Two completely different powers were wildly climbing at both ends of the gorge!
On one side was the spear of destruction, condensed to the extreme, compressing all energy into a single point! On the Third Raikage's right fingertips, the blue-purple electric light was already so dense it turned pure white, so blinding it was impossible to look at directly! His entire body seemed to dim; only those three fingers were the center of the world!
On the other side was pure violence, tyrannical to the extreme, brutish and unreasonable! There were no special effects on Garp's right fist. But the surrounding air was distorting, and the rocks under his feet were silently turning to dust. An formless, intangible, yet mountain-heavy aura enveloped his entire being!
Outside the barrier, Dodai's and all the Kumogakure ninjas' hearts were in their throats.
"What... what level of battle is this?"
"Are you kidding me! It's just a duel between two people!"
"The barrier... the barrier is shaking!"
That Four Violet Flames Formation, said to be able to block anything, was now letting out an overwhelmed hum under the pressure of the two auras!
The next second. The two monsters moved at the same time!
"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite!"
"Fist of Love!"
Boom! A white bolt of lightning tore the earth! A bronze fist crushed the air!
No dodging! No retreating! The Strongest Spear and the Strongest Fist, in the most primitive, most savage way, violently collided!
The entire world lost its color and all sound at this moment.
Dead silence.
Then. It exploded!
An indescribable white shockwave, with the collision point as its center, detonated wildly in a sphere!
KRACHA!!!
The indestructible Four Violet Flames Formation, its purple energy barrier, was like shattered glass the instant the shockwave touched it! It was covered in spiderweb-like cracks! Then, it violently shattered!
"Pfft!"
"Waaaaah!"
All the Kumogakure ninjas outside the barrier, including Dodai, were sent flying by this furious shockwave! Like leaves in a gale, they were thrown mercilessly into the air, only to crash heavily on the ground, each one spitting blood and passing out!
The entire Unrai Gorge was wailing!
The mountain walls on both sides of the gorge were forcefully sheared away! A giant hole was punched through the clouds in the sky by this power!
Dust rolled, blotting out the sun. The entire gorge turned into chaos, making it impossible to see the situation inside.
It's unknown how long passed. Maybe a minute. Maybe a century. The choking dust finally, slowly, dispersed.
What came into view was a giant crater over a hundred meters in diameter!
In the center of the crater, a tall figure was on one knee. It was the Third Raikage. His Lightning Release Armour, known as the Strongest Shield, had completely vanished. His entire body was covered in gruesome wounds, dripping with blood. And his right hand, his pride, the so-called Strongest Spear, was twisted at a bizarre angle, hanging limply at his side.
Opposite him. Garp was still standing.
He wasn't in good shape either. The "Justice" coat he wore had long since turned to fragments. On his bare torso, shocking bloody marks were everywhere, and there was a charred finger-mark on his chest, still smoking. The fist he had swung, his knuckles, were a bloody mess.
"Hah... hah..."
Garp panted heavily, his chest heaving. He glanced down at his injured fist, then at the Third Raikage kneeling on the ground. He grinned, revealing teeth stained red with blood.
"BWAHAHAHA..."
His laugh was hoarse, but still wild.
"You..."
Garp looked up at the Raikage, who had completely lost his ability to fight, his eyes filled with the recognition one only has for a worthy opponent.
"You're not half bad!"
The match was decided. This battle, he had won. Albeit, it was a narrow victory.
The Third Raikage knelt in the crater, panting heavily, blood dripping from his twisted right arm. He looked up at the man who, though equally battered, was still standing straight. He had lost. He lost completely and utterly.
"You..."
Just as the Raikage's hoarse words came out.
[Dungeon Cleared]
[Mission Objective: Defeat the Third Raikage. Completed.]
The cold mechanical prompt sounded in Garp's mind.
"Hm?" Garp froze, looking down at his hands. His body was visibly turning illusory and transparent.
"Hey! What the hell!" Garp roared in dissatisfaction. "I'm not done fighting yet!"
He looked at the Raikage opposite him, grinned, and let out a battle-hungry laugh.
"Dark-skinned kid, you remember this!"
"Next time we meet, let's have another good fight!"
The Third Raikage watched the disappearing figure, his expression complex. He didn't reply, just watched silently.
Finally, Garp's figure completely turned to motes of light and dissipated in the gorge they had utterly destroyed.
[Exiting Dungeon...]
Meanwhile. East Blue, Foosha Village.
"You idiot! You just believe anything he says!"
"Mmph... mmph... It hurts! Let go, Ace!"
Blake propped his chin, bored, watching the two little brats wrestling.
Just then. A series of blue virtual text, visible only to him, scrolled wildly before his eyes.
[Dungeon: Strongest Spear Cleared!]
[Clearer: Monkey D. Garp]
[Clear Rating: S+ (Frontally crushed the Strongest Shield and Strongest Spear with pure violence, perfectly achieving the challenge objective)]
[Calculating Clear Rewards...]
[Reward Calculation Complete!]
Blake's lips curved up slightly. Here it comes.
[Congratulations, you have received Reward 1: Lightning Chakra Mode (S-Rank)!]
The moment the voice fell. A violent, scorching torrent of energy appeared from nowhere inside Blake's body, surging wildly through his limbs and bones!
Crackle! Faint blue arcs danced on his skin's surface, and a faint smell of ozone filled the air.
Blake slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist. He could feel every cell in his body cheering under this power. Speed, strength, reaction time... a comprehensive, explosive improvement!
"Not bad." He nodded in satisfaction.
Immediately after, the second prompt appeared. This time, the text was a dazzling gold!
[Congratulations, you have received Reward 2: Perfect Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails (SSS-Rank)!]
Boom! Blake's spiritual world shook violently. He "saw" an endless dark space. A ferocious beast, the size of a mountain, with octopus tentacles and ox horns, was bound by countless thick chains. It was the Eight-Tails, Gyūki!
It sensed the new aura and abruptly opened its giant, scarlet eyes!
"Yo! Kid! Are you my new host?"
A coarse thought, with a unique rhythm, exploded directly in Blake's mind.
"You look like you'd be blown over by the wind, don't you embarrass me, ya fool, ya fool!"
Blake's eyebrows twitched. Oh? Pretty energetic.
"Quiet down, big octopus."
Blake transmitted his own thoughts in the same way.
"Stick with me, and you'll have plenty of good food and drink."
"But if you're too noisy... I'll turn you into takoyaki."
Gyūki's roar stopped abruptly. It was stunned.
The next second, an even more furious roar echoed in his spiritual world.
"What did you say?! You dare turn me into takoyaki?! You bastard! Ya fool!"
Blake directly shielded his mind from its thoughts. The world instantly became quiet. Just taming a pet, what's the rush.
The final prompt quietly appeared.
[Congratulations, you have received Reward 3: Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite (S-Rank)!]
A massive stream of information instantly flooded Blake's mind. It was all the knowledge and techniques on how to gather Chakra, how to train finger strength, and how to focus the body's entire power into one point!
He subconsciously extended his right hand and brought three fingers together. An invisible, sharp aura gathered at his fingertips.
The Strongest Spear!
Blake slowly lowered his hand, feeling the three distinct, powerful forces within his body, a playful smile on his face.
It really is great being a middleman.