One Piece: The Arm of Fate

"Hahahaha, I got it!"

The smoke slowly dissipated. Garp stepped forward, his figure revealed. The front of his shirt had already been blasted open, exposing a muscular chest that defied his age.

He tore off the tattered clothing, his bronze skin and rippling muscles gleaming with a metallic luster.

"Good one, kid!"

The old man touched his slightly sunken chest and burst into laughter, white teeth shining in the sun. "That punch packed some power!"

"Your body is obviously tougher!"

Shano sneered. "That same move killed Crocodile. For you, it only caused surface damage."

"No way!"

Garp bellowed, clearly dissatisfied. "You used internal destruction with Armament Haki in that punch! That's some technique—I feel like my organs got scrambled!"

"This kind of pain shouldn't be mine alone!"

Swish!

Before he finished speaking, Garp's figure vanished.

Shano's pupils contracted sharply. His Observation Haki screamed danger, but—too late.

"Sink to the bottom of the sea!"

With a shout, Garp caught Shano's right arm mid-guard and flung him into the air. In a flash, Garp appeared beside him—his other fist already charged with massive Haki—and slammed it downward into Shano's abdomen.

BOOM!!!

The power was even greater than before!

Though Shano coated himself in Armament Haki at the last second, he was blasted away like a cannonball!

He carved out hundreds of meters of trenches in the ice before breaking straight through and plunging into the sea.

100 meters.

300 meters.

500 meters...

It wasn't until over 900 meters deep that Shano finally stopped.

The sun didn't reach this far. Darkness closed in like ink.

He floated in the icy depths, the roar of blood in his ears. Looking down, he saw the black sheen of his collapsed Haki and the red gashes all over his skin.

Garp's internal destruction had surpassed his own.

Outwardly, the skin seemed intact, but within—his stomach and intestines had twisted like they were run through a meat grinder.

"Damn old man... loves counterattacks too much!"

He grinned through clenched, bloody teeth. The cold water stabbed at his wounds—but his heartbeat only grew stronger.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each beat sent out visible pulses, creating expanding vacuum rings in the ocean!

"But this level..."

Shano raised his head. His legs bent like compressed springs—

"...is not enough!!!"

BOOM!

The currents beneath his feet exploded. Shano launched upward like a torpedo fired from the depths!

300 meters...

200...

100...

BANG!!!

He tore through the ice in a massive water pillar, launching high into the air!

Sunlight cut through the mist, shining on his soaked figure. Heat steamed off him in waves.

Garp squinted upward—and met the youth's fierce, gleaming eyes. They both grinned.

"I say, you're taking this too seriously, old man?"

Shano spit out bloody saliva with shards of ice, wiped his mouth, and stood proud—fighting spirit burning in his eyes.

"This is the only proper way to fight someone like you, brat!"

Garp cracked his fists, laughter booming. "Go all out, kid! Show me what you've got!"

"Gladly."

Shano's smile widened. "That's exactly what I wanted."

Buzz—

In the next instant, both vanished!

"Finger Gun – Ripple Barrage!"

Shano's hands blurred into afterimages, launching dozens of ripple-charged Armament strikes like a storm.

Garp didn't dodge. His fists answered with a sky full of counter-punches—every blow collided perfectly with Shano's, each impact ringing with thunder.

"Useless! Useless! USELESS!!!"

Garp lunged forward, cocking his fist—"Let's try this!"

"Iron Fist!!!"

Even before it landed, the wind pressure warped Shano's face. He leapt back using Moon Step and raised his leg—Armament Haki flowing like a tide.

"Storm Kick – Ripple Meteorite!"

BOOM!!!

The leg and fist clashed, rippling with Armament-infused shockwaves!

Black lightning cracked all around them. The ice beneath instantly vaporized, revealing surging seawater. Garp's fist stalled for a moment—Shano took that gap, formed a knife-hand with his left, and struck for the throat.

Puff!

He hit—his fingers stabbing into Garp's neck—but stopped just shy of the larynx.

His wrist was caught mid-motion by a crushing grip.

Garp grinned inches from his face:

"Caught you again, brat!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Shano was slammed into the ice repeatedly—each strike creating a quake-like explosion.

But before it could go further, Shano curled up, locking Garp's arms with his legs, and twisted violently—

Snap!

With a bone-grinding crack, Garp's right arm bent unnaturally.

"You planned this?"

Garp winced in pain—then realized, "So you lured me into that grab?"

"No shit!"

Shano grinned, slipped free, and slammed an elbow straight into Garp's face.

BANG!

Blood gushed from Garp's nose—but he laughed again.

"What a terrifying brat! No wonder those old fogeys are uneasy! Then... try this!"

CRACK!!

Garp headbutted him like a battering ram!

Shano returned it with his own forehead.

BOOM!

The skull-on-skull crash echoed. Both men stumbled—then surged forward again—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Fists and feet blurred like a storm. The sky darkened with Armament black flashes.

The vast ice field cracked. The sea swirled into a massive vortex under the impact!

"So refreshing! Hahahaha!"

Garp's laughter turned feverish. "It's been YEARS since someone let me go all out like this!"

No flashy Devil Fruits. No swordsmen.

Just fists and will.

"This is the real romance of the sea!!!"

"Bogart! Move the warship!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral!"

