but with just the few of us, we may really be unable to take him down."

Sengoku looked Garp straight in the eye, his expression serious. "Powerful Haki can offset part of a Devil Fruit Ability's effects. Perhaps you can do it."

At that, Garp rolled his eyes. "So you want to use me as a guinea pig? No way! Powerful Haki can indeed offset part of a Devil Fruit Ability's effects, but that depends on whose ability it is. With this guy's strength, do you really think I can be immune to it?"

Sengoku said, "Then there's only one way."

"What way?"

"Don't forget, that man is a Devil Fruit user."

Akainu's eyes lit up when he heard that. "You mean Seastone?"

Garp's brows drew together slightly. "Wouldn't that be winning unfairly?"

Akainu immediately snorted disdainfully. "Against such an utterly evil criminal, why should we bother with morality? As long as we can bring him to justice, no method is excessive."

Garp fell silent at once.

Sengoku then looked toward a Marine rear admiral watching the battle from a distance. The rear admiral immediately understood, grabbed an "iron rod," and reached Sengoku in a few leaps. He presented it to Garp. "Vice Admiral."

"..." Garp remained silent for a moment before reaching out to take the "iron rod." He sighed with emotion. "I never thought that after a lifetime of fame, I would ultimately need to use this kind of weapon to fight an enemy."

At that moment, Lu Ge also stepped forward. "Finished discussing? If you're done, let's continue!"

It wasn't that he had deliberately given them time. He also needed to rest and recover his stamina. After all, he had been using his Devil Fruit Ability repeatedly, and had even unleashed two ultimate sword techniques in succession. His stamina was already nearly depleted.

He had originally planned to make a flashy move and then leave through a door. Who could have expected these guys to start chatting among themselves? Naturally, he wasn't about to waste such a good opportunity to recover. By now, he had regained most of his stamina and could continue having fun.

After all, Sengoku, Akainu, and Aokiji's Devil Fruit Abilities were quite tempting. If possible, he truly wanted to take all three of them in one go.

Garp rolled his shoulders and bones, holding the "iron rod" made from Seastone as he stared at Lu Ge. "Then I'll have a good time playing with you."

He pushed off with one foot, and his figure shot forward in an instant like a cannonball...

Seeing this, Lu Ge did not retreat in the slightest. He also leaped forward, swung the sword in his hand, and engaged Garp in battle.

Amid the ringing clang of metal, their figures nearly turned into afterimages. The battle was incredibly fierce. Every clash between their weapons sent powerful shock waves rippling out, making the air roar and the ground crack.

Yet after only a short while, the "iron rod" made from Seastone in Garp's hand had already been hacked full of dents, taking on the shape of a saw blade. If they continued clashing like this, it would probably break into several pieces.

Damn it, why is this kid's swordsmanship so incredible? The hardness of Seastone combined with my Armament Haki can't even hold out for ten rounds. Even the Pirate King Roger wasn't this monstrous! His sword looks like an ordinary sword too, so why is it so sharp? Just what level has his Sword Realm reached? Is Armament Haki really this ridiculous?

In truth, it wasn't that Lu Ge's Sword Realm was particularly advanced. It was entirely thanks to the power of Nascent Dimensional Power. With the enhancement of Nascent Dimensional Power, the sword in Lu Ge's hand had become incomparably sharp, while his Armament Haki had also been strengthened to an unimaginable degree.

Watching the battle from a distance, Sengoku was so furious that his beard seemed ready to stand on end. "Garp, you idiot! Don't stubbornly clash weapons with him!"

Garp was speechless when he heard that. Easy for you to say from where you're sitting. If I don't stubbornly clash with him using a weapon, should I use my hands? With the edge of this guy's swordsmanship, do you really think my pair of iron fists would survive more than a few blows? Have you already forgotten that he took you out with a single sword strike?

"Looks like I'll have to get myself a pair of gloves later. Otherwise, fighting a master of swordsmanship like this would be far too frustrating."

The two exchanged several more blows. Even with Garp's Armament Haki protecting it, the "iron rod" in his hand still could not withstand Lu Ge's relentless slashes and broke into several pieces.

Lu Ge then swung his sword several more times, leaving several sword wounds across Garp's hands and forcing him back.