The sky had become the battlefield of Potts and Sanji.
"Sanji-san, get ready!"
High above, Potts shouted, his great wings beating hard as his massive body dove like a fighter jet, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle as he lunged straight at Sanji!
His talons gleamed with a cold, murderous shine under the sunlight, aiming directly for Sanji's throat!
"Decent speed… but still too slow in my eyes."
Sanji twisted effortlessly in midair, narrowly slipping past Potts' diving strike.
At the same time, his right leg ignited with crimson flames, so hot that the air around him warped visibly.
"Diable Jambe, Première Hachis!"
His burning leg, like a red-hot branding iron wrapped in spiraling force, whipped toward Potts' back as they passed each other!
"Not that easy!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Potts' eyes.
Just as Sanji's kick was about to land, his griffin's head spun one hundred and eighty degrees, a motion only a raptor could perform, and his beak, hardened with Armament Haki, jabbed straight toward Sanji's ankle!
This counterattack, a literal "turn-back strike", completely surpassed Sanji's expectations.
Or rather, it surpassed all his human-based battle predictions.
"Tch!"
Sanji clicked his tongue, forced to withdraw his kick mid-air, barely twisting past that deadly peck.
"Hahaha! Sanji-san, my fighting style isn't something bound by human common sense!"
Landing a clean trick boosted Potts' confidence.
He stopped relying on simple dive attacks and began using his aerial superiority, circling Sanji in rapid, high-speed maneuvers.
"Rankyaku, Sharp!"
He snapped his wings, firing several razor-sharp feathers infused with Armament Haki, like flying blades, straight at Sanji.
This was a technique inspired by the Marines' Six Styles, adapted to his own abilities!
"Now that's interesting!"
Sanji spun and weaved through the air, his legs drawing afterimages as he shattered each "feather blade" with pinpoint kicks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Black feathers burst apart midair like exploding fireworks.
On the ground, the Marines were completely entranced.
"A-amazing! Is this really a battle at our G-5 base?!"
"Lieutenant Commander Potts is so strong! He's fighting Sanji evenly!"
"I'm betting on Sanji! His kicks are too gorgeous!"
"I'm betting on Lieutenant Commander Potts! A mythical Zoan! The name alone sounds stronger!"
In the crowd, Rehn stood with arms crossed, chin lifted sky-high as he muttered:
"See that, Miss Ain? That creativity! That perfect use of one's natural advantages! That's all thanks to my careful teaching! Combining the instincts of a beast with human intellect, that is the most efficient way to fight!"
Ain gave him a sideways look, saying nothing, but her eyes were filled with shock.
Potts' growth had surpassed even her expectations.
Up in the sky, the battle had reached its climax.
Sanji realized that his greatest advantage, his speed, meant nothing against Potts, who could maneuver in all directions without blind spots.
And Potts' dense feathers and thick mane granted him ridiculous defense.
"I can't keep letting him control the pace!"
Sanji's eyes sharpened. His Observation Haki focused to its limit, instantly locking onto Potts' next flight trajectory.
"Now!"
"Diable Jambe, Flambage Shot!"
As Potts swept past him from the side, Sanji spun like a top, his burning right leg carving a blazing fire-dragon arc through the air, striking from an impossibly sharp angle directly at Potts' wing!
The timing, speed, and power, perfect.
Potts' beastly pupils shrank. His instincts screamed danger, but his body couldn't fully dodge in time!
At the last split-second, he snapped his wings shut, shielding himself!
BOOOOOM!!!
Sanji's fiery kick slammed full-force into the wing of hardened feathers!
An explosion rocked the sky.
Flames and feathers scattered everywhere.
Potts let out a pained grunt as his massive body was kicked straight out of the sky, crashing to the training ground below!
BOOOOOM!
A huge crater formed, dust exploding outward.
"D-did… did Sanji win?" a nervous Marine asked.
Sanji landed with heavy breaths, sweat beading on his forehead.
That last attack had drained most of his stamina.
As the smoke thinned, the sight within the crater made everyone gasp.
Potts was half-kneeling, his left wing charred black, feathers burned off to reveal flesh beneath, clearly a serious injury.
But he hadn't fallen.
Slowly, he lifted his head, and in his red beast-eyes burned not defeat, but even fiercer battle spirit.
"…That really hurt, Sanji-san."
He grinned, wild and unbroken.
"But an attack like that… still isn't enough to make me yield!"
"As thanks, please take one of my moves!"
Potts stood, his injured wing drooping, but his remaining talon raised high, Armament Haki pooling and compressing at the tips like liquid darkness.
"Griffin Claw, Steel-Piercer!'"
He unleashed the single-point penetration technique he'd trained three months for under Rehn's guidance!
"Bring it on!"
Sanji inhaled deeply. The flames on his legs roared even brighter, turning his entire body into a human-shaped blaze.
"Diable Jambe, Extra Hachis!"
In the next instant, the two shot toward each other like streaking comets.
One charging from the ground, talon sharpened into a lethal spear.
One descending from above, a meteor-strike packed into a single kick.
Every Marine held their breath.
Just before claw and kick collided-
"Enough."
A lazy, half-asleep voice drifted clearly through the air.
Soft, yet carrying an undeniable authority.
Potts and Sanji froze mid-attack, their bodies locking up as if grabbed by an invisible hand. Their ferocious aura deflated instantly.
They turned.
On the beach not far away, Renzo had apparently woken up at some point, calmly drinking iced tea.
After taking a sip and yawning, he looked at them with a you're being noisy expression and drawled:
"Not bad."
"Potts, your control improved, but your combat experience is lacking. Too straightforward."
"Sanji, your technique and Haki are fine, but your stamina is a weakness. Against tough opponents, you'll get worn down."
"In short, you're both passable. You can handle small problems for me from now on."
"All right, match over. Sanji, it's my tea time. Potts, fix the training ground. All these holes ruin the scenery."
With that, he lay back down again, as if none of this had ever concerned him.
In the arena, Potts and Sanji exchanged a look.
In each other's eyes, they saw the same exhausted smile, and relief.
Then both laughed.
Potts let his hybrid form fade, returning to human shape. He was battered and wounded, but his spirit blazed brighter than ever.
Sanji extinguished the flames on his legs and lit a cigarette, exhaling a slow smoke ring.
"Hey," Sanji spoke first, breaking the silence. "Lieutenant Commander Potts."
He almost called him chicken, but with how Potts had fought, matching him blow for blow with overwhelming spirit and skill, he chose respect instead.
Potts wiped dust and sweat from his face and responded earnestly:
"Yes, Sanji-san."
Sanji grinned. "Not bad. As a reward, I'll add a serving of special roast meat to afternoon tea."
Potts blinked, then gave a stiff but genuine smile.
"…Thank you."
And like that, the fierce clash ended in an anticlimactic way.
But the Marines of G-5 had just witnessed the birth of two new "powerhouses."
Their gazes toward Potts and Sanji were filled not only with awe, but trust.
With comrades this reliable…
And with a lazy-looking yet unfathomably strong admiral watching over them…
Perhaps G-5 really could become the most peaceful haven in the chaos of the New World.