“Steel Tempest!”
Slash!
The sound of wind being torn apart whistled instantly, amidst the biting, cutting sword aura.
This strike was too fast, too sudden, and too fierce.
By the time that Marineford Commander reacted and hurriedly swung his sword to parry.
Crack!
The wooden sword snapped!
Seeing this, that Commander from the previous batch immediately used Iron Body.
He really had a baffling confidence in Iron Body!
Unfortunately, it was afternoon, not early morning or late evening.
Just as Lucas’s strike was about to land, a large black hand intercepted it.
It was Zephyr who had acted; Lucas’s strike left a faint white mark on Zephyr’s palm.
Click!
A faint sound rang out; it was Lucas’s wooden sword, which couldn’t withstand the Steel Tempest just now and had cracked.
“Hina, hit me.
My eyes seem to be deceiving me,” the bruised and swollen Smoker said uncertainly.
Slap!
Hina gave Smoker a particularly loud slap.
“That hurts!
Was that strike really swung by Lucas?
Hasn’t he just started practicing swordsmanship?
He was clearly a novice before,” Smoker said, struggling to accept it.
If Lucas had this move, why didn’t he use it on him?
This was pure contempt!
“Admit it, Smoker.
Talent is sometimes an insurmountable chasm for us,” Shu said, mercilessly taunting Smoker.
Perhaps because he had been demoralized by Lucas, the future Smoker eventually chose a Jitte embedded with Sea Stone as his weapon.
“Lucas, go down and rest first.
Vergo, you’re up,” Zephyr said at this moment.
Perhaps because of Lucas, the two Marine Lieutenant Colonels became more cautious, but they still didn’t hold back; they likely had received orders from Zephyr.
…
The next day, after just one night, the injuries Lucas sustained yesterday had already healed.
He carried his wooden sword and knocked on Smoker’s door.
“Smoker, let’s have a swordsman’s duel!” Lucas said.
“Not today.
My whole body hurts.
Those two bastards hit too hard yesterday,” Smoker said, wincing while sitting on the bed.
In truth, it was mainly because he had been demoralized by Lucas yesterday.
And when he saw that Lucas’s body had recovered to its original state, he couldn’t help but stand up in surprise and say, “You…
your injuries have healed?”
“Maybe I have thick skin and can take a beating!” Lucas said.
He then added, “Since you can’t do it, I’ll practice by myself.
Anyway, you’re no longer my match.”
This sentence was extremely mocking; with Smoker’s rebellious and arrogant personality, how could he possibly accept that?
“Bastard, who said I can’t?
Let’s go, let’s have a swordsman’s duel,” Smoker said, grabbing his wooden sword.
Soon, the two clashed again.
But because Smoker’s body was in pain, his movements were deformed; there was no way he could be Lucas’s match.
“I’d better just practice by myself!” Lucas said, curling his lips.
“Ah, damn it!” Smoker had nowhere to vent his frustration.
For the next month, Smoker, Vergo, the swordless Lucas, Hina, Shu, and Shuzo were completely immersed in hellish training.
Running laps in the morning, getting beaten up in the afternoon.
However, the growth of the six was visible every day, especially that of Vergo and Lucas.
If given more time, the two Lieutenant Colonels from the previous two batches might no longer be their match.
After three months of closed-door training, Zephyr gave everyone a three-day holiday.
There was also a portion of unqualified youths who would be sent back; these were the ones who had been eliminated.
Although the Marine Academy was on break, Lucas didn’t leave; instead, he remained at the academy, training every day from eating to sleeping!
He had nowhere else to go.
Staying with Vice Admiral Tsuru was just a temporary arrangement; Lucas had self-awareness and didn’t want to keep bothering her.
Gion wasn’t in Marineford either; she was out on a mission.
Vergo didn’t leave either; he had nowhere else to go.
So, for these three days, the two trained together, and Lucas invited Vergo to spar.
Vergo’s strength, when Lucas wasn’t using Gale Swordsmanship, was clearly superior to Lucas’s; he had learned many things before entering the Marine Academy.
As a result, Lucas could only parry while being beaten by Vergo.
In a building that the two didn’t notice, two figures, one tall and one short, stood there.
“Tsuru, you really recommended a good seedling to me.
What do you think of these two children?”
It was a very magnetic voice; it was none other than Black Arm Zephyr’s.
Tsuru’s voice came from the side.
“Very good, they are promising talents, but compared to those three monsters, they are still a bit behind.”
Hearing this, Zephyr laughed and said, “Are you talking about Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan?
I’m certain that in the future, if nothing goes wrong, these two will definitely be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Although they are Logia-type Devil Fruit users, in terms of tenacity, only Sakazuki can compare with Vergo and Lucas.
In the future, they might not be inferior to Sakazuki and the other two.
Oh, and there’s also that Smoker; although that brat has an arrogant personality, his future achievements won’t be low either.”
“By your account, won’t these three be the new trident of the Marines in the future?
But Logia types…
are not so easy to surpass.” Tsuru was slightly stunned, then said jokingly.
Zephyr laughed, “Not necessarily.
Don’t forget, neither Garp nor I have Devil Fruits.”
Hearing this, Tsuru nodded and added, “It’s a good thing they can be valued so highly by you.
I didn’t expect that little guy Lucas would be so highly regarded by you.”
“Lucas has a ruthless streak, just like a beast.
He adds extra training every day, his willpower is astonishing, and his recovery ability and talent are also amazing.
I suspect his Devil Fruit isn’t the Paramecia-type Plant Fruit.” Watching the two little ones fighting in the distance, Zephyr said.
In the Marine registration, Lucas had the Paramecia-type Plant Fruit, which could control tree-type plants and wood.
…
Three days passed in a flash.
All the Marine Academy cadets gathered on the training ground again.
“Quiet.”
At this moment, Zephyr descended from the sky and landed on the high platform, saying, “Starting today, we begin new training.
The ordinary class will run fifty laps, and then the instructors will conduct combat teaching.”
“Yes!” the members of the ordinary class responded and began running laps.
Soon, only the six of them—Lucas and the others—remained in front of the platform.
Zephyr said to them, “I have prepared weighted equipment for you.
Starting today, you will train with weights.”
“Yes!” the six responded.
For the next period, the six began weighted training, while afternoons continued with combat courses.
In the middle, when Zephyr went out on a mission, other deputies of Zephyr would instruct them.
The six started with a weight of one hundred kilogram; this was actually fine, but it was quickly increased to two hundred kilogram, then five hundred kilogram.