"Hey, this is getting interesting!"
Cage grinned. In the next instant, he stomped the ground a dozen times in rapid succession—boom boom boom!—his figure vanished, launching himself toward Yuno like a bullet!
His speed had more than doubled!
A clenched fist cut through the air with overwhelming force—an unstoppable punch aimed straight at Yuno!
But no matter how swift Cage moved, he couldn't escape Yuno's perception.
Yuno's eyes tracked him precisely.
Cage's pupils contracted. "He's reading my movements?!"
That thought barely formed before it was proven true—Yuno dodged the punch effortlessly, just like before.
But this time, Yuno didn't just evade—he struck back!
In a blur, he flashed forward, closing the distance with explosive acceleration!
The skill [White Strike] had honed Yuno's hand-to-hand prowess to a razor's edge. Though still beneath his swordsmanship, his boxing was no less deadly.
He gathered strength in his core, fists drawing back to his waist as he launched forward, unleashing a fierce, full-force straight punch!
Whoosh!
The wind howled around his fist, pressure exploding forward!
"Good fellow!" Cage's face lit with surprise. Yuno's sudden speed caught him off guard, but his battle-hardened instincts kicked in. With a twist of his waist and a flash of Haki, he met the punch head-on!
BOOM!
Fist collided with fist.
Despite Cage's block, he was sent skidding back several steps!
For the first time, a flicker of disbelief crossed the veteran officer's face. He'd been forced back—by a rookie?
"So even his counters carry such bite…" Yuno's gaze sharpened, and he charged again without pause.
This time, Cage caught a clearer glimpse of Yuno's footwork. His eyes widened slightly. "Soru? No… this is something else."
His interest was truly piqued now. Activating his own Soru technique, he vanished from sight!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two clashed again and again, their figures blurring across the field. To the watching recruits, they were nothing more than two high-speed afterimages streaking across the battlefield—colliding with concussive blasts that shook the earth!
"Wh-What the hell are we watching…?" one recruit muttered, jaw slack.
"That's a freshman?!" another exclaimed.
"Holy crap! What kind of god is that guy?!"
Even Lafer, who prided himself on knowing Yuno's strength, stood frozen. "He… he's this strong?!"
That was a Rear Admiral! And Yuno… was holding his own?!
"Hah!" Cage laughed mid-battle. "You're quick, kid! But you lack power! You can't last long like this!"
After a flurry of rapid blows, Cage had spotted the flaw—Yuno's stamina.
Sharp, agile, skilled—yes. But his endurance lagged behind.
Yuno didn't respond. He knew it too. Without revealing his trump card, this battle couldn't be won.
"But if this is all you've got—you're still just a greenhorn!"
Cage roared, seized Yuno's incoming fist with one hand—and flung him across the field!
CRACK! The ground splintered beneath Cage's feet as he blasted forward again, closing the distance in an instant. A brutal punch rocketed toward Yuno's chest!
But Yuno, twisting midair, stepped on the sky itself—Geppo!—and flipped, narrowly evading the devastating strike!
BOOM!!!
Cage's punch smashed into the earth, carving a massive crater!
Meanwhile… in the Elite Battalion.
A thunderous shockwave rippled through the training grounds.
Former Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr furrowed his brow. "What the hell is going on over there?"
"Outrageous…"
With a growl, he turned to investigate. No one caused that much chaos on his watch.
A group of elite soldiers paused training, turning their heads toward the source of the noise.
A stunning, silver-haired woman murmured, "Hina's curious… is that the new recruit batch causing such a stir?"
A blue-haired woman chuckled. "This reminds me of the day Smoker joined."
"Teacher Zephyr's heading over," another smirked. "Guess training camp's finally getting interesting."
"Think we've got another monster this year?"
"If so, this year's gonna be one hell of a ride."
Cage caught up again, his right hand lunging forward to seize Yuno.
But in a flicker of motion, Yuno vanished. His footsteps barely left a trace, and his expression remained astonishingly calm.
'This Major General's strength is no joke…'
Yuno's gaze sharpened. 'Without revealing my trump card, I won't be able to bring him down.'
Still, he had no intention of doing that just yet.
"If I'm careful, he won't notice anything... I just need to play the part."
Yuno made his decision — he wouldn't try to defeat Cage. His goal was simpler: to impress.
He had thought this through. Now was the time to lay the foundation. He would make a name for himself — as a courageous, gifted, and disciplined recruit.
And for that… a calculated strike was necessary. Not a reckless attack, but one meant to earn respect.
Dodging again, Yuno slipped out of range and came to a full stop, calm as ever. Then he stood firm, feet planted, waiting.
Across the training field, Cage narrowed his eyes.
"Heh... Out of gas already? Then lie down!"
With that sneer, Cage launched into the air with Moon Step, his silhouette blurring with acceleration. Like a thunderbolt, he came barreling down toward Yuno.
Yuno exhaled deeply, his fists pulling back to his waist, muscles tightening with practiced precision.
"Hah!!"
With a shout, a crackle of lightning flashed subtly behind him. It was faint — so faint that almost no one noticed it.
Except Cage.
He saw it. Yuno was about to counterattack.
But Cage didn't falter — he grinned. Good. Come at me.
Their fists surged toward each other, the moment freezing in the eyes of every watching recruit.
But then—
Cage's eyes widened.
What—!?
An ominous wave of pressure crashed into his senses. His instincts screamed. Without thinking, he clenched harder and coated his fist in a layer of Armament Haki, just in time.
Yuno, wholly focused on the timing of his internal burst, didn't notice Cage's sudden reinforcement.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous shockwave erupted between them.
Dust and smoke exploded outward, the sheer force knocking several recruits back on their heels.
Fwoosh!
Two figures shot out of the cloud — one stumbling back with his feet carving a trail in the dirt, over ten meters long.
The other was blown into the air, flipping twice before landing smoothly in a low crouch.
Yuno stood tall, his upper garments shredded, exposing his lean, well-trained torso.
The damage wasn't from Cage alone — it was from his own burst of power. Shunko had torn his clothes apart, while Cage's punch had grazed him and struck deep.
But with that single explosive clash, Yuno had managed to repel Cage again!
His breath came rough and fast.
Then, straightening, Yuno saluted, his tone respectful but unwavering:
"Instructor! I was too arrogant. From now on, I will accept your training wholeheartedly!"
Silence hung in the air.
Cage's expression shifted — the teasing sneer gone.
His gaze was now serious.
"…Tch."
He glanced at his right arm. Though he'd hardened it with Haki at the last second, it was still trembling slightly.
Yuno's blow had nearly broken through.
This kid…
He's dangerous.