Navy Headquarters Elite Training Camp.
This was the cradle where the Navy cultivated its strongest fighters!
Nearly every well-known Marine had graduated from here!
Everyone qualified to enter this place was among the Navy's best—the elite, the geniuses!
Even the weakest graduates would become field-grade officers!
A field-grade officer was enough to command a branch base in the Four Seas, keeping ordinary pirates from daring to attack!
The moment Yun Ye stepped inside, he immediately sensed that this place was different.
Ahead, more than a hundred people were training. There were men and women alike, but they all shared one thing in common: a faint murderous aura radiated from their bodies!
A grim, killing intent rushed straight at him!
Every soldier training here had experienced bloodshed.
Real combat was also part of the Elite Camp's training!
At certain times, the instructors would lead teams out to sea to carry out missions.
Every mission involved battles of life and death!
Through such training missions, the soldiers of the Elite Camp naturally developed a murderous aura!
If there were only one or two people, that aura would not have been obvious.
But there were over a hundred Marines training in the same place. Their combined murderous aura made even Roy, a Zoan Devil Fruit User, turn pale.
Meanwhile, Yun Ye remained expressionless, as if he had not noticed anything at all.
Nearby, Zephyr, with his purple hair and burly frame, looked at the two of them and could not help nodding. Not bad. At least they weren't scared stiff!
Finally, Zephyr's gaze settled on Yun Ye. His eyes narrowed slightly as he muttered, "This should be Pattis Yun Ye, the one Kage mentioned, right? He didn't even change expression under the pressure of that murderous aura?"
Suddenly, Zephyr smiled faintly. "Then let someone test them out."
He snapped his fingers, and a bearded young man stepped forward. "Instructor Zephyr, what are your orders?"
Zephyr looked at the young man and said, "Shuzo, I'm giving you a task. Go test the exact strength of those two newcomers."
Shuzo was slightly taken aback. Looking in that direction, he asked in surprise, "Instructor, do you mean them?"
At the entrance, only Yun Ye and Roy were standing there.
Zephyr nodded. "Go. Don't hold back."
"Yes, Instructor!"
Shuzo gave a solemn salute and strode toward them!
After doing that, Zephyr's gaze never left Yun Ye. An unreadable light flashed in his eyes. "Let me see just where your limits lie, Yun Ye—the one who managed to injure Kage!"
Shuzo's movements were noticed by the other veteran soldiers of the Elite Camp.
Ain, the blue-haired girl and user of the Paramecia Rewind-Rewind Fruit, frowned. "Hm? What is Shuzo doing?"
Binz, with his long arms and legs and ninja-like attire, also said, "Those two over there should be the soldiers joining the Elite Camp this time, right? Did they offend Shuzo?"
Hina, with her pink shoulder-length hair and curvaceous figure, also noticed what was happening and looked over in surprise.
Belgrade, the user of the Ball-Ball Fruit, grinned with an expression of eager anticipation. "Oh? What's this? Looks like we've got a show to watch!"
Shuen, the user of the Rust-Rust Fruit, also stopped what he was doing and looked over.
Almost every veteran present subconsciously stopped training and turned their eyes toward Yun Ye and Roy.
With everyone watching them, Roy felt immense pressure. Especially with all their murderous auras gathered together, his breathing grew heavier and his face became even paler!
As for Yun Ye, his expression had become rather strange.
Watching Shuzo approach with such aggressive momentum, Yun Ye felt as though ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart...
What the hell is wrong with you Marines?
How long had it even been since I arrived at Navy Headquarters?
At most, just a few days!
And this is already the third time someone has tried to put me in my place!
Seriously, tell me—are you all sick in the head?
Or do you Marines just enjoy this kind of thing?
You feel uncomfortable unless you provoke the newcomers, is that it?
Roy also grew wary. Anyone with half a brain could tell what Shuzo intended from his aggressive approach...
Since this was Zephyr's order, Shuzo could not even be bothered to waste time talking. He just had to fight!
With a flash, Shuzo charged straight at Yun Ye.
There was no other reason—he simply thought Yun Ye would be easier to handle.
