Meanwhile, Shano found himself in an awkward position.
As the captain of the first reserve squad and the strongest on paper, Shano was supposed to make a grand, climactic entrance befitting his stature.
Yet, to his shock, his teammates had been defeated so swiftly and decisively—almost as if they'd been swept aside.
With two losses already, if he were to lose as well, headquarters' performance would become a laughingstock.
Just then, he sensed movement behind him and turned quickly.
There, he saw the one person he had been waiting for.
Rhode had finally arrived, standing calmly at the back of the formation, his gaze fixed on the scene ahead.
"Hah…"
Shano exhaled in relief before stepping forward to engage Kuro in a fierce duel between swordmasters.
Clang!
Their blades collided with tremendous force, the metallic clangor ringing out wildly as sparks flew.
"Huh?"
Shano's expression shifted as he was forced back several steps, while Kuro merely swayed slightly.
In a contest of raw strength, Kuro had the upper hand, leaving Shano's arm numb from the impact.
"No choice but to use this."
Shano steadied himself, his eyes sharpening as he activated a power he had only recently begun to master.
Armament Haki… Coating!
A pitch-black aura of Armament Haki enveloped his gleaming blade, the stark contrast of black and white exuding a chilling sense of power.Nia and the other captains couldn't help but exclaim in excitement—this was the power of Haki! No one had expected that Shano would master Armament Haki just before graduation, even achieving Armament Haki infusion!
Hatchan, who had been closely watching the battle, couldn't help but sigh in relief. If the headquarters' reserve forces suffered a complete defeat, it would be a disgrace to him as their instructor.
"Armament Haki? Now this is getting interesting."
Kuro nodded slightly as he observed the scene.
Sabo chuckled softly, "Though still a bit unstable, he's indeed managed to envelop his weapon with Armament Haki. Not bad."
Koala's eyes shone with appreciation. With this ability alone, Shano had already earned the qualifications to become a cadre of the Revolutionary Army.
Whoosh! In the next moment, Shano charged forward, appearing before Kuro in an instant. His blade, imbued with Armament Haki, slashed down with a force that seemed capable of cleaving through anything, the sharp wind stinging the skin of onlookers.
Rez and the others watched intently. As expected of the captain of the first squad—this single strike could likely slice through steel with ease.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Kuro stood motionless in the center of the field, neither blocking nor dodging. Only when the blade was nearly upon him did he smirk slightly and swing his own sword in response.
His strike was silent, yet it arrived first despite being launched later.
With a resounding clang!
The two blades collided, sending sparks flying in all directions. Shano was sent flying backward, his grip on his sword failing as it was knocked from his hand.
Kuro showed no intention of holding back. Instead, he flashed forward, catching up to Shano's airborne form before delivering a powerful kick.
Boom!!
Shano's body was sent hurtling through the air, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed unceremoniously onto the ground some distance away.
He struggled to rise, but it was clear he had lost the ability to fight.
Moreover.
Anyone with eyes could see that Kuro held an overwhelming advantage in both speed and strength. Shano stood no chance of victory.
"Even Captain Shano was defeated without a fight..."
"That man can use Armament Haki too? He's ridiculously strong!"
The reserve forces present were visibly shaken.
Despite being around the same age as them, Kuro possessed such crushing power that he effortlessly defeated Captain Shano.
"The strongest of the headquarters' reserve forces is nothing special."
Watching Shano slowly rise to his feet, Kuro didn't press the attack. Instead, he remarked coolly, "You reserves from the headquarters have access to the most resources, the latest intel, and the most comprehensive training knowledge, yet this is all you can muster? Truly disappointing."
Nia and the other reserves bristled at his words, but they had no retort.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Shano glanced back at the crowd behind him and grinned. "I'm not the strongest among the headquarters' reserves, you know."
"Oh?" Kuro's interest piqued slightly as he followed Shano's gaze.
The crowd parted like a tide, revealing a calmly standing young man.
He didn't appear particularly robust—in fact, his frame was slightly slimmer than most—yet there was a unique aura about him that stirred the hearts of those who saw him.
"Is Rhode going to step in?"
The reserves couldn't hide their anticipation.
Though some worried Rhode might not be able to defeat Kuro, the majority had full confidence in him.
Ever since witnessing Rhode's stunning performance during practical missions, everyone had inexplicably come to believe that no matter who he faced, Rhode would never lose.
"Him?" Sabo murmured in surprise from the sidelines."You know him?" Koala looked at him curiously. Logically, these two shouldn't have met before.
"Yeah."
Sabo nodded and recounted what had happened in the restaurant a month and a half ago.
"Oh? That does sound like his personality."
Koala smiled mysteriously and said, "Just watch. This guy is going to surprise you all."
Hearing this, even Karasu, the commander of the North Army, couldn't help but show a hint of curiosity.
Koala's strength was no joke, and her standards were extremely high. For her to say something like this, this young man must truly have some skills.
"A promising young man."
At that moment, Dragon suddenly spoke, his voice deep and steady.
The Revolutionary Army officers were shocked. No one expected their leader to give such an evaluation to a mere teenager!
Previously, neither Kuro nor Shano and the others had managed to elicit any reaction from Dragon, let alone an assessment.
No one would doubt Dragon's judgment.
The officers couldn't contain their curiosity and all turned to look in that direction.
Under the collective gaze—whether expectant, curious, disdainful, or appraising—Rhode's expression remained calm and composed, as if a gentle breeze had brushed past him, completely unfazed.
This unshakable demeanor left a good impression on the Revolutionary Army officers, earning their silent admiration.
"Be careful."
Shano watched Rhode pass by him and warned solemnly, "I feel like this guy still has some cards up his sleeve."
He didn't know exactly how strong Rhode was, but judging solely from the fact that Rhode had dominated the entire practical mission after only two months as a reserve member, his strength definitely surpassed Shano's.
Moreover, while training in Haki, he had heard Hatchan mention Rhode's training progress. He knew Rhode had already mastered Two-Colored Haki and could even occasionally use Armament Hardening!
Now, it all came down to whether Rhode could defeat Kuro. Otherwise, the entire headquarters reserve force, along with Instructor Hatchan, would suffer a massive loss of face.
Thanks to Silent Otherwise for the 600 tip! Much appreciated == Also, still asking for recommendation votes. They're very important during the new book period.