"Shave."
The sound of air tearing reached everyone's eardrums half a second later.
The world before Sakazuki's eyes didn't have time to change.
That blond figure abruptly vanished.
The image of Kane's provocative smile still lingered on his retinas.
Where did he go?
His monstrous combat instincts screamed a frantic warning. Sakazuki's scalp tingled, and he twisted his torso with explosive force to defend.
But it was too slow.
"Over here, Cadet Sakazuki."
A mocking voice drifted from in front of him.
Immediately after, a fist imprinted itself on Sakazuki's chest.
It seemed like a light, floating strike, but the moment it made contact with his skin, terrifying kinetic energy erupted.
Crack!
The sound of shattering ribs.
Pfft—!!
Blood gushed from Sakazuki's mouth as he instantly lost his balance.
The immense impact force caused his body to fold grotesquely into a ">" shape mid-air before he was sent flying backward with a piercing shriek!
Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters...
Boom!!
The half-meter-thick granite wall at the edge of the training ground instantly collapsed inward from the tremendous impact. Rubble shot out, and dust billowed.
When the dust settled, everyone gasped in shock.
Sakazuki was embedded in the wall's crater in a spread-eagle position. His red shirt was now tattered strips of cloth, his head lolled to one side, and his ever-present baseball cap was nowhere to be seen.
His chest heaved violently twice, then—
His eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.
[Ding! Beating a fellow Cadet into unconsciousness!]
[Violation Value +300!]
Dead silence filled the arena.
The new recruits stood with mouths agape, unable to utter a sound.
What was this?
Just moments ago, it was a desperate brawl, and the next second, it turned into a one-sided beatdown?
"Was that... Shave?!"
Zephyr ripped off his sunglasses, his tiger-like eyes, weathered by time, now filled with utter disbelief.
He stared fixedly at Kane, who stood calmly in the center of the field, leisurely adjusting his cuffs.
How was this possible?
As the Chief Instructor, Zephyr understood the difficulty of mastering the Six Styles better than anyone.
It was a superhuman martial art that required years of honing one's body, pushing physical capabilities to inhuman levels!
How long had this batch of new recruits been in camp? One week!
He had only demonstrated the principles and force application techniques once during a theory class a few days ago!
Monsters like Sakazuki and Borsalino, relying on their prodigious talent, might barely manage a couple of steps during practice, but to use it so smoothly and precisely in such a high-intensity, life-or-death fight?
This wasn't just talent.
This was monstrous!
"This kid..." Zephuki's throat felt dry as he looked at the blond youth's back, his gaze becoming incredibly complex. "Always acting lazy and carefree... was he actually holding back all this time?"
While Zephyr was still reeling, Kane moved.
With heavy steps, he began walking toward Sakazuki, who was embedded in the wall.
Zephyr's nerves instantly tightened.
Had this kid lost himself in the heat of the fight? Was he going in for a finishing blow?
"Kane! Stop! The match is over!"
Zephyr roared and lunged forward to intervene.
Kane stopped in his tracks.
He turned around, gazing at the approaching Zephyr with an utterly innocent expression.
Scratching his head, he flashed his signature grin.
"Teacher, why are you so worked up?"
Kane sighed, looking at Sakazuki embedded in the wall with profound self-reproach in his tone:
"Ah, it's all my fault."
He spread his hands and shrugged helplessly:
"I just got a little too serious earlier, thinking Sakazuki here was strong enough to handle it and would fight me for three hundred rounds..."
"Who would've thought..." Kane shook his head, wearing a disappointed expression, "he'd pass out just like that."
"I truly didn't expect... he'd be so fragile."
"I was really too much, overestimating my classmate's abilities like that."
Pfft!
Kuzan, standing nearby, nearly choked on his own saliva hearing this.
Fragile?
A little too serious?
Listen to this nonsense!
Zephyr's eye twitched violently.
He looked at Sakazuki's battered state, then at Kane's "I'm sorry but I'm just too strong" expression, feeling his blood pressure spike.
This brat wasn't satisfied with winning - he had to rub it in too!
"Enough! Cut the sarcasm!" Zephirk snapped irritably. "Get him to the infirmary now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Kane immediately stood at attention and saluted, his attitude impeccably proper. "To make up for my mistake, I request to personally carry Sakazuki to the infirmary! I'll warm his wounded soul with my body heat!"
Without waiting for Zephyr's refusal, Kane dashed forward and pried the unconscious Sakazuki from the wall.
What followed was utterly baffling.
Normally, one would carry an injured person face down against their back, head resting on their shoulder.
But Kane did the opposite.
He carried Sakazuki facing outward, displaying that bruised, swollen, bloodied face for all to see.
"Let's go, Sakazuki! We're off to see the doctor!"
