"The winner of the first match is... Kuzan!!"
Zephyr stood at the edge of the training ground, arms crossed as he made the loud announcement.
The match between Kuzan and Gion, who had drawn number "1," ended with zero suspense.
Just as Onigumo had said earlier—without Armament Haki, none of them had the slightest chance against a monster like Kuzan.
The early-stage dominance of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user was undeniable. The passive ability to become intangible was enough to make one virtually untouchable.
Even with Gion's swordsmanship—among the strongest in this year's camp—she had no way to counter it.
And even without his Devil Fruit, Kuzan's natural strength still far exceeded hers.
In less than a minute, the battle ended with Gion's legs frozen solid.
The spectators weren't surprised, but they were still awestruck by Kuzan's overwhelming power.
With that, Kuzan advanced to the final round.
"Next up—Rogers Daren versus Tokikake!"
All eyes turned toward them in anticipation as Zephyr shifted his gaze.
Then a few dark lines appeared on his forehead.
Tokikake stood frozen in place with the look of a man heading to the gallows. His two hairy legs trembled like a pair of maracas.
"What's wrong, Commander Tokikake? Not going to step up?"
Daren walked to the center of the field, rolling his neck until it cracked like popping beans. He looked at Tokikake with amusement and smiled.
"I'm right here. This is your perfect shot to 'take down this bastard,' remember?"
Just that glance—especially with Daren's creepy smile—made Tokikake break into a cold sweat.
He averted the Commodore's gaze, his voice trembling as he turned to Zephyr.
"Uh... Zephyr-sensei, I think I'm sick. I'm really not feeling well."
He clutched his chest and put on an exaggerated look of discomfort.
Everyone: "..."
Zephyr's mouth twitched. He rolled his eyes.
This little brat seriously thinks my Observation Haki doesn't work?
"You sure you're feeling unwell?"
Could this actually work?
Tokikake's eyes lit up. He nodded furiously like a bobblehead.
"Yes, yes, I've come down with a condition! A serious condition that prevents me from dueling!"
Zephyr let out a drawn-out "oh," then casually walked over to a nearby training turret. Without missing a beat, he loaded a shell into the barrel and adjusted its aim.
The dark, ominous muzzle pointed directly at Tokikake.
"Feeling better now?"
Tokikake: ...
Everyone else: ...
"I'm suddenly feeling much better, Zephyr-sensei!! I'm good to go!!"
Seeing Zephyr about to fire, Tokikake scrambled forward, legs shaking as he made his way to the center of the field.
Yep—turning around to check every few steps.
Zephyr shook his head, exasperated.
Technically, forfeiting was allowed. It was part of the rules.
But with a weasel like Tokikake, as his instructor, Zephyr felt it was his duty to push him in the right direction.
The kid needed more backbone.
...Not that Zephyr would ever admit he also really wanted to see Tokikake get his face pounded in.
So deserving of a beating.
"Da-Daren, y-you ready?"
Tokikake stood on the field, keeping a solid ten meters between them, striking what was supposed to be a cocky pose.
His knees were still trembling.
At that moment—
"Tokikake, go for it!! Didn't you just whisper to me that if you got serious, you could pin Daren to the ground and grind him into dust?!"
"That was so badass!!"
Kuzan pumped his fists in the air, cheering at full volume, face glowing with excitement.
Tokikake's expression froze instantly.
Bro, I whispered that to you! Whispered!! That means keep it to yourself!!
That was bragging! Do you even know what bragging is?! Who the hell wants to fight a monster like Daren?!
He screamed internally, face twisted like he'd just swallowed a bug.
"Shut up, Kuzan!!"
He finally couldn't hold it in and snapped.
Kuzan blinked, then his eyes lit up even more.
"Ohh! I get it! You're trying to keep a low profile, huh?!"
"Man, that's so cool, Tokikake! Go for it!! Take Daren down!!"
He gave a big thumbs-up.
"You said it yourself, right? You'd be waiting for us at the top! Now go!!"
Looking at Kuzan's fired-up face, Tokikake wanted nothing more than to leap down and rip that big mouth of his clean off.
He quickly turned to Daren, just about to blurt out a desperate double-take: "I didn't—he's making it up—"
But the moment he turned his head,
A fist was already growing rapidly in his pupils' reflection.
Boom!!
The sound of teeth cracking under a punch rang out, followed by Tokikake's high-pitched, pig-squealing wail that echoed endlessly.
Everyone watching winced, their teeth clenched tight. Their bodies ached just from seeing it.
...
Thirty seconds later.
Rumble...
Smoke and dust filled the air, blanketing the training field in a hazy fog. The ground was left cratered and battered, a complete mess of destruction.
From the settling haze, Daren strolled out, stretching with a lazy smile, looking completely refreshed.
Behind him,
In an absurdly deep pit, Tokikake lay sprawled with his face swollen like a pig's head, his eyes blank and unfocused as he stared at the sky, legs twitching every now and then.
Two shattered wooden clogs lay scattered near his head.
The gathered Marine officers stood stiff as statues, expressions blank, eyes twitching uncontrollably.
Zephyr held his forehead and let out a long sigh.
"Winner: Daren."
He shook his head and announced the result of the match.
"Next, Gion and Tokikake will compete for third place."
He glanced at Tokikake—still sprawled out and motionless—and went ahead with the call.
"Given that Tokikake is no longer capable of—"
"Wait."
A hoarse voice suddenly cut in weakly.
Everyone froze, startled.
Tokikake was slowly rising from the pit, wobbling as he struggled to his feet. Blood trickled from his battered body, a big chunk of his front tooth missing. But his expression was resolute.
"I want to fight this one!"
His voice trembled, but his will was clear.
Blood dripped to the ground beneath him, painting a gruesome picture.
The crowd fell silent, then slowly, a glimmer of respect began to show in their eyes.
Kuzan bit his finger, eyes red with emotion.
"What a man... even after taking a brutal beating, he still insists on fighting till the end..."
Zephyr looked on, a little stunned himself. That look in Tokikake's eyes—resolute, unyielding—it stirred something.
"You sure? Your injuries..."
Daren had pulled his punches, mostly aiming for the face, but even that was enough to break most people.
Tokikake nodded hard, blurting out,
"I'm sure, Zephyr-sensei..."
Maybe I misjudged him...
This kid might actually have what it takes—
"This is my chance to get close to Gion—er, I mean, to spar with her."
...Forget what I said.
Zephyr nearly choked on the spot.
With a face full of irritation, he waved his hand.
"Fine, fine—go fight."
...
One minute later.
Tokikake was carried off on a stretcher, covered in bruises. After a quick exam by the medic, it was confirmed—three ribs, broken.
But his face held only disappointment as he mumbled in a daze,
"S-So close... I almost touched Gion's hand..."
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence.
The entire scene felt like it had just turned reality on its head.
Zephyr felt his chest tighten with frustration.
He yanked out a cigar and took a deep drag.
"The final match begins now!"
"Kuzan versus Daren... their duel will determine the top of the training camp!"
...
(60 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake