Luffy stood firmly in place, not even moving a single step.
Facing the flurry of attacks coming down on him, he merely shifted his body slightly, his feet gliding as if he were dancing on the edge of a blade!
The trajectory of the wooden swords appeared to slow down countless times in his eyes!
Every dodge was precise to the millimeter, as if he had foreseen it all!
The blade brushed past the hem of his clothes, the gust of wind blowing his black hair—but not even the corner of his clothing was touched!
Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) Perception!
Shave (Soru) Movement Fusion!
Every subtle change on the battlefield was completely captured within his "sight"!
"Too fast! We can't hit him at all!"
One of the attackers cried out in despair, his sword slashing only at empty air every time!
"It touched his skin! So cold! Like striking iron!"
Another fighter cried in terror. His sword tip had clearly grazed Luffy's arm, yet an icy chill and a hardness like steel ran through it—as if he had cut into frozen iron! That was the weak defense automatically formed by his Reiatsu!
Helmeppo grew more and more alarmed, more and more terrified! He felt as though they weren't surrounding a human, but instead a ghost without substance!
A monster wearing human skin!
Sweat drenched his back, the pain in his injured leg twisting his movements even further.
"Trash! Useless trash!!"
Helmeppo screamed frantically, eyes bloodshot, fear and rage shattering his reason! He suddenly hurled his wooden sword straight at Luffy's face! At the same time, he roared at the two men beside him:
"Hold him down! Grab him!!"
Driven by fear and Helmeppo's command, the two lunged recklessly, arms outstretched like charging bulls, trying to pin Luffy down with their weight and brute strength!
Luffy's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Annoying.
Whoooom—!
A chilling, invisible wave of suffocating pressure spread without warning from Luffy's small frame!
It wasn't wind, it wasn't sound, but a pure mental force—like a deep-sea beast opening its eyes—spreading sheer terror and oppression!
Zangetsu's dormant will, stirred by a flicker of impatience, released for the first time a wisp of icy aura!
That aura, like an invisible ripple, instantly swept over Helmeppo and his two men!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The three froze as though every ounce of strength and courage had been drained away!
Their movements locked! Pupils shrank to pinpoints!
An unstoppable, primal fear—like facing a natural predator—flooded their souls like icy water!
Blood froze! Hearts clenched in invisible hands! Even breathing became nearly impossible!
Minds blanked! Only the instinctive scream to run echoed inside, yet no sound could escape their throats!
Their bodies were as stiff as statues, mid-leap, unable to even twitch a finger! Cold sweat poured down like waterfalls from their foreheads and backs!
Mental Suppression! The first active release of Zangetsu's Reiatsu!
Luffy's figure blurred again! In an instant, he appeared among the three!
Flashes of blade light! Still only the blunt edge!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three dull crashes echoed!
Helmeppo and his two allies dropped like puppets with cut strings, unconscious before they even hit the ground. Helmeppo's face, twisted by fear, still showed the shameful evidence of his loss of control.
The arena went dead silent.
Other recruits still brawling froze as if time had stopped, staring wide-eyed at the scene, as if a demon god had descended!
At the boy standing in the center of the stage—small-framed, yet with six unconscious bodies at his feet. A chill surged from their soles to their crowns!
This kid… was he even human?!
Koby, not far behind Luffy, also trembled under that icy pressure, as if he'd been plunged into an ice pit.
But now, staring at Luffy's back—not tall, yet seeming capable of carrying the whole sky—staring at the bullies now collapsed like dead dogs, a fiery rush surged into his eyes!
It wasn't fear—it was excitement! Admiration! The discovery of a true figure worth following, a force that could shatter all darkness!
"Luffy-san…" Koby's voice cracked, but it was firm, "The… the winner is Luffy-san!!"
His words weren't loud, but like a stone breaking a still pond, they shattered the silence!
A heartbeat later, the viewing stands erupted like a powder keg, bursting into thunderous applause and cheers! Instructors, officers, even the stern admirals watching from above couldn't hide their astonishment and admiration!
Absolute domination! Crushing superiority! Combat skill beyond his age! Power beyond reason!
A true monstrous rising star!
At the arena's edge, Shuzo slowly lowered his clipboard. His face betrayed no expression, but behind his sharp hawk-like eyes, storms raged.
That icy aura that had appeared then vanished instantly… it wasn't Haki! Definitely not!
It was something older. Heavier. Far more terrifying.
It could directly affect the mind, evoking primal fear! That wasn't "genius." That was… a calamity unknown? Or… a turning point for the world?
He took a deep breath, forcing down his shock, striding to the stage's edge. His gaze swept the field, finally locking on the boy calmly sheathing his blade, as if he had done nothing of significance.
Shuzo's voice carried a solemnity and power never before heard, like a declaration, echoing across the entire training camp:
"This season's comprehensive exam—first place!"
He paused, his eyes sharp as blades, as though engraving the name into every soul present:
"Codename—'Yasha'!!"
"Monkey D. Luffy!!"
"Yasha" thundered through the arena skies like a lightning strike!
Dripping with bloodlust, cloaked in darkness, exuding the sharpness to cut down all evil!
A name for a new star. A name for a monster. In that moment, with both fear and glory, it rang out across Marineford!
The shadow had already fallen.
At the highest stand, a burly figure in a dog-head hat crossed his arms, a grin tugging silently at his lips, filled with arrogance and hidden meaning.
Beside him, an old man in a Fleet Admiral's cloak, frog-eyed glasses glinting, tapped the armrest in thought, his gaze deep as the sea.
Shuzo turned, striding quickly toward the communications room. He had to file an urgent report to headquarters immediately.
He already had the title in mind:
"On the Training Camp's Rising Star 'Yasha' Monkey D. Luffy and an Evaluation of His Special Power: Potential Risks and Values."
At the end, he underlined a heavy note:
"Recommendation: Fleet Admiral's Office and the Science Division must monitor closely. The essence and growth of this power may profoundly reshape the Marine's future. Also, keep close watch on Vice Admiral Garp's movements."
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Thanks for your support!]