SIX PATH SAGE OF THE ROCKS PIRATES

Seeing Garp about to pick it up, Kaito's expression darkened, and the energy in his hand surged with a menacing glow.

"Big Ball Rasengan?"

No, Kaito thought grimly. "That won't cut it against Garp. I need something far more devastating."

Clenching his fist, Kaito poured more chakra into his technique, the glowing sphere in his palm rapidly expanding and spiraling with tremendous energy. "Super Big Ball Rasengan!" he declared.

Turning to face the legendary Marine hero, Kaito's voice boomed with determination. "Garp, let me satisfy you!"

With a swift motion, he hurled the massive, condensed sphere of chakra straight at Garp. The Super Big Ball Rasengan tore through the air, its destructive power distorting the space around it. The ground beneath it cracked, and the trees it passed were obliterated as if consumed by an abyss of raw energy.

"BOOM!!!"

The Super Big Ball Rasengan roared toward Garp with incredible speed, creating shockwaves that reverberated through the mountains. Its sheer might was undeniable, and even someone as seasoned as Garp felt its suffocating pressure.

Garp's pupils contracted. For a moment, the ever-confident Marine Colonel felt a twinge of regret. The devastating chakra technique bore down on him with unparalleled ferocity, leaving no room to dodge.

"Damn brat!" Garp muttered, his usual carefree demeanor giving way to fiery determination. "You think a Marine hero can't handle this?"

Gritting his teeth, Garp clenched his fists, his arms bulging with strength as Haki coated them in an impenetrable black armor. He reared back and met the monstrous Rasengan head-on, his fists colliding with Kaito's devastating attack.

"BOOM!!!"

The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the back mountain. The earth quaked violently, splitting and cracking under the immense force of the impact. Trees within a radius of hundreds of meters were uprooted, hurled into the sky like mere twigs. Clouds above scattered, torn apart by the energy radiating from the collision.

The beasts of the mountain cowered in fear. Some collapsed unconscious from the overwhelming pressure, while others froze, trembling on the ground, too terrified to move.

When the dust settled, Garp remained standing, his fists smoking from the clash. "You've got some guts, kid," he growled, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "But you'll need more than that to bring down a Marine hero."

Meanwhile, on another side of the mountain, a group of Marines was rushing to the source of the disturbance.

"The entire back mountain has been shaking since that clash began," Sengoku said grimly, holding the den den mushi in his hand. "And Garp's not answering his calls!"

Crane, walking beside him, frowned. "That reckless fool… Do you think something happened to him?"

Sengoku shook his head. "You know Garp's strength as well as I do. Unless it's someone on the level of the Rocks Pirates' top cadres, nothing can threaten his life."

Crane sighed, but concern still lingered in her expression. Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr had been investigating the remnants of the Rocks Pirates in the area, but the constant explosions and roaring from the mountain had everyone on edge.

As the Marines approached, the aftermath of the clash came into view. Trees lay flattened, and the ground was scorched and torn apart as if a giant beast had rampaged through the area.

"What in the world is happening here?" Sengoku muttered, his voice heavy with tension.

The Marines knew something monumental was unfolding in the mountain. Sengoku had explicitly instructed them before ascending the mountain: "No matter what happens, notify each other immediately."

Despite the profound reminder, chaos still reigned. The tremors and explosions from the back mountain left no doubt—someone was locked in battle.

As they repeatedly called Garp's Den Den Mushi, there was no response. Anxiety grew among the Marines.

Crane, her usual calm demeanor slightly shaken, sighed heavily. "That's exactly what worries me. For such turmoil to occur… Garp must have encountered a member of the Rocks Pirates."

Crane was well aware of Garp's prodigious strength. Yet, the scale of the battle hinted at a foe beyond the ordinary—a cadre-level fighter from the Rocks crew.

"Even Garp, as strong as he is, is still in the growth stage," Crane muttered, her voice tinged with worry. "If it's a top commander of the Rocks Pirates, he might lose… or worse."

Sengoku's face hardened. "Damn that reckless idiot. If something happens to him…" he growled. "Next time, I'll make sure Garp sticks by my side, no matter what."

If Garp had been causing trouble in the Grand Line, Sengoku might have let it slide—most pirates there couldn't touch Garp. But this wasn't the Grand Line. This was an island connected to the Rocks Pirates, one of the most dangerous crews in the world.

The thought of Garp being killed spurred Sengoku and the others to quicken their pace toward the battlefield.

---

The Battlefield

The ground in the center of the battlefield was shattered, forming a massive crater. Garp, coated in Armament Haki, stood his ground, but his injuries were evident.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his uniform was torn in several places. Despite this, his indomitable spirit shone through.

"Colonel Garp!"

From a distance, a group of Marines watched in alarm.

"Damn it, how is this guy so strong?! Even Colonel Garp is struggling!"

"Colonel Garp is injured, but that pirate doesn't have a single scratch! If this continues, Colonel Garp… he'll lose!"

The Marines had seen Garp decimate pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions before. His strength was undeniable. But this pirate, Kaito, was on a different level.

The New World was a far cry from the Grand Line, but even by those standards, this power was staggering.

Kaito stood atop the rubble, smirking as he surveyed the destruction caused by his Super Big Ball Rasengan.

"Impressive, isn't it?" he remarked, tongue clicking as he admired his handiwork.

Garp wiped the blood from his face and looked up, his expression as fierce as ever. "You're too naive if you think that's enough to take me down!"

Despite the overwhelming power of Kaito's technique, Garp, a physical combatant honed through decades of battle, refused to fall. His Haki-enhanced physique was enough to withstand even Kaito's devastating attack.

Kaito smirked, his voice laced with mockery. "Tough as ever, Garp."

Garp slammed his fists together, a loud crack reverberating through the battlefield. "Come on! Show me what else you've got! You think a flashy move like that is enough to scare me?"

Garp had experienced the full brunt of the Super Big Ball Rasengan. Though it was powerful, it wasn't enough to make him retreat or back down.

After all, Kaito was just a pirate with a bounty of 100 million berries. If Garp lost to someone like that, the shame would be unbearable.

But Kaito's smirk only widened.

"You guessed wrong, Garp," he said, his tone sinister. "I've got something even stronger."

As he spoke, Kaito began to gather energy again, the atmosphere growing heavy with tension. The surrounding Marines watched in horror as a new, even more terrifying technique began to take shape.