(20) Exchanging Blows!

"HAHAHA! You and Roger sure do act alike! Only you and him would be crazy enough to jump into a crowd of enemy pirates, and come out of it alive!" Garp laughed.

He asked me to tell him about our short pirate journey so far and I did. I told him about our short meeting with Spiel, what happened at Shells town, and that time when we fought the Oni pirates.

Though that last one happened before I became a pirate, but it was equally exciting right?

"Hah. So Avery, where are you going after this? I don't recommend staying in the East Blue for long, this sea isn't built for someone like you to be sailing on. You belong in the New World!" Garp said.

"After this? Hmm, we'll be heading for Swallow Island in the North Blue; where a couple of our future crew members are waiting for us."

"The North Blue huh, hmm. Alright! Before you go, how about we exchange a few blows?" Garp asked.

"I wouldn't mind." I knew full well that he was completely out of my league, but I felt like I needed this.

I needed a taste of the power of someone who stands at the top of the food chain in this world!

Garp and I walked outside of Partys bar, and he imbued his fist with armament haki. I did the same and we both got in a fighting stance.

"You ready Avery!"

"Whenever you are!"

After I said this, a bright smile appeared on Garps face and he suddenly vanished. He reappeared in front of me in an instant; even with my observation haki, I wasn't able to track him!

I quickly tried to use Soru to create some distance from us, but his fist moved way too fast.

His fist made contact with my face, and the sheer impact of the punch slammed me down on the ground.

"GYAH!" I coughed up a bit of blood and slowly got up from the ground. I smiled and stared at Garp who walked back to his original place, I wouldn't simply accept defeat like that I wasn't even able to get a hit in!

"L-lets go again!" I shouted, surprising Garp.

"Alright, I'll give myself a handicap." After Garp said this, he picked up a stick and made a small circle around where he was standing.

"If I take a single step outside of this circle I lose!"

I nodded, if this was anyone else I would've said they were way overconfident. Though to Garp this would barely be a handicap.

"Alright lets go!" Garp shouted.

I decided to use the handicap Garp gave himslef to my advantage. I used Rankyaku and kicked out, air blades were sent flying at Garp; in hopes of pushing him out of that small circle he was standing in.

The wind blades caused some dust to pile up, blocking my view of Garp.

" *Cough* All this dust, really does mess with these old lungs! *Cough* " The dust dispersed, and Garp was fine!

I decided to use a relatively new move I learned, Rokuogan. Essentially it delivers an internal shockwave, and causes massive internal injuries.

Rob Lucci used it to deal with Luffy in the show. Since Garps body is really durable, it should at the very least launch him out of that small circle.

"Come on Avery! Your boring me!" Garp shouted with his pinky finger in his nose.

I used Soru and sent a barrage of haki filled punches at him. Garp stretched out his left arm, which was imbued with haki and countered one of my punches throwing a punch at me.

Thankfully this time I could track it as it wasn't too fast, I easily dodged the punch and finally used Rokuogan.

I placed both my fists out in front of Garp, and focused all of my physical strength and launched the shockwave towards Garps chest area.

[Garp POV]

Avery…this kid was special. His Haoshoku haki was this strong at this age, it wasn't as strong as his; but it was at the same level as Sengoku's, hell it may be even stronger!

He was pretty strong for someone his age, but he lacked the necessary experience.

A purple beam was launched towards my chest, I didn't expect much from the attack and as I expected it didn't do much damage.

I thought I recognized the attack but shrugged the thought off, Avery flashed back to his original position and smiled.

"Hah! What are you smiling for!" I shouted, a second later I coughed up a mouthful of blood. It finally hit me, the reason why that attack felt so weak was because it wasn't meant to hit me, it was meant to hit my internal organs!

"Well played!" I stepped out of the circle recognizing my defeat.

"Yes!" Avery shouted. You were right in giving hime your sword Roger, his potential is…limitless.

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[Avery POV]

Two hours had passed since me and Garp, had our little blow exchange and we prepared to leave Foosha village.

Garp, Luffy, and Woop Slap walked us to the deck of the village to send us off.

As we walked to the deck we saw a man with light purle hair that was in a ponytail, he had a marine uniform on.

A red flag already, I recognized him from his ponytail it was Commodore Pudding Pudding.