So Yun Ye was his first target!
Yun Ye was furious as well. Enough already!
Again and again, did they really think I had no temper?
Watching Shuzo rush at him, Yun Ye's face darkened.
He finally understood that merely displaying talent was not enough in the Navy. He had to show sufficient strength!
Otherwise, one person after another would come looking for trouble!
Yun Ye hated trouble, so this time, he was going to get serious!
Since you're all so curious about my strength, then I'll let you have a good look!
Yun Ye snorted coldly, raising his aura to its peak. Faced with the charging Shuzo, he showed no fear whatsoever and instead rushed forward to meet him!
He drew his fist back to his waist and unleashed a charged punch!
Shuzo was startled. He had not expected this kid to advance instead of retreat—and actually dare to attack him?
"Interesting!"
Shuzo laughed, accelerating once more as he threw a punch!
Boom!
Their fists collided, sending out a violent gust of wind.
Yun Ye was driven back several steps by the force of Shuzo's punch.
Shaking his right arm, Yun Ye's expression did not change. It was only natural that his physique could not match Shuzo's, who had trained in the Elite Camp for who knew how long. There was nothing surprising about that.
Unless he unleashed Instant Burst, he could not defeat the young man before him through fistfighting alone!
His eyes swept across the area, searching for a weapon he could use.
However, the training ground was enormous, yet there was not a single weapon rack in sight...
"Not bad! You managed to block one of my punches!"
Shuzo looked at Yun Ye approvingly, but he had no intention of holding back. This was Instructor Zephyr's order!
"Finger Pistol!"
Shuzo stepped forward, appearing before Yun Ye. His still-unrefined Rokushiki Finger Pistol shot toward Yun Ye.
Yun Ye's perception was extraordinary. He noticed it a step ahead of time and flashed away, retreating backward!
Yun Ye's eyes scanned left and right before finally settling on a blue-haired girl.
No, rather, on the two short swords at her waist!
Shuzo attacked again. While dodging his strike, Yun Ye moved closer and closer to Ain.
Turning to look into her red eyes, so similar to his own, Yun Ye smiled. "Miss, could I borrow your swords for a moment?"
"Uh, sure."
Ain was briefly stunned by the way Yun Ye addressed her, but she still nodded. It was not a difficult request.
Her swords were merely specially made short swords from the Training Camp. They were not valuable.
With a casual toss, she threw them over, and Yun Ye caught them!
They're not katanas, so they feel a little awkward, but they'll do!
The moment Yun Ye gripped the short swords, his aura changed instantly. A sword aura swept in all directions, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes!
This change immediately drew everyone's attention!
Shuzo's expression abruptly changed, becoming serious. "What a sharp aura!"
"But... I won't lose!"
"Tempest Kick!"
Shuzo's gaze sharpened. Following Zephyr's instructions, he did not hold back. His right leg swept out, whipping up air currents that formed a sharp wind blade and shot toward Yun Ye!
This was the only Rokushiki technique he had truly mastered!
"One Sword Style: Crescent Moon Slash!"
On the other side, a sharp light flashed in Yun Ye's eyes. With a cold shout, he raised his sword and slashed!
Whoosh...
A slash nearly ten meters long tore through the air from the blade!
With a sharp slice, it cleaved the Tempest Kick apart and continued onward, slashing toward Shuzo!
Shuzo had only just launched his attack and had no time to react. He could only watch helplessly as the slash drew closer and closer. Panic rose in his heart. Could it be... was he going to die here?
He could not block this slash!
But in the next instant, a figure suddenly rushed out. A fist as black as ink smashed toward the incoming slash!
Boom!
A deafening crash resounded throughout the entire training ground, so loud that even the Recruit Camp heard it clearly!
Zephyr shattered Yun Ye's slash with a single punch. After landing, he looked at his completely uninjured arm, then turned toward Yun Ye, shock appearing in his eyes as well!
A Flying Slash...
A swordsman!
At that moment, every veteran stared in utter shock at Yun Ye, who held the short sword in his hand!
This recruit was actually a swordsman!