Chapter 33: Garp vs. Roger – The True Battle of Titans!

Just as Ortoren was sent flying by the slash, a powerful hand grabbed hold of his body mid-air.

With a loud bang, his backward momentum was abruptly halted. The force of the slash dissipated, but blood still flowed from both of Ortoren's arms. There was no doubt— even with the reinforcement of Armament Haki, his steel-like body couldn't withstand Roger's Kamusari.

"Not bad, kid. Not many can take a blow from Roger's blade, especially someone your age. Though that bastard wasn't going all out." Garp stood behind him, a faint grin on his face.

Ortoren looked at Garp in surprise, then snapped back to his senses. "If you hadn't shoved me from behind, I wouldn't have gotten cut!"

Force acts both ways. Ortoren had been ready to find a way to absorb the impact, but Garp's sudden push left him no choice but to take the slash head-on—resulting in deep gashes on both arms.

Garp blinked, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Bwahahaha, sorry about that. I guess I did more harm than good. But hey, don't worry—I'll get payback for you right now!"

With that, he turned away from Ortoren and shifted his gaze forward.

At that moment, Rayleigh stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger, while Mihawk lay in the ruins, eyes vacant, a slash wound across his chest. Clearly, with Garp's arrival, Rayleigh no longer had time to mess around with Mihawk.

"Why is it I always run into you, you bastard?" Roger wiped his curled beard, sounding annoyed.

Garp burst into laughter. "Isn't that proof we're destined to meet, Roger?"

"That's one fate I could do without," Roger rolled his eyes.

"Thanks to you, that guy Shiki took a heavy loss. The Marines caught a break. As a token of gratitude, how about coming back to Marineford with me for some tea?" Garp tore the cloak from his shoulders and tossed it to the stunned Ortoren.

Ortoren stared at the cloak, the Vice Admiral insignia still attached, then glanced at Garp. Just as he was about to speak, a fierce aura surged toward him!

It was Garp. His previously laid-back expression had vanished. His eyes now gleamed with excitement.

He rolled his wrist, then stomped down hard—shattering the ground beneath him. His massive figure shot forward like a meteor, barreling straight toward Roger and Rayleigh.

"Genkotsu Meteor!" Garp roared.

Though the Armament Haki on his fist was aimed at Roger, even standing off to the side, Ortoren could feel the overwhelming pressure. The air itself seemed to thicken. Just being near that overflowing aura made it hard for him to breathe!

He had sensed it before—whether it was Charlotte Linlin, Rayleigh, Roger—none of them had fought him seriously.

But now, from Garp's sheer presence alone, Ortoren finally understood the chasm between himself and the true top-tier powerhouses of the sea!

His instincts screamed at him: if that punch had been aimed at him, it could have killed him!

"Still full of energy, Garp!" Roger's eyes lit up with the same excitement. He drew Ace, the sword at his waist, and slashed toward Garp's incoming fist.

"Kamusari!" Roger shouted.

One strike to conquer all.

The power of Kamusari was tied directly to Roger's resolve. Clearly, against his formidable old rival, Roger wasn't holding back—he was going all in!

For a moment, Ortoren thought he saw Roger's blade slice through space itself.

Even before the attacks collided, the clash of Haki had already begun!

It was as if two invisible forces held them in place—Garp's fist suspended in midair, Roger's sword frozen in its arc—as though some massive barrier stood between them.

But there was nothing there. Just the clash of their overwhelming Haki!

From the space between them, streaks of black lightning erupted, followed by a chorus of crackling bursts reaching Ortoren's ears...

This time, it was no illusion. Ortoren saw it clearly—in the very heart of the Haki clash, the air—no, space itself—seemed unable to withstand the force and pressure from the two men. Cracks of pitch black tore through the void!

It all happened in an instant. From the moment Garp moved to the moment of the clash, it was barely a breath apart.

Before Ortoren could react, the shockwave created by their overwhelming Haki burst out like a tsunami, sweeping out from the center. It flattened the nearby sturdy buildings in an instant. Along with the rubble and dust, debris was blasted outwards like a shockwave, forming a ring that spread in all directions!

A cloud of dust hit Ortoren head-on. He swung Garp's cloak of justice forward to disperse it, digging his feet into the ground to resist the force of the Haki-laced impact.

At the same time, Garp shifted tactics. He dodged Roger's Kamusari with a punch, both feet hitting the ground as he charged forward. In the blink of an eye, he was right beside Roger, grabbing his shoulder with a massive hand.

"Blue Hole!" A smug grin spread across Garp's face as he yanked Roger off the ground.

The next second, he was ready to slam Roger into the earth!

But Roger reacted just as fast. With Ace in hand, he slashed toward Garp's armpit, following the path of the hand gripping his shoulder, his blade bursting with fierce energy!

If Garp didn't let go, that strike would've taken his arm!

With no choice, Garp changed moves again. Instead of slamming Roger down, he pulled his arm inward, pinning Roger's sword under his armpit by pressing it tightly against his ribs and arm!

At the same time, Haki surged in Garp's other hand as he threw a punch at Roger's head.

Roger, wielding his sword with one hand, used his free hand to grab Garp's wrist with pinpoint accuracy, stopping the punch with sheer force.

For a moment, the two were locked in a deadlock. But only for a moment.

They quickly moved again.

Roger raised his knee toward Garp's abdomen. Garp countered with his own rising knee. The two knees collided with a dull thud, the impact scattering the surrounding dust once more!

Without missing a beat, the moment the strike landed, they each pulled back several meters. Roger swung his longsword forward. Garp, Haki still coating his hand, pressed down on the blade without hesitation.

Then came the rapid exchange—a flurry of movement so fast, their figures blurred into streaks of light and shadows. In that narrow space of just a few meters, they clashed dozens of times in an instant!

Even with Observation Haki, Ortoren couldn't fully track their movements. He was a little shocked—Rayleigh hadn't stepped in to help Roger. Instead, he took the opportunity to retreat, dragging Shanks and Buggy with him. He didn't even look back—just bolted!

Damn... is it pirate tradition for the captain to cover the retreat?

Ortoren hesitated for a moment, then decided to stay and watch. He had no intention of chasing Rayleigh.

At a time like this, going after him would be suicidal. Earlier, without external threats, Rayleigh had no killing intent and was just toying with him. But now? If Ortoren got in his way, Rayleigh definitely wouldn't go easy anymore. He might actually kill him!

Besides, this was a clash between two true top-tier powerhouses, going all out. When would he ever get another chance to witness this? Ortoren wished he had more eyes just to take it all in. There was no way he'd waste that chance by chasing Rayleigh!

At the same time, Ortoren noticed a large number of Marines helping civilians evacuate from the area. At this rate, the place would be cleared out in just a few minutes.

Knowing Garp's character, he probably hadn't been fighting with full force yet, still holding back because of the people around.

Sure enough, as soon as the last civilian was evacuated, the Marines fired a signal flare into the sky.

Then Ortoren saw Garp launch himself off the ground, soaring dozens of meters into the air.

"Galaxy Divide!" Garp roared, slamming a fist down from the sky!

Ortoren froze. Wait—I'm still here! I haven't even gotten out yet!

In an instant, the Haki around Garp's fist spread like a starry galaxy across the sky, then came crashing down with full force!