In the blink of an eye.
Xiano faintly sensed that the punch wasn't aimed at his head but rather at the space above his shoulder.
However.
The instinct honed through rigorous training and his absolute confidence in his own formidable physique made him react without hesitation. In an instant, he met the punch head-on with his own fist!
Boom!
Where their fists collided, the air rippled violently, producing a sharp, ear-piercing explosion. Both of them were sent flying backward by the shockwave.
However, Garp only took five or six steps back before coming to a steady stop.
Xiano, on the other hand, left two long trails in the ground as he slid over ten meters before finally regaining his footing.
"Huh?"
Garp looked up in surprise, pushing aside his dog-head hat as he couldn't help but scrutinize the black-haired youth before him.
"Kid! You're so young, yet you already have this kind of strength! Hey! Someone like you could make a name for yourself in the Grand Line. Why are you still stuck in the East Blue?"
His punch earlier was just a scare tactic, and he hadn't used much force.
But it wasn't something just anyone could withstand.
Not only had the kid taken it head-on, but he'd also managed to push Garp back several steps.
"Because I'm from the East Blue!" Xiano rolled his eyes. "I'm only fourteen. Why would I run off to the Grand Line so early instead of spending more time with my family?"
"Fourteen?!"
Luffy, who was standing nearby, gaped in shock. He had always thought that Xiano—no, big brother—was at least thirty!
"Grandpa!"
The little brat stood up, clearly annoyed. "What's the big idea? Big Brother Xiano is my friend! He's not a bad guy. Why did you just attack him like that?"
"This old man is your grandpa?" Xiano was stunned. "Then why did he stop me from saving you?"
"Shut up! Of course, I'm training this brat's survival skills!"
Garp snorted, his nostrils flaring as he casually punched Luffy into the ground. He then turned his gaze back to Xiano. "I didn't expect that just tagging along on Momonga's ship for a vacation back home, I'd run into a talent like you…"
"Hey, kid! I'm Garp. You've probably heard of me, right? How about joining the Marines under me? With your strength at fourteen, a few years of proper training, and you might even make it to Rear Admiral before you turn eighteen!"
"Garp?"
Xiano was momentarily stunned, his face paling in shock. "The legendary Marine hero Garp?! The one who saved an entire island of Celestial Dragons?!"
"Hahaha, that's right, it's me—" Garp had just started laughing when he heard the second half of Xiano's sentence.
His smile instantly froze on his face.
Back then, he had been dispatched by Kong to support the battle at God Valley, thinking the Celestial Dragons were just on some educational trip. Excited at the chance to catch Roger, he had rushed there without a second thought.
But after the grueling battle ended, he discovered the disgusting deeds those bubble-wearing pigs had been up to!
The battle against the Rocks Pirates had cemented his reputation as a Marine hero, but it had also left a deep scar on his soul.
From that day on.
He had refused any promotion to Admiral, ensuring he wouldn't have to take direct orders from the Celestial Dragons and become a slave to their whims.
Garp fell silent for a long time, his eyes shadowed as he stared at Xiano's face.
"You little brat..." The old man's tone was complex, "Seems like you know quite a bit. Could it be... that you're a survivor from that island?"
"No, and don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking you. I have great respect for Mr. Garp."
Xiano shook his head slightly, speaking earnestly, "But with that, you probably understand the answer to that question now, right? People like me can't stand being bound by rules and regulations. Joining the Navy? Just the thought of having to obey the Celestial Dragons' orders makes my skin crawl. It's unbearable."
"But..."
Garp instinctively wanted to argue, but scenes from over twenty years ago flashed through his mind. He sighed, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Exactly! Being a Navy soldier is so boring!"
Luffy struggled to poke his head out of the dirt pit, his mud-covered face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, "Big Brother Xiano, you should help me convince my grandpa too. He's only been back for a few days, and he's already been nagging about training me to be the strongest Marine. I've already told him, I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
"Still going on about being the Pirate King! Look at what that brat Red Hair has done!"
Garp was furious, delivering a solid punch to Luffy's head, "If I can't control this kid, I'll control you! You're my own grandson! If you dare become a pirate, I'll beat you to death!"
Thud!
"Ouch!!!"
Luffy clutched the massive bump on his head, yelling, "I'm a Gum-Gum Fruit user! Why does your fist hurt me?!"
Of course, it was because of Haki.
Xiano's sharp eyes noticed that the moment Garp threw the punch, a faint black aura enveloped his fist, though it disappeared in an instant. The force was perfectly controlled, clearly showing that Garp's mastery of Armament Haki had reached its peak.
——He was really envious.
"Want to learn?"
Garp seemed to notice his gaze and chuckled.
"If you really join the Navy and become my disciple, I'll teach you personally. But... ah, forget it, let's not talk about that."
The old man picked his nose casually, "Anyway, I've been itching for a fight since I returned to the East Blue. This brat Luffy can't take a beating. How about sparring with me for a bit? If you can satisfy my itch, I'll let the matter of you killing Nezumi slide."
"How do you know... Wait, you've known about me all along?"
Xiano suddenly realized something was off. Damn it, this old man, he's been putting on an act too!
"Of course, I've been lying on the deck reading the newspaper every day on my way back for vacation. It's hard not to see your face!"
Garp scoffed.
"As for that scumbag Nezumi, I went to Branch 16 with Momonga. The Marines there, from top to bottom, all insisted it was Buggy who did it. I thought something was off, so I did a little investigation in my spare time."
"Thanks to this face and reputation, I managed to get those Marines to open up to me. They secretly told me that just two days before the incident, Nezumi had taken them to your hometown to threaten you and tried to pocket the bounty for those Fish-men."
"With that information, isn't it obvious? I'm not an idiot!"
Garp grunted, flicking the booger he had just picked from his nose onto Luffy's bewildered face. "It's probably you who got back at Nezumi and then shifted the blame onto Buggy."
"Did you share this intel with Vice Admiral Momonga?" Xiano didn't deny it, instead grinning as he spoke.
"What's there to say? If he's got the skills, let him gather his own intel. Let's see if those marines who've been oppressed by Nezumi for a year will tell him the truth. Tsk, that scum deserved to die, bringing shame to the Navy. I was actually thinking of complimenting you."
Garp also burst into laughter, "And you covered your tracks well. There's no evidence, so what reason is there to arrest you? Besides, I'm here on vacation to relax, not to bother with all that!"
He suddenly clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Alright, Xiano, enough chit-chat. Are you willing to spar with me for a few rounds?"