He ignored the glaring sunlight descending from the sky.
Kong Tai straightened his body, raised Zankong with his right hand, and rested it on his right shoulder.
Squinting, he stared at the old man's fist, which was covered in a layer of black Haki that even the sunlight couldn't penetrate.
"Armament Haki."
"Is it just hardening?"
He knew the old man's Armament Haki was formidable, after all, he was a monster from the Monkey family.
Monkey D. Luffy had cultivated his Haki to its peak in just over two years.
So, what would Garp's Haki be like, after a lifetime of fighting at the pinnacle?
He was witnessing it now.
He knew he hadn't held back at all with his previous slash. Apart from Conqueror's Haki, he had pushed his Armament Haki to its maximum, yet the old man had simply sent his slash flying with a single punch.
The layer of black Armament Haki on the old man's hand, which seemed to devour even sunlight, exerted an unparalleled pressure on him.
This was something he hadn't felt from an Admiral, nor from Cartes.
However, it was still too early to tell if the old man's Haki had reached another level, as this was only their first exchange.
*Bang!*
He crouched down, pushed off the ground with his feet in mid-air, and Kong Tai shot forward like a cannonball towards Garp.
He enjoyed sparring with these Haki powerhouses because it allowed him to quickly hone his Armament Haki.
And the old man before him, the wielder of the world's peak Armament Haki, was someone he had long wanted to fight.
Now that he was here, he wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
After all, the old man had spent his life arresting pirates, and he was indeed getting old, set to retire in two more years.
Now…
It was perfect timing.
As he descended, an invincible aura instantly radiated from Kong Tai in all directions.
And Zankong, which he held on his shoulder, was now wrapped in a dark purple Haki.
*Crack!*
Void-splitting thunder.
Dark purple lightning crackled around Kong Tai, and for a moment, the entire sky seemed to darken. The lightning ultimately entwined itself around Zankong.
*Bang!*
Crushing the air beneath him, Kong Tai streaked through the sky like a dark purple line. As he descended, a giant dragon head, wreathed in dark purple lightning, appeared on his body's surface.
"One Sword Style: Azure Dragon!"
Even before he reached his target, the air across the entire sky seemed to press down. The immense pressure made Kizaru and Garp, standing on the rooftop, instantly become serious.
"My, my, how frightening!"
Kizaru pursed his lips.
Garp's mouth turned downwards, and the smile on his face vanished.
Kong Tai's current slash was enough to make him serious.
*Boom boom boom!!*
His heart rate accelerated, and the blood in his body flowed at high speed, causing his already robust physique to seemingly swell by a size in an instant.
Facing the oncoming super-slash, a red glow appeared in Garp's eyes. The Armament Haki covering his right fist seemed to be coated with another layer of black paint, making it even darker.
He retracted his right fist, just like his previous punch, ordinary in appearance, and threw it towards Kong Tai's descending body.
*Bang!*
*Crack!*
The sound of impact, mixed with thunder, instantly resonated throughout the island.
The immense shockwave forced Kizaru to retreat, and the building they stood on directly collapsed under the pressure of the impact, as if punched from a distance, flattening instantly with a roar.
Subsequently, the shockwave whipped up a whirlwind, lifting fragments of the building and spreading outwards in a circular pattern.
*Crack crack crack!!*
Even more grating was the sound, emanating from the point of collision, like space itself shattering.
Garp, enduring Kong Tai's slash and gazing at the young face up close, grinned and roared, "Haha!! Kid, is this all the strength you have?"
Kong Tai's current slash was indeed powerful, but such strength couldn't do anything to him!
He had come here to support Borsalino, but what he most wanted to see was how Kong Tai had so quickly killed Cartes.
If his power could instantly kill an Admiral, and they didn't understand it clearly, Admirals would always have a hidden concern when facing him in the future.
Take this instance for example; in the past, although Kizaru was lazy, he was still very dedicated to matters of the Marines and the World Government.
But upon learning he was facing Kong Tai, no matter how well he hid it, Garp could sense his resistance and hesitation.
Such emotions should not appear in a peak powerhouse, let alone a Marine Admiral like Borsalino.
"You'll know how much strength I have soon enough."
Veins bulged on Kong Tai's forehead. Enduring Garp's punch, he retreated slightly, then swung his blade downwards with even greater speed.
As if foreseeing this, Garp retracted his hand as Kong Tai retreated, then brought his fist upwards, striking precisely in front of Kong Tai's blade.
*Bang!*
An even larger shockwave surged outwards.
Following this, both their bodies became blurs, like two streaks of light, constantly clashing and retreating, retreating and clashing…
The violent sounds of impact, coupled with greater shockwaves, formed a hurricane, kicking up debris from the ground and shattered fragments of surrounding buildings, swirling them outwards.
"This, this is too abnormal!"
Birdie, his head resting on his camera, swallowed hard as he watched the approaching storm in the distance.
Despite his astonishment, his hands didn't stop, and he continuously pressed the shutter, capturing the distant battle scenes.
*Click!*
At this moment, a blue lightning suddenly appeared in the distant battlefield, spreading like thunderous snakes across the entire sky.
Moving away from where Kong Tai and Garp were clashing, Kuina withdrew her gaze from Kong Tai. Lightning flickered in her clear, cold pupils, and arcs of electricity flared from her body.
Looking down at Kizaru, Kuina's eyes turned cold, and with a "bang," she shot directly towards him.
As if sensing Kuina's fighting spirit, Kizaru suddenly turned, looked up at the rapidly approaching lightning, and quickly emitted a large amount of golden particles. The golden sword, Amaru Ichi, reappeared in his right hand.
*Bang!*
The moment Kizaru raised his sword, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. The force transmitted from his arm caused his body to sink instantly, and the ground beneath his feet immediately caved in.
Amidst the explosions, the ground rippled like ocean waves, spreading outwards.
Gazing at Kuina, who had completely transformed into a lightning being, Kizaru's expression grew serious.
Was this the power that Kuzan had spoken of, capable of clashing with an Admiral?
"Truly terrifying!"
He exerted force with his hand, and with a "bang," pushed back the blade of Amaru Ichi. Kizaru raised his right foot, shining with golden light, and kicked directly at Kuina.
As if sensing the sharpness emanating from Kizaru's leg, Kuina quickly retracted her sword. She spun the blade in her hand, creating a blur, and brought it directly in front of her.
*Bang!*
The immense force struck Amaru Ichi, sending Kuina's body soaring into the air like a cannonball, shooting upwards towards the sky.
Blue lightning streaked across the sky. Just as she was about to collide with the tree canopy above, she stopped.
Hovering in mid-air, Kuina looked down at the small golden dot below. Feeling the power transmitted from her sword, her face was etched with seriousness.
This guy's speed was comparable to her own when using Thunder Breathing.
He was far more troublesome than Kuzan, whom she had fought last time.
Her eyes narrowed, and Kuina transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting downwards.
She admitted that she hadn't truly reached the Admiral level yet, especially when facing Kizaru, who was the fastest. However, in her Thunder Breathing state, she was not someone Kizaru could defeat in a short time.
While this state consumed a lot of stamina, it allowed her to match Kizaru's current speed and strength.
Therefore, she would fight!
After all, opportunities to spar with top powerhouses were rare.
Only by constantly fighting, by fighting under pressure, could she improve her strength more rapidly.