Chapter 128

"Old man, you really do get stronger with age,"

Kairos Flint grinned as he looked at Garp standing before him.

His punch had carried the full force of Overlord Haki, Armament Haki, the Thunder Stone, and the Light and Heavy Stone—a blow combining four immense powers. And yet, despite all of it, the clash between him and Garp resulted in a stalemate.

That alone proved how terrifyingly strong Garp was.

But this didn't mean Kairos was weak. Not even close.

For him, there was still room to grow.

If his physique, Haki, and other attributes were fully maxed out at the Emperor level, then Garp would have already been knocked into the ground.

And that wasn't an exaggeration.

If all his powers reached their absolute peak and were fused into a single blow, it might even transcend the Emperor level and enter the realm of the divine. It wasn't impossible—not at this stage.

"I'm still in good shape,"

Garp replied, a calm smile forming on his face.

"But you, kid—you've got strength. Enough for me to personally get serious."

Despite his composed demeanor, Garp couldn't help but feel a ripple of unease inside.

This kid… at such a young age, already has the power to fight on equal footing with me?

If he was given just a bit more time, there might not be anyone left who could stop him…

"What a waste. A promising talent like you, not joining the Navy."

Garp's voice carried a rare trace of regret.

Had Kairos joined, he could've become one of the Navy's most powerful assets.

Instead, he had chosen to walk the path of a bounty hunter.

And now… he stood as a pirate—

An enemy of the World Government.

Waging war against them again and again.

Garp couldn't tell if Kairos was trying to clear his name to reclaim his identity as a bounty hunter…

Or if he had fully embraced the role of pirate.

"Join the Navy?"

Kairos sneered.

"You mean become a lapdog for the World Government?"

"Old man, didn't you refuse promotion after promotion? You could've been an admiral—but you didn't want to kneel before the Celestial Dragons. Isn't that why you stayed where you are?"

"Do you seriously think I'd willingly put on a collar for those bastards?"

His voice was ice.

When he had to choose his path, he deliberately turned down the Navy—because he refused to serve the Celestial Dragons. Now Garp stood there, trying to guilt-trip him for refusing that life?

What a joke.

Garp sighed, finally understanding.

"So that's what it was all about..."

His expression twisted slightly.

"It's the damn Celestial Dragons again…"

He didn't hold back.

"The Celestial Dragons are absolute garbage."

He said it loud and clear.

No filter. No hesitation.

Good thing Morgans' recording Den Den Mushi wasn't close enough to catch it word for word.

Still, many of the Navy admirals nearby, with their trained Haki, heard every syllable.

But no one looked surprised.

This was Garp. Everyone knew his reputation.

If he hated you, he didn't talk behind your back. He'd say it straight to your face.

"Shame," Kairos said quietly.

"If we weren't enemies, I'd love to sit down for a drink with you."

"Drink?" Garp chuckled.

"I'm getting too old for that. How about some tea, Kairos kid? If we ever get the chance."

Their brief moment of camaraderie ended.

Their gazes sharpened.

The time for talk was over.

Fist and bone—impact!

Garp launched another devastating punch, treating a move that could level cities like it was a basic jab.

It was absurd.

But this was Garp—he could do that.

God Skill: Fire Dragon Punch!

Kairos' left hand ignited with flames, surging up his arm and gathering at his clenched fist. He met Garp's attack head-on.

Compared to the Thunder Dragon Punch, the main change was the substitution of the Thunder Stone with the Fire Stone. The rest of the power—Armament Haki, Overlord Haki, and the stone's compression—remained.

Boom!!!

The resulting explosion roared across the sea.

Waves the size of mountains rose and crashed in every direction.

G-2 Base Island—already battered by their previous clashes—let out a low, cracking groan.

The ground began to split.

The island, once solid and stable, could no longer withstand the destructive shockwaves.

Fist and bone—impact again!

Garp's punch came with an even stronger Armament Haki burst.

Kairos met it head-on.

God Skill: Thunder-Fire Dragon Kick!

This time, the power of Thunder and Fire, fused with the Light and Heavy Stone, surged into his leg. Combined with both types of Haki, his kick became a force of cataclysmic weight.

Boom!!!!

The explosion was deafening.

The G-2 Base Island finally reached its limit.

Massive cracks tore through its structure. Even the island's edges were breaking off into the sea.

The battlefield was shrinking—literally.

But neither of them backed down.

They were all in.

This was a battle between the peak of the world.

A god-level clash between legends.

Ordinary people could only gape in disbelief at the scale.

But for them…

It was all being broadcast live by Morgans.

Every second. Every punch.

Every destructive ripple was reaching the eyes of the world.

And the world watched in awe.

People realized how insignificant they were in comparison.

And yet…

The battle didn't stop.

The G-2 Base Island was being torn apart, bit by bit.

It wasn't just being cracked—it was being consumed by the sea.

In just ten minutes of fighting…

One-tenth of the island had vanished.

The rest was in ruins.

Entire facilities were reduced to rubble. Trees were ash. The landscape was unrecognizable.

Naval officers at G-2 watched helplessly.

All they could think was:

"Please stop… please stop fighting! If you keep this up—G-2 Base is going to sink!!!"