At The Peak of One Piece

Victor had no choice—who was he to refuse the old man Garp? After all, he was the one who brought him into the Marines. And who knew? Maybe he'd end up on Garp's ship someday. 

If he didn't satisfy the old man's whims now, he'd suffer even more later. 

With his strength still growing, he'd just become Garp's punching bag. So Victor reluctantly gave in, taking Rebecca and Wendy to the port square to wait. 

Wendy was curious about Garp, the legendary Marine hero. She had grown up hearing stories about him and wondered what kind of man he truly was. 

--- 

At the top floor of Marine Headquarters, in the same room as before, two figures stood by the window—though it was still closed this time. They were preparing to watch another spectacle. 

This was Garp's solution to the incident with Onigumo—a beating in the same spot, just as promised. Sengoku had agreed, and now the show was about to begin. 

Victor waited patiently, though Garp's dog-headed warship wasn't in sight yet. 

He wasn't idle, though. His mind was immersed in the microscopic world, sensing the flow of energy. Over the past few days, his control over the black particles had improved significantly. He was certain he'd awaken Armament Haki soon. 

Garp was a man of his word. If he said he'd return today, not even the King of the Pirates could stop him. 

Soon, the familiar dog-headed warship appeared on the horizon. Garp stood at the bow, his signature dog hat perched on his head, exuding an overwhelming presence. 

When Garp spotted Victor on the shore, he flashed a wide, toothy grin. 

Victor felt the urge to turn and run, but he suppressed it. He knew the difference between taking a beating once and taking one every day. Rumor had it Garp would be staying at HQ for a long time this time. 

As the ship docked, Garp didn't even wait for the gangplank—he leaped straight onto the shore. 

His eagerness to "instruct" Victor was palpable. 

Garp strode up to Victor, grinning. 

"Victor! How've you been? I brought you into the Marines, but I've been away on missions this whole time. Never got the chance to train you properly." 

He cracked his knuckles. 

"But now that I'm back, I'm gonna give you some real guidance. Let's see how much you've improved! And if I'm not satisfied…" 

His grin widened. 

"You'll get to taste my Fist of Love as many times as it takes!" 

Rebecca and Wendy shivered involuntarily. 

Victor forced a strained smile. There was no escaping this. The beating was inevitable. 

By now, the square was packed. Some were there to welcome the legendary hero, while others—higher-ranking officers—knew the truth. Even Zephyr had brought his elite recruits to watch. 

'Let them see what real power looks like. A little humiliation can be great motivation.' 

"Ah, Vice Admiral Garp! You must be tired from your journey! You should rest, not stand around in the sea breeze!" 

Victor tried one last desperate plea. 

Garp cracked his neck. "Nah, I've been cooped up on that tiny ship too long. Need to stretch my legs. A little sparring's just what I need. Got a problem with that?" 

Victor glanced at the massive warship. 'Tiny?' 

Realizing resistance was futile, he steeled himself. 

'He won't kill me. As long as I survive, I'll get stronger—and pay him back someday.' 

Victor strode to the center of the square, Garp following close behind. 

The crowd quickly cleared a wide space, sensing what was coming. 

"Victor's really gonna get it this time…" 

"Vice Admiral Garp's fists? That's real pain." 

"What's going on?" 

"Are they… dueling?" 

"Victor's about to meet a monster." 

Garp stretched, cracking his knuckles with a series of loud 'pops'. 

Victor drew Yubashiri and Chikara, gripping them tightly. 

This time, Garp struck first—as if he'd returned 'just' to beat Victor up. 

His speed wasn't his strongest suit, but it was still formidable—about on par with Victor's. 

But Victor had Observation Haki. If he wanted, he could drag this out by dodging. 

Yet he didn't. 

'You're the "Fist of Love," huh? Let's see how tough the rest of you is.' 

As Garp's punch shot toward his face, Victor ducked low, his twin blades slashing horizontally at Garp's waist. 

Garp smirked. 

Using his extended arm as a pivot, he flipped forward, narrowly avoiding the blades. His other fist, now sheathed in pitch-black Armament Haki, came crashing down toward Victor's head. 

Victor pivoted on his right foot, spinning parallel to the ground like a top, barely evading the strike. He kicked back, putting distance between them—then lunged forward, aiming for Garp's legs. 

Garp twisted midair, flipping upright and slamming a Haki-coated fist into Victor's crossed blades. 

The impact sent Victor flying. 

Without Armament Haki reinforcement, his swords couldn't withstand Garp's punches. 

Victor glanced at them, then sheathed both and tossed them aside. 

'Fine. Fists it is.' 

He knew countless martial arts from his past life. In pure hand-to-hand skill, he might even surpass Garp. 

Garp raised an eyebrow as Victor squared up bare-handed—but he didn't hold back. 

A burst of Soru brought him right in front of Victor. 

Victor didn't move. 

At the last instant, he tilted his head slightly—just enough for Garp's fist to graze his cheek. The wind pressure alone stung, but Victor didn't flinch. 

In that same motion, he retaliated with two rapid punches to Garp's chest, sending the Marine hero flying. 

"Tekkai Kenpo!" 

Yet even with Iron Body technique, Victor's hands ached. Garp's chest felt like steel. 

Garp had blocked with Armament Haki. Their black particles clashed—but Victor's were too sparse. 

Garp flipped midair and landed smoothly, unharmed. 

Victor pressed the attack, using Wing Chun's close-quarters strikes. Against anyone else, each hit would send them flying—but that meant no combos. 

Too light? No effect. Too heavy? They'd be launched. 

Garp was impressed. "Never seen this style before." 

The crowd erupted. 

"He sent Vice Admiral Garp flying?!" 

"What kind of martial art is that?" 

"Victor's a monster! How old is he again?" 

"Could the three Admiral candidates at his age compare?" 

Zephyr frowned. "Little brat held back against me. Just kept slashing with his swords." 

Up in HQ's top-floor window, two voices murmured. 

"Sengoku, this kid's the real deal. Once his Haki matures, he'll be Admiral-level—maybe even beyond." 

"His swordsmanship was already impressive, but his hand-to-hand is just as strong. If he ate a Logia fruit on top of that…" 

--- 

Victor cycled through techniques—Bajiquan, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Capoeira—each working at first. 

But after a few repetitions, Garp adapted. 

Soon, the tables turned. 

Victor was now the one getting pummeled. 

Garp's monstrous talent allowed him to either replicate or counter anything after seeing it a few times. 

Victor's face was bruised, his vision blurring. But he forced himself to keep fighting. 

This was a chance—he was on the verge of a breakthrough. 

Garp recognized it too. He wasn't 'just' enjoying beating Victor up (though he definitely was). 

Victor's recovery abilities kicked in, Life Return releasing stored energy to heal his wounds and replenish stamina. 

But healing couldn't outpace damage. 

Garp had taken hits, but Victor couldn't break his defense. The worst he'd done was knock off Garp's hat and tear his coat. 

Victor, meanwhile, was a mess—clothes shredded, covered in blood, one eye swollen shut. 

Inside his body, chaos reigned. The black particles in his cells surged wildly, completely disordered. 

With no other options, Victor pushed his Speed-Speed Fruit to the limit, maximizing his agility to keep up. 

But a gap was a gap. 

Just like Luffy at Loguetown against Smoker—no matter how skilled, if the difference in power was too great, tricks wouldn't cut it. 

Victor and Garp weren't on the same level. Not even the same dimension or universe. 

To fight equally, Victor needed to transcend. 

No shortcuts. No lucky weaknesses to exploit. 

Just raw, relentless growth.