One Piece: Raijin

"Old man Garp truly is a legend of the sea!"

Though injured, Hippolyte D. Asa didn't feel discouraged in the slightest.

There was no shame in being bested by such an iconic figure.

Grinning, he said, "The speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is one of the fastest on the sea. I'm afraid taking me to Impel Down won't be so easy, Vice Admiral Garp! Thanks to you, I now understand the true gap between me and the top dogs of this world."

"Well then, see you later!"

Without hesitation, Asa turned away. His body dissolved into lightning and shot up into the blue sky, vanishing into the clouds.

"That kid ran away…"

Garp sighed, stepping onto the pier with a rare solemn expression. His gaze lingered in the direction Asa had disappeared.

"Marshal Kong was right. Someone this dangerous cannot be allowed to reach the New World..."

Marine Headquarters had already decided—Asa had to be intercepted at the Sabaody Archipelago. The World Government, still fuming over his theft of the Heavenly Tribute, saw this as the perfect chance to "kill the chicken to scare the monkeys."

Flying through the clouds, Asa coughed intermittently.

During the battle with Garp, he had been forced out of his elemental state multiple times. His internal organs had suffered slight damage, and each breath burned like fire.

Fortunately, he had eaten well before the fight, and combined with his absurd recovery ability and the electrotherapy technique he had developed in Upper Yard, his body was steadily healing.

"Time to put my Rumble-Rumble Fruit's electrotherapy to the test!"

As his body mended, Asa reflected on his encounter with Garp.

"I finally got to experience one of the strongest forces in the world. That was unreal."

Garp's raw power far surpassed that of CP0 and Kizaru. But rather than fear, Asa felt nothing but exhilaration.

The peak of strength was now visible—it wasn't some unattainable, fog-shrouded mystery. It was there, right before him.

If a mountain's summit is too high to see, a climber may lose motivation to even attempt the journey. But once the peak is visible, once the destination is known, all that remains is to ascend—step by step—until reaching the top.

His duel with Garp was not like staring at the moon through mist. He had fought, and though he had lost, he had also proven that he could wound the legend.

It reminded him of Bucky the Clown's reaction during the Paramount War—how the sight of an aged Whitebeard had reduced him to tears.

Fear.

True fear is not merely the knowledge that someone is stronger than you—it is standing so far below them that even looking up becomes unbearable.

Bucky would never become a true powerhouse because, in his heart, he had already accepted his inferiority.

But Asa?

He would never stop climbing.

Moving swiftly through the sky, Asa followed the mental map of the Grand Line he had memorized.

His injuries needed time to heal before reaching his next destination—Puki, the City of Food.

Arriving in a weakened state and encountering Garp again would be nothing short of suicide.

"With my 200-million-volt Thor Form, my initial mastery over electromagnetism, and my growing proficiency in Armament and Observation Haki, I should be at least on the threshold of admiral-level combat power, right?"

Back when he had first entered the Grand Line, his immense physical strength and raw control over the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had allowed him to injure CP0 and challenge Kizaru.

At the time, Kizaru had already been strong enough to take an admiral's place, bearing a codename. Within a few years, he had naturally ascended to the rank.

Now, Asa had grown stronger. His mastery over electromagnetism had deepened, and he had awakened his Haki. He was no longer the same fighter who had first stepped onto the Grand Line.

Marine Headquarters – Marineford

Inside the Marshal's Office, the air was heavy with tension.

"BOOM!!"

Kong's clenched fist slammed onto his desk, sending papers flying. The desk itself shattered under the force.

"What did you just say?!"

"You mean to tell me that even you couldn't take down Asa?!"

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Garp chuckled nonchalantly.

"Marshal Kong, that brat is ridiculously strong. And with lightning's speed? Catching him is damn near impossible. If he wants to escape, who's going to stop him?"

As he spoke, he lazily picked at his nose before continuing, "But I'll say this—Zephyr and Kizaru underestimated him. That brat's strength has already reached admiral level."

Kong's expression darkened.

"Admiral level??"

That changed everything.

He trusted Zephyr, Kizaru, and the others' previous assessments, but Asa's rapid growth was staggering. It was as if he grew stronger with each passing day.

"Yeah! That kid has taken the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's abilities to an insane level. He's even developed a combat form—he calls it Thor Form. When he activates it, his body becomes completely elemental. His size increases, and his body is wrapped in what looks like a lightning-formed armor. It's incredibly powerful!"

Garp took a bite of a rice cracker, the crunch echoing through the line.

"And that's not all," he added between bites. "Kizaru mentioned that Asa's fruit has awakened a new ability. I've seen it firsthand, and I swear it might be even more dangerous than lightning itself. When I punched him, it felt like my power was being neutralized by something. It's not an absolute defense, but it damn sure weakens incoming attacks."

The line fell silent.

Kong exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples.

"A pirate this strong at such a young age… he's an even bigger monster than any the Navy has seen before."

They could not let Asa reach the New World.

If they failed to stop him at Sabaody, he would only become more of a nightmare. Worse yet, the World Government's humiliation would set a dangerous precedent—pirates would grow bolder. Even the Heavenly Tribute ships might become regular targets.

"Roger has disappeared for now. We don't need to chase him anymore. Our priority is Asa."

"Garp, you'll lead the operation. Kizaru's speed will allow him to cut off Asa's escape routes. Tsuru will assist in attempting to cleanse his mind of his defiant thoughts. If Whitebeard doesn't move, we'll deploy Sengoku as well."

Kong's tone was absolute.

He would send their strongest forces to corner Asa. The World Government might even dispatch its own agents.

"This time, we take him down!"

Kong could not allow Asa to continue growing unchecked. The future of the New World was already turbulent enough.

"Heh, well, we'll do our best. But remember—he's alone, and he's damn slippery. Catching him won't be easy."

Kong sighed. Asa was an anomaly—no pirate should have this level of power at his age. Most 17-year-olds had only just set sail.

"Fine. Return to Marineford and prepare for a large-scale operation. We'll go all in this time."

"Hahahaha! Oh, and Marshal Kong? You might wanna increase his bounty. With a higher bounty, bounty hunters will track his movements for us."

Kong's brow twitched.

"Understood."

One Day Later – Puki, the City of Food

Asa had fully recovered.

Hovering in the sky, he gazed down at the island below.

Bustling streets, lively crowds, and an air of merriment filled the city.

Hundreds of ships packed the harbor—pirate ships, merchant vessels, and even Marine warships—all docked peacefully.

"The City of Food, huh?"

Asa smirked.

"This should be fun."

(End Of Chapter)

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