"Swoosh!!"
Oliver stared at the fist that was rapidly approaching, its size magnified in his field of vision. Without hesitation, he activated the skill in his mind.
Bull Charge—Activate!
A surge of power coursed through his muscles as the skill took effect. In an instant, Oliver's strength increased dramatically. He threw a powerful punch that collided with the oncoming fist.
"Crack!!"
A sharp sound echoed as their fists met. The burly man who had initiated the attack let out a cry of pain and immediately released Oliver's hand. Clutching his other hand in agony, he stumbled backward several steps, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Oliver.
Oliver flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders, a smirk forming on his face.
He had finally figured out how to properly use the skill Bull Charge after several trials.
The skill significantly enhanced physical strength, and the boost scaled based on the user's base strength. In simpler terms, the stronger you were to begin with, the more terrifying the enhancement became.
To illustrate, if someone like Sakuragi used this skill, he would probably have the strength equivalent to an NBA power forward. When Oliver used it, his strength increased up to a level around 75 points. But beyond raw power, the skill also came with a unique five-second "unstoppable" effect.
If the opponent was slightly stronger than you, the skill's special effect allowed you to push through. However, if they were much stronger, the unstoppable effect lost its potency.
At this moment, Oliver felt no pain in his hand after the punch—an indication that the opponent's strength was below his own 75-point benchmark.
"Hmph."
Placing his left hand behind his back, Oliver raised his right palm toward himself in a poised and confident manner.
At that moment, he truly felt the urge to say something dramatic.
"Wing Chun—Oliver style."
"You little punk!"
One of the man's companions, enraged by the scene, let out a roar and charged forward with gritted teeth. In his panic, he completely forgot the judo techniques he had trained in. Instead, he threw wild punches at Oliver like an untrained brawler.
But Oliver was far too fast for that.
He had Sonic Dash on his side.
Even in the face of frantic, uncoordinated attacks, Oliver stayed calm, his body flowing like water. He remained in his Wing Chun stance, skillfully dodging with agile footwork and precise movements.
"Oh? Getting nervous now? Feeling the pressure?"
Oliver taunted as he easily dodged the flurry of punches. The two attackers grew even more agitated at his mocking tone. Their faces turned red with frustration, and one of them even coughed up blood from sheer rage.
"Damn it! Why is this kid so slippery?! He's like a freakin' eel!"
As one of them staggered back, panting, a realization hit him. This kid—Oliver—was from the mysterious and ancient country of Daxia. He remembered hearing that in Daxia, even elderly folks practicing in the park were martial arts experts. He'd always thought that was an exaggerated stereotype...
But now? Watching Oliver move like a seasoned master? That rumor might actually be true.
"Heh!"
Just as the thought crossed the man's mind, Oliver's eyes sharpened. He saw an opening and struck.
He pressed his palm directly against the attacker's chest. With the force of Bull Charge, the man was sent flying backward.
Both men stared at Oliver in disbelief.
He didn't just defeat them—he was playing with them.
Still in his martial arts stance, Oliver muttered under his breath with a grin:
"A big watermelon, split into two, one for you and one for him..."
As if mocking his opponents, Oliver started performing a sequence of Tai Chi moves right there on the spot. His every movement carried the aura of a grandmaster, flowing with confidence and control.
"Oh no... what do we do now?" one of the attackers muttered.
"No wonder Sakuragi Hanamichi listens to this guy. He's a real beast!"
"Don't panic! Even if he knows kung fu, there are two of us. You go from the front, I'll come from behind. We'll double-team him!"
"Alright! Let's do it!"
They nodded in unison, got up from the ground, and moved into position—one from the left, one from the right.
Oliver, still in the middle, was finishing his imaginary watermelon-splitting routine.
Just then—
"Found you, Oliver!!"
A voice called out.
From around the corner, Kogure ran over, breathless but relieved to finally locate him.
"Get out of there! They're trying to force you to get Sakuragi to join the judo club!!"
"Judo club?"
Oliver paused, then realization dawned on him.
"Oh... Aota's group."
He recalled these guys. In the Slam Dunk storyline, Aota was the one obsessed with pulling Sakuragi into judo. Fans had always joked that if Sakuragi had tried wrestling, he could've become national champion.
Honestly, Oliver agreed. With Sakuragi's raw athleticism and street-fighting experience, he would've made a legendary martial artist.
But there was something even more admirable than his strength—Sakuragi's passion for basketball.
In the beginning, it may have been because of Haruko, but later, it became something pure. A real love for the game.
"But wait—why are you two looking for me instead of going straight to Sakuragi?"
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"Hmph! If we could convince him, would we even be bothering with you?!" one of them scoffed.
"Ohhh~ So you're targeting me because you can't beat Hanamichi? Sorry, not happening. I won't persuade him to join the judo club. He's a basketball genius. I believe in him."
Oliver shrugged casually and spread his arms in dismissal.
"Tch! Shut up! Our boss said you'll agree whether you want to or not!"
"Let's go!"
The two attackers lunged at Oliver again. Kogure's eyes widened.
"Oliver, watch out!!"
But Oliver was already moving.
With perfect timing, he ducked low, avoiding the incoming strike. His eyes flashed. He drove his fist upward in a clean uppercut, striking the first opponent directly in the jaw.
Bam!
The man collapsed instantly.
"What!?"
Kogure had been rushing forward to intervene, but seeing the knockout punch in action, he stopped dead in his tracks.
His glasses nearly slipped off his nose.
"Damn you!"
The second man growled and threw a desperate punch. Oliver deflected it with his left arm and countered with a powerful knee strike to the stomach.
Thud!
The attacker crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.
Oliver dusted off his hands.
"Problem solved."
He stepped over the two groaning figures and walked up to Kogure with a smile.
"So, what's up, Kogure-senpai? You needed something from me?"
Kogure blinked, speechless for a moment.
"Uh… I was in trouble. But, well… not anymore..."
Looking at Oliver, Kogure couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
On the surface, this guy seemed friendly, laid-back, and cheerful. But when it came to fights... he was just like Sakuragi.
A problem child.
"Oliver... you really need to stop getting into fights. Now that you've joined the basketball team, we can't afford any more trouble."
Kogure placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder, his expression serious.
Shohoku's school administration had already given a final warning after the incident with Miyagi. If another fight involving the basketball team happened, they'd be banned from all future competitions.
That would be the end of their dream—to dominate the national tournament.
"Don't worry, Kogure-senpai. I'm different from Sakuragi. I understand the importance of all this."
Oliver nodded solemnly, hand on heart.
Kogure let out a sigh of relief... until he heard what came next.
"…Which is why I'll make sure no one finds out when I fight."
"..."
Kogure stood frozen, two silent streams of tears flowing down his face.
Akagi… our Shohoku basketball team still has a long, long road ahead of us.
patreon(Jutsu_143)