After watching Leiyin finish eating, Ain still did not leave. She merely asked him in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Hey, how did you pull off that move the day before yesterday?"
"What?"
"I saw you disappear right in front of me, and when you appeared again, you had already knocked Beligood to the ground. Have you already mastered the [Six Styles—Shave]?" Ain asked.
At that, Leiyin scratched his head. "Well, about that..."
"Hey, you two, get farther apart! Stop whispering over there!" Before Leiyin could say anything, Beligood grabbed the bars of the detention cell with both hands and shouted at them. Seeing how close the two of them were, Beligood felt extremely displeased.
As for Ain's question, Leiyin had been vague and evasive, never explaining clearly. Even if he told her, she obviously would not know what [Flying Thunder God Slash] and [Lion Dance] meant.
Ah, this was youth—an age when hormones were running wild.
On the third day, Leiyin and Beligood were released.
After that, Beligood's gaze toward Leiyin held an extra trace of wariness...
Before long, word spread throughout the camp about Leiyin and Beligood's brawl and detention.
"You mean that kid instantly took Beligood down?"
"You're making that up, right?"
"How could that be possible?"
Hina said, "Exactly. Hina doesn't believe an ordinary second-class soldier could have that kind of ability."
"Beligood is a Devil Fruit user, at least."
These days, apart from sleeping and training, Leiyin and Ain were together practically all day. This left many of the male trainees and Marines feeling irritated.
Ain was the goddess of our Training Camp. Many of us secretly admired her or openly pursued her, yet she would not even spare us a proper glance. And you, a mere second-class soldier, were getting all clingy and entangled with our goddess?
One day, Leiyin and Ain sat across from each other in the Training Camp cafeteria, eating lunch together. At a table not far away, Hina and several of her close friends were also having lunch.
As the saying went, women were born to gossip. Sure enough, when several girls sat together for a meal, they began leaning close and whispering among themselves.
Hina's Friend A said, "Hey, look over there. Do you think those two are already together?"
Friend B said, "I didn't expect that guy to be so good with girls despite his low rank."
Friend C said, "I never thought the goddess who was hardest to win over in the entire Training Camp would be taken by a second-class soldier..."
Hina looked toward Leiyin with obvious disdain before saying, "Tch. Hina doesn't believe Ain could possibly like him."
Friend B said, "Oh, right. The Training Camp's number one goddess should be our Hina."
Friend C said, "Exactly. You're always calling Ain a goddess, and it makes Hina unhappy."
Loving beauty, jealousy, and comparison were all part of a woman's nature. When two women of similar age stood together, the less attractive one would always feel more inferior. That was why the people of the Training Camp, especially the female trainees, loved gossiping about such things. Everyone agreed that Ain and Hina were the two most beautiful women in the Training Camp, but they were forever arguing over which of them was prettier, despite how pointless the question was.
However, before long, the arrival of another beautiful girl would put an end to that argument. But that was a story for later.
Hearing Friend C's words, Hina could not help rolling her eyes. "Hmph. Hina doesn't care about that sort of thing. In this world, strength is what matters most..."
That was what Hina said, but in truth, she cared about her appearance more than anyone. Every day, she dressed herself up beautifully before going out. She also constantly watched Ain, who was discussed alongside her by everyone else, afraid that her looks would be inferior. Now, she unconsciously turned her gaze toward Leiyin and Ain...
Leiyin and Ain sat facing each other, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the food on their trays, making everyone around them envious. Suddenly, an out-of-place knocking sound on the table interrupted the pair.
A man followed by four or five trainees knocked on the table and glared at Leiyin with a vicious expression.
He was also a trainee of the Training Camp. His name was Brannew, and he was a Second Lieutenant trainee. He had grass-green hair and a somewhat overly high hairline that concealed his true age, making him look prematurely aged. He was big and burly, with broad shoulders and a powerful back. The knots of muscle across his body were intimidating.
Brannew said to Leiyin, "Hey, kid, come outside. We need to talk to you."
Leiyin speared a piece of Sea Beast meat with his fork and put it in his mouth. "I'm eating. I don't have time."
One of the trainees beside Brannew said, "Damn it, don't push your luck! Our boss told you to come out, and you actually dare refuse?!"
Brannew cracked his knuckles. "What a foul-mouthed, suicidal second-class soldier. You should take a good look at yourself before mouthing off. You're even eating here with little Ain. If I were a second-class soldier like you, I'd be too ashamed to show my face."
Ain grew anxious. "Hey, Brannew! You've gone too far! Leave right now! Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens!"
Leiyin said, "Ain, stay out of it. I want to see what he can do."
"Damn it, you're still mouthing off here! If little Ain weren't here, I would have already beaten you until you were spitting out your teeth. So tell me, which [Six Styles] technique do you want me to use to teach you a lesson?" Brannew pressed his fingers together, making them crack loudly.
Ain was about to use her Devil Fruit ability against them when Leiyin placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
At that moment, the trainee beside Brannew said, "The Six Styles? Boss, isn't using the Six Styles on this kid a little excessive? This foul-mouthed second-class soldier probably doesn't even know what the [Six Styles] are, ahahaha..."
After he finished speaking, many others burst into laughter, joining in to mock Leiyin.
Six Styles—Iron Body Fist!
Bang! A flying punch sent one man hurtling away, straight into the meal-serving counter, smashing a large hole into it.
The one who had thrown the punch was Leiyin. The one sent flying was Brannew. Not only had Brannew crashed through the counter and left a gaping hole, he had also spat out a mouthful of blood and two front teeth, while his jaw had been knocked out of place.
Seeing this, Brannew's men scattered like startled birds and fleeing beasts.
Even Brannew, a big, burly man who knew the [Six Styles], had been beaten into such a state. There was no way we could be a match for this second-class soldier.
After punching Brannew into a miserable heap, Leiyin acted as though nothing had happened and continued eating...
At this point, not only was Ain, sitting across from Leiyin, stunned, but Hina, who was seated some distance away, was also utterly astonished.
Hina's Friend A said, "Hey, wasn't what he just used the [Six Styles—Iron Body Fist]?"
Before you continue