That crisp, ringing hum spread throughout the venue.
Everyone present felt their teeth set on edge.
It sounded painful!
What style of martial arts is this, to be able to turn so black and hard?
Garou leaped back several large steps, his expression shifting constantly, while stubbornly refusing to tend to his trembling, painful hand for the sake of his face.
"I can even bend steel, I don't believe I can't break you!!"
Clenching his fists, Garou changed his angle and launched another attack.
Aokiji stood in place without moving a step.
He didn't even need to observe with his naked eyes; Observation Haki predicted Garou's movements with perfect clarity, and he only needed to position his hand in advance.
Clang—
Just like before, the ringing sound vibrated continuously.
Even though the Senior Brothers didn't particularly like Garou, they couldn't help but grimace in sympathy.
Garou seemed to let out a soft grunt, but his movements didn't stop; instead, he launched an even more ferocious offensive!
His footsteps interlaced as he tried every angle and direction, attempting to Breakthrough Aokiji's defense.
Aokiji yawned.
He let Garou flicker around him continuously.
The spectating Senior Brothers' eyes could no longer keep up with Garou's speed.
Only that distinct sound of striking iron rang out incessantly.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—
"Hiss..." Charanko took a sharp breath, "Rather than what kind of martial arts this guest is practicing, I'm more curious if Garou really doesn't feel pain?"
The Senior Brothers beside him also nodded repeatedly.
This crisp and loud sound of striking iron gave them phantom pains just listening to it.
Did Garou not feel pain?
That was impossible.
He couldn't even suppress the physiological tremors brought on by the pain.
But he continued to attack incessantly, with no intention of stopping.
The paranoid madness in his bones made him unwilling to accept that he couldn't even Breakthrough Aokiji's casual defense.
Aokiji casually blocked a whip kick.
Well, in name, this was still a mutual exchange and learning of martial arts; it didn't seem quite right to just keep blocking like this.
Aokiji thought for a moment.
Then let's show off Iron Body.
Although this move was often ridiculed.
Things like [Iron Body is a death trap] or [May there be no Iron Body in heaven].
But it was still one of the Six Powers after all.
It fell under the category of physical techniques, so it counted as an exchange between martial arts.
Then there was no need to block with his hands.
Blocking the top-down high kick once more, Aokiji made his choice and slowly lowered his arms.
It was precisely this insignificant moment.
An opening!!
Garou's pupils dilated.
He keenly captured the flaw in the defense!
From the beginning, he had been feeling very frustrated, always sensing that all his actions were being completely seen through.
Feints, rapid strikes, simultaneous attacks from multiple points... all useless!
This man had always relied on just one ridiculously hard arm to block perfectly.
It was as easy as an adult using a finger to hold back a child waving their arms around wildly.
Almost instantly,
Garou's body instinctively adjusted its center of gravity.
Spinning back kick!!
At this exact moment, Aokiji's hand had lowered halfway, situated right at the height just below the middle of the human body.
Clang—!!!
The frame froze.
The Disciples, who could finally see clearly, all gasped in unison instantly.
"Hiss—!!!"
Garou did indeed kick the back of Aokiji's head.
But his most fragile and vital point also happened to collide with Aokiji's lowered fist!
This hand can't be kept anymore!
Aokiji made a swift, clanging decision.
He elementalized the dirty hand to detach it and re-condensed a new hand with ice.
Seeing this scene, Bang's eyelids twitched.
As expected, he was still hiding something!
Aokiji looked at the pale-faced Garou: "Uh... are you okay?"
Garou was very tough and didn't say a word.
He looked up and fell fast asleep.
Aokiji shook his head and sighed.
This is even worse than Sonic; that guy didn't even faint after being hit in the vitals twice.
As expected of a ninja, he really can endure.
————
"Bastard!!!"
Garou woke up from the bed with a roar, covered in cold sweat.
This was his room.
"You're awake, have some barbecue." Bang, sitting by the bed, handed over a plate, "I've checked, there's no major problem, so don't worry."
"Checked..." Garou paused for a few seconds before reacting, his face instantly turning red, "Old man, who told you to look!!"
"What does it matter?" Bang said with a chuckle, "Back when you first arrived, wasn't there a day the bathroom was broken and you carried a bucket of water to the backyard to wash yourself? Why weren't you shy then?"
"Shut up!" Garou jumped up from the bed.
"Where is that guy? I don't acknowledge the previous fight!"
"I knew you'd say that, kid." Bang said helplessly, "Aokiji is still in the backyard eating barbecue with everyone."
"I've made an agreement with him. I will guide him in refining his martial arts. In return, Aokiji said that as long as he is within the Dojo's grounds, you can initiate a fight whenever you want."
As soon as he finished speaking, Garou had already rushed out of the room, heading straight for the backyard.
In the backyard.
"Aokiji, Aokiji, perform that again, you know, that one!" a Disciple cheered.
"This is a secret technique I realized back in my school days, how could you guys learn it after just seeing it a few times?" Aokiji said while swallowing a large piece of barbecue.
"Please, just one last time!"
"Yeah, it's so amazing, let us see it again!"
"I have some inspiration, maybe I can use it to create a unique fist style!"
The Disciples all pleaded one after another.
"Fine." Aokiji wiped his mouth, pulled out an eye mask, and put it on, "Watch closely—"