Ch-17 How far have you progressed on the path of swordsmanship?

Faced with the oncoming Spiral Sword, Garp swung his fist without hesitation.

The result was a massive explosion.

The shockwave generated by the explosion forced onlookers in the distance to raise their hands to shield themselves from the blast.

Garp himself was also carried away by the sudden detonation.

When Garp managed to regain his footing, he had been transported back to his previous position, and his attire showed signs of damage.

"What a formidable lad. He's incredibly powerful." Garp patted his clothes and, with a nonchalant expression, regarded Li Fan. "That last attack was on par with that fellow Kizaru's laser shot."

"Do you know how many times this guy can pull off an attack like that?"

"You know, the sengoku was right. We should think about bringing this guy into the Navy."

"But first, we have to show him the Navy's power."

Garp clenched his fist and approached Li Fan.

"Hey, Li Fan, what you just did was impressive. Have you ever thought about joining the Navy?"

"With your strength, I could recommend you to Sengoku for a position like Captain or something."

"Captain?" Tashigi, who was observing from a distance, was taken aback. "Isn't that the same rank as Captain Smoker?"

"Considering Li Fan's strength, he could even aim for a position like Vice Admiral at Navy Headquarters. The reason Vice Admiral Garp mentioned Captain might be because Li Fan isn't widely known and lacks notable achievements," Smoker explained to Tashigi.

"Having this guy in the Navy would be advantageous for us."

"After observing him for these past few days, I think Li Fan is someone with a strong sense of justice."

Li Fan's expression briefly froze upon hearing Garp's proposition.

"Hey, Vice Admiral Garp, I appreciate the offer, but I still want to continue making movies on my own terms."

The process of joining the Navy involves too many formalities, so I'll pass."

"What! I'm extending a genuine invitation," Garp exclaimed. "Making movies or whatever, it's not like you can't continue making movies after joining the Navy."

"Besides, having the Navy's status would make it easier for you to invite Navy personnel as actors in your movies."

Li Fan shook his head and declined:

"While what you're saying, Vice Admiral Garp, is tempting, being in the Navy would mean I can't invite pirates to act in my movies."

"In that case, I'd be the one losing out."

"What? You guy want to hire pirates as actors?" Garp's eyes widened.

"I'm not a Navy officer, and I'm not obligated to arrest pirates. So, of course, I can invite pirates to be actors," Li Fan shrugged. "I... don't break the law."

"There shouldn't be any Navy rules preventing regular people from dealing with pirates."

Upon hearing Li Fan's statement, Garp's expression twisted with annoyance.

"While there may not be a law prohibiting you from involving pirates in a film, you still choose pirates over regular people?!"

"It seems I'll have to use my Fist of Love to straighten you out."

With those words, Garp clenched his fists and strode toward Li Fan.

Although he wasn't moving swiftly, with each step, Garp emitted a powerful aura.

An imposing force emanated from Garp's direction.

"Hey, it's just a friendly competition, why the anger?"

"Besides, casting for movies is a serious business. I can't guarantee I'll find the right roles within the Navy."

"Sometimes, pirates are more suitable for certain roles."

Li Fan looked at Garp with a hint of exasperation.

"Enough talk. I'm going to make you feel my fist of love today." 👊

"You old man!" Li Fan let out a deep sigh. "Since you're so serious, then I'll have to be serious too."

In response to Li Fan's words, all the swords in the Ultimate Blade Works began to quiver as if they were coming to life.

This peculiar sight caused Garp to halt.

"What a coincidence, Garp. The place you're in right now is my world. In other words, this is my home turf." Li Fan raised the corners of his mouth and extended his right hand toward the sky.

Immediately, the swords stuck in the ground ascended into the sky and rapidly gathered behind Li Fan.

In just a moment, millions of swords gathered behind Li Fan.

"Are you... kidding! How are you going to deal with so many swords!"

"Vice Admiral Garp, everything will be fine."

"It's too much. Where did this swordsman come from? He can actually control so many swords."

The soldiers on Garp's warship all stared wide-eyed.

On the other side, Zoro was also very surprised.

He tightly gripped his scabbard and looked at Li Fan seriously.

'Can I defend against such a move?'

Zoro pondered, but he quickly arrived at an answer.

'No!'

Two clear words filled Zoro's mind.

Even though Li Fan hadn't made a move yet, Zoro understood that he couldn't withstand this attack no matter what.

'Li Fan, how far have you advanced in the way of swordsmanship?'

...