On the massive warship—
On the deck—
Dozens of Marines watched the two figures at the center with excitement and curiosity.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Isn't it obvious? Koby."
"Exactly. Vice Admiral Garp's grandson might be gifted, but age is a hard limit."
"No matter how talented he is, he can't make up that gap in such a short time."
"Koby went through half a month of Garp's hellish training."
"There's no way he loses to a kid."
The discussion was heated—
But the verdict was unanimous.
Everyone believed Koby would win.
No one believed Raifeng would.
"Vice Admiral Garp, w-why do I feel like…"
"Mr. Raifeng seems like a completely different person?"
Standing beside Garp, Helmeppo asked nervously.
Yes.
He could feel it.
The Raifeng from a moment ago—
And the Raifeng standing there now—
Were completely different.
It was as if he'd become another person entirely.
The pressure radiating from Raifeng made Helmeppo uneasy even from the edge of the field.
His breathing grew erratic without him realizing it.
"You felt it too?"
Garp glanced at Helmeppo.
"Yes. Very clearly. This isn't my imagination."
Helmeppo answered seriously.
Raifeng hadn't changed people—
But his presence felt utterly unfamiliar.
Even faintly oppressive.
So much so that Helmeppo felt a subconscious fear creeping into his heart.
He couldn't understand it.
Why?
"Your feeling isn't wrong."
Garp turned his gaze back to Raifeng, sighing softly.
"Huh? So he really did change?"
Helmeppo was stunned.
"In a sense, yes."
"He's still Raifeng."
"But at the same time, he's no longer the Raifeng you knew."
Garp's words were cryptic.
Helmeppo's head spun.
He couldn't fully understand, nor did he dare to keep asking.
All he could do was stare at Raifeng with awe.
Originally—
Helmeppo believed Koby had a 99% chance of winning.
But now—
That confidence was wavering.
"Koby… maybe… he can do it?"
Even Helmeppo didn't notice how uncertain he sounded.
"This brat doesn't give me surprises anymore."
"He gives me heart attacks."
Garp stared at Raifeng's back, muttering to himself.
He was still struggling to calm the shock in his heart.
He had been completely unprepared for this.
Raifeng not only knew swordsmanship—
His level was terrifyingly high.
At least—
High enough that using it against Koby was like butchering a chicken with an ox cleaver.
Absolute overkill.
"Only one day has passed since I set the goal…"
"And yet he's already overturning common sense again."
Garp sighed internally.
He had thought he understood Raifeng.
Only now did he realize—
He had never truly understood him at all.
This kid's talent far exceeded even Garp's already absurd expectations.
A genuine monster…
In the center of the field—
"Mr. Raifeng…"
"He really feels like a different person."
Koby's heart trembled.
He felt it too.
Facing Raifeng with a katana pointed at him, every hair on his body stood on end.
A primal unease crawled up from deep within his soul.
His mind grew chaotic.
His body stiffened.
He was no longer in a normal combat-ready state.
"From the moment he picked up that sword…"
"Mr. Raifeng became terrifying."
Koby took a deep breath, trying desperately to steady himself.
No—
"Terrifying" was the more accurate word.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
Dead silent.
Koby swallowed, eyes locked on Raifeng, not daring to relax for even a second.
His nerves were stretched to the limit.
A faint but sharp edge—
The aura of a swordsman—
Radiated from Raifeng and swept across the field.
Sharp.
Exposed.
Unrestrained.
It quickly enveloped Koby.
Cold.
So cold it made his skin crawl.
It felt as though the air itself had turned cold.
Like falling into an icy cellar.
"What's going on?!"
Koby's eyes filled with panic.
Wrapped in that chilling aura, his body refused to respond naturally.
His movements stiffened.
His nerves felt frozen.
His reaction speed plummeted.
The sea breeze blew softly.
Around them—
Some Marines felt it too.
"Why does it feel chilly all of a sudden?"
"Yeah… it's weird. I feel it too."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"How unfortunate…"
"Koby has already lost."
Watching the field closely, Bogard let out a quiet sigh.
It was painfully obvious—
The two were on completely different levels.
Koby didn't even understand what kind of opponent he was facing.
In terms of presence alone—
He was being crushed in every possible way.
"This isn't Koby's fault…"
"It can only mean one thing."
"Raifeng's swordsmanship talent is far beyond imagination."
Bogard was deeply shaken.
At this point—
There was no need for the fight to continue.
The outcome was already decided.
There was no suspense at all.
The gap between them was simply too vast.
Even though the battle hadn't officially begun—
The moment Koby was engulfed by that cutting edge—
The result was already clear.
Koby was defeated… before the fight even started.
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