Oh?
Sakazuki was slightly surprised by the resilience of the boy in front of him. He had used seventy percent of his total strength in that elbow strike, fully intending to knock the brat out instantly and end the farce. Instead, the opponent merely swayed slightly, absorbing the impact like a sponge.
Interesting! Sakazuki roared, his competitive fire stoked. But it is not enough!
Advancing instead of retreating, Sakazuki pivoted on his heel. His left hook carried a foul, whistling wind as it aimed straight toward Kane's exposed ribs. If that punch landed solid, any breakfast Kane had managed to eat would have come right back up.
Kane's eyelids twitched slightly. With his current neural response speed and the massive physique upgrade he had just purchased, he could easily keep up with the movements. In fact, dodging would have been effortless.
But Kane was thinking ahead. If he dodged too much and Sakazuki realized he couldn't actually land a hit, the future Admiral might get frustrated or give up. And if he gave up, how was Kane supposed to farm more points?
Only a brutal, mutual exchange of solid blows was the highest realm of point farming!
Bang!
The dull, wet thud of the impact made the observing recruits wince in sympathetic pain. Kane neither dodged nor avoided the strike. He took the heavy punch squarely on his side abdomen, his muscles tensing to mitigate the damage. At the same time, he countered with a lightning-fast whip kick aimed straight at Sakazuki's face.
[Ding! Assaulting a fellow cadet, discipline points +80!]
Listening to the wonderful notification sound chime in his mind, Kane felt the sharp pain in his ribs turn sweet. It was the taste of profit.
Good! Kane spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and laughed aloud, the sound echoing across the training ground. Again! Are you starving, Sakazuki? Is that all the power you have?
The two instantly became entangled in a fierce, chaotic struggle. It was a raw fistfight where every single punch landed with bone-jarring force. There were no fancy probes or tactical retreats—just brutal, direct moves aimed at putting the opponent out of commission for at least half a month.
The more Sakazuki fought, the more alarmed he became. He considered his own physical techniques to be top-tier among the recruits of this generation. Every punch he threw was heavy and powerful, capable of shattering solid rock into dust.
But Kane, standing right in front of him, was like a piece of extremely tough, indestructible taffy. Although every punch landed on him with a dull thud, and blood was already spilling from the corners of the kid's mouth, Kane's blue eyes burned with a fervor that Sakazuki could not comprehend.
Is this guy... crazy?
Sakazuki's temper flared. His movements became even more violent, delivering a fierce, rising knee strike straight into Kane's stomach. Kane grunted as the air was knocked out of him and more blood spilled from his lips, but he countered instantly with a savage, desperate headbutt!
Dong!
The two heads collided with a sound like two bowling balls hitting each other. Sakazuki stumbled backward, his nose bridge throbbing painfully as a warm, thick liquid began to drip down toward his mouth. His nasal bone was cracked.
[Ding! Inflicted facial damage on a fellow cadet! Discipline points +100!]
Awesome! This is f*cking awesome!
Kane laughed wildly on the inside, feeling like he had hit the jackpot. Outwardly, however, he played the part of the battered underdog. He staggered backward, haphazardly wiping the blood from his eyes with the back of a bruised hand. He gasped for air, his voice sounding hoarse yet arrogant.
Sakazuki! Is this the only extent of your justice? You cannot knock me down at all!
You bastard!
Sakazuki was now completely enraged, his logical mind overtaken by battle fury. He abandoned all defense and lunged forward like a mad dog. Left hook! Right swing! Knee strike!
Kane raised his fists to counterattack with equal ferocity.
Ora Ora Ora!!
Muda Muda Muda!!
(While Kane didn't actually shout the words out loud, the sheer momentum and speed of the exchange felt exactly like that.)
[Discipline points +50... +50... +50...]
The numbers on the system panel flashed wildly, more stimulating than the lights of a high-stakes slot machine on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.
The observing recruits had long since held their breath, daring not to make a single sound as they watched the two monsters tear into each other. Zephyr stood on the sidelines, his brow tightly furrowed behind his glasses. He could tell that Kane had several opportunities to dodge and counter, but for some reason, the boy chose to meet force with force every single time.
Is it the pride of crushing an opponent head-on, even if it means taking damage? Zephyr speculated to himself. He found himself raising his internal evaluation of Kane. Although he is a troublemaker, this kind of spirit is certainly the mark of a true Marine.
In the center of the arena, both men had turned into bloodied messes. Kane had one eye swollen shut like a bruised peach, his uniform was tattered, and his body was a map of dark purple bruises.
Sakazuki was not much better off. His short crew cut was covered in dust and drying blood. His breathing was heavy and ragged, his fists were swollen red, and several of his fingers were slightly distorted from the constant impact.
Hoo... hoo...
After another violent collision, the two tacitly separated, confronting each other from a distance of three meters. Sakazuki was bent over, hands on his knees, staring at the figure opposite him who was teetering on the edge of collapse but simply refused to fall.
A monster. That was Sakazuki's only thought at the moment.
He knew Kane's ribs were likely broken in at least two places. His internal organs had to be concussed from the vibrations. Yet why wouldn't he fall down? Why could he still wear that... that look of wanting more?
I misjudged you, Sakazuki spat, clearing more blood from his mouth. The brutality in his eyes began to fade, replaced by a complex emotion. Sakazuki was a man who respected strength and conviction above all else. Kane's sheer tenacity had earned his respect.
Let us stop here, Sakazuki said, lowering his fighting stance. His voice was hoarse from screaming and exertion. If we keep fighting, you will die. Your fists are hard, Kane. And you truly have the resolve to shoulder the burden of justice. We will call it a draw for today.
Having said his piece, Sakazuki turned his back to leave.
The observing recruits let out a long, collective sigh of relief. Kuzan also patted his chest, preparing to rush onto the field to help his friend up.
However.
A draw?
A light, airy voice sounded from behind Sakazuki.
Sakazuki. Who permitted you... to unilaterally end this game?
Sakazuki's steps halted abruptly. He turned back in total disbelief.
He saw the blood-soaked man slowly straighten his back. That previous feeling of imminent collapse? It vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed. Kane wiped the blood obscuring his remaining good eye and glanced at his internal system panel.
[Current discipline points: 41,200 (Gained over 4,000 from the exchange just now)]
That is enough, Kane calculated internally. Shearing the wool too aggressively leads to a bald sheep. Sakazuki already had the mistaken impression of "respectful appreciation" for him; if he continued to act like a punching bag now, it would seem fake.
Since that was the case...
Kane stretched his neck, producing a series of crisp, loud cracking sounds. A heart-stopping, predatory aura erupted from his body, far more intense than anything he had shown before.
Sakazuki.
Kane looked at the Red Dog opposite him, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upward into a dangerous smirk.
The warm-up... it has just ended. Next, you should try your best to stay alive.
Sakazuki's pupils sharply contracted. A strong, primitive sense of danger made the hair on his body stand on end. This brat... he was hiding his strength the whole time?! Was he just using me for practice?!
System! Allocate points! Rokushiki: Shave! Upgrade to Mastery!
[Consuming 6,000 discipline points! Skill infusion in progress...]
In an instant, countless techniques regarding leg muscle explosive power, blood flow control, and ground reaction force flooded into Kane's mind. The muscles in his legs trembled slightly beneath his trousers, acting like two heavy-duty springs compressed to their absolute limit.
I am coming, Sakazuki.
Kane's voice was still echoing in the air where he had been standing. But the man himself had already vanished.