Chapter 259: The First Day Concludes, The Roster of the Strong is Revealed!
Marine Martial Arts Tournament · Spectator Stands
"Big Sis Gion is so cool!!!"
Nami and Nojiko waved their arms excitedly, practically jumping out of the stands, cheering wildly for Gion who had just won.
Luffy's eyes sparkled, his fists crunching as he clenched them. He stared with glowing eyes at the fierce battles in the other arenas:
"So amazing! I want to get up there and fight too!!!"
Arena 2
"Chaton" Tokikake stood in the center of the arena, shedding his usual lazy and sleazy demeanor. He seemed to have stripped away his cynical disguise, his eyes now sharp as knives.
Opposite him, a Vice Admiral utilizing the Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Hound, was covered entirely in hound-like fur. His claws glinted with cold light, his aura oppressive like a wild beast about to pounce.
"Let me see... just how much strength a so-called 'Admiral Candidate' actually has!" The Hound bared his stark white fangs, his tone brimming with battle intent.
Tokikake took a deep breath, slowly assuming a Rokushiki combat stance, and muttered, "As you wish!"
"Rokushiki: Soru (Shave)!"
"SWISH!!!"
Tokikake's figure vanished instantly. The next moment, he was behind the Hound, an Armament Haki-coated whip kick chopping down like a battle axe!
"BANG—!!!"
The Hound crossed his arms to block, but was still knocked back several meters by the immense force, his feet tearing two deep trenches into the arena floor!
So fast! This Tokikake... he usually hides it this well?! The Hound was startled, his expression turning grave.
Tokikake pressed the attack, hands forming claws, lunging forward!
"Shigan (Finger Pistol): Wolf Fang!"
"PFFT-PFFT-PFFT—!!!"
The air was pierced by a rapid series of finger thrusts. The Hound dodged madly, but was still grazed on the shoulder, blood spraying!
"Hound Bite: Earth-Rending Claw!!!" The Hound roared, his claws coated in heavy Armament Haki, tearing outward violently!
"BOOM—!!!"
The entire arena floor was forcibly torn open with cracks!
Tokikake, however, had already leaped high into the air. His legs transformed into a pitch-black whirlwind, Haki condensing on the leg blades!
"Rankyaku (Tempest Kick): Flurry Blade Storm!!!"
"SWISH-SWISH-SWISH—!!!"
Dozens of vacuum slashes poured down like raging blades in a rainstorm.
The Hound gritted his teeth and forced a block, but was still cut up, leaving him covered in wounds, his blood marking the arena!
In the spectator stands, voices of shock echoed:
"This sleazy Vice Admiral Tokikake... is actually a monster-level martial arts master?!"
Arena 6
On the other side, Onigumo stood in the arena. Eight longswords danced between his hands and hair. He looked like a true "Demon Spider," every sword carrying the shadow of death.
His opponent—Stainless, wielding a katana, sporting slicked-back black hair and a handlebar mustache. Above his mustache was a pair of eyes as steady as a blade, his Haki radiating sharply.
"Onigumo, your Seimei Kikan (Life Return) is indeed troublesome."
Stainless slowly raised his sword, his voice calm and cold. "But my sword will not lose to hair."
Onigumo sneered coldly. "Then let's test that!"
"Hattoryu (Eight Sword Style): Spider Web Strangling!!!"
"SWISH-SWISH-SWISH—!!!"
Eight longswords slashed from different angles. The blade light wove into an airtight net of swords, like a hunting spider web, sealing off all of Stainless's escape routes!
Stainless's pupils shrank. Powering his arms, his katana slashed horizontally with sudden force!
"CLANG—!!!"
Sword energy exploded, tearing the sword net apart with a boom, carving out a path of survival!
A flash of surprise crossed Onigumo's eyes, but his reaction was extremely fast. The four longswords controlled by his hair suddenly changed direction, stabbing straight at Stainless's back from a blind spot!
Stainless, however, acted as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His feet pivoted slightly, and his katana turned into a brilliant dragon shadow!
"SWISH—!!!"
The four longswords were knocked away simultaneously, sparks raining down on the arena like a meteor shower.
The two retreated at the same time, staring at each other with heavy breathing. The battle intent in their eyes hadn't diminished; instead, it burned brighter!
