Chapter 10: The Breaking Point
The air around the battlefield crackled with tension as Orlen's furious roar echoed across the island. Bloodied but undeterred, the pirate launched himself at Garp with renewed ferocity, his massive fists smashing into the ground and sending shockwaves rippling outward. Garp met his charge head-on, his punches thundering through the air with equal might.
The two titans clashed, the force of their battle shaking the very earth. Trees were uprooted, boulders shattered, and the island seemed to groan under the strain of their power. The surrounding Marines and pirates, caught in the fallout, scrambled for safety.
"Fall back!" Bogard shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos as he parried another swing from Zorath. The young Marines and Tenzin retreated toward the edge of the island with the other combatants, watching in awe as the terrain transformed into a warzone.
Garp's laughter boomed even amidst the destruction. "What's the matter, Orlen? I thought you were here for revenge!"
Orlen snarled, his disfigured face twisted with rage. "You think this is a joke, Garp? I'll make you pay for what you did to me!"
With a primal roar, Orlen unleashed a flurry of punches that shook the ground beneath them, but Garp dodged with ease, countering with a devastating blow to the pirate's torso. The impact sent Orlen crashing through a grove of trees, his body carving a path of destruction.
Meanwhile, Bogard's blade gleamed in the sunlight as he continued his duel with Zorath. The pirate, though skilled, found himself utterly outmatched by the Marine's precision and technique. Bogard's movements were fluid and deliberate, his strikes coming at angles that Zorath struggled to predict.
"You're skilled," Zorath admitted through gritted teeth, deflecting another strike, "but skill alone won't—"
Bogard interrupted him with a sudden feint, his blade grazing Zorath's cheek as he shifted position. "Talking won't save you either," Bogard replied coolly.
Zorath's confidence wavered as he realized he was being toyed with. His breathing grew heavier, and his grip on his blade tightened as he fought to keep up with the relentless Marine.
Back at the center of the battlefield, Orlen let out a guttural roar as he unleashed a devastating combination of haki-infused strikes. Each blow carried the weight of his unrelenting grudge, aiming to crush the man who had humiliated him.
But Garp, ever the indomitable warrior, stood firm. He dodged and countered with punches of his own, each one landing with the force of a cannonball.
"You're strong," Garp admitted, his grin never faltering. "But strength isn't enough against me, Orlen!"
Orlen snarled, veins bulging in his neck as he gathered his energy for one final, all-out attack. The air around him shimmered with heat as he raised both fists high above his head, channeling his power into a single, devastating strike.
"This ends now, Garp!" he screamed, slamming his fists down with all his might.
The ground beneath them shattered, the force of the blow creating a massive crater that consumed everything in its radius. For a moment, it seemed as though even Garp couldn't withstand the sheer magnitude of the attack.
But then, amidst the dust and debris, Garp's voice rang out like a clarion call.
"Galaxy Impact!"
From the depths of the crater, Garp's fist emerged, glowing with a brilliant, haki-infused light. The force of his punch collided with Orlen's attack, creating a shockwave so powerful that it tore through the island, sending massive waves crashing into the surrounding sea.
Orlen's form was blasted backward, his body skidding across the ground before coming to a halt, limp and unconscious. The once-mighty pirate who had terrorized the Grand Line now lay defeated, his grudge extinguished by Garp's overwhelming power.
The Marines and pirates who had retreated to the edge of the island stared in stunned silence as Garp emerged from the chaos, Orlen's unconscious body slung over his shoulder.
"Piece of cake," Garp muttered, his tone as casual as if he'd just finished a morning workout.
"Bogard!" Garp's voice carried over the battlefield. "Step back. I want to see what the boy can do."
Bogard hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He disengaged smoothly, stepping to the side with a curious glance at Tenzin.
Zorath frowned, his grip on his weapon tightening as Tenzin stepped forward. The boy was calm, his hands clasped as always, beads clicking softly with each step. He wore the same composed expression that had unnerved many before him, his eyes still closed as he walked toward the center of the battlefield.
Zorath's frown deepened as he lowered his blade slightly. "This... this is a joke, right?" he muttered, glancing at Garp. "He's just a kid. He hasn't... he hasn't even tasted battle."
Garp smirked, resting Orlen's body on the ground with a thud. "You scared, Zorath? You can back out if you want."
But Zorath wasn't scared. As he looked at Tenzin—his bald head, his serene expression, his hands clasped in prayer—he wasn't overcome by fear. Instead, memories of his own childhood flashed through his mind. He saw himself as a boy, wide-eyed and innocent, before the Marines had taken everything from him.
Zorath's grip on his blade faltered, and he lowered it entirely. His shoulders slumped as he exhaled heavily, a flicker of something human returning to his eyes.
"No," he said quietly, dropping his weapon to the ground with a clatter. "I'm done."
The pirates watching from the treeline gasped, and the Marines murmured in surprise. Garp raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting this outcome.
Zorath turned to face Garp. "You've already won. Take me in, or kill me if you want. But I'm not fighting a kid."
Tenzin opened his eyes briefly, meeting Zorath's gaze with a look of quiet understanding. Then, with a small nod, he clasped his beads again and stepped back.
Garp crossed his arms, his face unreadable for a moment before he broke into a grin. "Guess even pirates can have a conscience sometimes," he said, his tone half-teasing.
Bogard sheathed his blade, walking over to Zorath and securing him in cuffs. The battle was over, but the lingering tension remained as the Marines began their cleanup.