Within the recruit camp, the two most outstanding individuals were Cage and Binz. They stood side-by-side as second-best, with no one daring to claim the top spot.
The two were inherently rivals, and recently, rumors had circulated that made Binz uncomfortable. The talk was that he relied on his Devil Fruit ability, while Cage had built his skills from the ground up, with solid, fundamental training.
As fellow Marine recruits, why was he being discriminated against? This point left Binz quite displeased.
In truth, such matters were perfectly normal; young people always loved to compete.
However, Cage had no interest in it. Whether he was first or second in the recruit camp meant little to him, even with the generous rewards, unless it was for something truly beneficial. His sole aim was to quickly acquire formidable power, then eliminate the pirates who had killed his parents. That was Cage's objective.
Cage ignored Binz and continued walking.
"Damn it, are you ignoring me?!"
Seeing this, Binz flew into a rage and quickly chased after him.
Zephyr silently observed the scene, a subtle curve playing on his lips. He didn't intervene; on the contrary, he welcomed this kind of situation, for competition fostered progress.
Marine Headquarters offered rewards for the top three recruits in the camp, which was essentially a method for the Marine higher-ups to encourage competition among new recruits.
"Cage... did I expose your bluff, so now you're afraid to face me? Coward!" Binz loudly challenged, blocking Cage's path.
"Get out of the way," Cage said impatiently, a hint of annoyance on his face.
"Hmph... such a braggart. How about we make a bet?"
Afraid others wouldn't hear, Binz raised his voice and declared, "You just said you could hit a moving target even while blindfolded, right? If you can actually do it... then I'll concede the title of 'First in the Recruit Camp' to you. But if you lose, then I, Binz, will be the undisputed first!"
At his words, Cage's expression faltered slightly. "Are you serious?"
Cage was quite eager for those rewards, especially with the rumor of a Devil Fruit among them.
"Of course!"
Binz bristled at Cage's doubt, shouting, "Don't question my integrity!"
"Is that acceptable, Zephyr-sensei?" Cage's gaze turned to the silently observing Zephyr.
"You two are tied for second in the recruit camp. Since you both agree, I have no objections." Zephyr agreed with a smile, then gave Cage a meaningful look. "Hitting a target while blindfolded is extremely difficult. Think carefully."
After all, Cage had only been enlisted for half a month; the difficulty was immense.
"I've thought it through." Cage looked at Binz with resolute eyes. "As you wish."
Half an hour later, at the Marine training grounds.
The surrounding training areas were packed with people, all eyes fixed on the two figures in the center.
One was Cage, the other Binz, standing about two hundred meters apart.
Cage was already blindfolded. To be honest, hitting a target at this distance was already the mark of a good sniper, but doing it while blindfolded... was undoubtedly even harder.
"Ready? I'm going to start!" Binz said, rattling the stack of plates in his hand. There were about fifteen or sixteen of them.
"Hurry up. Don't cry if you lose," Cage urged.
"Hmph, still so arrogant! I'm the one who should be first in this recruit camp!"
Binz flashed a sly grin and suddenly flung out three or four plates.
"That guy's despicable!"
The surrounding recruits cursed Binz for his shamelessness. It was already difficult enough to hit one plate while blindfolded, but for this guy to throw out three or four at once was simply outrageous.
If the plates hit the ground, it would mean Cage's humiliating defeat.
But then...
Bang bang bang...
In that flash of lightning, Cage fired four shots with the fastest possible speed.
Clink clink clink clink...
The four plates, just moments after being launched into the air, were shattered by Cage's four shots. Not a single bullet missed; each one found its mark.
"This... is this real?!"
At that moment, countless eyes widened, and the entire field fell silent. How did Cage do that?!
He was blindfolded... How could Cage possibly discern the exact location of the plates?
"That just now was... This kid truly isn't simple."
Even Zephyr, who had been watching casually, instantly became alert, his cloudy eyes flashing with sharp light.
"Ridiculous!"
The one who found it hardest to accept was Binz. His cheeks flushed. "That was just dumb luck! I don't believe you can do it again!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Binz threw out three more plates, all flying in different directions.
"Northeast, 280 meters. Southeast, about 300 meters. West, around 270 meters..."
Cage's heart settled completely. He meticulously sensed and listened to the movements in the atmosphere. When the plates were thrown, he heard whooshing sounds, and he used these to identify their positions.
When he was a hunter, Cage's father had told him that the most skilled hunters didn't rely on their eyes to see their prey. Some wild animals were too fast; human eyes couldn't even register them before they vanished. And sometimes, what the eyes saw wasn't real.
Cage's father had repeatedly emphasized that when prey moved, they made various sounds, and one needed to feel them with their heart.
And now, the plates thrown into the air were Cage's prey.
Bang bang bang...
Three more gunshots rang out, and the plates were accurately blown apart once again. The entire field remained utterly silent.
"It truly is Observation Haki! How is that possible? How old is this kid?!" Zephyr exclaimed in disbelief.
"I don't believe it!"
In a fit of rage, Binz flung out all the remaining plates at once—eight or nine of them.
But...
Bang bang bang bang...
Cage fired eight or nine shots with the fastest possible speed, still not a single bullet missed. All the plates were shattered.
Binz immediately fell to his knees, utterly dejected.
"This year's number one recruit is Cage!!!"
Zephyr was momentarily stunned, then announced in the loudest possible voice.