'%3e%3cclipPath%20id='prefix__a'%3e%3cpath%20d='M0%200h1080v1080H0z'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3cg%20clip-path='url(%23prefix__a)'%3e%3cpath%20d='M1033.05%20324.45c-.19-137.9-107.59-250.92-233.6-291.7-156.48-50.64-362.86-43.3-512.28%2027.2-181.1%2085.46-237.99%20272.66-240.11%20459.36-1.74%20153.5%2013.58%20557.79%20241.62%20560.67%20169.44%202.15%20194.67-216.18%20273.07-321.33%2055.78-74.81%20127.6-95.94%20216.01-117.82%20151.95-37.61%20255.51-157.53%20255.29-316.38z'%20fill-rule='nonzero'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Hiss!
The tremendous force Rono had built up was released in an instant through a single, tiny point!
The pressure expanded like an explosion!
The air shrieked with a sonic boom!
"When did this guy...?"
Garp's eyes widened. He froze where he stood!
He even forgot to dodge!
Because the move Rono had unleashed was no ordinary punch!
It was the very move Garp had just used—Iron Fist!
That was right.
The system could pick up more than Haki, physical attributes, Swordsmanship, and martial arts!
It could pick up anything!
That naturally included techniques!
"Iron Fist: Meteorite!"
Boom!
Rono's punch struck Garp square in the chest with a deafening sonic boom, catching him completely off guard!
A violent gale erupted from Rono's fist!
At the heart of the punch, a spiral of air became visible to the naked eye!
Crackle!
The shockwave spread, splitting the street with cracks like a spiderweb!
Garp's feet left the ground, and he shot away like a cannonball!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
He tore through several buildings before finally coming to a stop!
No wonder Garp's Iron Fist is so powerful!
Rono marveled at the destruction his strike had caused.
The way Iron Fist generated power was entirely different from an ordinary straight punch.
An ordinary straight punch relied on the user's own strength.
Its power could only equal the strength behind it.
But Garp's self-created Iron Fist used a far more ingenious method.
It multiplied the destructive force of the punch several times over!
The stronger its user, the greater the multiplier!
It was a trump card that could raise even a powerhouse's limits!
After all, at Emperor-Admiral Level, differences in combat strength were no longer so obvious!
For two fighters at that level to truly determine a winner, they would need at least three days and nights!
That made a finishing move capable of raising one's damage ceiling extraordinarily valuable!
Garp had invented Iron Fist with precisely that in mind!
What a technique!
That felt incredible!
In one brief exchange, Rono's strength had grown substantially again!
Choosing to fight him one-on-one was definitely the right call!
"Rono, you're an absolute genius!"
Nearby, Whitebeard was so excited that his hands were trembling!
How? How is this possible?
Could someone this talented really exist?
Moments ago, Garp had sent Rono flying with two consecutive punches. Now Rono had sent Garp flying with a single blow!
What made Whitebeard tremble most was the move Rono had used!
It was none other than the Iron Fist Garp had demonstrated right in front of him!
What an astonishing gift!
He had learned to use it after a single exchange!
No wonder Rono had improved so dramatically in such a short time at sea!
Whitebeard's judgment had been right!
Without exaggeration, Rono was the most gifted person Whitebeard had seen in all his years on the seas!
With that terrifying ability to learn, Rono would one day surpass even Rocks!
By now, all the pirate underlings watching were stunned!
How had the tables turned so suddenly?
Rono had clearly been on the back foot just moments ago!
"Rono, you're a dangerous man!"
Garp rose from the rubble and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
A few ribs were broken, but for a monster of physical combat like Garp, that was a minor injury he could almost ignore.
His expression, however, was dark as a storm!
Garp was every bit as shaken as Whitebeard!
Rono was undoubtedly the most frightening person he had encountered in all his years at sea!
After only two exchanges, Rono had learned Iron Fist, Garp's secret technique!
Garp had spent more than a decade honing himself before he created that special punch!
It could multiply his destructive power several times over!
Yet Rono had learned it with ease. Calling him a prodigy no longer seemed enough!
No wonder Rono had not fled after capturing the Celestial Dragons!
Was he that confident in his own talent?
What would Admiral Kong think if he knew how terrifying Rono's talent was?
If Kong had known, he would surely have led Sengoku and Zephyr here himself to eliminate Rono.
I absolutely cannot let Rono join the Rocks Pirates!
Garp was more determined than ever to stop Rono here!
The Rocks Pirates could not be allowed to have someone so formidable among them!
Armament Haki: Ryuo! A Monstrous Talent
I can't let Rono join the Rocks Pirates!
Garp's resolve was absolute.
A genius like Rono would inevitably upset the balance between the two powers.
But there was still hope!
Garp still had a chance!
He had to defeat Rono here!
And on his next attack, he had to go all out and win with a single blow!
If he failed to put Rono down, Rono might grow stronger again!
What a troublesome opponent.
"Come on!"
Garp roared, and his aura surged!
The next instant, his already broad chest swelled again.
His crisp white Marine uniform tore apart, exposing bulging muscles crisscrossed with veins!
The air around him whipped into a violent vortex!
A great wave of wind spread outward, carrying crushing pressure!
Without a doubt, he was going all out on his next strike!
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have picked up 7,826 points of Strength!] [Ding! Congratulations, host! You have picked up 6,587 points of Strength!] [Ding! Congratulations, host! You have picked up Armament Haki (Advanced). Current progress: 93%.] [Ding! Congratulations, host! You have picked up Armament Haki (Advanced). Current progress: 95%.] [Ding! Congratulations, host! You have picked up Armament Haki (Advanced). Current progress: 97%!]
"Interesting..."
Watching Garp's aura continue to rise, Rono grew serious.
After picking up such a massive gain at once, he knew Garp was about to go all out.
The next exchange would decide the winner!
Sure enough, the next instant—
Boom!
In the space of a breath, Garp vanished from where he stood.
"Rokushiki Ogi: Fist Bone Meteor!"
The next instant, Garp appeared beside Rono.
The decisive strike combined Rokushiki Ogi with Iron Fist. It felt as though even a small mountain would shatter under that punch!
So that's the power of Iron Fist!
"Divine Departure!"
Sensing the terrifying energy packed into the punch, Rono swiftly drew Kotetsu and unleashed Divine Departure!
Divine Departure was Roger's signature technique, and Rono had naturally learned it during their last fight!
Garp's fists were hard enough that Rono had to go all out too!
Divine Departure was undoubtedly one of Roger's finishing moves!
Like Iron Fist, it greatly amplified the power of Swordsmanship!
Boom!
Fist met blade!
In an instant, the collision of their Haki and strength unleashed a terrifying shockwave.
As it spread, red lightning and cracks appeared in the air, visible to the naked eye!
Above them, the clouds split apart once more!
He's skilled with a sword too?
Feeling the terrifying power coming through Rono's blade, Garp was shaken yet again!
Before you continue