Finishing his sentence, Elliot added, “After all, you just told me over the Den Den Mushi that as long as I stood before you safe and sound, I would pass the evaluation.”
Hearing Elliot’s words, the corners of Zephyr’s mouth curled up as he looked at the young man before him.
Within his field of vision, he could see the mess on the ground right behind Elliot.
Some cadets were struggling to their feet, still wanting to fight, and he even saw someone aiming a flintlock in their direction.
He especially noticed Tsuru’s granddaughter.
The girl was reluctantly forcing herself up, her long whip scattered on the ground.
But…
Without exception…
No one was severely injured.
Even those who were hurt only sustained minor injuries from being swept up by the shockwave.
It was nothing serious.
The kid in front of him had done it entirely on purpose.
Excellent!
Zephyr looked straight at Elliot and stated bluntly, “Yeah, you pass the first evaluation!”
Elliot pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
“The first evaluation?”
Zephyr grinned.
“I never said you only had one evaluation!”
As he spoke, Zephyr raised his mechanical arm, accompanied by the sound of grinding machinery.
However…
Elliot looked at Zephyr and asked very straightforwardly, “Can we do it tomorrow?”
“Huh?”
Not only Zephyr, but even the blue-haired female instructor behind him, as well as all the other instructors present, froze in surprise.
This kind of thing could be postponed?
Elliot continued, “As I just told you over the Den Den Mushi on the ship, I’m actually off the clock now.
Normally at this time, I’d already be on the ship doing my own thing.
Right now, this is completely overtime.
But since it’s an academy exam, I suppose I can understand.
However, if it takes up too much of my personal time, it’s going to be a real headache for me.
Especially since I just got here.
I haven’t even been to my dorm yet, and I don’t know how the bed and everything else is set up.
Plus, I was planning to buy a potted plant for my room.
If we continue the evaluation, I’m afraid it’ll be too late once it gets dark.
So, please let’s stop here for today, otherwise I’ll have to apply for overtime pay.”
After saying all this, Elliot gave Zephyr a slight bow.
“I’ll be taking my leave now.”
Hearing Elliot’s words, the surrounding crowd fell completely silent.
This guy…
What the hell was he saying!
The surrounding instructors, in particular, all wore bizarre expressions.
Check the bed in his dorm?
Buy a potted plant?
Huh?
Zephyr, however, kept his smile.
He had already sensed Elliot’s eccentricity over the Den Den Mushi earlier, but now…
None of that mattered!
“Freaks” or people with flamboyant and bizarre personalities—he had taught far too many of them!
And now…
Looking at the person in front of him, Zephyr took off his own glasses.
“The second evaluation!”
Hearing this, Elliot stopped in his tracks and looked back at Zephyr.
“Earn my acknowledgment!”
*Whoosh!*
Zephyr grabbed the cape draped over his shoulders with one hand.
As the cape was torn away, steam rose from Zephyr’s massive mechanical arm as he lifted it.
“!”
The surrounding instructors all froze, their eyes snapping toward Zephyr in unison.
According to the original plan, weren’t *they* supposed to be in charge of the second evaluation?
Seeing Zephyr’s actions, the surrounding Marines also focused their gazes entirely on him.
The former Marine Admiral, [Black Arm] Zephyr, was going to personally evaluate this special recruit?!
The crowd, initially stunned by the strength Elliot had just displayed, immediately wore complex expressions, their faces turning completely solemn.
For no other reason!
Simply because this already legendary Marine was about to make a move!
“Instructor Zephyr…” Kuzan looked at the old man’s back, a smile appearing on his face, though he still lazily propped up his cheek with the back of his hand.
The Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals around him grew even more solemn.
Instructor Zephyr was taking action.
Ever since Instructor Zephyr’s accident last time, they had never seen him fight after equipping that massive mechanical arm.
“Kuzan, go get me a cup of tea.”
But at that moment, Garp’s voice drifted over.
The crowd watched as even the other Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals immediately stood in respectful awe.
Kuzan, however, looked at Garp.
“I’m already an Admiral, Mr.
Garp.”
But Garp said with a look of total indifference, “So what?
Bring me some rice crackers while you’re at it.”
Kuzan raised a hand to his forehead.
“…”
Elliot watched Zephyr, who was ready to strike at any moment, taking special note of the mechanical arm that contrasted so drastically with the old man’s physique.
Elliot said softly, “Because Mr.
Garp never forced me to work overtime, I never asked him.
May I ask, how is overtime pay calculated here in the Marines…”
“Hmph!” Zephyr leaned forward, lifting his foot to take a step, the corners of his mouth curling up.
“That depends on whether you can pass the evaluation!”
*Bang!*
Almost the exact instant Zephyr’s last word fell!
The old man, who once stood at the very pinnacle of the Marines’ combat power, dashed forward!
There was absolutely no movement!
It could even be said that he suddenly vanished from his spot.
In merely an instant, less than the blink of an eye, Zephyr’s figure appeared right in front of Elliot.
His massive mechanical arm was raised high, slamming down toward Elliot with a punch that held nothing back!
As if tearing through the air itself, the moment the mechanical fist blasted toward Elliot, a low roar howled through the sky!
*Swish!*
The moment the fist, large enough to cover Elliot’s entire face, neared the tip of his nose!
Elliot simply tilted his body slightly, and the fist grazed past him, missing his face by less than half a finger’s width!
Seeing this, the corners of Zephyr’s mouth curled up.
His mechanical arm stalled for a fraction of a second, but the very next moment, it swept horizontally toward Elliot!
*Whoosh~~*
A fierce gale swept past!
But…
An afterimage!
Although it looked like he had hit Elliot in the spot where he originally stood, it was merely Elliot’s afterimage!
The crowd’s pupils shrank!
They looked at Elliot, who had somehow appeared two or three meters behind his original position.
What incredible speed!
And it wasn’t ‘Soru’!
Elliot looked at Zephyr, who was staring back at him with a look of pleasant surprise.
He raised a hand, took off his glasses, and carefully placed them in his pants pocket.
Then, he looked at Zephyr.
“Seeing as you only have one hand, Mr.
Zephyr, I wasn’t planning on taking off my glasses.
But since you’re being so serious, I must get serious too.”
Hearing this, Zephyr swung his mechanical arm, glanced at it, and then looked back at Elliot.
“Heh!
Being soft-hearted comes with a price, kid.
But…”
At this point, Zephyr clenched both his mechanical arm and his intact left hand into fists in unison, and the aura around him suddenly exploded!
Zephyr stared intently at Elliot.
“But, I haven’t reached the point where I need pity from a brat like you!”
With his glasses removed, Elliot’s pitch-black pupils were exceptionally striking, though the dark circles around his eyes were also much more clearly visible.
“Yeah, let’s end this quickly.”
*Whoosh!*
The moment he spoke!
Elliot instantly vanished from his spot!
Zephyr’s expression froze for a second, but the next moment, he leaned forward and vanished as well!
And when the two figures reappeared…
*BOOM!!*
A massive roar instantly shook the air!
Fist against fist!
Eyes locked!