At Last, an Admiral-Level Opponent! Rono vs. Garp
On the streets of Mock Town, Whitebeard and Rono both froze.
Their Observation Haki had sensed it.
An immensely powerful presence was approaching at incredible speed!
"Feel that, Whitebeard? We have company."
Rono suddenly rose and looked toward the sky.
Whoever was coming was no weaker than Whitebeard!
"Looks like you're skilled with Observation Haki too."
Whitebeard stood as well. He tossed aside his wine gourd and pulled Murakumogiri from the ground.
"What's with those two? Are they going to fight again?"
The pirates watching noticed that Whitebeard's and Rono's auras had changed again!
Both men seemed to be on guard. Were they about to clash?
As the pirates wondered what was happening, a nimble figure suddenly appeared in the sky!
"Someone's coming...!"
"Who is that? How can he fly?"
"How's he doing that?"
The pirates stared in shock!
They didn't know enough to recognize the technique as Geppo, one of the Six Powers.
The figure drew closer. Once he reached the sky above Mock Town, everyone finally got a clear look at him!
Close-cropped black hair!
A prominent scar running from below his left eye to above it!
A broad frame that looked ready to burst out of his Marine uniform!
And a Marine coat billowing behind him!
It could be none other than—
The current Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and one of three candidates for Admiral—
"Iron Fist" Garp!
He might only be an Admiral candidate, but Garp unquestionably had Admiral Level strength!
The moment an Admiral's position opened up, Garp would take it!
"Is he here to save the Celestial Dragon?"
"That fast? The Marines really sent someone Admiral Level!"
"It's 'Iron Fist' Garp! He's the most talked-about Marine right now!"
The pirates scattered the instant they saw Garp.
Forget a Headquarters Vice Admiral like Garp. Even a Branch Vice Admiral would have sent them running.
"Garp!"
Whitebeard and Rono both paused when they saw him!
A formidable opponent had arrived!
With no Devil Fruit Ability, he had made countless pirates tremble at the mention of his name through the power of his fists alone!
A flesh-and-blood man who could battle the greatest pirates without giving an inch—Garp's strength spoke for itself!
"Damn it. Am I too late?"
Garp surveyed the scene.
He immediately spotted the two men below him!
Rono and the captain of the Rocks Pirates' First Division, Edward Newgate—Whitebeard!
So Admiral Kong had been right. Rocks really had sent Whitebeard to recruit Rono!
Then Garp looked at their surroundings.
The entire street had been leveled!
On his way here, he had also sensed the clash of Conqueror's Haki that had just taken place.
The only two people here who possessed Conqueror's Haki were Whitebeard and Rono!
They must have been the ones who had clashed.
What disturbed Garp even more was the state of the street—and the fact that neither Whitebeard nor Rono had a scratch on him.
Their Conqueror's Haki had been evenly matched!
Rono's Conqueror's Haki was on par with Whitebeard's?
The thought made Garp break into a cold sweat!
The boy's strength went far beyond the advanced Conqueror's Haki described in the intelligence reports. He had reached the very pinnacle!
What a kid. He's not even twenty, and he's already mastered Conqueror's Haki to this degree!
Garp glanced at the maimed Celestial Dragon hanging from the tallest Bell Tower, his eyes full of disgust!
If those worthless Celestial Dragons hadn't run amok, they would never have created a Monster like Rono!
"I never expected the Marines to send you, Garp. You've surprised me!"
Rono had noticed the disgust in Garp's eyes when he looked at the Celestial Dragon.
Now that was interesting.
The Marine higher-ups surely knew Garp had never gotten along with the Celestial Dragons.
Why send a man who hated them to capture Rono?
Weren't they afraid he might go easy on him?
"Rono, I've read your file. I know what happened between you and the Celestial Dragons, so I volunteered for the mission to capture you."
Garp's answer addressed Rono's unspoken question.
"Oh? Then tell me—which of us represents the evil in this world, me or the Celestial Dragons?" Rono asked with a mocking smile.
"I won't answer that."
"But I will tell you this: I don't hate you for what you've done!"
"If you join the Rocks Pirates, though, that changes everything!"
As Garp spoke, his Haki grew steadily stronger.
The warning was unmistakable.
"The Rocks Pirates hunt Celestial Dragons, but plenty of innocent civilians have suffered at their hands too!"
"Join those villains, and you become one of them!"
"In the name of Justice, I'll bring you to justice!"
Garp spoke each word with deliberate force.
He had to stop Rono from joining the Rocks Pirates!
Just then, Whitebeard struck!
He swung Murakumogiri, his Supreme Grade Sword, sending a fierce Flying Slash surging upward!
Empowered by his Paramecia Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the slash cracked the very air!
"Soru!"
Garp reacted at once. He vanished and reappeared on the ground, evading the Flying Slash!
The slash soared into the sky, shattering the clouds into scattered pieces!
"Enough talk, Garp. Rono is already one of the Rocks Pirates!"
"If you think you can take him, go ahead and try."
Whitebeard fixed Garp with a stern gaze.
That was the kind of man Whitebeard was!
Once he accepted someone as a crewmate and a friend, he would stand up for him without hesitation!
"Damn it!"
Garp's heart sank!
They had really come to an agreement!
Rono had joined the Rocks Pirates!
This was bad!
Even with all their current strength, the Marines could barely keep the Rocks Pirates in check!
Add a genius like Rono, and the pirates might one day gain the upper hand!
More importantly, Garp knew he couldn't take on Whitebeard and Rono at the same time!
If the two of them got away, the balance of power across the seas would shift!
The Marines might never be able to contain the Rocks Pirates again!
"Hold on, Whitebeard."
Rono suddenly stretched out an arm in front of Whitebeard.
"Garp, you want to capture me, don't you?"
"I'll give you a chance!"
"You and me. One on one. A duel between men. What do you say?"
Rono looked at Garp, his eyes blazing with excitement!