One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

Sage couldn't see Haki, but he could feel it. When his attack connected with Garp, although his fist made contact with his body, there was a clearly perceptible, indefinable layer, like hardened armor, but far more than that.

Against such a being protected by Haki, his Secret Acupoint techniques were useless. It wasn't that he couldn't break through Haki's defense; after all, Haki wasn't omnipotent, not an absolute, impenetrable barrier. It could be depleted and broken.

But this old man's Haki… that was a different story.

However— "Hmph!"

Sage exhaled a plume of white breath, his feet shifting, instantly vanishing from his spot. His monstrous form appeared in the air above Garp, his fists clenching, the air crackling with the force. He slammed down on Garp's shoulders with a ferocious blow.

Bang! Garp's feet sank into the bridge, plunging to his knees. The attack ended, Sage swiftly retracted his hands. His body didn't pause in the air for a moment; he swept a leg across Garp's head. The immense impact force pulled Garp outwards, sending him flying off the bridge.

Haki couldn't negate impact force; that was the result of raw power.

Sage unleashed the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique at one hundred percent of his power. The increase in strength was immense. Although he lacked Haki, it didn't mean he was without any means of counterattack.

"Puhahahaha! What terrifying power!"

Laughter echoed from beyond the bridge. Garp, one hand gripping the edge, exerted a slight effort and leaped back onto the bridge.

"My turn, old man!"

As he leaped, Garp's form flickered, and he swiftly moved above Sage. His massive fist rose high, and he roared with laughter, "You little troublemaker, you must receive a lesson! Taste this old man's loving iron fist!"

Sage's pupils constricted. He felt the immense power contained in that fist. Instinctively, he tried to dodge, but his feet had barely moved when the fist was already before him.

Boom!!

A huge dent was blasted into the bridge, sending debris flying. Sage's eyes rolled back, and he spat blood, his body slammed into the crater by the force of the blow.

"Puhahahaha! Have you felt this old man's regret for the young?!" Garp laughed heartily.

In that instant, Sage's eyes refocused, flashing with ferocity. His feet jabbed fiercely into Garp's abdomen, lifting him into the air. Simultaneously, his body swiftly rose, executing a Moonwalk, closing the distance in the air, his fists like phantoms, hammering into Garp's body.

This old man's fists were terrifying; he couldn't be hit! Each of Sage's punches attempted to channel the unique force of the Big Dipper Fist into Garp's vital points, but the opponent seemed to anticipate them. The strange sense of obstruction wasn't covering his entire body; it moved around his body with Sage's rapid attacks.

No matter how fast his fists were, he couldn't break through that barrier.

Haki!

Slap! When another punch struck Garp's face, Garp caught his fist. In mid-air, he slowly moved Sage's fist, revealing his grinning face.

"Had enough, kid?"

"Not yet!"

Bang! Sage launched a kick, hooking Garp's neck. His body flipped in the air, launching Garp like a cannonball downwards. "Moonwalk!"

Sage's feet left two smoke rings in the air as he ascended. His hands whirled in a circle, a bang resonating as he clenched the air in his fists, his legs kicking out in the air.

"Comet!"

His monstrous body descended like a comet from the sky, directly impacting the ground-bound Garp. As he approached, he spread his fists, one above and one below, aiming for Garp's chest.

"Six King Gun: Heaven-Shattering Slaughter!!"

A massive shockwave accompanied Sage's fists slamming into Garp's body. The intense impact caused Garp to shudder, and he actually spat out a mouthful of blood.

Boom!!! A section of the bridge beneath Garp trembled under the shockwave, radiating a visible wave of air outwards, causing Bogart's cloak to flutter. He looked down at the bridge in disbelief.

The entire section of the bridge was covered in cracks from the impact.

The great bridge was cracked.

Heaven-Shattering Slaughter was a long-range attack technique from the Big Dipper Fist, using Fighting Qi to attack the opponent's Secret Acupoints from a distance. It possessed immense power, but Sage didn't use Fighting Qi.

Fighting Qi was Haki, something Sage had never had the conditions to develop, but he mastered the Six Styles.

The Navy Six Styles also explored the mysteries of the human body. After mastering all Six Styles, Sage, whose mastery of the body had reached its peak, naturally mastered techniques beyond the Six Styles.

One was Life Return, and the other was this technique, which combined the Six Styles to unleash shockwaves.

He didn't have Haki, but he could still unleash shockwaves. Combining it with the Big Dipper Fist's Heaven-Shattering Slaughter allowed him to use the shockwave's wide range to quickly destroy the enemy's Secret Acupoints.

He used this technique to break through the opponent's Haki! "More!"

After the attack landed, Sage raised his fist again, ready to strike Garp again.

Slap!!

At that moment, a fist shot up from below, smashing into Sage's jaw, sending him flying and causing the surrounding air to explode. The powerful punch made Sage wince.

Slap. Still suspended in the air, Sage felt his legs stiffen. Looking down, he saw that his legs were grasped by Garp.

The old man rose from the crater, grinning at Sage. "Interesting kid, your martial arts skills are incredibly powerful! You've mastered the Six Styles to this extent… Come quietly with this old man!"

He swung his arm downwards, slamming Sage to the ground, creating another crater, then quickly moved, swinging his fist.

The massive fist approached Sage's head, enlarging in his vision, like a giant meteorite falling from the sky, filling his entire field of vision.

If he was hit, the consequences would be dire. Sage couldn't take another blow like that, at least not fully.

He had a strange feeling that if this fist hit his face squarely, it would render him incapable of resistance.

He could even see a strange black aura on the fist!

"Bone Fist!"

"Hmph!!"

When the fist was only an inch from Sage, Sage roared, his powerful shout like thunder, momentarily stunning Garp.

The Qi Shout technique! In that instant, Sage unleashed a punch, smashing into Garp's face.

"Heaven-Destroying Fist!"

Boom!!! Garp's fist hammered into Sage's head, the downward force crushing his face. The surrounding crater deepened, and the already cracked bridge trembled.

Garp was also hit squarely in the face by Sage's punch, his face caving in. His body flew high into the air under the impact force, flying far away. Just as he was about to hit the ground, his body paused, landing steadily.

Blood flowed from Garp's nose and mouth. He grimaced, his pupils constricting, his chest bulging as he coughed up a large clot of thick blood. Then he rubbed his face and laughed heartily:

"It has the feel of a King's Fist, but without the charge-up, and with that unique internal destructive technique. Puhahahaha, this old man is injured too! You're a monster!"

Sage staggered to his feet, spitting out blood. His monstrous form began to shrink, gradually returning to his original physique.

The Big Dipper Heaven-Destroying Fist was a technique that concentrated all his strength into a single blow. He couldn't dodge Garp's fist, but he wouldn't let Garp hit him fully.

This punch was enough to send Garp flying.

Although the fist did connect, and even hit the Secret Acupoints on his face, with the blood Garp spat out, the Secret Acupoint effect disappeared.

That powerful physique and level of Haki were too difficult to deal with! "Don't be ridiculous! You're the monster!" he roared ferociously.