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Close-quarters combat—there was nothing quite like it to get the blood pumping.
Arthur's lightning attacks, unless amplified to their maximum voltage, were ineffective against truly powerful opponents.
Not only could those with advanced Observation Haki predict his attacks before he even launched them—even Kuzan had forced him into close combat. And Armament Haki was enough to nullify most standard attacks.
Armament Haki—an invisible armor, amplifying both offense and defense.
Arthur wasn't sure how much it amplified offensive power, as almost every strong fighter in the New World used it. Garp, having trained his fists on mountains, always coated his attacks with Haki.
But its defensive capabilities...that was a mystery.
How much damage could Armament Haki absorb? How effectively could it neutralize an attack?
Arthur's lightning, unless amplified to extreme voltages, was easily blocked—like Akainu's magma.
Against Garp, he'd unleashed the full fury of his lightning, a power that would incapacitate most—the electric current searing muscles, causing agonizing pain and numbness, constricting airways, disrupting heartbeats, and starving the brain of oxygen.
At high enough voltages, it could even melt rock into magma. Yet, Garp had emerged relatively unscathed, his hands merely scorched.
It was baffling...
How much force could Haki deflect? Even Vegapunk would probably be stumped, muttering about the impossible physics.
The human body, generating such power, bypassing the limitations of flesh and bone—It defied logic.
Arthur wasn't the only one who'd pondered this—
Countless others, over the centuries, had sought to understand the secrets of Haki—but its true nature remained elusive, a mystery even Vegapunk couldn't unravel.
——
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
The bar shook, the air vibrating from the force of their blows as Arthur and Roger traded punches, their fists colliding like thunder. Half of Risky Red Island lay in ruins, the other half protected by the combined Haki of the onlookers.
"Rayleigh, Captain Roger... He's pushing himself too hard." Shanks's face was creased with worry.
Roger's health was failing. They all knew it—his crew, his closest confidants.
This fight would shorten his already limited time.
"Shanks—A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do... Even if it kills him—He makes his choices and lives with them. That's what it means to be a man." Rayleigh, his gaze fixed on the battle, though sharing Shanks' concern, wouldn't interfere.
"The captain has made his decision. We follow him—to the ends of the earth, if necessary."
Rayleigh, Gaban, and the others chuckled, their loyalty—their unwavering faith in their captain—absolute.
These were men who would gladly die for Roger—And this might be his last true battle. They wouldn't deny him this—one last glorious fight.
Shanks, though not fully understanding, nodded.
He absorbed every word, every action, every lesson Roger taught him, shaping his own future path.
Buggy, however, was oblivious, his mind elsewhere, dreaming of treasure.
——
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their fists continued to clash, the earth cracking, the island crumbling.
"You're strong, kid! You weren't this strong when we met on Sabaody!" Roger grinned, his feet digging deep furrows in the earth, his voice filled with genuine excitement.
Arthur, sent flying by the impact, hadn't activated his Isolation Field. He couldn't afford to waste the stamina.
His muscles trembled from the force of the blow—but the fire in his eyes hadn't diminished. Fighting the strongest man in the world—this was his dream, his passion. The thrill of it resonated through his very being.
"You're the strong one, Roger. I couldn't fight Garp at my full strength—his punches are too monstrous. I had to rely on my Devil Fruit. But this...this is the most exhilarating fight I've ever had."
"Your Rumble-Rumble Fruit—combined with your physical strength—it's impressive! But it's not enough to beat me. Your boasts of invincibility ring a bit hollow now, don't they?" Roger grinned, his red coat billowing in the wind, his body coiled and ready.
Arthur laughed.
"It's not over yet! Not even close!" He gathered his power, his body flickering with lightning as he transformed into his Thunder God form, his massive leg slamming downwards like a lightning bolt.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The impact shook the earth, the air exploding around it.
"That all you got? You're going to lose." Roger raised his Haki-clad left arm, blocking the attack, his right hand seizing Arthur's massive leg.
With a twist of his body and a grunt of effort, Roger lifted Arthur's massive form and slammed it into the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A cloud of dust and debris erupted, Arthur's body disappearing into the massive crater created by the impact.
Moments later—Arthur emerged from the dust cloud, his clothes—except for his pants—shredded, his hair matted with dirt, his powerful muscles rippling as he moved—his enhanced physique on full display.
Though outwardly unharmed, the impact had rattled his internal organs.
"Not strong enough. Not even close to Garp's level." Arthur, unfazed by his disheveled appearance, assessed the damage.
He hadn't neglected his electromagnetism-enhanced training, using every spare moment to push his physical limits. His strength rivaled those who dedicated their lives to physical conditioning.
"A Rumble-Rumble Fruit user...with that kind of physique...impressive." Roger, though surprised, wasn't intimidated.
A powerful Devil Fruit user needed a strong body to withstand the stamina drain of their abilities.
Kizaru, often chastised by Zephyr for neglecting his physical training, his focus on his Devil Fruit—was still incredibly strong.
"I told you, Roger. If you want to defeat me, you have to incapacitate me. And you—you can't do that!" Arthur's voice dripped with arrogant confidence.
He surged forward, lightning crackling around him, his aura exploding outwards—a predator unleashed, his gaze locked onto his prey.
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