Garp laughed heartily as he walked up to Carl and slapped him hard on the shoulder.
Carl staggered slightly from the sheer force behind it Garp's legendary strength was no joke.
The three admirals watched the scene unfold except for Sakazuki, the other two, Kuzan and Borsalino, couldn't help but smirk at the familiar display.
Virtually the entire Navy knew by now that Carl had captured both of Garp's grandsons, Luffy and Ace and the admirals were no exception.
For someone with that kind of guts, there weren't many equals in the Navy.
"Sengoku! Like I said, let me fight this kid. I want to see if his strength really warrants all this special treatment!"
Garp grinned, staring Carl down with a glint of mischief and challenge in his eyes.
But before Sengoku or Carl could respond, Flying Squirrel interjected anxiously.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, with all due respect is this really appropriate? Carl is still a recruit he hasn't even officially started active duty. Isn't this a bit much...?"
"Hahahaha! If you're accusing me of taking personal revenge congratulations, you're absolutely right!"
Garp's grin grew even wider, leaving Flying Squirrel momentarily speechless he could only glance pleadingly at Sengoku for support.
But Sengoku didn't object instead, he stepped beside Carl and spoke in a low voice.
"Treasure this chance few people get the opportunity to be guided directly by someone like Garp."
"Yes! I'll make the most of it!"
Carl replied with a confident smile his eyes steady, without a trace of fear.
"Carl! Are you out of your mind?!"
Flying Squirrel was stunned by Carl's quick acceptance.
But Carl calmly turned back and looked him in the eye.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral I know how strong Garp is. But I also know he won't kill me.
And more importantly I want to see for myself how far I am from someone who stands at the top of the Marines...and maybe even the world!"
As he said this, Carl's tone carried an edge of arrogance his blood seemed to be boiling with anticipation.
While part of it was bravado, deep down, the curiosity and will to fight were real.
"Hahahaha! That fire in your eyes not bad! Come with me I'll be waiting for you in the training yard!"
---
...
A short while later.
Carl and Garp stood facing each other in the Marineford training yard.
In addition to Sengoku and the three admirals, a crowd of Marines had gathered everyone wanted to see how long this rookie could last against the "Fist of the Navy."
"Guess how many hits he'll last against Garp?"
"I bet he's down in one."
"No way he's that weak. Don't forget he took down the Golden Lion and captured Luffy and Ace, both with over 100 million bounty."
"Get real. He only assisted Flying Squirrel with Ace and Golden Lion was half-dead when they found him. His real strength probably isn't all that."
"You're all wrong. His strength's legit I serve under Vice Admiral Flying Squirrel, and I saw it myself the guy got the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock drunk!"
"What?!"
"You mean the Empress got drunk with this recruit?!"
"No way! That can't be real!"
"I swear on my rank I was there. Not only was she drinking with him, but even her figure...tsk!"
The crowd buzzed with shocked chatter speculation and admiration stirred the air.
Every word reached the ears of Sengoku and the three admirals.
Carl's encounter with Hancock had been kept under wraps besides those aboard Flying Squirrel's ship, only Sengoku and Garp had been informed.
It wasn't considered a strategic matter, so no one had publicized it but now, it added a layer of intrigue to Carl's already unusual story.
"Hm...you three how long do you think Carl can last against that old war dog, Garp?"
Sengoku's sudden question caught the three admirals off guard.
"Ah la la...don't ask me questions like that. There's no suspense at all, you know?"
Kuzan didn't bother to answer. In his opinion, it didn't matter how long Carl could last against Garp—it wasn't his concern, and he wasn't invested in the outcome.
Polusalino shared the same indifference, simply tilting his head with that familiar lazy smile he, too, refrained from commenting.
But Sakazuki furrowed his brow and thought it through seriously before finally speaking.
"I'd say he can take ten hits."
"Ten hits? That sounds like a lot."
"I didn't say it lightly—I think he has potential."
When Sakazuki said that, Sengoku's brows lifted in mild surprise.
He hadn't expected Sakazuki—normally stoic and uninterested in such trivial matters to weigh in so favorably.
Not only Sengoku, even Kuzan and Polusalino raised their eyebrows in surprise at Sakazuki's remark.
At that very moment
Everything in the ring was set.
The highly anticipated clash between Carl and Garp was about to begin!
"Hahahahahaha! Kid, got any last words before we start?"
"Something to say? Of course!"
Carl grinned confidently, both Withered Wood and Sakura Fang gripped tightly in his hands.
"I just hope you don't hold back, Vice Admiral Garp! Otherwise..."
Before the sentence ended, Carl's figure disappeared from sight!
Garp's eyes narrowed sharply, and he instinctively drove his fist to his right
But that's exactly where Carl materialized!
"...otherwise I won't be satisfied!"
He finished the sentence mid-attack his twin blades, coated in Armament Haki, clashed violently against Garp's fist, which was as hard as iron! The impact sent shockwaves blasting across the training yard!
"Hahahahaha! Not badnnot bad at all!"
Garp laughed like thunder, and with a powerful punch, he sent Carl flying across the field!
But Carl wasn't done yet he twisted midair, steadying himself with his fluttering powers, then slashed forward in retaliation.
"Shishi no Mai: Chikiryū—!!"
Without hesitation, Carl unleashed the move he had once used in his grueling fight against Ace.
He knew full well against Garp, there was no point in holding back. He had to go all out from the start!
"Nice attack!"
Garp grinned as he saw the wind-slash and slicing shockwave coming down from above.it reminded him of the Golden Lion himself, back during the clash at Marineford decades ago. It was nostalgic.
Garp swung his fist upward with tremendous force, the sheer air pressure of his punch forming a shockwave strong enough to break Carl's technique apart.
The impact scattered the whirlwind in the sky Carl was blasted higher into the air!
But in the air, Carl regained control effortlessly thanks to his mastery of the Float-Float Fruit and narrowed his eyes in focus.
"To block my enhanced technique without even using Haki... and just pure physical might..."
**"That's at least A+ level physical strength easily."
"Just as expected from Garp the Fist the man once said to rival the Pirate King himself. Whether it's speed or raw power, he outclasses me by a landslide. But..."
"Let's see if I can push him into using Armament Haki!"
Carl inhaled deeply then vanished again in a burst of speed.
Suddenly, the entire training ground trembled.
A massive section of the battlefield the very ground Garp stood on rose into the sky under Carl's control.
Carl floated at the peak, manipulating the terrain with the powers of the Float-Float Fruit, echoing the fearsome aerial tactics once used by Shiki.
"Vice Admiral Garp let's see how you fight when the ground's no longer beneath your feet!"
"Oi oi, kid..."
Garp looked up with an amused face as the ground surged high.
"You do know Marines can fly, right? Ever heard of Geppo?"
"Of course I have. I just want to see how you, the hero of the Navy, handle a real storm up in the sky!"
---