Raidon and Garp stood facing each other on the island, while every marine had retreated to their ships to witness the battle. A strange kid they'd met mere hours ago now clashed with the Hero of the Marines—a man widely regarded as one of the strongest in service, perhaps even surpassing the current admirals and Fleet Admiral. The two combatants locked eyes, matching grins spreading across their faces.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! BRAT, YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO BE CHALLENGING ME!" Garp roared, his laughter booming across the shore.
"WHAHAHAHA! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CHALLENGED ME, OLD MAN!" Raidon shot back, recalling how Garp had instigated the duel.
"NEVER MIND THAT!" Garp bellowed, as if the correction were the world's greatest joke.
In an instant, Garp lunged. Raidon met his momentum, their weapons colliding—Garp's fist against Raidon's Ichimonji. The clash was a test of strength; neither had unleashed their full power yet. Garp swung again, but Raidon spun his weapon to deflect the punch. Seizing the opening, he whirled Ichimonji toward Garp's face, only for the veteran to block it with his palm, then wrench the weapon sideways and hurl Raidon through the air.
Refusing to release Ichimonji, Raidon twisted mid-flight as Garp leapt after him, crackling arcs of Conqueror's Haki surging around his body. Recognizing the threat, Raidon channeled Ryuo into his weapon, its edge darkening to obsidian as lightning-like energy flickered along its surface.
"GALAXY DIVIDE!" Garp's strike tore a vertical rift through the air, hurtling toward Raidon.
"FULL COUNTER!" Raidon shouted, bracing Ichimonji. The technique—a hybrid of Meliodas's retaliatory move from The Seven Deadly Sins and Jax's counter-strikes—deflected the attack, amplifying its force as it rocketed back at Garp.
Garp, seeing his own attack reflected back at him, laughed again. But this laugh was different—deeper, darker. While he laughed, his Conqueror's Haki flared, gathering in his right hand. Moments later, Garp launched his next move.
"GALAXY IMPACT!!" he shouted as his punch met the returning strike. The two forces clashed in a dazzling stalemate, their power equal. Then, a blinding explosion erupted, its shockwave reaching even the distant ships where marines shielded their eyes.
Back on the island, as the dust cleared, Garp and Raidon remained standing, grinning fiercely. Raidon sheathed Ichimonji, choosing not to wield it in the coming exchange. He craved the raw sensation of Haki against Haki—a firsthand trial to push his limits.
"Maybe this is the edge I need to unlock Advanced Conqueror's Haki," Raidon mused, letting his ink devour the weapon in a ritualistic gesture.
"Not using your weapon? Are you looking down on me, brat?" Garp barked, offended by the implication.
"No. I want to use this as training," Raidon replied coolly. His arms and fists shimmered with Armament Haki. Once the hardening was complete, he lunged forward, fists blazing with resolve.
Raidon advanced slowly toward Garp, who mirrored his pace. The distance between them vanished. Nose-to-nose, eyes locked, they swung in unison—neither blocking the other's strike. The blows landed with crushing force, launching both fighters backward.
They scrambled to their feet and charged again. This time, Raidon's arm ballooned grotesquely, warped by his Devil Fruit in a form reminiscent of Luffy's. He vaulted into the sky, aiming a colossal fist downward, while Garp soared upward to meet him midair.
Raidon swung first. Garp answered with equal force. Their fists collided in midair, detonating another shockwave that tore into the fractured island.
From within the ruined crater, dust swirling around them, Raidon and Garp faced each other again—neither yielding. Clothes torn, fists bleeding, they smiled through the pain.
Raidon cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders with a wince. "Heh... I finally get it now. Why people say you're a monster."
Garp spat to the side, blood flecking the ground. "Brat... you're not half-bad yourself. Stronger than your age has any right to be."
"Heh. Guess I'll take that as a compliment," Raidon said, steadying his breath. The ink swirling around his arms hissed and pulsed, still feeding off his will. "But I'm not done yet."
"Neither am I," Garp replied, his right arm tensing, muscles bulging with renewed force. "What do you say we stop holding back, huh? I'm itching to let loose."
"Then let's do it," Raidon answered. "Let's see if this island survives it."
Without warning, they lunged.
Their fists collided again—no tricks, no weapons—just raw power and Haki. The impact tore the terrain apart, but neither backed down.
Raidon twisted and struck low with a sweeping kick. Garp blocked it with his knee and countered with an elbow that grazed Raidon's temple. Blood flew, but Raidon barely flinched, ducking and landing a brutal uppercut to Garp's chin.
"Getting slow, old man," Raidon grinned, panting.
"Your punches still tickle," Garp snorted, rubbing his jaw. "You'll need more than that to knock me out."
"Fine," Raidon muttered. "Let's raise the stakes."
He spread his arms and closed his eyes, channeling Haki to his forearms. Invisible arm guards formed over his limbs as he dashed forward. Garp stood waiting, imbuing his own Haki into both arms.
While running, Raidon recalled the techniques Garp had used during the fight. He reflected deeply, then replicated. As they neared, both swung their fists in the same motion.
"GALAXY IMPACT!!" they shouted in unison.
Raidon had successfully copied Garp's technique just by watching it.
Garp grinned at the display of talent. He grabbed a massive boulder from the ground and hurled it at Raidon. Raidon met it with a punch, shattering it effortlessly.
But as the debris fell, he realized too late—Garp was no longer in front of him.
Something grabbed his head.
"BLUE HOLE!!!"It was the last thing Raidon heard before he was suddenly slammed into the ground with a force faster than a cannonball. The impact was devastating—he struck the earth with the same bone-crushing intensity as Kaido once had.
Several minutes passed before Raidon emerged from the crater. His body was covered in dirt, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. But he paid no mind to the injuries. Instead, a wide grin stretched across his face as he looked directly at Garp, eyes burning with unshaken resolve.