"Ding-dong! You've completed a standard battle.
You've gained new insights into Shave, Iron Body, Tempest Kick, and Armament Haki!
Shave, Iron Body, Tempest Kick, and Armament Haki proficiency +4!"
Joy. Pure, uncontrollable joy.
Zhao Xuan's face lit up with excitement.
Because he knew—
The fight he had with Li Jiangchang hadn't lasted long at all.
From the moment Li challenged him to the instant Zhao Xuan sent him flying again, the entire battle had taken less than ten minutes.
And to be honest, Zhao Xuan barely even broke a sweat.
Yet somehow…
All four of his abilities combined had gained a total of sixteen proficiency points.
That was no small amount.
Normally, ten minutes of regular training might only net him two points at most.
"If just fighting Li Jiangchang once could give me this much progress," Zhao Xuan thought, eyes glinting,
"then what if I fought someone evenly matched? Wouldn't I gain even more proficiency?"
The idea burned in his mind.
"If I remember correctly," he muttered, "Li Zhiwei from Class 2 is also a Devil Fruit user… and he's had his powers for quite a while. He should be stronger than Li Jiangchang. If I could spar with him—"
The thought alone made Zhao Xuan's blood stir.
When he returned to class, the news of his victory over Li Jiangchang had already spread across the entire school.
And once everyone learned that Zhao Xuan had awakened Armament Haki, the looks they gave him grew complicated—
Admiration. Envy. Awe. Jealousy.
Countless emotions mixed together as every student turned their attention toward him.
Once again, Zhao Xuan became the center of the spotlight.
Between classes, students swarmed him, asking endless questions, whispering praises, trying to get close.
Meanwhile, Li Jiangchang sat in silence, teeth clenched, rage burning beneath his calm expression.
He swallowed his humiliation and poured it into training instead.
Time passed quietly.
The next day.
After lunch, Zhao Xuan could no longer resist the urge.
He headed straight for Class 2 and sought out Li Zhiwei, the user of the Paramecia-type Sloth Fruit.
Both Zhao Xuan and Li Zhiwei were school legends in their own right.
So naturally—
The moment Zhao Xuan appeared at the classroom door, all eyes turned to him.
"What!?"
Li Zhiwei looked stunned.
"You want to duel me?"
"Yes." Zhao Xuan nodded. "You know the college entrance exams have a combat section, right? I figured the best way to prepare is to fight as much as possible beforehand. Build up some real experience—and maybe earn a few extra points."
Li Zhiwei's expression softened.
"Hmm… makes sense. That's actually reasonable."
"So you agree?" Zhao Xuan asked, eyes lighting up.
Li Zhiwei didn't answer directly.
Instead, he asked,
"Zhao Xuan, is it true what they're saying? That you actually defeated Li Jiangchang—the Snow-Snow Fruit user from your class?"
"Yes." Zhao Xuan nodded again.
"Then that means…"
Li Zhiwei's eyes sharpened, his tone dropping low.
"If I defeat you… it's the same as defeating Li Jiangchang as well."
Zhao Xuan narrowed his gaze, quietly observing him.
From Li Zhiwei's calm but confident presence, he sensed a faint, subtle pressure—a quiet threat.
Clearly, this so-called "slacker" of the school wasn't as simple as he looked.
"Of course," Zhao Xuan said at last, smirking.
"But only if you actually can beat me."
"Then let's not waste time," Li Zhiwei replied with a grin.
"To the dueling grounds!"
"Fine by me." Zhao Xuan nodded.
Within minutes, the rumor exploded through the school.
"Zhao Xuan from Class 13 is going to duel Li Zhiwei from Class 2!"
It spread like wildfire.
By the time the two arrived at the dueling arena, nearly half the senior class—and even a few teachers—had gathered to watch.
Inside the arena, the two stood face-to-face.
When the referee, a stern-looking instructor, gave the signal—
The duel began.
Li Zhiwei struck first.
Tap! Tap!
Using Shave, his figure blurred—closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
Then his fingers hardened like spears—
Finger Gun!
A flurry of rapid thrusts came at Zhao Xuan, sealing every escape route.
Zhao Xuan had no choice but to take it head-on.
Iron Body!
His muscles tensed, skin hardening like tempered steel.
Li Zhiwei's barrage clashed against him with a series of dull thuds.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
Zhao Xuan countered with a sweeping Tempest Kick!
But Li Zhiwei seemed to have predicted it all along.
His body flickered sideways, evading effortlessly.
Before Zhao Xuan could recover, Li's hand flicked again—two more Finger Guns struck true.
Bang! Bang!
Zhao Xuan barely flinched.
Thanks to his monstrous physique, the hits didn't do much more than sting.
He prepared to retaliate, but Li Zhiwei slipped away once more—his movements slick and fluid like an eel.
Then—
Wham!
Li's leg snapped up, delivering a sudden kick.
Zhao Xuan barely had time to react.
Iron Body!
He tensed again, taking the blow without moving an inch.
Up in the viewing stands, several teachers watched the fight closely.
"That Li Zhiwei kid isn't simple," one of them remarked.
"His combat experience is incredible. Compared to him, Zhao Xuan's still a bit green."
"Of course," another said. "His family's loaded. His father's the richest man in Tongcheng. I heard he even hired a full sparring team to train with Li Zhiwei every day. No wonder his real combat sense is so refined."
"Still…"
One of the instructors narrowed his eyes.
"Zhao Xuan's not bad either. With a physique over a hundred and a practiced Iron Body, Li Zhiwei's attacks can't even scratch him."