In the spectator stands, Luffy's eyes widened, shouting with boiling blood:
"WOW!! That old guy's hair can use swords too?! So cool!!!"
On the high platform, Garp was munching loudly on rice crackers, laughing so hard he sprayed crumbs. "BWAHAHAHA! That brat Onigumo... his hair is more nimble than his hands!"
Zephyr held his teacup and nodded slightly. "Stainless's Iai (Quick Draw) slashes... are already approaching the level of a sword master."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping the arenas. "Tokikake is finally getting serious. He usually pretends to be so lazy."
Sakazuki snorted coldly, his cigar shooting sparks. "Hmph... this is the strength an Admiral Candidate should display."
As the sun set, the smoke on the deserted island battlefield gradually dispersed.
Accompanied by the final boom, the names of the 11 victors slowly appeared on the giant screen:
"Chaton" Tokikake, "Momousagi" Gion, Doberman, Onigumo, Strawberry, Yamakaji, Momonga, Sentomaru, Dalmatian, Smoker, Maynard.
"WHOOOAAA—!!!"
The entire venue instantly boiled over, cheers rising and falling in the spectator stands like ocean waves!
In the stands, Luffy widened his eyes, pointing at the screen as if discovering a new continent, and shouted:
"Wow! That smoky old guy actually won too!!!"
Not far away, veins instantly popped on Smoker's forehead. He nearly bit his cigar in half, roaring, "You little brat... who are you calling an old guy?!!"
Nami's face changed, and she quickly covered Luffy's mouth. "Idiot! Don't just yell things!"
Nojiko covered her mouth and giggled secretly. "Mr. Smoker is clearly only in his early thirties..."
On the high platform, Sengoku scanned the list, nodding slightly. "As expected."
Garp laughed heartily while chewing on a rice cracker. "All five Buster Call Vice Admirals advanced! As expected of the elites trained single-handedly by this old man!"
"Garp, you bastard, my ass you trained them!"
After scolding Garp, Zephyr turned to look at Smoker. "Smoker has improved greatly these past two years. It seems focusing on Haki and shifting his development direction was the right choice."
Roy spun his teacup lightly, his expression serious, speaking slowly: "Veterans like Dalmatian and Maynard have deep foundations;"
"Tokikake and Gion are already approaching the realm of Admirals; Smoker's strength is growing rapidly... Thus, the future mid-level structure of the Marines has been firmly established."
Kuzan's lazy voice sounded. "Sentomaru fighting his way to the front ranks is rather unexpected~"
Kizaru lazily pushed up his sunglasses, drawling slowly, "Oh my~ That's the disciple I watched grow up since he was a kid, you know. It truly makes this old man proud~"
Staff Officer Tsuru summarized: "Tomorrow is the second round. The true battle of the strong has only just begun."
As night fell, with Sengoku announcing a "ceasefire for the night," the Marine soldiers prepared to leave, their voices buzzing with lingering excitement.
Roy smiled faintly and flipped his palm:
"SWISH—!!!"
In the blink of an eye, the entire audience was teleported back to Marine Headquarters!
"W-We're already back?!"
"Even though the deserted island isn't far from Headquarters, Vice Admiral Roy's ability is truly too exaggerated!"
The Marine soldiers gasped repeatedly, and even the Vice Admirals clicked their tongues in secret amazement.
"A mass teleportation of this scale... just how deep is Roy's strength?!"
After returning to Headquarters, the 11 victors returned to their respective quarters, but undercurrents were already quietly surging:
Gion was practicing her swordsmanship alone in the training ground. Konpira's cold light cut through the night sky, sword energy flashing like a moon wheel;
Tokikake rarely skipped the tavern; instead, he sat quietly in his office, flipping through opponent profiles with unprecedented seriousness;
Smoker stood on the roof of Headquarters, wreathed in smoke, eyes locked onto the distant sea, seemingly pondering a stronger future;
Sentomaru was called to the Science Unit laboratory by a rare, serious Kizaru, spending the entire night tuning equipment and tactical plans;
Veteran Vice Admirals like Yamakaji and Dalmatian gathered together to discuss tactics, arguing over who could advance further into the top three;
That night, the air in Marineford was thick with gunpowder-like battle intent.
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