Kane strode briskly out of the training ground.
But he "got lost."
Though the infirmary was clearly to the left, he deliberately went right, heading straight for the Marine Headquarters' busiest administrative plaza.
Seven in the morning was peak commuting time at Marine Headquarters.
"Hey! Isn't that Kane from the Elite Camp? Starting weight training this early?"
A passing Colonel called out curiously.
"Reporting, sir!"
Kane stopped, deliberately straightening his posture and adjusting Sakazuki on his back to better display the swollen face.
"This is my dear friend Sakazuki! He pushed himself too hard in training and passed out from exhaustion!"
"His spirit of fighting until collapse moves me deeply! So I'm carrying him for extra laps to absorb some of his righteous energy!"
"Oh? To train so diligently?"
The Colonel looked at Sakazuki's battered face with newfound respect. "Though he looks like he got beaten up... the Elite Camp training must be brutal indeed. What a promising recruit!"
Kane beamed brightly as he continued on his way.
From the administrative building to the residential area, all the way to the cafeteria entrance.
Along the way, Kane paraded Sakazuki's miserable state like a trophy, showing it off from every angle to nearly half of Marineford.
[Ding! Public humiliation of a future Fleet Admiral, causing severe negative impact.]
[Violation Value +150!]
[Ding! False advertising, damaging the reputation of a fellow Cadet.]
[Violation Value +80!]
Kane listened to the pleasant notification sounds, grinning from ear to ear.
…
One hour later.
Headquarters infirmary.
The strong scent of disinfectant filled the air.
"Ugh…"
Sakazuki let out a pained groan.
His consciousness gradually returned.
The last memory that surfaced was the moment that damned blond brat vanished, followed by the searing pain in his chest.
Lost?
I actually lost?
A wave of intense humiliation washed over him. Sakazuki's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright from the hospital bed.
"KANE!!!"
His furious roar made the IV stand tremble.
But he froze right after shouting.
The room was lively.
Zephyr stood by the window with a dark expression, Borsalino was lounging with his legs crossed, trimming his nails, and Kuzan looked at him with sympathy.
And right beside the bed.
That blond bastard was holding a bowl of medicine, smiling at him.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Kane's face. His golden hair was dazzlingly bright, and his blue eyes were filled with motherly concern.
"Awake?"
Kane picked up a spoon, scooped up some unknown liquid, even thoughtfully blowing on it to cool it down, and brought it to Sakazuki's lips.
"Here, Sakazuki, time for your medicine."
Every hair on Sakazuki's body stood on end. He instinctively recoiled, aggravating the injury on his chest and making him grimace in pain.
"Get away! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
"Don't be so distant. After all, we fought, so we've formed a bond now."
Ignoring him, Kane shoved the spoon right up to Sakazuki's mouth, his tone so sincere it was nauseating:
"I'm really sorry about earlier. You seemed so confident, I thought you had some skills. Who knew you'd go down so easily with just one touch."
"Look, I specially brewed this medicine for you—to nourish your brain… I mean, your blood."
Sakazuki's face instantly turned beet red, veins bulging on his neck.
"You… Who are you saying goes down easily?!"
"Well, that's what everyone's saying."
Kane sighed, speaking with grave sincerity:
"When I carried you over here earlier, all the officers passing by saw you. You were sleeping so peacefully on my back, with blood bubbles coming out of your nose. Everyone was moved by your 'dedication to training until you collapsed.'"
"Now the whole of Marineford is singing your praises—Sakazuki, the 'Glass Cannon Iron Man.'"
The whole… Marineford?
Everyone saw?
Blood bubbles from his nose?
Sakazuki felt a buzzing in his head as his blood pressure skyrocketed past its limit.
Him, Sakazuki!
A future pillar of the Marines!
Not only was he knocked out by this bastard, but he was also paraded around like a monkey?!
"You… you bastard…"
Sakazuki's finger trembled violently as he pointed at Kane, unable to catch his breath.
"Pfft!"
Another mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Immediately after, this iron-willed man known for his toughness rolled his eyes back and collapsed straight onto the pillow.
He had been angered into unconsciousness!
[Ding! Verbal stimulation caused a fellow cadet to faint for the second time, suffering severe mental trauma!]
[Violation Value +500!]
"Ah!"
Kane exclaimed in surprise, his spoon clattering into his bowl.
He turned his head, looking innocently at Zephyr:
"Teacher Zephyr! This is bad! Cadet Sakazuki got so excited he fainted! It must be because he felt the care from his comrade and was so happy his brain lacked oxygen!"
Zephyr took a deep breath.
He glanced at his iron fist, then looked at Kane's pure and innocent face.
Never in his life had he wanted so badly to beat one of his own students to death.
"GET OUT!!!"