The surrounding recruits—who had all been "holding it in" during Iron Body practice—were immediately drawn by the commotion.
Since nothing was coming out anyway, they figured they might as well watch some drama.
Just like that, a circle formed around the two of them.
Zephyr and Shuzo watched from a higher vantage point, casually commenting.
"Shuzo, do you think Binz can break through Karl's Iron Body?" Zephyr asked.
Shuzo shook his head decisively.
"No way. Absolutely impossible. Look at Binz—skinny arms, skinny legs. I don't see it happening. What about you, Instructor?"
Even if Shuzo wasn't sure who'd win in a real fight, when it came to defense, it was obvious—more muscle meant more durability, right?
Karl looked solid.
Binz, by comparison, looked like a dried-up chicken.
They weren't even in the same league.
Zephyr laughed and patted Shuzo on the shoulder.
"Hahaha! No one understands Karl's strength better than I do. That boy isn't going down so easily."
With more and more people watching, pressure slammed down on Binz.
To everyone here, he was the second strongest recruit—right behind Karl.
If he went all out and still couldn't break Karl's defense… how humiliating would that be?
The thought ignited something in his eyes.
Originally, he'd only planned to vent a bit of frustration.
Now, flames burned in his gaze as he locked onto Karl and shouted:
"Ninjutsu: Heavy Piercing Fist!"
Binz flung his long, thin arms wide, stomped hard with his left foot, and leapt into the air. Mid-jump, he drew his arms back, his body compressing like a spring wound to the absolute limit—
Then he launched himself straight at Karl, who stood still, unmoving.
"Hah!"
Two fists shot forward.
For that single moment, Binz looked like a god of war.
His punch smashed squarely into Karl's chest.
Bang!
Then—
Crack!
The unmistakable sound of bone breaking rang out.
Karl was sent flying cleanly through the air, landing hard on the ground.
By the time anyone could react, he was already sprawled there, barely breathing. It looked like he wanted to say something—
But instead, he spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately paid tribute to Monkey D. Luffy, rolling his eyes back in a classic warning pose.
Right before losing consciousness, the only thing Karl felt was searing pain in his chest—like he'd been shot.
Damn it…
I thought using Iron Body would at least reduce the damage. How did I end up this badly hurt?!
What kind of garbage defensive technique is this?!
Binz: "???"
Binz stared at his own hands in disbelief.
…Am I actually this strong?
I defeated Karl—who was using Iron Body—with a single strike?
The onlooking recruits erupted into shock.
Many felt that punch was fueled by personal grudges. Binz usually looked mild and friendly—who would've thought he'd hit that hard?
Better stay far away from him in the future.
"What?!"
Zephyr shot to his feet.
In two quick steps, he was already at Karl's side. He crouched down and checked—
Still breathing.
"Quick! Get Karl to the infirmary! Now!"
Zephyr had no time to question Binz's excessive force. Right now, his only concern was Karl's condition.
This kid was the future light of the Marines.
Several strong recruits rushed to grab a stretcher from the storage room and hurried Karl off to the infirmary.
Thirty Minutes Later
Zephyr asked anxiously,
"How is he? How bad is it?"
The doctor removed his mask, expression grave.
"Instructor Zephyr, Mr. Karl's condition isn't good. Three fractured ribs, with inward displacement. Soft tissue damage to the chest wall, internal organ impact, and significant chest hematoma."
"Doctor," Zephyr interrupted sharply,
"Don't give me all that jargon. Just tell me—is his life in danger? Will there be aftereffects?"
The doctor thought for a moment.
"His injuries are not life-threatening. As for long-term complications, it's too early to say. We'll need to observe him for a while."
Hearing that Karl wasn't in mortal danger, Zephyr finally breathed out in relief.
Still, confusion gnawed at him.
Karl had the strongest physique among this batch of recruits—how could he fail to withstand even a single punch?
"That's good… that's good. Can I see him now?"
"I'm sorry," the doctor replied.
"It's best to wait until his condition stabilizes. Visiting now may affect his recovery."
Zephyr sighed helplessly.
"Very well. I'll come back later."
Back at the training grounds, an angered Zephyr grabbed Binz and dragged him into a corner.
"Binz! What exactly happened today? Tell me everything—truthfully!"
Binz scratched his head miserably.
He really had no idea either.
After the incident, Shuzo had actually asked him to repeat the same move.
This time, Shuzo didn't even use Iron Body—and blocked it effortlessly.
His verdict?
'With this trash-level strength, how did you even hurt Karl that badly?'
Still, facing an instructor he deeply respected, Binz honestly explained the entire sequence of events.
Zephyr listened carefully, but still couldn't make sense of it. In the end, he could only send Binz back to training.
"…That brat is strange," Zephyr muttered.
"First Ain. Now Binz. Why do I keep feeling like he's doing this on purpose?"
If Zephyr knew what the word scam meant…
He'd probably be very confident in that feeling.
Ding.
[Accumulated slacking time has reached 8 hours]
Daily Mission completed.
Rewards obtained:
Chosen Attribute Enhancement Card ×2
Marine Six Styles: Iron Body Skill Card ×1
Happy Fat宅 Cola ×1
The notification rang in Karl's mind.
He jolted awake—then immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
Pain. So much pain.
Looking down, his chest was tightly wrapped in bandages, an IV drip hanging beside him.
Karl sighed.
Yep. Hospital again.
Slacking was a success… but the price hurt.
"Ugh… this is unbearable."
With some effort, Karl raised his right hand, condensed a ball of Holy Light, and gently pressed it against his body.
Warm energy flowed through him, and the pain eased instantly.
Relying on Still as a Maiden to keep his stamina abundant, Karl quickly cast it again.
This time, he felt his injuries mostly recover.
"Ah… that's much better. This ability is really convenient."
Karl estimated that with one more cast, he'd basically be fully healed.
But he stopped himself.
No need to overdo it.
If he healed completely, wouldn't all that suffering go to waste?
He might as well lie here for ten days or half a month, slack until it felt truly worth the sacrifice.
Creaaak—
The ward door opened.
A nurse with long, wavy blonde hair walked in. She wore a white nurse's uniform, crystal earrings, and carried a metal tray filled with medicine.
Seeing that Karl was awake, her eyes lit up. She set the tray aside and walked over quickly.
"Mr. Karl, you're awake! How are you feeling?"
A faint fragrance drifted over.
Karl's eyes brightened.
So the infirmary has nurses this pretty?
Why hadn't he seen her last time?
"Mm, I feel okay. Just… my chest still hurts a bit."
The nurse smiled gently.
"Other than your chest, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?"
Karl shook his head.
Earlier, yes—but after self-healing, he felt mostly fine.
"Good," she said softly.
"I need to change your dressing soon. It might sting a little, so please don't move, okay?"
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