What shocked the others was exactly what that young man had just done to cause dozens of cannonballs to explode in midair all at once.
He had even simultaneously defeated two cadets who had trained their Rokushiki to a certain level of proficiency.
But Kuzan saw it clearly.
Brute force!
The wind generated the instant he swung the mop, if strong enough, was sufficient to destroy all the cannonballs.
Just like how swordsmen produced flying slashes when swinging their blades.
It sounded like a simple enough concept, but the problem was…
To achieve such a feat with a mop…
The corners of Kuzan’s mouth curled up.
He looked past Elliot toward a smug Garp.
“You really brought back a monster, Mr.
Garp.”
As for Zephyr, his initial surprise had already given way to a smile.
The legendary figure who had mentored countless outstanding Marines recalled his phone call with Garp last night.
Garp had told him, *’Make him a Special Recruit, you absolutely won’t regret it.
As for why, you’ll know once you meet him in person.’*
*Garp!*
Zephyr clenched his fist, steam suddenly hissing from his massive mechanical arm.
But the next moment, Zephyr roared, “He’s here!
What are you all standing around for?!”
Hearing Zephyr’s bellow, the cadets who were still in a state of shock immediately snapped back to reality.
But when they looked again, they saw that the black-haired, bespectacled young man had already appeared in the air above the port.
“Attack together!”
Someone immediately shouted!
As soon as the words left their mouth.
On the ground, figure after figure charged toward Elliot’s position!
Meanwhile, the blonde girl who had just aimed her gun at Elliot took aim once again.
However, the moment she looked through the scope, her pupils suddenly shrank, and she subconsciously looked up.
Elliot was already standing right in front of her.
“Sorry, but I won’t hurt you,” Elliot said, looking at the blonde girl.
And just as he spoke…
“Huh?”
The blonde girl let out a strange noise.
Because Elliot grabbed her by the collar and tossed her toward the giant clay golem that had just appeared on the ground, right into the path of the charging Marines!
“Hibari!”
An extremely tall female Marine on the ground cried out upon seeing this.
At the same time, the longsword in her hand transformed into a whip, instantly wrapping around the Marine named Hibari.
She then leaped high into the air, charging straight at Elliot.
Elliot’s expression remained calm.
He glanced down at his classmates rushing toward him and dropped his weight!
His entire body suddenly plummeted to the ground!
Seeing Elliot evade toward the ground, the cadets didn’t hesitate for a second.
They swarmed him all at once—some with swords, some with fists, some with a sword turned into a whip, and even some who had transformed into beasts.
The most exaggerated of all was the young man in midair whose arm had morphed into a massive clay fist.
When that fist appeared, it was no different in size from the fists of the Giant Squad Marines.
It smashed straight down toward Elliot from above!
*Tap～*
Elliot remained expressionless as one foot lightly touched the ground.
More accurately, he was looking calmly at Zephyr…
Taking a single step forward.
“Here it comes.” Kuzan stood up straight, his expression turning serious.
Hearing this, Momonga and the others beside him looked at Kuzan in confusion.
*Bang!!*
But in that very instant!
A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth.
At the same time, the entire base seemed to shudder.
A roaring shockwave erupted from Elliot’s position, instantly surging in all directions!
And right where Elliot had stepped, a massive crater violently caved in!
Out on the sea, fierce winds and surging waves were whipped up in a split second!
The Marine Academy cadets who had just been surrounding him, bearing their fangs and claws as they charged at Elliot!
In that exact moment, they were caught in the shockwave and blasted away, without a single exception!
The giant clay fist in the sky instantly disintegrated!
Its owner was completely blown away, plummeting outside the plaza.
Even though quite a few cadets sensed the anomaly and immediately took defensive stances to face the shockwave head-on, they were still swept up the moment it blasted past.
The shockwave rushed forward, carrying with it a barrage of stone and wood debris, and even the cannons from the port!
But this was Marine Headquarters, a place never lacking in powerhouses.
Faced with such incoming projectiles, the Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals immediately dashed out and struck in unison.
But after making their move…
Their expressions strained, barely managing to avoid being swept away by the blast.
The next moment, everyone turned their heads in shock to look at the black-haired young man standing in place…
No, rather than standing in place, he was already walking toward Zephyr.
Their shock-filled eyes stared at the massive, cracked crater on the port and the cadets scattered haphazardly across the ground.
“…”
Everyone’s minds went completely blank.
“He…” The female instructor with short light blue hair standing next to Zephyr was equally astounded.
She wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say, merely looking back and forth between Elliot and the cadets.
Some cadets managed to struggle to their feet, but others had completely rolled their eyes back and passed out.
Others might not understand the strength of these cadets.
But as an academy instructor, she knew their capabilities better than anyone!
Setting aside the strength of Vice Admiral Tsuru’s granddaughter, the other dozen or so cadets, including Hibari, were all specially marked individuals slated for intensive cultivation.
Especially since many of them had returned from Marine bases in the New World just to participate in this training.
In other words, the Marines who entered the academy were already individuals with a certain level of strength, and many of them even possessed the potential to become future Vice Admirals.
But now…
A few seconds?
No!
It was an instant!
The very instant he landed, he had reduced everyone to this state.
Overwhelming strength!
And even…
Without Haki!
He had achieved this without using Haki at all!
The female instructor watched Elliot slowly walk toward them, drawing a sharp breath.
The shock in her heart was no less turbulent than the surging waves out on the sea…
This Marine possessed absolute, overwhelming strength!
No wonder he was so highly recommended by Mr.
Garp.
It wasn’t just this female instructor…
The Vice Admirals present had completely lost their previous composure.
Right now, they were gripping the railings in front of them, their faces filled with shock.
Could they…
Do the same?
How could that be possible!
“Heh!”
Zephyr watched the young man walking toward him, then raised his eyes to see Garp, who was now almost at the shore.
He looked at his old friend, who was currently sporting an excited and smug expression.
Following that, he looked back at Elliot.
The excitement and joy in his eyes completely replaced his surprise.
*This is how it should be!!*
*How could such monsters only appear among pirates!*
Zephyr fought to suppress his ecstasy, but steam rose from his mechanical arm once again!
Elliot slowly walked past the cadets lying on the ground.
As he leisurely made his way to Zephyr, the instructors stepped aside in shock, subconsciously clearing a path for him.
Elliot looked at Zephyr, lightly pushed up his glasses, and said, “I suppose I’ve passed the evaluation, Mr.
Zephyr…”