Slumped on a bench while devouring rice crackers, Garp acutely caught a gaze fixed on him. He casually raised his eyes, catching sight of a tall, stunning black haired young woman standing not far away. With a brief, indifferent glance, Garp withdrew his gaze, paying her no further attention.
At this moment, he was feeling thoroughly frustrated inside, completely lacking the mood to size up anyone else. In the recent clash in the waters of the New World, he had once again cornered Gol D. Roger with his own hands and should have captured him, only for that fellow to slyly slip away in the end. Failing to apprehend him despite relentless pursuit left the Marine hero plagued by accumulated frustration, forcing him to rely on his favorite rice crackers for a bit of solace.
Borsalino watched his gloomy eating habits and heavily burdened appearance. In her past life, she had only seen this legendary figure in manga and anime. Seeing him in person now, he was indeed just as rumors described, possessing not a single shred of the airs expected from a top Marine combat force.
Seeing how delightfully Garp was eating, she could not help but feel a spark of curiosity about what those rice crackers actually tasted like. She walked toward the shop behind Garp, pulled out money to buy a large bag of the same rice crackers, opened the package, and popped one into her mouth.
The crispy texture exploded instantly, rich layers of savory and sweet flavors blending together into an aroma that grew tastier the more she chewed. They truly lived up to their reputation. No wonder Garp, Sengoku, and the others could not put them down; the flavor was positively addictive.
Taking a rare moment to relax, Borsalino stood by the roadside taking small bites, her expression tranquil and contented.
This scene caught the attention of Garp, who had just finished his last rice cracker and was craving more. His lazy gaze instantly lit up, and he unconsciously sat up straight on the bench, rising to his feet and shuffling toward Borsalino step by step. His eyes locked onto the stuffed bag of rice crackers in her hand, his gaze intense and burning without the slightest attempt at concealment.
In Garp's code of life, rice crackers in someone else's hands were always crunchier and more delicious than one's own. Otherwise, he would not joyfully spend years sneaking snacks from Kong and Sengoku or snatching food from his juniors.
Noticing Garp out of the corner of her eye, Borsalino let out a helpless chuckle in her heart. This dignified Marine hero, a legendary powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the seas, possessed a surprisingly childlike personality. Without hesitation, she handed the entire bag of rice crackers over.
"Thanks a lot, thanks a lot! Hahaha!"
Without being polite at all, Garp offered a hearty thank you, snatched the rice crackers, and dug straight in, munching in huge mouthfuls with immense relish and complete satisfaction.
After scarfing down a few bites, he praised indistinctly, "Your taste is pretty good!"
After a brief pause, he looked at the strikingly handsome young woman before him and asked casually, "By the way, what is your name? I haven't seen you around here before."
"Reporting, Vice Admiral, my name is Borsalino. I am a recruit who just arrived at Headquarters today," Borsalino replied truthfully.
"Borsalino..."
Garp's chewing paused slightly, his brows knitting together as he earnestly searched his memory for the name. A moment later, revelation struck, and he slapped his thigh.
"Oh! I remember now! So you are that glowing little girl!"
Borsalino's lips twitched slightly as she complained wildly in her heart. A glowing little girl?! She, a grand user of the Glint Glint Fruit and the Fiend of the North Blue, had been reduced to merely a glowing little girl in Garp's mouth.
Before her internal lament could end, Garp, while madly scarfing down rice crackers, recklessly launched into rant mode and began nagging.
"Speaking of which, Dragon brought you back, right? That brat is getting more and more disappointing. His body is way too weak, he cannot even take a few casual punches from me. Yet he insisted on eating some Devil Fruit! Why waste a perfectly good physique and Haki on landlubber junk? He has been corrupted by Sengoku!"
Hearing this, Borsalino's eyes twitched hard several times, leaving her completely speechless.
She had now thoroughly witnessed the stubborn prejudice of the older generation's top powerhouses. Powerhouses of Garp and Zephyr's era held physical prowess and Haki in the highest regard, harboring an innate aversion to Devil Fruits. In their eyes, Fruit abilities were mere side tricks; only what was earned through rigorous training was the true path.
Yet who could have imagined that Dragon, whom Garp dismissed as weak bodied and unable to take a punch, would in the future become the leader of the Revolutionary Army, shaking the world with top tier combat power that awed the four seas? One could only say that Garp's standards of judgment were entirely different from ordinary people.
In the blink of an eye, the full bag of rice crackers was completely devoured by Garp. He slapped the crumbs off his hands, all the frustration on his face dissipating completely. His entire being perked up with vigor, and a surge of fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
"Now that I am full, it is naturally time to stretch my muscles and bones!"
Garp stood up, rolling his wrists and ankles as his joints cracked sharply. An invisible pressure spread outward as his bright eyes stared eagerly at Borsalino.
Borsalino's heart sank abruptly. Oh no! Damn it! She had just arrived at Marineford and was peacefully taking a stroll. Was she really about to be beaten up on the spot by this top tier old monster who had nothing better to do, just so he could warm up?
At Headquarters' large martial arena, on an open expanse of flat bluestone, was the designated area for Marine officers and soldiers to spar and conduct daily combat training.
Two figures, one old and one young, stood facing each other as their presence clashed violently.
Garp's stance was casual and careless, rolling his arms while his black suit gently fluttered in the wind, showing not the slightest tension. Though relaxed, he radiated a grand, overwhelming pressure. Looking at the upright young girl opposite him, he laughed aloud, his tone carrying a teasing edge.
"Come on, glowing brat! Let me see just how much skill you, the genius of the North Blue, actually have!"
