The moment Kai saw Morrison, the Swamp Fruit user, he understood one thing immediately.
This graduation trial had taken a wrong turn.
At this point, there was no way it could proceed exactly as planned.
"Should I step in?"
"This has already crossed way past the trial's intended limits, hasn't it?"
Kai rubbed his chin and thought for a moment.
Then he made a decision.
For now, he would keep watching.
He wanted to see how the cadets—
especially Smoker and Tina—
would handle this sudden change.
If they truly reached a point where they could no longer manage, then he could still step in later.
"So let's see…"
"how Smoker and Tina choose to deal with something like this."
"A proper Marine should always be mentally prepared for sudden complications."
"This kind of thing…"
"…is exactly the sort of unexpected situation Marines run into all the time."
"So…"
"this also makes a pretty good test."
"A test of their ability to adapt."
That was what Kai was thinking.
And in truth—
it was exactly what Zephyr was thinking too.
Neither of them moved to interfere.
Neither of them stopped the trial.
Both chose to wait and observe, only planning to intervene when the cadets genuinely could no longer handle it.
"So Kai's thinking along the same lines as me."
Watching Kai remain still, Zephyr immediately understood.
At that moment, with Morrison and his hundred pirate elites stepping into the battlefield, the situation reversed almost instantly.
The Marines' earlier advantage vanished.
A pirate crew led by a Logia user was naturally not something that could be dismissed easily.
"Colonel Trull, should we intervene?"
One Marine asked nervously.
"Do not act rashly."
"Wait and see."
Trull took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
A Logia user—
that alone was enough to make his scalp tingle.
Even if he fought with everything he had, he still wasn't confident he could handle Morrison.
Especially not when Morrison was a pirate with a bounty of over a hundred million.
The pressure was immense.
Even if Trull went all out, he couldn't possibly defeat Morrison.
If anything, he might end up the one being crushed.
The gap was simply too big.
A hundred-million-berry pirate was the kind of opponent usually reserved for Vice Admirals.
Even Marine Rear Admirals might struggle.
So as a mere Marine colonel, Trull knew his limits.
"Relax."
"Admiral Zephyr is here."
"If things truly go beyond control, Admiral Zephyr will never just stand by."
"As for us, we only need to do our duty."
"Yes, Colonel Trull."
The Marines responded immediately.
On the battlefield, Smoker, Tina, and the seventy cadets all stared with full tension at Morrison and his pirates.
The fight was on the verge of breaking out.
They had just come through one battle and were already physically and mentally worn.
But faced with these vicious pirates, none of them dared lower their guard.
"How about this…"
"Kid, I'll give you a proposal."
"See what you think."
Morrison grinned.
Then he stepped out from the crowd and walked alone until he stood less than ten meters from Smoker.
Under Smoker's watchful gaze, Morrison calmly made his offer.
"You fight me one-on-one."
"The loser is done."
"That way, you won't have to worry about your comrades getting slaughtered by my men."
"And I won't have to worry about my people suffering unnecessary losses while killing your little friends."
"I'm heading to the New World eventually."
"I don't intend to bleed too much here."
"So?"
"What do you think?"
Smoker's brows knit together.
Tina and the others stayed silent beside him.
Morrison continued.
"If you beat me…"
"then the entire Swamp Pirates will surrender unconditionally."
"We'll let you deal with us however you like."
"You can even haul us off to Impel Down, and we won't resist."
Then he smiled faintly.
"But if you lose…"
"I won't slaughter all of your people."
"I only want your life."
"I'll let your comrades leave."
"That's fair, isn't it?"
"I'm staking the lives of the entire Swamp Pirates…"
"against your life alone."
Smoker had no real reason to reject the offer.
So he accepted.
"Fine."
"You've made a very wise choice."
Morrison grinned, though there was something cold and sinister in his smile.
He slowly stretched his arms, his bones cracking audibly.
Then his expression faded, and he looked at Smoker with a flat, violent gaze.
"Well?"
"Are you ready?"
In an instant, an overwhelming wave of killing intent burst out from Morrison.
His murderous aura rolled across the entire battlefield.
The surrounding temperature seemed to drop.
The cold in the air became biting.
"Come!"
Smoker answered without the slightest fear.
He gripped his Seastone-tipped jitte, his eyes locked sharply onto Morrison.
Battle intent blazed in them like fire.
Against a Logia opponent, he naturally couldn't afford to be careless.
And more importantly—
he already had a strong feeling that Morrison was stronger than him.
Not by a little, either.
Even so, Smoker felt no fear.
This was his first time fighting another Logia.
And that alone filled him with anticipation.
"All that training this past year…"
"…wasn't for nothing!"
Smoker roared.
Then he moved first.
Seeing that, Morrison's smile only widened.
Only now it looked much colder.
"You've got guts."
"If you're in such a hurry to die…"
"then I'll grant your wish."
And so Morrison moved too.
His body began melting into swamp-like sludge, releasing a disgusting stench.
Like wax left under blazing heat, his body dissolved into a thick, unnatural liquid and spread outward toward Smoker.
"Swamp World!"
Morrison burst into laughter.
From the very first exchange, he entered a serious combat state and used the power he was proudest of.
In an instant, with Morrison as the center, the earth within a hundred-meter radius softened and collapsed into a vast swamp.
Anything standing within that range looked as though it might sink under at any moment.
Several pirate corpses on the ground began to slowly sink into the mud, disappearing completely without even leaving a trace.
That scene alone made Tina and the cadets' expressions change.
They hurriedly retreated, pulling back from the battlefield.
Everything within a hundred meters had become soft, devouring swamp.
Fortunately, Smoker, as the Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, could fly.
His body dissolved into gray-white smoke as he rose into the air and shot toward Morrison.
"White Blow!"
With a roar, Smoker attacked without hesitation.
"The Smoke-Smoke Fruit, huh?"
"What a shame…"
"my Swamp Fruit just happens to be a natural counter to your smoke."
"You're going to die today."
"You'll die in my swamp world…"
"and become fertilizer."
Morrison sneered.
Faced with Smoker's attack, he remained completely composed.
With a thought, his body turned into mud.
In the blink of an eye, Morrison's figure collapsed and splashed downward.
The sludge merged into the swamp beneath him.
Then, not far away, another patch of mud rose from the swamp, slowly gathering together.
It took the shape of a human body.
And when Morrison reappeared, he was already standing ten meters away.
Within an instant, the mud body reformed into his original appearance.
It was as if he had teleported.
Using the swamp under his feet, Morrison achieved a terrifying relocation technique that was nearly impossible to predict.
Smoker's attack missed.
He spun around immediately—
and saw Morrison already standing elsewhere.
At once, the pressure on him increased sharply, and his face grew grim.
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