On the warship, the Marines, seasick and bruised from the shockwaves, burst into action, retreating with tearful gratitude.

"Nami! You too!"

Shano turned and shouted.

Once both ships retreated—

The two warriors locked eyes.

Garp twisted his neck—his bones popping like firecrackers.

"Ready, brat? This last move... don't hold back."

"Come!"

With a thought, Shano released his Paper Art Warrior form.

He returned to his true form—a towering 4.2 meters, weighing over 800kg—muscles flowing with power and grace.

BOOM.

One step shook the weakened ice.

"Ohhh?!"

Garp's eyes sparkled. "That's your real body?! So that's it! I was wondering why you shrank!"

"It's Life Return."

Shano smiled. "I've mastered full control over my body."

"Impressive."

Garp chuckled. "But if you're bringing your best... I won't hold back either!"

Crack—!

His right fist pulled back—muscles bulged, veins swelled.

Bari bari bari...

Black and red lightning crackled.

Conqueror's Haki infusion!

Shano licked his lips. Excitement filled his blood.

He'd never faced Conqueror's Haki before—but it didn't matter.

Now, nothing could knock him down!

"Fist Bone Impact!!!"

CRACKKK!!!

Garp's punch ripped the air—twisting space itself. Even before touching, the sea split open in a vacuum tunnel down to the ocean floor!

"Come on!!!"

Shano charged forward. Both fists fused with ripple energy and Armament Haki, flaming like comets.

"Elbaf's Spear—Weiguo: Reforged!!!"

A new move—combining ripple energy and Giant technique!

Even stronger than the original Elbaf strike!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The sea floor below fractured layer by layer.

BOOM—!!!

Their fists collided.

Time stopped.

The air ruptured. Black lightning rose into the heavens like a dragon—clouds shredded into giant rings.

The ice field shattered. Water spouted to the sky. A white mist engulfed everything.

"Wooahhh!!"

Even kilometers away, the ships rocked violently. Marines clung to railings, masts creaked, chaos reigned.

"This is too much!!"

Nami hugged Gin, pale-faced. "He's fighting that monster on even terms?!"

"You've got it backwards," muttered Smoker. "Captain Shano's the monster!"

Fighting Garp—Vice Admiral Garp!—with just physical skills?

And he's only 18!?

"Is this... the highest level of battle...?"

Robin whispered, stunned.

In her arms, Nuomizi trembled, peeking out—only to see Ah Yin give her a judging stare.

Grr! I want to grow strong too!

Nuomizi glared back, her small body glowing faintly, like something was awakening...

But everyone's eyes were still fixed on the battlefield.

...

The storm passed. The mist faded.

The battlefield lay in ruins.

Garp lay sprawled on a slab of ice, breathing heavily, blood staining his chest. His cloak was shredded, face pale—but eyes bright, a smile curling his lips.

Shano was worse.

Half submerged, his right arm mangled, bone piercing skin. Blood dyed the sea around him.

Left hand twisted, fingers broken. Chest torn open—skin split to muscle, even the beating heart faintly visible through the thin membrane.

"Hu... ho..."

His breath was ragged. Blood foam bubbled at his lips.

Still, across the ice, he met Garp's gaze.

"Hahaha! Brat... still standing?"

Shano snorted—and slowly, shakily, stood up.

He wobbled... but straightened.

"Stop that!" Garp barked. "You'll kill yourself—huh?"

He froze.

Gurgle—

The bone in Shano's arm realigned. Muscles stitched together.

His chest wound closed—skin regrew rapidly.

Even the near-fatal crack healed in seconds.

"...What the hell?"

Garp sat up in shock.

No Devil Fruit. No immortality tricks.

Just... terrifying self-healing.

"Haha!"

Garp burst out laughing. "Interesting! Very interesting! Your bloodline must be something else!"

"What bloodline? It's all sweat and hard work!"

Shano flexed his healed arm, grinning. "Still want to go?"

"Tch. Monster..."

Garp stood, dusting off ice. "No more. If we keep going, my bones might fall apart."

"Don't pretend, old man."

Shano scoffed. That last punch was truly his full power—and he only barely blocked it.

Garp still had plenty of energy left.

But Shano...

His regeneration took everything. He was running on empty.

If Nami punched him now—

No, even Nokigao might knock him out.

He was totally spent.

...

The clouds split apart, sunlight spilling onto the ruined field. Sparkling mist danced in the wind.

The two sat cross-legged on the ice.

"Hahaha! That was a great fight!"

Garp laughed heartily, then reached into his pants.

Bogart facepalmed as Garp pulled out a wrinkled document and tossed it to Shano.

"Business time. Read this."

Shano kicked it into the water, waited for it to float, then picked it up and shook it dry.

It was a gold-stamped document with the World Government emblem.

"Warlord of the Sea Agreement."

Inside were the standard terms: amnesty, looting rights, tax exemptions, Navy support...

But also—an extra blank clause.

The Government allowed Shano to write in one custom request.

As long as it wasn't outrageous, they'd approve.

A rare gesture to win him over.

Shano raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad, huh?"

Garp grinned. "Sign it, and you're free. No more hatred, no more hiding. Sail the sea openly."

Shano closed the document, looked at Garp, and smiled.

"Sail the sea openly?"