Borsalino felt utterly helpless, sighing silently in her heart. This is really too much trouble. Just a few days ago she had finished a high intensity spar with Dragon, and no sooner had she freed up some leisure time than Garp came pestering her. This father and son pair truly never let anyone rest.
Although she complained incessantly in her heart, she genuinely wanted to use the hands of this top tier powerhouse to thoroughly test her current limits. Once that thought settled, Borsalino hesitated no longer.
Swoosh!
A cold gleam of steel unsheathed as the Ryo Wazamono blade, Qingyue, was firmly gripped in her palm. Her wrist flicked rapidly, sending two highly condensed slashes flying out in quick succession.
After breaking through during yesterday's battle on the deserted island, she had solidly stepped into the realm of a Great Swordsman. The outer layer of sword energy was tightly wrapped in light particles compressed to the absolute extreme, interweaving gold and pale blue, combining the sharpness of swordsmanship with the explosive power of her Devil Fruit, possessing a might far exceeding anything she had unleashed before.
"Oh? The realm of a Great Swordsman? Quite impressive at such a young age!"
Garp offered a casual compliment, his expression remaining calm and composed. In the next second, dense, jet black Armament Haki wrapped around his arms. With no flashy moves, it was merely the purest physical hardening, unadorned and plain.
Facing the two powerful slashes cutting through the air, Garp crossed his arms and blocked them with his bare hands.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled thuds exploded in quick succession. The flying slashes, capable of severing steel and tearing through wild winds, landed on Garp's arms coated in top tier Armament Haki and were caught firm. Immediately after, Garp's fingers closed slightly and squeezed gently.
Crack!
The two powerful slashes, formed of sword energy and light particles, shattered violently into a spray of glowing specks that dissipated into nothingness without raising even a ripple.
Borsalino's pupils shrank as shock filled her mind. Are you kidding me?! Is this the power of the Marine Hero?
At this moment, she finally understood why Garp had bluntly stated that Dragon could not handle a few of his punches. This kind of power and Haki, pure to the absolute extreme, was simply not something an ordinary powerhouse could contend against; it was a total crushing across dimensions.
Without time for further thought, Borsalino immediately picked up speed, pushing the power of the Glint Glint Fruit to its absolute limit.
"Yata no Kagami!"
As beams of light refracted and flashed across the sky, her figure continuously teleported and accelerated midair, using light reflections to exponentially stack speed and kinetic energy while searching for openings to attack. Her movement was so erratic and fast that tracking her with the naked eye was impossible.
Soft winds howled at the edge of the arena, golden afterimages filling the venue. Garp stood quietly in place, motionless as a mountain, watching the girl continuously accelerate in midair with a calm smile on his face, his body seemingly full of openings. He did not initiate an attack, merely condensing the Armament Haki on his arms once more. The black color deepened into a heavy metallic sheen as he patiently awaited her ultimate strike.
One second, ten seconds, half a minute, one minute.
Sustained high speed refraction, acceleration, and charging consumed an enormous amount of mental energy and physical stamina. Right as Garp was about to lose patience, Borsalino reached her limit. If she continued stacking speed and building kinetic power, her physical body would break down under the pressure.
"Here I come!"
This was her strongest attack at her current stage. Her light particle powers condensed her body into a dazzling, blinding pillar of golden light, carrying the full momentum of her strength as she crashed straight toward Garp.
"Hahaha! Come at me!"
Garp laughed heartily, neither retreating nor dodging, his full aura exploding outward as his jet black fist smashed straight forward with colossal, mountain splitting power.
The ultimate physical body collided with light speed force.
BOOM!
A deafening, earth shaking blast exploded across the field. A terrifying shockwave surged outward frantically in all directions from the point of impact, the hard bluestone arena collapsing into dense spiderweb cracks across the grounds as rubble and dust soared into the sky, obscuring vision in a thick haze.
Such a massive commotion instantly alerted the Marine officers and soldiers on duty nearby. Countless people turned their heads and sprinted over, looking toward the center of the arena in shock.
"What a huge commotion! Who is sparring in the arena?"
"This power surge, could an enemy be attacking?"
Everyone was thoroughly startled, but when they clearly saw that familiar, burly figure amidst the settling dust, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. So it was Vice Admiral Garp. Only this Marine Hero would dare to cause such a scene at Headquarters; it was entirely expected.
Still, everyone grew curious about what kind of formidable figure could clash head on with Vice Admiral Garp in a direct strike.
As the dust cleared, vision slowly returned. In the center of the arena, Garp stood firmly in place, his posture upright. His neat black suit was slightly damaged, torn along the hem and covered in dust, yet he showed not the slightest hint of defeat.
He laughed heartily, his eyes brimming with thrilling battle spirit. "Thrilling! Truly thrilling! Glowing brat, you are pretty good, not bad at all! Want to go another round?"
Not far away, Borsalino was down on one knee, her body slightly hunched as she gasped heavily for air, her strength nearly drained. Her sweat soaked black hair slid down her shoulders and hung beside her cheeks, partially obscuring her exhausted eyes. The golden light around her had completely dissipated; her muscles were sore and numb, her stamina thoroughly spent.
In her heart, she felt a quiet surge of lingering dread. This old guy really did not hold back at all! The power contained in that plain, unadorned iron fist was mind boggling. If she had not mobilized all her light particles to vibrate at high frequency at the exact moment of impact to forcibly deflect the trajectory of Garp's fist and shed part of the force, she would definitely be severely injured and bedridden for days.
This was not the kind of lying down she wanted.
Listening to Garp's uninhibited, hearty laughter ringing in her ears and feeling her depleted stamina, Borsalino gave a helpless, bitter smile. Indeed, the path to becoming stronger that lay ahead of her was still impossibly long.