Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Garp: It's My Turn Again, Isn't It?
It's true—today's sparring session with Gion really woke Wood up. He had assumed that with his current strength, which was on par with the young Admirals, he would naturally be a significant figure on the seas in the years to come. However, he overlooked one crucial fact: even if he can match the likes of Aokiji now, it doesn't mean he'll still be able to do so ten years down the line.
Wood's journey from an ordinary individual to his current level relied heavily on the system's support and his own relentless effort. The brutal training behind the Naval Academy and the daily combat exercises with prisoners at Impel Down, combined with the system's help and his own determination, had finally forged his current power, comparable to the young Admirals.
But when Wood carefully reflected on the past, he realized that ever since completing the "Multiverse Simulation System," he had been somewhat complacent. Although he never skipped his daily training, he spent most of the last six months easily defeating weaker opponents across the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.
In contrast, after her defeat at his hands, Gion had taken the loss to heart and rigorously improved herself. Not only did she address her weaknesses, but she also took on various dangerous missions from headquarters, constantly battling powerful pirate crews in the New World.
Gion was a natural talent, and with such intense training, it was no surprise that the gap between her and Wood had steadily narrowed. The sudden surge in Gion's strength also made Wood realize that if Gion, who is at the same level as Momousagi, could achieve such explosive growth, then couldn't Aokiji and others do the same?
The mere possibility left Wood unsettled. He had always thought that with his current strength, he could take things step by step and eventually retire in peace. But now, it seemed the future held far too many uncertainties!
If Gion could continuously grow stronger, then it stood to reason that the Admirals could do the same. In other words, if Wood didn't continue to push himself, he could end up as nothing more than someone else's stepping stone.
Having once again narrowly lost to Wood, Gion was initially quite frustrated. She was about to follow tradition and drop a few harsh words, swearing to defeat him next time. However, she was left speechless when she noticed that Wood, despite winning, looked even more downcast than she, the loser.
"Hey, what's the deal? You won, but you're still wearing a sour face. I'm the one who lost, not you, Major Wood. What are you so upset about?" Gion asked, clearly annoyed. It was supposed to be her who needed comforting, but now she had to console the annoying guy who had just beaten her.
"I'm not upset, just reflecting on how true geniuses really are in a league of their own," Wood replied with a tone of admiration.
Hearing this, Gion, who had just organized her thoughts to offer him some words of comfort, felt a vein pop on her forehead. Without hesitation, she delivered a swift, powerful chop to Wood's head, then spun around gracefully and walked away.
She had to leave; Wood was just too infuriating. Not only did he win, but he also had the nerve to subtly insult her! If she stayed any longer, she feared their sparring match might escalate into a fight to the death.
"Honestly, what was I thinking? How could someone like Wood ever be downhearted?" she thought to herself. She had intended to console him, but instead, she ended up getting more frustrated.
Unbeknownst to Gion, she had misunderstood Wood's earlier comment. When Wood spoke of "true geniuses," he was referring to her, but Gion thought he was talking about himself, implying that no matter how hard she tried, she could never catch up to him, the "true genius."
Because of Gion's rapid rise in power, Wood, naturally cautious, began to feel anxious again. However, he was perhaps worrying too much. Gion, who would one day become the future Vice Admiral Momousagi, might not necessarily be directly comparable in strength to Aokiji and the others.
Due to Wood's unpredictable influence, the current Gion was already far stronger than her counterpart at the same point in the original storyline.
Regarding this, Garp was one of the most qualified people to speak. Akainu and Kizaru were already practically predetermined to be future Admirals by headquarters, and their strength had naturally been personally tested by Sengoku and Garp.
Based on the level Gion and Wood displayed in their recent battle, they were already on par with Aokiji during his evaluation years ago. Until today, Garp had never imagined that Gion's strength had quietly grown to such an extent.
Aokiji and the others were already Vice Admirals, while Gion was still just a Rear Admiral. Garp thought that perhaps it was time to have a word with Sengoku about this.
Indeed, in terms of age, Gion was likely much younger than Akainu and the others, but in terms of achievements, strength, and character, she was in no way inferior.
The Marine headquarters usually had only three Admiral positions, but this was not set in stone. As long as Gion could demonstrate enough value in terms of strength, it wasn't impossible for her to become the fourth Admiral in the future—and the first female Admiral at that.
As Garp walked over to the side, he picked up the justice cloak and vest that Wood and Gion had thrown to the ground. Gion's justice cloak was heavy, but when he lifted Wood's vest, Garp was taken aback—it was so heavy that he couldn't easily lift it with one hand.
This thing must weigh several tons, maybe even as much as a small ship. And Wood had been fighting Gion while wearing this the entire time?
Wait! This kid was even wearing it during their previous confrontation when he forced Garp to retreat!
Realizing this, Garp was no longer calm. Originally, Sengoku and Garp had believed that Garp, the Marine Hero, had been holding back in their fight. But now it seemed that the one holding back was actually Wood.
Garp, after all, was a man of some reputation, and he had always seen himself as Wood's elder. Remembering how he had praised Wood's progress with such satisfaction earlier, Garp couldn't help but blush.
"Wood, if you can defeat Gion, then it's my turn next. After all, we were sent by the World Government to capture you, a traitor. If we don't do anything, how can we report back to Sengoku?" Garp mused.
Did Garp really care about Sengoku's opinion? Clearly not. Garp just wanted to save face, using his fists to reclaim his authority as an elder.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 300+ at pat_reon.com/Betek.
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