At 7 AM in Marineford, the sea mist hadn't yet dissipated.
Kane and Kuzan had been lying in bed for less than ten minutes.
"BEEEP——!!!"
Zephyr's piercing assembly whistle instantly shattered the dormitory's tranquility.
"All assemble! Those who are late will do ten times the extra training!" Zephyr's roar echoed through the corridor.
"Ugh..." Kuzan struggled to sit up, instinctively reaching for the Navy Vest by his bedside, his entire being radiating a worn-out aura of someone crushed by life.
In contrast, on the other side.
Kane was leisurely straightening his collar. Though his blond hair looked somewhat disheveled and his clothes were stained with sweat and dirt from the previous night, his sapphire blue eyes shone with unusual excitement.
How could he not be excited?
That was a Physique Enhancement gained from a full ten thousand Violation Points! Right now, he felt terrifyingly strong.
"Ka...Kane..." Kuzan, sporting two massive dark circles under his eyes, stared in shock at his energetic roommate. "Aren't... aren't you tired at all? You carried me for the last fifty laps!"
"Tired?"
Kane turned around, facing the morning sun outside the window, and flashed his trademark smile.
"This is youth, Kuzan!"
"The body may grow weary, but when I think of the Justice we bear on our shoulders, my spirit is filled with limitless power!"
[Ding! Detected host's extremely hypocritical speech, causing slight physical discomfort in Kuzan. Violation Value +20 points!]
Hearing the beautiful system notification, Kane's smile grew even more sincere.
Kuzan paused, a mix of admiration and shame welling up in his heart.
'Is this the difference in resolve...?' He gritted his teeth, forcing his sore body to stand up.
...
Five minutes later, on the training ground.
The elite class Cadets stood in formation.
Though they were called elites, most had dark circles under their eyes. Zephyr's roaring last night had kept the entire dormitory area from sleeping well.
Zephyr stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses scanning everyone's faces, finally settling on Kane.
To be honest, Zephyr hadn't slept at all last night.
He'd stood by his office window the entire night.
He'd personally watched how Kane had trudged through the final hundred laps, and how he'd carried the unconscious Kuzan back to the dorm.
This kind of perseverance, this kind of physique.
Zephyr was actually satisfied deep down, even impressed.
But this kid was also really asking for a beating.
"No physical training today."
Zephyr's gruff voice cut through the sea breeze. "As elites, mere physical strength isn't enough! Today we conduct combat sparring! No restrictions - continue until one side loses combat ability or surrenders!"
"Pair up freely and begin sparring!"
Just as the Cadets were about to find familiar partners, a low, hoarse voice spoke up.
"Teacher Zephyr."
From the front of the formation, a man wearing a dark red shirt and a baseball cap stepped forward.
Sakazuki.
Even in his youth, that fierce aura around him was already taking shape.
He adjusted his cap brim, his sinister eyes looking past everyone to fix on Kane.
"I request to spar with Cadet Kane."
The entire hall fell silent.
Zephyr frowned slightly. "Sakazuki, Kane was punished last night and has expended a great deal of stamina..."
"Is that an excuse?"
Sakazuki roughly cut off Zephyr, veins bulging on his neck, his tone aggressive. "When pirates attack, will they spare you just because you didn't sleep well last night? The execution of Justice knows no time, place, or condition!"
He abruptly turned and pointed directly at Kane's face.
"I don't recognize someone like this!"
"Corrupting comrades, treating military discipline as a joke, full of empty talk, but in reality only knows how to show off!"
"The Navy doesn't need opportunistic people like this! If you can't even beat me, then get out of the training camp early and don't tarnish your father's reputation!"
These words were extremely harsh, practically tearing Kane's face off and stomping it on the ground.
Kuzan beside him grew anxious and was about to rush forward to argue. "Hey! Sakazuki, you're going too far..."
A hand steadily stopped Kuzan.
Kane looked at the battle-ready Sakazuki and thought to himself.
"System, assess Sakazuki."
[Scanning target...]
[Sakazuki (Youth Period): Physique 58, Six Styles: Preliminary Mastery, Devil Fruit: None, Haki: Not Mastered.]
Looking at the numbers on the light screen, Kane's pupils contracted slightly.
'58 points? Is this guy a monster?'
During the opening ceremony a week ago, he had outpaced everyone by boosting his physique to 55. At that time, although Sakazuki was close behind, he clearly hadn't reached the level of 55.
In just one week, this guy had actually trained his physique to 58? Such a terrifying growth rate truly befits a future Fleet Admiral.
'However...'
A playful curve lifted the corner of Kane's mouth.
'A 7-point gap in physique, in the early stages of this world, is an insurmountable chasm!'
'Since you want to play, I'll play along properly.'
"Cadet Sakazuki is right."
Kane said in an extremely earnest tone as he slowly rolled up his sleeves.
"I indeed have many shortcomings, and my actions last night were indeed inappropriate. Since you are willing to personally instruct me for the future of the Navy, to correct my 'mistakes'..."
He raised his head, his gaze instantly turning sharp, but the smile at the corner of his mouth grew even more playful.
"I couldn't ask for more."
"Stop being so sarcastic!"
Sakazuki hated this attitude of his the most. He roared, his entire body's muscles tensing, a fierce aura erupting instantly.
His legs exploded with force.
"Boom!"
A ring of dust erupted from the ground. His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, instantly covering over ten meters.
His right fist clenched, no fancy techniques, just pure power and killing intent, aimed straight for Kane's face.
If this punch landed solidly, an ordinary person's head would be smashed.
The surrounding recruits let out gasps of shock.
Yet, Kane stood in place, not even shifting his footing.
Only when the fist carrying a gust of wind was about to touch the tip of his nose, ruffling the bangs on his forehead, did he tilt his head slightly.
Swish!
The fist brushed past his ear.
"Too slow," Kane said softly, a hint of regret in his tone.
After last night's insane allocation of 10,000 Violation Value points, his dynamic vision and reaction speed were already far beyond what they had been when he first entered the camp.
Sakazuki's powerful straight punch appeared to him like a slow-motion replay.
"Only know how to dodge? Coward!"
Sakazuki changed moves with extreme speed. When his first strike missed, he used the momentum to spin his body, his thick elbow swinging like a battle-axe toward Kane's temple.
Ruthless! Accurate! Absolutely merciless!
This time, Kane didn't dodge.
He raised his right arm and threw a punch!
Boom!
A dull sound of flesh colliding echoed.
The shockwave rolled out, making the clothes of the surrounding Cadets flutter noisily, while fine cracks instantly spread across the stone slabs beneath their feet.
But Kane didn't retreat a single step, firmly blocking Sakazuki's seemingly unstoppable strike.
[Ding! Assaulting a fellow Cadet.]
[Violation Value +50!]
"Hmm?" Kane's eyes lit up!
Fifty points per punch?
Sakazuki, if you don't beat me half to death today, or I don't beat you half to death, neither of us is leaving!
With that thought, Kane deliberately pretended to be exhausted, swaying slightly.