"Sir, I want to see your strength too!" Drake's eyes gleamed as he stepped forward. He had the same idea—but Smoker had already taken the initiative.
Yuno glanced calmly at the two men who had stepped up. "Disobeying an officer carries a severe penalty in the Navy. Have you considered this?"
Smoker, unfazed, curled his lips. "Sir, you're not afraid, are you?" His tone was a clear challenge.
Yuno simply smiled. "Very well. Here's a deal: if you lose, you'll be responsible for the branch base restrooms for the next month."
A cruel punishment…
The nearby soldiers froze in horror. They hadn't expected this officer to propose such a brutal consequence right off the bat.
"What idiots! How dare you challenge Rear Admiral Yuno…"
Those who knew Yuno's strength could only stare at Smoker and Drake as if they were fools.
Smoker, unaware of the soldiers' thoughts, remained confident. "Sir, do you agree?"
Drake's gaze sharpened, testing Yuno, as if the officer were insecure and trying to scare them.
"Of course," Yuno replied faintly, smiling. "After all, you intend to contribute to the G7 branch base. I have no reason to object."
The implication was clear: they were destined to lose.
"Humph!" Smoker snorted. "What if the commander loses?"
Yuno's smile faded, his tone turning cold. "Don't push your luck, soldier."
A powerful aura suddenly surged from him—a weight like a prison, like a mountain crushing down on the two challengers. Their breaths grew shallow under the sheer pressure.
This wasn't Conqueror's Haki—just Yuno's raw aura.
It was the opening bell for the fight. The two men responded with transformations: one became a gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex, the other erupted into a swirling cloud of white smoke.
Ancient Zoanthropology: Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Nature-type Smoke Fruit!
Both unleashed their Devil Fruit powers to resist Yuno's oppressive aura.
"Not bad," Yuno murmured, and in a flash, he vanished, reappearing above Drake's massive dinosaur skull. His fist, coated in Armament Haki, slammed down.
"But it's not enough!"
The dinosaur's head crashed onto the deck with a thunderous thud.
"What speed!" Smoker reacted instantly, launching a powerful punch. "White Snake!"
His body erupted into smoke, his arm detaching to strike Yuno with full control.
"A nature-type Devil Fruit user? Too slow!" Yuno stomped through the air, appearing in front of Smoker. His Haki-infused kick struck Smoker's waist, sending him crashing into the room.
Drake pulled back, scraping across the deck, eyes fixed sharply on Yuno. He roared and charged, jaws wide, ready to bite.
Yuno vanished just in time.
"Such raw power… only to make it fairer for me? Idiots!" he snorted, delivering another punch that sent Drake flying into Smoker's previous spot.
Smoker, using his Observation Haki, transformed into elemental smoke, dodging Drake's attack while striking with all ten arms.
Drake, more resilient, recovered and transformed back into his beast form, unleashing his sharp claws and charging from the opposite side.
"You're not fools," Yuno commented lightly. "Even facing someone stronger, you know how to coordinate."
In this world, the strongest are always the teachers. Strength validates all words.
"However, I will teach you a lesson today. Never underestimate anyone! Even a child, a beggar, or a lunatic can change everything. This world is vast, and there are countless Devil Fruits with unimaginable powers. One day… you might be overturned yourself!"
As the words fell, Yuno unsheathed the silver fiber at his waist. In a flash, his sword surged, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
"GETSUGA TENSHO RUSH!"
The moment Yuno's blade gleamed, the two men who had charged forward instinctively leapt back, their Observation Haki flaring, sending an unmistakable warning of danger!
Run! Run for your lives!
But it was too late. Yuno's sword energy enveloped them, binding their movements. Their legs wavered—they couldn't even dodge.
The slash, radiant as moonlight, closed in…
Yet, strangely, no pain came. Only a stunned paralysis gripped them, frozen in awe of the overwhelming power.
Yuno, calm as ever, sheathed his silver fiber and spoke evenly:
"Both of you… repair the damaged deck rooms. And for the next month, you'll also handle the branch base restrooms."
With that, he turned and walked away, leisurely, as if nothing had happened.
Only after his figure disappeared did the crew begin to breathe again.
Suddenly, a sharp cry cut through the deck.
A soldier trembled, pointing out to sea. "L-look… over there!"
Every eye followed his trembling finger. Even Smoker and Drake's gazes sharpened.
A terrifying gully split the ocean for hundreds of meters. The water seemed frozen for a heartbeat… then it began to surge toward the center with relentless force.
Boom!
The colliding waves erupted like an explosion, sending sheets of seawater skyward. The warship rocked violently, threatening to overturn. Silence fell across the deck; even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
"Is… is that the power of Rear Admiral Yuno? He… he moved the sea…"
"So… strong…"
Some soldiers dropped their weapons, shock etched on every face. Even after witnessing Yuno obliterate Stoloberg with a single strike and repel the flying squirrel, nothing compared to this.
Smoker and Drake exchanged a grim glance, swallowing hard. If that sword had struck them… survival was impossible.
No matter how hard they tried, Yuno's strike would reduce them to dust.
And this… was only the beginning.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.