Chapter 75: Oars Jr. vs "Iron Fist" Garp

"Damn it..."

At that moment, Garp, his face swollen and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, crawled out of the rubble in the forest, shaking his head. His disheveled figure sprinted back onto the battlefield.

"Garp!" Tsuru sighed in relief upon seeing that he was relatively unharmed.

"Sorry, I got a bit careless just now..." Sengoku, still in his hybrid form, asked, "Garp, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Garp replied, spitting out some blood and shaking his head. He clenched his Haki-coated fists, glaring at the beast-like Oars Jr. with sharp eyes. "That guy... his strength is no joke!"

"It's Rear Admiral Sengoku!"

"The Famed Fist of Love, Garp, is here too!"

"And the renowned beauty of the Marines, Rear Admiral Tsuru, is also present!"

"Great, it's the famous Marine trio!"

"Everyone, move! Don't let those criminals escape!"

At that moment, several hundred Marines, who had been stationed at the rear to block off other escape routes from the first island, rushed forward, joined by a few CP agents in suits. Seeing Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru facing off against the criminals who had attacked the Celestial Dragons, they felt a surge of morale.

"Rear Admiral Sengoku, have you found any trace of Saint Hanic?"

A squad leader from CP7 hurried up to Sengoku, eager for news. The higher-ups had given strict orders to rescue the kidnapped Celestial Dragons at all costs.

"When we arrived, these criminals had already killed the Marines stationed here... Go check the auction house immediately!" Sengoku commanded, pointing towards the auction house.

"Quick, search for the World Nobles!" the CP7 officer ordered, leading his men toward the building.

"Heh heh..." Linlin and her crew watched this with smug, mocking expressions but made no move to stop them.

"Tsuru, you take charge of the Marines and handle those guys…" Sengoku said, feeling a deep sense of foreboding. Without hesitation, he charged toward Linlin. "Garp, let's go!"

Before his words were fully spoken, Sengoku stomped the ground, turning into a golden blur. In his hybrid form, he was much faster than before.

"Buddha's Impact Wave!"

A golden palm radiated a blinding light, carrying a terrifying shockwave as it crashed down toward Linlin.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma, you're a lot faster now..." Linlin grinned, her demon-like form menacing, wings outstretched. Her sword, wrapped in Haki, swung out fiercely. "But it's still not enough!"

"Mighty Nation!"

In an instant, a powerful wave of sword energy tore through the atmosphere, clashing head-on with Sengoku's shockwave.

'Boom... Boom...'

'Clang... Clang...'

Continuous explosions and clashing echoed as the hybrid-form Linlin and Sengoku battled. Linlin's gleaming greatsword met Sengoku's golden fists and palms, sparks flying with each strike.

Although Sengoku was more agile in his hybrid form, his golden body's defense and increased strength still couldn't match his full Buddha form. Faced with Linlin, who had mastered advanced swordsmanship under El's training, and whose Mythical Zoan Vampire form enhanced her strength, speed, and reflexes, Sengoku struggled to keep up.

Though not in immediate danger, Sengoku was clearly at a disadvantage against the overwhelming power and speed of the young natural-born monster.

Despite being a rising star of the Marines, Sengoku couldn't help but feel frustrated, being repeatedly pressured by someone so much younger. He was shaken by Linlin's immense strength but not overly worried. After all, if they could stall Linlin's group long enough, once a Marine Admiral arrived with reinforcements, these pirates would be trapped with no way out.

"Hey, you really gave me a beating just now!"

Garp charged toward Oars Jr., his fists coated in Armament Haki, gleaming as they struck out. "Fist Meteorite!"

"Beast Fist Art!"

Oars Jr., undaunted, faced Garp head-on. His massive green fists, also covered in Haki, met Garp's blows in a fierce exchange.

Although Oars Jr. wasn't the sharpest, through years of intense training under El's guidance, he had finally mastered the Six Powers techniques. With El's help, he developed a fighting style that suited his giant frame—Beast Fist Art. Combining the finger pistol and fist techniques from the Six Powers, Oars Jr. no longer relied on finger strikes but instead delivered punches with the force of cannonballs.

Though CP9 agents and even stronger CPO operatives could use the Six Powers, the sheer power Oars Jr. could unleash, enhanced by his size and the Mini-Mini Fruit, was on an entirely different level—like the difference between a bullet and a rocket.

'Bang... Bang...'

In the blink of an eye, fists clashed repeatedly, creating shockwaves in the air. The rapid exchanges of punches were so fast they were hard to follow, with every hit landing solidly.

'Rumble...'

The earth cracked and collapsed beneath their feet from the intensity of the battle. Though Garp's Haki was stronger, Oars Jr.'s overwhelming strength allowed him to hold his ground against Garp's barrage of punches.

After all, Garp had yet to reach the peak of his strength. In time, he would grow far more powerful, but at this moment, Oars Jr., with his ancient giant bloodline and Mini-Mini Fruit powers, hadn't been fully surpassed. Although Garp gradually gained the upper hand, he couldn't completely dominate Oars Jr.

"This guy…" Tsuru watched in shock, amazed that Oars Jr. could hold his own against Garp's infamous fists. She knew well how Garp trained, pushing himself to insane limits. Yet, his legendary fists had met their match in this ancient giant.

However, what she didn't know was that Oars Jr., thanks to his robust physique and Mini-Mini Fruit abilities, had strength comparable to a "steel balloon." For years, under El's grueling training regimen, Oars Jr. had been smashing mountains as part of his daily workout. His simple-mindedness made him a perfect student, following El's commands without question, no matter how tough things got.

Seeing El's dedication and even more brutal training sessions inspired Oars Jr. to push through his own limits. Determined to help El achieve his great dream, Oars Jr. had endured everything without complaint. His training intensity, surpassed only by El himself, had resulted in rapid growth over the past eight years. His raw power was now on par with Garp's at this stage.

"You've got no time to worry about others!" Nef sneered as she charged at Tsuru, flicking her hand and sending a green energy ring flying toward her.

'Swish!' Tsuru, reacting swiftly, dodged the attack. But Nef pressed on, launching more green rings toward her, which Tsuru skillfully avoided. However, the Marines behind Tsuru weren't so lucky, as the rings latched onto their necks, arms, and legs, trapping them.

"Damn it…"

"What are these things?"

"They won't come off!"

"Shoot! Don't let them escape!"

'Bang... Bang...'

The Marines and CP agents opened fire on Nef, Rock, and Jien, while others charged forward with swords drawn.

"Heh... We're not that easy to deal with!"

Rock and Jien rushed forward to meet the Marines in battle.

"Rankyaku!"

"Fish-men Karate: Scattershot!"

'Boom... Boom...'