The Five Elders Want Him? Sorry, I Refuse!

Marine Academy.

In the training ground.

Zephyr stood off to one side, a hint of anticipation on his face. He had agreed to let Smoker challenge Feng Lei.

Smoker was strong and a Logia Devil Fruit User. Though he was a Rear Admiral, he was already as strong as an ordinary Vice Admiral.

Feng Lei, meanwhile, had an impressive record, but Zephyr had never seen him in action.

So.

He had arranged the challenge partly to test Feng Lei's true strength and partly to train the others.

By now, the training ground was surrounded by people.

Everyone was looking forward to the challenge.

"Colonel Hina, do you think Rear Admiral Smoker has a chance of winning?"

A hint of excitement appeared on Tashigi's face as well.

If Smoker defeated Feng Lei, he could become a Special Recruit.

That was someone who was bound to become a Marine Admiral someday!

Hina shook her head and said, "If he's as strong as he was when he killed Cracker, Smoker is no match for him. But just how much of that was exaggerated? We'll have to wait and see!"

While the two were talking.

In the training ground.

Smoker walked onto the field with his weapon, the Jitte, in hand and two cigars clenched between his teeth.

"Kid, I won't hold back!"

He had long wanted to see whether Feng Lei's true strength was as formidable as the rumors claimed.

Faced with Smoker's disdain, Feng Lei frowned and said calmly, "Smoker, I'm a Special Recruit at the Marine Academy now, with a rank equal to an Admiral Candidate. According to our ranks, what should you call me?"

At those words.

Smoker's expression darkened.

An Admiral Candidate ranked above even an ordinary Vice Admiral.

By rights, Feng Lei was his superior.

But calling someone far younger than himself his superior was hard for Smoker to stomach, even if the other man was strong.

"As a soldier, obedience to orders is your highest duty."

"Smoker!"

"I'll ask you again. What should you call me?"

Feng Lei spoke again, his tone stern.

He wasn't about to indulge Smoker's disrespectful attitude.

Pressed at every turn by Feng Lei, Smoker clenched his teeth.

Feng Lei was using his status as a soldier to pressure him, and he had no grounds for rebuttal.

In the end.

Smoker called out as though humiliated, "Sir Feng Lei, please instruct me!"

"Very good!"

Feng Lei nodded and stood perfectly still. In a calm voice, he said to Smoker, "Come on!"

"White Blow!"

Almost the instant Feng Lei finished speaking, Smoker could no longer hold back and struck with lightning speed.

White smoke shot out as he threw a punch, moving at tremendous speed, with Armament Haki coating the fist at its head.

Faced with that attack.

Feng Lei neither dodged nor evaded.

Compared with Cracker's "Roll Pretzel," it was both slower and weaker. He didn't even need to use Earth Release: Earth Spear.

Bang!

Smoker's fist landed on Feng Lei with a dull thud, as though it had struck a steel plate.

Feng Lei stood where he was, not moving an inch.

"What a strong body!"

The expressions of everyone watching changed.

Smoker's attack was swift and fierce. In their place, even if they didn't dodge, they would have had to use Tekkai to defend themselves.

But Feng Lei had done nothing.

He had relied solely on his powerful body to take the blow head-on.

Seeing that.

Smoker raised an eyebrow as well.

He had long known that Feng Lei had killed Cracker, but he hadn't expected his body to be so tough.

"It's not over yet!"

Smoker naturally didn't stop.

As he activated his fruit ability, his fist and arm turned entirely into smoke and wrapped around Feng Lei.

"White Smoke Bomb!"

In an instant.

The smoke became shackles that bound Feng Lei firmly in place.

"White Launcher!"

The next moment, Smoker's body turned into smoke. He used the explosive recoil from a burst of smoke to send his speed soaring, then attacked Feng Lei with the Jitte in hand.

"Is that all you've got?"

Seeing this, Feng Lei slowly shook his head.

Then.

He suddenly exerted his strength, and the smoke, as hard as steel wire, was blasted apart.

The instant Smoker drew close, Feng Lei raised his right fist, coated it in Armament Haki, and smashed it down.

Boom!

Just as the Jitte was about to touch Feng Lei's body, Feng Lei's fist, though thrown later, struck first, slamming into Smoker's head.

At once.

The tremendous force of the punch drove Smoker's body into the ground.

A small crater formed in the ground in an instant.

"Gah!"

The terrifying force made Smoker spit out a mouthful of blood, and the cigars in his mouth fell to the ground.

Then.

Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, his eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious on the spot!

Silence!

The entire training ground was deathly quiet.

Everyone, Zephyr included, was stunned.

Smoker wasn't weak, yet before Feng Lei, he hadn't been able to withstand even a single blow.

He had been defeated instantly!

"So strong!"

Tashigi's eyes widened, full of shock.

Hina was no different.

She was so shocked that her cigarette fell to the ground.

Neither of them had expected Feng Lei to be this strong. Compared with Smoker, he was like heaven to earth.

There was no need to mention the others.

Seeing Smoker defeated instantly had shaken them too deeply.

Everyone who had been eager to challenge Feng Lei abandoned the idea.

"That was a ruthless blow!"

"But he lives up to the title of [Special Recruit]!"

Zephyr grinned.

With his strength, he could naturally tell that Feng Lei had not displayed his true strength at any point, relying entirely on his physical power and Armament Haki. His strength was unfathomable.

He no longer had any doubts about Feng Lei having killed Cracker.

But now, no one would dare challenge him!

Sure enough.

Feng Lei withdrew his fist and looked around, ignoring Smoker, who lay unconscious on the ground.

"Anyone else who wants to challenge me can come forward now!"

At those words.

No one dared step onto the field.

Seeing this, Feng Lei shook his head, somewhat disappointed.

These people were too weak. They couldn't even help him grind learning progress. His fight with Smoker had earned him less learning progress than training alone.

Just as Feng Lei was about to dust off his hands and leave, a commotion came from outside.

"What's going on?"

Zephyr's expression darkened, and he looked outside the grounds in displeasure.

Several men in black-and-white striped suits strode straight into the training ground with an arrogantly swaggering gait.

Seeing how they were dressed, Zephyr's expression immediately darkened, and a trace of disgust showed in his eyes.

Hina and the others also frowned, their expressions somewhat uneasy.

That was because only members of Cipher Pol, who answered entirely to the Five Elders, dressed like that.

"This is the Marine Academy training ground. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed inside!"

Zephyr spoke directly, his tone rather impolite.

However.

The men did not stop. The one leading them glanced at Zephyr and smiled faintly.

"Instructor Zephyr, you have a Special Recruit here named Feng Lei, don't you? We've been ordered by the Five Elders to take him to Mary Geoise!"

In an instant!

Everyone in the training ground jolted!

The Five Elders!?

They were the highest authorities in the World Government. The people here weren't even qualified to meet them, yet Feng Lei had drawn their attention, and they had sent people to summon him!

What had he done to deserve it?

Zephyr slowly lowered his hands and was about to speak.

However.

Feng Lei spoke first.

"Sorry, I refuse!"