One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

Sage, propelled by a violent impact, skidded along the ground of the Bridge, carving a trench in the earth, with debris flying in all directions until he finally came to a stop ten meters away.

In that instant, Sage sprang up like a carp, gritting his teeth and shouting, "You bastard!"

But in a moment, his pupils constricted as he beheld the imposing figure revealed by the dissipating smoke.

The figure was tall and broad-chested, with a muscular build that the white suit could not conceal. The cape behind him billowed in the wind, one hand in his pocket and the other clenched into a fist, topped with a Dog Head Hat that obscured the upper half of his face, but the menacing grin was clearly visible.

Sage slightly hunched his body, narrowing his eyes, "Garp."

He wasn't surprised to see Garp; he had already known who was coming when Renetia had warned him earlier.

What astonished him was the seamless, flawless aura emanating from this man!

Sage was a master of assassination techniques, having studied the human body to its extremes. While he lacked the convenience of Observation Haki, he could still assess a person's strength with the naked eye.

From the gray-white beard, it was clear this guy was an old man.

But in Sage's eyes, this old man was terrifyingly strong! "Navy hero, what are you doing here in the mere East Sea instead of the New World?" Sage asked coldly.

"Does a pirate care about the Navy? But you, kid, have done quite a bit, huh? Hahaha, you've managed to eliminate a few nuisances!" Garp laughed heartily.

"Vice Admiral Garp!"

A serious voice rang out from the other side of the Bridge, revealing a hawk-nosed man wearing a hat, sweat visible on his face. "You can't say that, Vice Admiral."

Sage glanced over, his pupils narrowing again.

This man seemed formidable as well; just a glance at his sharp aura made Sage's eyes ache.

A swordsman? "Ah, let's forget about that."

Garp scratched his head, cracking his knuckles, "In any case, kid, if you keep this up, the World Government will lose face. You might as well come along with me."

Sage moved his limbs, exhaling, "That's not happening. I'm not planning to become a prisoner just yet, and I'm quite satisfied with my men here. It wouldn't sit right to just leave."

This was the first time he had recruited subordinates so smoothly.

The men on his ship, each one of them had come from invading kingdoms; even the ordinary ones had taken down a captain to join him.

Now that he had found a suitable source of manpower, and without needing to exert much effort—just breaking the bridge would allow him to take them away—such an opportunity wouldn't come again.

He could always find another chance to escape, but he could also run away!

With Garp and the hawk-nosed man blocking the path between him and his ship, if he tried to flee, they would definitely work together to stop him.

They wouldn't let him leave so easily.

"Hahaha, I only need to catch you, don't worry about Bogart making a move."

Garp noticed Sage's gaze and laughed, "I heard you took down Ennio; let me see what you're made of!"

Whoosh! As soon as he finished speaking, his massive figure vanished from the spot, causing Sage's pupils to constrict as his body twisted and moved strangely.

Bang! A gigantic fist struck Sage's chest with incredible force, sending him flying. At the same time, Garp's massive form appeared above him, fist poised to smash down.

Sage suddenly sank down, pressing his body against the ground, and with both hands, he pushed off the ground, executing a vacuum slash with a kick that struck Garp's abdomen as he descended.

Garp's fist crashed into the ground, creating a dent, and as it came down, Sage slipped away like an eel, using his hands to support himself, flipping over to Garp's side, his legs coming down like a cleaver, striking heavily at Garp's head.

Bang! The kick caused Garp's legs to buckle, his upper body sinking slightly. Sage seized the opportunity to slide forward, positioning himself above Garp, hands forming knife strikes, eyes glinting with cold light, aiming directly for his temple.

Big Dipper Crushing Finger! And Finger Gun!

Such a powerful physique might not even be affected by pressure points. Although Sage had considerable strength and destructive power, he dared not let his guard down against such a strong opponent; he needed to use every means at his disposal.

Slap! Just as his fingers were about to touch Garp's temple, it felt as if something had grabbed his legs.

Garp had caught Sage's sliding foot, turning his head to flash a toothy grin.

Bang!!

Sage quickly vanished from above Garp, only to be slammed down hard into the ground, leaving a human-shaped imprint.

The violent impact made Sage's throat taste blood, and he couldn't help but spit some out from the corner of his mouth.

Huff! But before he could react, that massive fist came crashing down again.

Sage gritted his teeth, clenching his fist and striking back at that incoming punch.

Boom! The fists collided, and Sage's body sank again, causing the surrounding debris to momentarily freeze in the air.

With his other hand, Sage quickly struck Garp's outstretched arm several times, his body rising as he wrapped his legs around Garp's arm and neck, flipping down hard, causing Garp to stagger.

He didn't fall completely, but that was to be expected; Sage didn't want to admit it, but he and this old man were not on the same level!

However, taking advantage of that moment of staggering, Sage swiftly escaped from under Garp's fist, his legs becoming a blur as he struck Garp's body repeatedly, his form pivoting around Garp's body, quickly disappearing and reappearing behind him.

"Ora ora ora!"

Big Dipper Hundred Crack Fist! His hands transformed into countless afterimages, rapidly striking Garp's back with a hundred blows. As the strikes ended, he flipped his body backward, one hand pressing against the ground, and with a kick, he hooked Garp's neck, bringing the staggering body crashing down.

Bang! The kick sent Garp's upper body crashing into the Bridge, burying his head into the ground. Immediately after, Sage stepped onto the air, creating a ring of smoke and air waves, leaping into the sky and landing on the distant ground.

"Huff."

He exhaled a breath of foul air, wiped the blood from his lips, and glared at the head buried in the ground, sneering, "How's that, old man!"

Crack. The surrounding debris trembled slightly as Garp's head emerged from the dent, sitting cross-legged on the ground, his Dog Head Hat having vanished, revealing a head of gray-white hair and a face with a scar over his left eye.

His chest was torn open with a large gash, and his collar was in tatters. He raised his right hand to inspect it, laughing heartily without a care, "Hahaha, very good Six Styles! Ennio must not have taught you this in battle, huh? You're truly a genius!"

Swoosh! Suddenly, a burst of blood erupted from his right hand and chest, and a large spray of blood erupted from his back, splattering everywhere.

The technique had taken effect!

However, Sage's eyes twitched as he saw Garp stand up without any delay, laughing loudly, "And this strange body technique can actually cause internal damage too, hahaha! The kids nowadays are truly terrifying!"

"Stop fucking joking!"

Sage's expression twisted in rage, "You're not hurt at all, are you?!"