In an instant!
The two retracted their fists simultaneously…
And then struck out again!
Their figures blurred into streaks of black and purple light, continuously clashing and separating!
The resounding *bangs* echoed across the skies of Marineford!
With every invisible collision between the two, a powerful shockwave exploded outward, surging in all directions!
The surrounding cadets, who had just managed to struggle to their feet, were once again swept away by the blasts of air.
The bluestone paving on the ground went from merely cracking to completely crumbling apart!
All the spectating Marines watched on in absolute terror.
To every Marine present, even though Zephyr was over seventy years old, even though he had lost his right arm and wore a prosthetic—a powerful mechanical arm forged with the help of the Science Unit…
In their hearts…
He was still “Black Arm” Zephyr, the Marine Admiral known as the “No-Kill” Admiral, the mentor to many of the officers present.
He was a Marine standing at the absolute pinnacle of strength.
Even now, Zephyr’s power was overwhelmingly terrifying.
Even if he wasn’t using his full strength right now!
But…
What was the deal with this Special Recruit?!
Elliot had already displayed terrifying strength just moments ago!
Yet now, he was actually fighting on completely equal footing with Instructor Zephyr, trading blow for blow…
Pairs of astonished eyes stared intently at the two figures continuously clashing on the port.
Even those who couldn’t see their movements clearly were trying their hardest to keep up with the rhythm of the fight.
Terrified of missing a single detail of this battle.
“No Devil Fruit, no Haki.
Is it purely physical strength?” Zephyr murmured the moment he threw a punch at Elliot.
Elliot didn’t meet the strike with his own fist.
Instead, he shifted his body slightly, letting the punch graze past his chest.
But the very second he dodged, he clenched his fingers and delivered a punch straight at Zephyr!
*Boom!*
Zephyr raised his mechanical arm to block.
The fist slammed into the mechanical arm!
Visible cracks instantly appeared on the metal surface.
Elliot’s expression blanked.
Staring at the cracks on the old man’s mechanical arm, he instinctively apologized, “Sorry, I broke your prosthetic.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately retreated backward.
“?” Zephyr looked stunned for a moment before bursting into roaring laughter.
“Hahaha!” Gritting his teeth, steam suddenly erupted from his mechanical arm!
The old man instantly raised his massive mechanical arm at Elliot and threw a devastating punch.
“Elliot!
I’ll teach you your first lesson!
Whether it’s kindness or gentleness, on this sea, those are two things you absolutely must discard!”
*Boom!*
Just as Zephyr’s giant mechanical arm was about to strike Elliot, it slammed directly into the ground instead!
The earth crumbled in an instant, massive fissures spiderwebbing outward from a giant crater.
Elliot had used the momentum to leap into the air.
But the moment Elliot jumped, the giant mechanical arm suddenly fired a barrage of bullets straight at him.
Suddenly!
A series of explosions followed.
The midair space where Elliot had been was engulfed in thick smoke.
The onlookers watched the scene with grave expressions.
However, a very small minority—like Garp, Kuzan, and a few Vice Admirals—were all staring at Zephyr standing there.
*Gentleness and kindness shouldn’t exist on the sea.*
Yet the Zephyr of the past was a Marine who embodied those exact two traits.
The title of the “No-Kill” Marine was born from that very philosophy.
But now…
Zephyr was teaching others to discard them.
Garp and the others wore heavy expressions, knowing full well that it was precisely because of those two things that Zephyr’s wife and son had paid the ultimate price.
*Whoosh!*
From the smoke in midair, Elliot suddenly dashed out, diving straight toward Zephyr on the ground!
Zephyr grinned, dropping into a fighting stance!
*Boom!*
Another shockwave exploded outward!
The already ruined ground collapsed once again the moment Zephyr and Elliot’s fists collided!
The usually calm sea of the Calm Belt, disturbed by their battle, uncharacteristically churned with surging waves that continuously crashed against the warships docked at the port.
