"Hold back a little?"
Nao understood the meaning in Brandon's eyes and nodded seriously: "Understood, Instructor."
He was always a humble and polite person, never one to just hog the limelight.
Since Brandon was worried he might break the machine, he figured he'd ease off a bit when throwing the punch. Honestly, there was no need to go all out—sixty or seventy percent of his strength should be more than enough.
—Anyway, no matter what, it'll definitely be higher than Bastille's score and enough to get the highest evaluation for strength, right?
Countless eager gazes once again focused on him.
Nao didn't adjust his breathing rhythm, nor did he try to channel all his strength into his right arm like before.
He simply stepped up to the machine, gave a casual glance at the indentation in the center, and then—without much effort—threw a rather half-hearted punch.
BOOM!!!
A massive shockwave echoed through the entire plaza.
The next second, the giant black machine was launched into the air, flying straight off the platform and clear across the training field—
—until it slammed into the side of the fortress building with a tremendous crash.
CRASH!!
The third-floor conference room's massive glass window exploded into shards, raining down in a glittering cascade. Screams erupted from inside the room. People could be seen scrambling in chaos.
And then—
The warning lights on the fortress suddenly turned red.
A blaring alarm followed.
The intercom crackled to life with a low, serious voice:
"This is not a drill. Repeat—this is not a drill. Enemy attack confirmed!"
"..."
Everyone stood frozen, staring blankly at the flashing red lights.
Then their eyes slowly drifted to Nao—who looked about as stunned as they did. He was still gazing up at the trajectory of the now-missing machine, looking completely lost.
Feeling everyone's gaze, Nao finally withdrew his own and scratched his scalp, somewhat at a loss.
—Damn it, did I underestimate my own strength after all?
Noon, in the cafeteria.
Zephyr, who had only wanted to quietly enjoy his lunch in a corner, was now surrounded by a group of instructors overseeing the graduation assessment. He listened helplessly as they poured out their grievances.
"Why the hell is that kid so strong, Zephyr-sensei?!"
A grizzled instructor in his fifties, beard like a bramble patch, scowled as he spoke. "I've been overseeing graduation assessments for nearly ten years now. I even watched Kuzan graduate back in the day. But I've never seen anyone stir up this much trouble during a test!"
"Exactly! The Headquarters' staff meeting in progress was forced to halt, and large squads of patrolling sentries rushed over, thinking we were under a sudden pirate attack."
"Even Vice Admiral Garp got called in! And when he saw the damage to the fortress, you know what he did? Patted Nao on the shoulder, laughed out loud, and just walked away..."
Well, that wasn't surprising.
Zephyr sipped his soup, lips twitching. That old geezer probably felt like he'd found his successor or something—he was probably delighted.
"In any case, the assessment progress has been seriously delayed. Only the strength assessment was completed this morning. I'm not sure there'll be enough time this afternoon to finish the remaining assessments."
The instructors spoke one after another, their expressions growing more and more concerned as the complaints piled up.
They usually weren't responsible for teaching Nao's batch, and none of them had expected a single graduation assessment to stir up such a huge commotion.
Brandon didn't join the conversation. He sat leaning against the wall with his legs crossed, a gloating smile on his face.
—See? I told you not to ignore my advice, but you insisted on having that kid punch the machine.
Happy now? You guys are lucky; at least you can complain here.
Those two Rear Admirals from HQ are probably crying right now, hauling that busted machine all the way to the research lab—probably haven't even had lunch yet!
As for the afternoon assessments…
The rest didn't really matter—but wasn't there a stamina assessment?
A chill ran down Brandon's spine at the thought. The memory hit hard. He immediately made a mental note: no matter what, he was going to volunteer for a different station.
As for the stamina assessment? Whoever wanted to deal with that nightmare could go. He sure as hell wasn't stupid enough to get dragged into that mess again.
...
In the afternoon, the new recruits, having had lunch, returned to the open ground for the remaining assessment tests.
The first test on the docket: Speed.
With the chaotic scene from the morning still fresh in everyone's minds, the recruits were at least mentally prepared this time.
They all knew by now—there was no using normal standards to judge that monster recruit named Nao. Even if he completely outpaced them, it was something they'd just have to accept.
But… the moment they actually lined up to run next to him—
There was Nao, breezing along like he was out for a morning jog… and still leaving everyone in the dust.
At that moment, half the Elite Camp nearly suffered brain hemorrhages.
Act as laid-back as you want, fine! But why the hell do you keep turning your head to smile at us like you're cheering us on?! Who needs your encouragement, you bastard?!
Once all batches of recruits had finished their runs, the results were exactly what everyone expected.
Nao firmly secured first place in the individual speed assessment, with a score nearly three times higher than the second-place finisher.
This level of disparity made the Marines' scalps tingle, almost extinguishing any thought of catching up. They could only sigh in amazement.
It was only today that they truly understood a certain truth.
—Some people get first place because they're hardworking and strong enough to deserve it, while others are first simply because the highest rank can only be first.
The next few assessment items went without any surprises.
Nao dominated all of them, taking first place and breaking numerous historical records set by Sakazuki, Kuzan, and others since the Elite Camp's establishment.
Both the instructors and the graduates were somewhat numb after enduring the entire afternoon. Fortunately, these processes were smooth and calm, unlike the chaotic morning.
Until… at 3 PM, the final assessment item—the Stamina Assessment—finally began.
Compared to the monthly routine assessment for new recruits, this assessment in the graduation test was much more rigorous. It was no longer just running laps around the training ground; instead, it involved high-speed, frantic running around the entire Marine Headquarters fortress.
Not only did the terrain become much more complex, but the weight requirement also quadrupled, reaching a terrifying 250 kilograms.
To ensure complete fairness and eliminate any chance of cheating, the participants were sent out in groups of ten, staggered by batches. Each group was assigned two instructors to accompany and supervise them the entire way.
The whole thing had become something of an annual spectacle. The sight of dozens of heavily loaded recruits racing around the fortress drew crowds every year—like a Marineford Marathon.
Nao was placed in the third group, which set off after about half an hour of waiting. Coincidentally, he was grouped with Shiryu.
Alongside the two instructors, this group was joined by Rear Admirals Dalmatian and Doberman.
Naturally, they had no obligation to run and supervise.
But the two, having been thoroughly exhausted and unable to even eat lunch, were now in a depressed mood. With a mindset similar to, "I don't believe you're that much of a stamina freak," they closely followed Nao.
Especially Doberman—in his own Elite Camp batch, he was also known as a monster, particularly renowned for his tireless stamina.
After years of experience since graduating, his stamina limit had steadily increased. While other categories were one thing, he genuinely didn't believe he would be outdone by Nao in this aspect.
Besides, he didn't have to carry a 250-kilogram load!