Chapter 80: The Young Recruits' Real Combat
Flames and the glint of steel intertwined. The sea breeze was scorching, and the beach had already been stained with patches of black soot and crimson blood.
Goraz's giant blade, wreathed in Armament Haki, clashed violently with Ace's blazing fist!
"CLANG—!!"
Sparks flew as a wave of intense heat rolled out!
Goraz sneered, a vicious light in his eyes. "Your flames are strong, brat, but you're still too green!"
He suddenly put his weight into it, his giant blade sweeping Ace's fist aside. He twisted, countering with a vicious slash! "Blood-Blade: Horizontal Cut!!"
A dark slash of Haki shot out. Ace's pupils shrank. He blasted flames from his feet, forcing himself backward—
"BOOM!!"
The slash carved a trench dozens of meters long in the beach, and seawater instantly rushed in to fill it!
"Don't let them scare you!!" Goraz roared. "They're just a bunch of kids! Fight back!!"
"KILL—!!"
The core officers of the Blood-Blade Pirates finally snapped out of their shock, and with a weak but vicious display of Armament Haki, they all charged!
The Vice-Captain, "Iron Hook" Barton, targeted Luffy, who was already tearing through the grunts. "You've got a solid punch, kid!"
Barton sneered, his heavy iron hook glinting as he swung it down in a whistling arc!
Luffy just grinned, and his figure vanished—
"Soru!"
He instantly reappeared at Barton's side, his Haki-coated fist smashing into the man's ribs! "Iron-Crushing Fist!!"
"BAM!!"
The punch landed true, rattling Barton's insides. He staggered back, spitting up a mouthful of blood!
"Holy hell! Why does getting hit by you feel like getting smashed with a sledgehammer?! That hurts!"
Luffy shook his fist, grinning. "My grandpa taught me! Go ask him!"
The Combat Captain, "Dual Blades" Rex, saw Zoro cutting down his men and charged him.
"You use two swords, too? Let's see what you've got!" He launched a sharp, cross-shaped 'X' slash.
Zoro didn't dodge. He met the attack head-on, leaping into an upward slash. "Two-Sword Style: Rhino Cycle!!"
"CLANG!!"
The sound of metal on metal exploded, and sparks flew as the two swordsmen shot past each other!
They both skidded to a stop. Rex's hands were numb, his mind reeling. "This kid's strength... it's greater than mine?!"
Zoro licked his lips, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Not bad... Again!!"
"Retreat: Slash!"
Ain moved like a ghost. Her blade grazed an officer's arm, and it instantly de-aged, withering into the arm of a child, his strength vanishing!
"Aaaah!! My arm?!" "What the hell is this power?!" The officer scrambled back in terror. He was so focused on his arm that he didn't see Ain's follow-up strike, which knocked him out cold.
Binz, meanwhile, slammed his hands on the ground, and thick vines erupted from the sand! "Overgrow: Bind!!"
Several pirates were instantly entangled!
"Nice one, Binz!" Ain called out, deftly finishing off the trapped enemies.
In the rear, Zephyr stood like a mountain, his arms crossed, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over every part of the battle.
"Ace's flames have power, but no focus... His Observation Haki also needs more training."
"Luffy's physical skills are improving fast, but he's leaving too many openings."
"Zoro's blade... it's already showing the potential to 'cut steel.'"
Just as a pirate snuck up behind a distracted recruit—
"BAM!!"
Zephyr's fist shot out, coated in Haki, and smashed the pirate into the sand, knocking him out instantly.
The recruit stared in shock. Zephyr just said, "On the battlefield, you never take your eyes off your surroundings. Don't get distracted."
"Sir!!" The recruit snapped to attention, his gaze firm.
Fire, blades, roars, and vines crisscrossed the battlefield. The Blood-Blade Pirates were in a full retreat. And this group of young cadets, in a trial of blood and fire, was taking their first real step as Marines.
Goraz was panting, his body covered in burns. "Damn it... how is this brat so strong?!"
"Flame Commandment: Blazing-Bomb!!" Ace brought his hands together, compressing a massive fireball into a tiny, terrifyingly dense orb.
Goraz's pupils shrank. "Wait... I surr—"
"BOOM—!!!"
The fireball detonated, and the explosion swallowed everything.
When the flames cleared, Goraz was lying in the scorched sand like a broken sack, his body smoking, his eyes wide and empty.
On the other side of the battle—
"Two-Sword Style: Bull Charge!!" Zoro shot forward in a low stance, his two swords aimed forward in a furious, multi-stabbing attack!
"Shk! Shk! Shk!!"
Rex, his eyes wide with terror, barely blocked the first two strikes before the rest of the blows rained down on him.
"Damn it!!"
"—Slash!!"
With a final flash of his blades, Zoro dashed past him. Rex stumbled, his chest covered in cuts, and collapsed, his swords falling from his hands. Zoro slowly stood, breathing heavily. "You've lost."
Nearby, Ain and Binz had already finished their opponents. The pirates' morale was completely broken.
But the battle wasn't over. Luffy, in his fight with the vice-captain, Barton, had been drawn away from the main beach and into the edge of the jungle.
"BAM!" Luffy's Haki-coated fist smashed against Barton's iron hook, sending sparks flying!
"Not bad, kid...!" Barton sneered, twisting his hook to try and trap Luffy's fist.
Luffy just grinned, and his figure blurred—
"Soru!"
He appeared behind Barton, his right leg already in motion! "Tempest Kick: Whip!!"
"BOOM!!"
Barton was sent flying, crashing through several trees before disappearing into the dense jungle undergrowth!
Luffy stood, his hands on his knees, panting slightly. "Phew... that guy was pretty tough."
He was about to turn back to the beach when he suddenly frowned.
Rustle...
A soft sound came from deep within the jungle.
Luffy spun around, his eyes wide. "Who's there?!"
From the dark shadows, two figures slowly emerged—one large, one small. Their eyes were cold and full of malice.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you