Whoosh! Whoosh!
The figures of Lucci and Smoker crossed repeatedly across the field, dazzling the eye.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Barehanded, Lucci fought against Smoker, who wielded a weapon. Not only was Lucci not at a disadvantage—he overwhelmingly suppressed Smoker with absolute speed and power!
If Smoker had not been a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, his speed and strength being completely outmatched would have meant outright domination!
Lucci's masterful use of the Rokushiki shocked everyone in the Elite Camp. No one present—including Smoker—was anywhere near that level.
"The tip is inlaid with Seastone, isn't it?"
After fending off Smoker's attacks repeatedly, Lucci suddenly moved at lightning speed, forcibly snatching Smoker's weapon away. Although Smoker was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, his strength and speed were far inferior to Lucci's.
With the weapon seized, Lucci swung it backhanded and smashed it heavily into Smoker's chest and abdomen.
Boom!!
Smoker was blasted away, coughing up blood as he crashed to the ground in the distance, looking utterly disheveled.
He struggled to his feet, but had already lost the ability to continue fighting. Anyone with eyes could tell that Smoker had absolutely no chance of winning!
"No way… even Smoker lost?"
"This is insanely strong… who exactly is this guy?!"
The Elite Camp recruits stared in shock.
If Lucci were older than them, it might have been understandable—but his appearance clearly showed he was extremely young, even younger than many of them!
To possess such strength at such an age, defeating even Smoker, was simply unbelievable.
"Relying on Devil Fruit powers… is this all you can do?"
Lucci did not pursue Smoker. Instead, he looked coldly at Smoker, who was barely standing with blood spilling from his mouth, then swept his gaze over the Elite Camp recruits.
"So this is the best of the Marine Headquarters' elite recruits? How disappointing."
Lucci's tone was filled with cold indifference.
At the age of thirteen, a kingdom under the World Government had been invaded. Five hundred soldiers were captured and used as hostages by pirates to threaten the king.
The World Government dispatched Lucci to resolve the situation. In his view, soldiers who were captured so easily—causing a national crisis—might allow the same thing to happen again in the future.
Thus, Lucci reached a conclusion.
Such weak soldiers had no right to live.
He slaughtered all five hundred soldiers, then exterminated all the pirates as well.
Weakness is a sin—this was Lucci's creed.
Now, sent by the World Government to assess the Marine Headquarters' elite recruits, he found them equally weak. If not for the explicit order forbidding killing, he might have already struck with lethal intent.
In his eyes, these Marine recruits themselves were a crime—utterly unworthy of bearing justice.
"Damn it!"
"Bastard! Don't underestimate us!"
Lucci's strength was terrifying, but his words were unbearably arrogant. The Elite Camp recruits could not endure it, their faces filled with rage.
Lucci coldly scanned the crowd.
"I say you're weak, and you don't accept it? Fine. I'll give you a chance—come at me together. How about that?"
"Arrogant!"
Someone, burning with anger, rushed straight at Lucci.
Within two exchanges, Lucci pierced him straight through the body with Shigan. Blood splattered instantly, staining the ground.
Several more Elite Camp recruits, driven by fury, rushed forward—yet none were a match for Lucci. The gap was far too great; they were all effortlessly taken down.
The blood on the ground, combined with Lucci's overwhelming power, was like a bucket of icy water poured over them, extinguishing their anger and leaving only cold dread.
Too strong!
Even Smoker had been defeated. Even if they attacked together, they stood no chance!
"No one else?"
Seeing no one dare step forward, Lucci shook his head and flicked the blood from his finger.
Behind him, some of the CP reserve members complained in dissatisfaction.
"Lucci, you took all the fights for yourself."
"So much for the Marine Headquarters' elite recruits. This was a waste of time. Let's go—our mission's done."
Jabra and the others wore looks of disdain and contempt as they turned to leave. Lucci also shook his head and turned away.
The Elite Camp recruits' faces alternated between red and pale. Angry yet unwilling, mocked yet powerless to retort—they felt utterly stifled.
At that moment, someone thought of Roya.
Though Roya had spent the past three months training alone and rarely appeared, the scene of him crushing Lao G three months ago was still vivid in their minds.
"Don't be so arrogant! If Roya were here, he'd never let you act so recklessly!"
Those words made Lucci, Jabra, and the others pause. They turned back around.
"Roya? Who's that?"
---
Second floor of the Marine Headquarters fortress, inside a small training room.
Numerous extremely thick steel plates were arranged throughout the room.
"Armament!"
Roya stood quietly, gripping Engetsu. His eyes flashed as Armament Haki suddenly surged forth, rapidly coating the blade.
Buzz!!
Engetsu's crimson blade instantly turned pitch-black, gleaming with a metallic luster.
"Getsuga… Tenshō!"
Roya murmured, then slashed toward a steel plate ten centimeters thick.
Shhkk!!
A white, crescent-shaped sword wave flashed past. The ten-centimeter-thick steel plate was cleaved cleanly in half like rotten wood. The residual force traveled dozens of meters farther, carving a deep groove into the distant wall.
"Even Getsuga Tenshō can now perfectly carry Armament Haki. Looks like I've finally fully mastered Armament Haki, and its strength has reached the limit corresponding to my current physical condition."
"All my attacks are nearly several times stronger than before. I wonder what level I'm at now—an ordinary branch vice admiral probably isn't my match anymore."
Roya smiled in satisfaction as he observed the damage.
It had taken him half a month to awaken Armament Haki, then nearly three more months to fully master it and raise it to the maximum level his current body could support.
Compared to three months ago, his current strength might not be worlds apart—but it was absolute domination all the same.