Stepping into the arena, Sakazuki stared at the captain opposite him and spoke calmly.
"Captain, be careful."
Captain Phil let out a laugh. "Haha, don't worry. Come at me with everything you've got."
Sakazuki silently activated his Devil Fruit powers. His skin glowed a deep red, slowly morphing as molten magma pulsed beneath the surface. Though his form remained human, steam hissed from his body, rising in waves.
He exhaled sharply, a burst of steam escaping his mouth.
In an instant, Sakazuki appeared right in front of Phil.
Caught off guard, the captain's eyes widened in shock. He had underestimated Sakazuki's speed; it was too late to dodge.
With no other choice, he roared.
Sakazuki's magma-covered fist slammed directly into Phil's abdomen.
The impact was brutal.
His hardened defense held for a moment, but only a moment. The molten power burned through, and Phil's stomach caved inward under the force.
Phil's Tekkai technique was forcefully broken. He staggered backward, clutching his stomach, sweat pouring down his face. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but no words came out.
The crowd of recruits erupted into murmurs, stunned by the outcome. Many had expected a tough fight, but not this. Even some officers exchanged surprised glances.
Zephyr, who had been watching in silence, finally shifted his gaze toward Phil. His sharp eyes softened just a little.
"Phil, step down for now," he ordered, his voice steady yet authoritative.
"Yes... cough cough!" Phil gasped, barely managing a weak salute before stumbling away from the arena. Two nearby marines rushed forward to support him.
Zephyr turned his attention to Sakazuki, studying him for a moment. A faint, approving nod followed.
"Sakazuki, huh? Not bad," he said thoughtfully. "For a Logia user, your physical combat skills haven't fallen behind eithe—"
Before he could finish, a booming, familiar laugh cut through the air like a thunderclap.
"Wahahahaha! This is getting interesting! Zephyr, let me handle this one!"
Everyone turned to see Garp, his arms crossed, grinning from ear to ear. His laughter was infectious, loud, and carefree; a stark contrast to the tension hanging over the recruits.
Zephyr glanced at him, his brows furrowing in mild exasperation. He sighed, shaking his head with a reluctant smile.
"You... alright. Sakazuki, any objections?"
Sakazuki's eyes burned with determination. An opportunity to face someone of Garp's caliber wasn't something he could refuse.
"No problem." He agreed without hesitation, adjusting his stance and locking eyes with Garp.
The older man chuckled, stepping forward, his grin never fading.
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed. His Crimson Lotus state erupted to full force, molten energy pulsing through his veins. Heat distorted the air around him.
He stomped down hard. The ground cracked, and an explosion of magma blasted from beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a cannonball.
He appeared right in front of Garp in an instant, his magma-coated fist blasting toward him with brutal force.
But Garp didn't flinch. It was as if he had predicted every movement. His grin widened as he raised his left arm, meeting Sakazuki's punch head-on.
The two fists collided.
A powerful shockwave erupted from Sakazuki's punch, magma bursting out, surging toward Garp.
However, when their punches clashed, the impact alone stirred up a violent whirlwind, preventing the magma from reaching Garp.
The gusts were so intense that the surrounding marines had to raise their arms to shield themselves from the wind.
Garp, unfazed, stood firm with his wide grin still in place.
"Again!" he barked, voice booming like a war drum.
Their figures blurred as they moved.
Fists flew in rapid succession, creating afterimages. Each clash erupted with bursts of magma and raw power, sending fiery shockwaves through the battlefield.
The ground cracked and splintered beneath them, molten rock bubbling up from the fractures as the plaza shook like a localized earthquake, yet neither backed down.
The surrounding recruits kept retreating, afraid of getting caught in the blasts.
But only Sakazuki himself knew: after so many intense clashes in such a short time, his body was reaching its limit.
The Crimson Lotus state, which relied on magma surging through his body to amplify his strength, came with a heavy cost.
It burned through his stamina rapidly.
After fighting for so long, he was barely holding on. If he kept going, he'd probably end up leaving on a stretcher.
Their figures crossed once more before Sakazuki finally broke out of his Crimson Lotus form. His right arm transformed into a molten fist and slammed into the ground.
Not far away, Garp came to a stop, watching him with an amused expression.
"Devil Fruit powers, huh," he muttered, eyes narrowing slightly.
The next moment, he vanished.
A pillar of magma erupted from the ground, exploding outward in all directions. The blast zone was exactly where Garp had been standing moments before.
Eighteen more streams of molten rock shot up from the ground in rapid succession, exploding outward in a fiery wave. The recruits gasped in awe.
'Is that all?' Garp thought as he dodged to the side, landing lightly.
Before Garp could react, Sakazuki's figure emerged from the scattering magma nearby. His right hand twisted with compressed, swirling lava, forming a devastating strike.
With a fierce punch, he slammed his magma-coated fist directly into Garp's chest. The lava erupted on impact, engulfing him in a wave of searing flames.
"This... is unbelievable!"
The crowd of recruits erupted in shock. Even the surrounding officers looked surprised. Zephyr, on the other hand, wore a look of approval.
"Careful planning, steady execution... not bad," he murmured.
After the strike, Sakazuki staggered back, steam rising from his body as his magma state faded completely. He stood still, breathing hard, waiting for Zephyr's next command.
Meanwhile, the figure buried beneath the molten rock remained still.
Suddenly, the molten rock burst apart, sending lava flying in all directions. From within emerged Garp, completely unharmed, laughing harder than before.
"Whahahahaha! That was a good one, kid! When you graduate, join my ship! Hahahaha!"
Sakazuki's eyes widened slightly, his fists clenching in silent frustration.
"Enough, Garp! Don't go leading promising recruits astray!" Zephyr, standing to the side with a helpless expression, quickly stepped in to stop him.
'This one's too good to let Garp corrupt.'
"Alright, Sakazuki. Fall back into line." Follow current novᴇls on novel_fіre.net
Sakazuki exhaled slowly, his body aching all over. He returned to his place among the recruits, his mind racing.
The tests continued, but for him, the fire had only just started burning.
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