Elliot maintained his indifferent expression, his dark-circled eyes looking at Zephyr.
“It’s not about being gentle or kind.
I just don’t want to do the wrong thing.
Besides…
Mr.
Zephyr, this mechanical prosthetic of yours looks really expensive.
I don’t have the money to compensate you for it.”
Hearing this!
The smile on Zephyr’s face didn’t diminish in the slightest.
If anything, he was growing more and more excited.
Elliot’s strength had completely exceeded his imagination!
No Rokushiki, no Haki, and untainted by a Devil Fruit!
He was an incredibly rare piece of uncut jade—an existence that only needed a bit of careful carving to become a priceless treasure!
And a cadet like this!
In the eyes of Zephyr, who had instructed countless Marines.
Was the future of the Marines!
“You say that as if you could actually destroy the ‘Battle Smasher’!” Zephyr declared, looking at Elliot.
But right after speaking, he stepped back, placed his left hand on his mechanical arm named [Battle Smasher], and looked up at Elliot.
“If you can really destroy it!
Then you’ll pass your second evaluation!”
Elliot looked slightly taken aback.
Zephyr suddenly chuckled and added, “And you won’t have to pay for it!”
Elliot looked at Zephyr.
“Understood.”
“Then come and destroy it!!
Elliot!”
With a mighty roar!
Zephyr charged explosively toward Elliot.
Elliot leaned forward and instantly vanished from his spot!
The very moment they collided!
All of Marineford seemed to quake once more.
Following that, the continuous clashes between the two resumed.
*Boom!
Boom!
Boom!*
It sounded like rolling thunder, blasting across the heavens!
Compared to before, it was obvious that both of them were putting much more power into their strikes!
And this time…
The weaker Marines felt dizzy and lightheaded amidst the continuous roaring explosions, their ears ringing incessantly.
“That guy Zephyr, what does he think the port is?!”
Just as the Marine Vice Admirals were watching the battle unfold with horrified expressions, they all heard a voice from behind them.
The crowd turned around.
They saw Fleet Admiral Sengoku walking over with his hands behind his back, accompanied by Vice Admiral Tsuru!
Everyone saluted in unison.
“Aren’t you happy about it too?” Garp said bluntly, looking at his old friend.
Sengoku looked at Garp without saying a word, then turned his head toward Zephyr’s location.
“And telling Elliot to destroy the Battle Smasher…
Does he have any idea how much effort went into custom-building that thing for him?!”
“You say that as if the kid can actually destroy it, Fleet Admiral Sengoku,” Kuzan said with a smile.
But after saying that, Kuzan looked at Elliot, whose punches were growing heavier and heavier.
“Though, it looks like he just might be able to.”
Kuzan’s words were quite contradictory.
But hearing them, the surrounding Vice Admirals couldn’t help but frown.
Instructor Zephyr’s mechanical arm was made of Seastone and other incredibly hard materials, personally forged by Vegapunk.
Could it be destroyed?
Even if this Elliot was incredibly strong, could he really destroy the Battle Smasher, especially while it was equipped on Instructor Zephyr?
“He…
he couldn’t possibly, right?
No matter what, he’s still just a recruit…
and so young,” one Vice Admiral spoke up.
Garp offered his rice crackers to Sengoku, then grinned broadly.
“That kid took a punch infused with my Armament Haki and came out completely unscathed.
Besides, haven’t you noticed?
The kid is deliberately landing every punch on the Battle Smasher so he doesn’t hurt Zephyr.”
“!”
Hearing this, all the Vice Admirals wore expressions of absolute shock.
They immediately looked back toward Elliot.
But just as they looked over…
A collision!
Elliot’s fist and Zephyr’s Battle Smasher clashed once again!
But this time, the collision seemed to come to a sudden, dead halt!
Everyone’s pupils shrank abruptly, their shock reaching an entirely new level.
Because…
The moment the Battle Smasher met that fist…
It shattered!