"Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to – almost hit you there by accident!" Garp suddenly dug his little finger into his nostril, picking it nonchalantly while roaring with laughter. He then casually wiped the extracted booger onto the shoulder of a nearby Marine officer.
The officer's face instantly darkened, veins throbbing furiously on his forehead, but considering Garp's identity, he grit his teeth and endured the indignity.
Crack! The deck beneath Wilder's feet suddenly splintered, several shards of wood popping up. A smile spread across Wilder's face as his eyes locked onto Garp. "Completely understand. Just like how I accidentally cracked the deck just now."
The atmosphere, already tense, grew heavier still.
Garp's hearty smile morphed into a teeth-gritting glare. "You little brat…" he growled, eyes fixed on Wilder.
Wilder's smile didn't waver as he met Garp's intense gaze. Truthfully, he had no desire to clash with this old monster right now, but allowing such blatant, unprovoked disrespect to pass without any kind of response was simply unacceptable.
Warlord Wilder… Why in the world is Vice Admiral Garp provoking this guy?! The Marine recruits aboard Garp's ship felt close to collapsing. The sheer pressure radiating from the two figures facing off made their hearts pound like war drums. The rest of the Marines stood rigidly, eyes locked on the tall silhouette perched on the ship's railing, faces grim. Though they maintained a semblance of composure, the sweat trickling down their faces betrayed their inner turmoil.
"Marine ships aren't meant for trash like you to stand on! There's still time to get lost, brat!" Garp suddenly declared, latching onto an excuse to initiate hostilities.
Wilder's expression remained calm, his smile unchanged. His eyes met Garp's, which were now blazing with fiery intensity and sharpness, seemingly ignoring the Vice Admiral's words entirely.
Just as the confrontation reached its peak, Garp suddenly threw his head back, flashing a wide, toothy grin.
Wilder's eyes narrowed slightly. Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl. Their gazes remained locked.
Without a word, without any warning…
BOOM!
A leg crashed against a fist! A violent shockwave erupted outwards, the very air seeming to crackle with unseen electricity! One man stood firm on the deck, the other balanced on the railing – Garp's massive fist met Wilder's unyielding leg. The air hissed and popped around the point of impact as sparks flared between them. A fierce wind blasted outwards, whipping their coats violently. Garp grinned widely, immense power continuously channeling through his fist. Wilder, one foot braced on the railing, the other pressed against Garp's knuckles, remained perfectly steady, an arrogant smile fixed on his face.
The 'Justice' coat and the black greatcoat billowed dramatically backwards in the gale.
The Marine recruits behind them were frozen solid, faces masks of pure shock as they watched the two figures locked in an apparently even struggle. Warlord Wilder… is actually this strong?! He can fight Vice Admiral Garp to a standstill! The officer who had been unfortunate enough to receive Garp's booger squinted against the blast wave, pupils trembling, utter disbelief flooding his heart. Every Marine was fixated, unable to tear their eyes away.
Gradually, the shockwave subsided. Calmly, both men retracted their limbs. A strange glint flickered in Wilder's eyes – surprise? Assessment? Garp's expression had grown more serious, not necessarily from concern over his opponent's strength, but from the stark recognition that this man… this Warlord… would be a profoundly dangerous adversary for the Marines in the future. He was not simple.
"Making you a Warlord was a terrible decision, Lucifer Wilder," Garp stated, giving Wilder a long, deep look. Then, abruptly, he threw his head back and laughed again, loud and boisterous. "Now, get back where you belong, you brat!"
A vein throbbed on Wilder's temple, his shoulders trembling slightly with barely suppressed rage. After a long moment… he regained his composure.
"You enjoy returning to the East Blue… I like it too," Wilder said quietly, his words laden with hidden meaning.
Garp's face instantly darkened. "What the hell are you trying to say, brat?!" He lashed out with a powerful punch!
Wilder offered a slight smile, then pushed off the railing, ascending into the air with Moon Walk. Looking down at Garp, his voice, calm yet infused with arrogant authority, carried clearly to everyone below: "The East Blue has no master! What do you think about me becoming its master, Mr. Garp?"
Garp's body visibly jolted, a flash of shock crossing his face before being instantly consumed by overwhelming fury. BOOM! He leaped upwards, kicking off the air itself, rocketing towards Wilder! He threw another heavy punch!
Shua! Wilder's expression turned fierce. With a slight tilt of his body, he evaded the blow. He then moved a considerable distance away, stopping mid-air. "I have no desire to fight you," he stated calmly. "Besides, I am a Warlord. Don't forget the relationship between us and the Marines."
Shua!
In an instant, Garp appeared directly behind Wilder, his face obscured by shadow. He threw another punch! "Don't make me laugh, brat! I'll finish you right here, today!"
"Tsk! Such incredible speed… doesn't seem like something an old man should possess," Wilder clicked his tongue, sensing the terrifying force of the fist wind approaching from behind. His expression grew serious. His body dissolved into swamp!
BOOM! Garp's punch blasted a large hole through the shifting mass of mud. The swamp plummeted downwards rapidly, twisting and coalescing again mid-fall.
"Get back up here, brat!" A white blur flashed as Garp appeared beneath the reforming Wilder. Stomping hard on the air, he launched another upward punch!
"Not happening!" Instantly, an invisible layer of black hardened around Wilder's lower leg and foot. He met the ascending punch with a powerful downward kick! Their limbs collided once more.
Zzzz…! Sparks flew violently between fist and foot. They remained locked for a moment, then Wilder grit his teeth and used the force of Garp's punch to launch himself backwards through the air.
Bang! He stopped his momentum with another kick against the air. His body rapidly shifted back into swamp form, angling downwards towards the sea surface below.
"Hahaha! I'm not done playing yet!" Garp roared, stomping the air again with explosive force, a cloud of white vapor erupting beneath his feet as he dove downwards in pursuit. His massive fist turned pitch black with Armament Haki as he punched towards the falling swamp!
Plop! Wilder controlled the swamp, causing it to split apart just before impact. Garp's Haki-infused fist passed through empty air!
"Hm?" Garp paused momentarily. The swamp instantly reformed, enveloping his fist and rapidly spreading up his arm.
"Heh! Getting interesting!" Garp grinned, his eyes narrowing. A powerful shockwave erupted from his arm, instantly blasting away the clinging swamp! He followed up immediately with a barrage of rapid-fire punches!
BOOM! The swamp construct exploded outwards under the assault, but quickly reconverged in the air! Wilder's solid form reappeared, landing deftly back on the deck of the Black Serpent.
Gazing up at the still-diving Garp, Wilder suddenly flashed a wide, predatory grin. "Fire!"
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