"You may not be able to leave, Vane. There are countless zones on the sixth level of Impel Down, and I've taken down quite a few people down there myself," Garp said grimly, hurling another punch.

The ground exploded as Vane sidestepped the attack. Garp's fist smashed into the stone, leaving a massive crater more than ten meters wide. It was clear why Garp's raw physical strength was feared across the seas—very few in history had pushed physical combat to this level. If he wasn't the strongest, he was certainly among the top three.

Vane scoffed, his tone mocking. "You've captured Kaido multiple times, yet never managed to hold him in Impel Down."

Frankly, even if they had managed to bring Kaido there, he wouldn't have stayed imprisoned for long. As the second person in history to escape from Impel Down, his strength was undeniable.

The Seastone shackles couldn't suppress Kaido. Vane wasn't even sure if Kaido possessed a Devil Fruit power. After all, in Wano's history, there was a famed dragon-slaying samurai, and the blade Shusui—said to have slain a dragon—had become a national treasure. That meant dragons like Kaido existed in history, not necessarily as Devil Fruit users but as living creatures.

Beasts that ruled sea, land, and sky—even the Sea Kings paled in comparison.

"Kaido is an anomaly," Garp admitted.

Just as he finished speaking, Garp swung again. Vane met the strike head-on. Out of respect, he refrained from using his powers. This was a battle of fists—his raw strength against Garp's.

The impact of their punches shook the ground, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

Garp's fists went numb. It had been a long time since he fought this seriously—perhaps not since his battles with the Golden Lion. This young man, Vane, was a monster. Possessing such overwhelming strength at his age was terrifying.

"Garp," Vane spoke with a grin, "You've never liked the Celestial Dragons, have you? My little visit to Mary Geoise ended with quite a few of them dying. How does that sit with you?"

Vane laughed, completely unfazed by Garp's hostility. Ever since absorbing Uchiha Madara's power, he had become even stronger. Garp's fists might be numb, but Vane hadn't even unleashed his full strength. This was a warm-up—a prologue to a real fight.

Garp would explode soon enough.

With stamina to fight for days, Garp was relentless, but Vane didn't plan to drag things out.

"I don't care about the Celestial Dragons," Garp said coldly. "Especially not for scum like you. What I want to know is—what did you do to that Marine woman?"

His eyes darkened with fury.

This time, his punch landed squarely, knocking Vane back ten meters. But before Vane's feet hit the ground, he launched himself again, skimming the surface with incredible speed.

"Gion is mine now," Vane said bluntly. "She's chosen to stay with me."

Before Garp could react, Vane's fist erupted forward, smashing directly into his jaw.

"That punch…!" Garp's expression changed. He could feel the immense force behind it.

Vane's punch combined Armament Haki hardening with the sheer weight of his body's power. Garp reinforced himself with both Iron Body and hardened Haki.

Boom!

Garp was sent flying like a cannonball.

Kizaru, stationed more than fifty meters away, noticed the danger and blinked to intercept. But even he was knocked back when he caught Garp mid-air.

"W-What monstrous strength! I couldn't block it!" Kizaru said, panting.

Garp's jaw throbbed, his expression slightly pale. That blow had broken through his dual-layered defense. If he hadn't protected himself, the damage might have been devastating. Even with the body of a war-hardened soldier, he couldn't compare to beings like Kaido or Big Mom, whose physical forms defied human limits.

"He sent Garp flying over sixty meters!" Kizaru muttered, shocked.

"Vice Admiral Garp! Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'll live," Garp responded, shaking off the pain. "But that power—he hasn't even used his Devil Fruit abilities yet. He's a monster in both body and ability. We can't let him return to the New World."

Garp looked at Kizaru, then at Crane.

"We need to work together to put him down now. If he keeps growing, the Navy won't survive."

Crane nodded firmly.

All three reached a mutual understanding: Vane had to be stopped.

Meanwhile, Kaido was locked in combat with Akainu. The admiral's lava attacks barely fazed Kaido's monstrous body. Ironically, Kaido's dragon form allowed him to unleash flame-breathing attacks with similar properties—dense, molten fireballs and searing heat.

"Arrogant as ever, Kaido!" Akainu growled, dwarfed by the towering figure.

"I'm not used to fighting without a weapon," Kaido muttered.

Without his signature kanabo, Thunder Bagua was off the table. He could only rely on brute strength now.

"Kaido—weapon!" Vane's voice rang out.

A massive golden kanabo—a replica of Kaido's original—soared through the sky and landed in his hand. It came from Vane's [Investment System], a reward stored within the golden city's armory.

Boom!

The skies rumbled as Kaido gripped the weapon.

"Now we're talking!" he shouted. "Akainu, witness real power!"

Kaido, older than Akainu, embodied the saying that with age came strength. Like Garp, his combat prowess had only increased over time.

Vane glanced up. Garp, Kizaru, and Tsuru were closing in.

"Three-on-one? Not ideal timing. Especially now that I sense someone else coming… Imu?"

He felt a dark, terrifying presence emanating from Mary Geoise.

"Let's wrap this up."

Vane slammed his hand onto the ground.

"Summoning: Heretic Golem!"

From beneath the earth, the ground cracked open and a titanic, demonic figure rose. Its form dwarfed even Kaido, radiating power that sent chills down the spines of the Marines.

"What the hell is that?" Garp muttered, stunned.

The Heretic Golem stood tall—like a monster crawling from the depths of the underworld.

Vane vanished.

His next stop was Mary Geoise. He needed to confirm the truth behind Imu and uncover the mystery of this world's shadow ruler.

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