The training grounds filled with dust as the battle began.
Darren, Gion, and Kaji stood facing each other at a distance, their auras gradually intensifying, filling the air with palpable tension.
The windswept training ground was alive with rolling dust as Gion and Kaji's broad capes flapped loudly in the sharp sea breeze.
Word of the impending showdown had spread quickly, and the marines of the 321st Branch had gathered, surrounding the field in an impenetrable crowd. All eyes were wide with anticipation, eager for the confrontation to unfold.
"Vice Captain Mouse, do you think Captain Darren will lose?"
A young marine turned to the stern Mouse, whose arms were crossed as he watched silently.
Mouse, wearing his officer's cap, smirked faintly but gave no answer.
Lose? That word didn't exist in Darren's vocabulary.
The real question was, how badly would these two "prodigies" from Headquarters get beaten?
…
"Well, Captain Darren, who do you want to spar with first?"
Kaji's excitement was evident as he spoke, even tossing his meager hair dramatically for effect.
Noticing the eager glances from the female marines in the crowd, Kaji felt his ego swell.
He prided himself on the elite training he had received from Headquarters, even earning praise from Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself for his talent. Among his peers, only Gion could rival him.
In his mind, he could already see himself taking down Darren effortlessly, basking in the admiration and adoration of the gathered female marines.
Lost in his daydream, Kaji chuckled to himself.
Darren glanced at him, shook his head, and said, "No need to waste time. Both of you can come to me together."
Kaji and Gion froze for a moment, then a wave of anger surged through them.
This guy... how arrogant can he get?!
"Fine! Don't blame me for not holding back!" Kaji growled through gritted teeth.
He was determined to show this "country bumpkin" from the North Blue the true strength of Headquarters-trained marines.
With a slight bend of his knees, Kaji's entire body tensed visibly, muscles coiled like springs ready to release.
Boom!
The ground beneath him erupted into a small crater as Kaji launched himself forward with explosive force. His figure shot through the air like a cannonball, hurtling toward Darren at incredible speed.
It wasn't a mastery of the Navy's Six Powers, as neither Kaji nor Gion had entered the officer training program yet. Instead, it was raw power and speed.
The watching marines collectively gasped, drawing in sharp breaths.
In the blink of an eye, Kaji had crossed over ten meters, closing the distance to Darren in less than a second.
With his muscles rippling from the effort, Kaji's fist rocketed toward Darren's abdomen like a battering ram.
No flair,
No feints,
Just pure, unadulterated power channeled to its utmost.
Kaji grinned inwardly as he saw Darren standing motionless, seemingly unaware of the incoming attack.
He could already picture Darren crumpling to the ground, coughing and retching from the impact.
Serves you right for showing off your muscles and swaggering around!
For charming Lady Margaret!
For playing hero to the people!
Now fall, you poser!
BAM!
The punch landed squarely on Darren's well-defined abs, sending ripples of air outward from the point of impact.
But Kaji's triumphant grin froze in an instant.
Something was wrong. His punch felt as if it had struck a solid iron wall—unyielding, immovable.
Not even a scratch.
Nearby, Gion, hand on her blade and ready to intervene, also froze in disbelief.
Kaji stared in shock, slowly lifting his head to meet Darren's face.
What he saw was not the face of someone reeling in pain, but one of mild amusement, even a touch of pity.
"Well, Major Kaji," Darren said, his tone light, "I appreciate you holding back for my sake, but could you take this sparring match a little more seriously?"
His playful smile only deepened.
Kaji's mouth twitched as his confidence wavered.
"Kaji, what are you doing?! Stop fooling around!!" Gion's face flashed with confusion as she couldn't help but shout.
Kaji: …
He clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, and tensed the muscles in his arm, swinging another powerful punch toward Darren!
Boom!!
Another wave of force rippled outward, stirring up a fierce gust of wind and swirling dust.
Yet the 321st Branch's base Captain, Darren, remained completely motionless.
Kaji froze again, utterly dumbfounded.
Was this… Tekkai?
Although he hadn't yet mastered the Navy's Six Powers, he'd seen them demonstrated often enough to understand their principles.
This ability to harden one's body to a near steel-like toughness was clearly the effect of the "Tekkai" technique from the Six Powers.
Tekkai worked by accelerating blood flow and muscle activity to achieve such incredible defense.
But what was baffling was that Darren didn't exhibit the telltale signs of straining his body to activate Tekkai.
"Major Kaji," Darren's calm, unhurried voice rang out again. "You really don't need to hold back. I genuinely want to see what you're capable of."
"Kaji, what's wrong with you!? I told you to give it your all!" Gion snapped, clearly irritated.
Kaji's expression twisted, nearly on the verge of tears. I'm not holding back, he thought to himself in frustration.
Clenching his teeth once more, Kaji launched a relentless barrage of punches at Darren.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like a raging storm, his fists blurred into countless afterimages, raining down on the navy captain.
Blows strong enough to shatter stone walls struck Darren's chest, abdomen, legs, and even his head. Yet Darren didn't so much as take a single step back.
No effect whatsoever!
Darren stood unmoving, like an unyielding boulder amidst a violent storm.
This can't be… it's impossible…
Kaji stared blankly at Darren's relaxed expression, the faint smirk in his eyes sending a chill through him.
Could it be…
At that moment, Darren suddenly flashed a mischievous grin at him.
"Had enough? If so, it's my turn now."
Kaji froze, a bone-deep chill rushing from the soles of his feet up to his scalp.
A rough, calloused hand shot toward him faster than he could react, growing larger in his field of vision as it closed the distance.
The speed was so overwhelming, there was no escape!
Kaji's face contorted in panic as the reality of his earlier suspicion crystallized.
This guy… has overwhelming power far beyond mine!!
"D-don't hit the face!!" Kaji shrieked, but in the next instant, that massive hand engulfed his face entirely.
In Gion's incredulous gaze,
Under the shocked stares of the 321st Branch marines,
In the resigned look of Mouse,
And accompanied by Kaji's pig-like wails,
Darren, gripping Kaji's face, stepped forward with a sneer and—
Slammed Kaji's head into the ground with earth-shattering force!
Boom!!!
The ground within a 20-meter radius shook violently, forming a gaping crater riddled with countless cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
Kaji's head was buried deep into the ground, his legs still clad in wooden sandals, sticking out in mid-air and twitching occasionally.
Dust rolled in thick clouds, surging like a dragon's breath.
Everyone present winced at the sight, their faces twitching involuntarily.
Just watching this hurts…