Spider Spirit!

Onigumo didn't know why he always targeted Morito, why he hated Morito. Logically, there weren't many people in the Training Camp, or even among the Reserve Navy in the Naval Academy, who could reliably defeat him.

It wasn't that he was showing off; in his eyes, most people were trash.

But why did he hate Morito specifically among all the trash?

Was it his scent?

Perhaps it was because Morito lacked talent yet refused to work hard, idly wasting his days with no sense of belonging to the Naval Academy!

And yet, this very person, whom he looked down on the most, was valued by the Vice Admiral he respected the most, Garp.

Many people in the Navy joined because of Garp.

Garp's prestige in the Navy far surpassed that of any Admiral, even Marshal Steel Bone Kong couldn't compare. He was like a banner for the Navy.

As long as Garp stands, the Navy stands!

Because of Garp, Morito had known Gion since childhood. In the Naval Academy, anyone who wasn't impotent couldn't resist Gion's charm.

Onigumo was no exception.

A thought would occasionally flash through his mind: what if his and Morito's positions were swapped?

How wonderful would that be!

Perhaps this was jealousy?

"Soon, I'll end it all with my own hands."

A good-for-nothing like Ōtsutsuki Morito didn't deserve to be in the Naval Academy!

Onigumo stepped into the forest with a blank expression. In his opinion, a practical combat against Morito was unnecessarily troublesome.

One move!

It would only take him one move to deal with that trash!

With this one move, he would make Morito truly blind!

In the forest, the wind rustled.

Onigumo walked into the designated combat area, but his steps suddenly halted. He quickly looked up at the large tree directly in front of him.

There stood Morito, arms crossed, looking down at him from the tree trunk!

The pirate side, holding hostages, had escaped into the forest first, gaining some preparation time. This preparation time was an opportunity to seize the initiative.

A surprise attack, if successful, could yield unexpected results.

Onigumo had entered the forest cautiously. In his mind, this was Morito's only chance to launch a preemptive strike.

However, what was the current situation?

Was that kid an idiot?

He gave up his only advantage, his only chance, just like that?

Standing brazenly in front of him?

Mid-lane solo?

Head-on confrontation?

"I take back what I said earlier, you're not trash."

You're just plain brainless!

Onigumo slowly exhaled, calming his inner turmoil.

A hint of pity crept into his gaze as he looked at Morito. It was one thing to have poor eyesight; he could still walk with a cane, but to have a faulty brain too.

Alas, how pitiful!

Onigumo's rapidly changing expression left Morito utterly bewildered!

Is he pitying me?

"If you admit defeat now and leave the academy voluntarily, I'll let you leave on your own two feet," Onigumo suddenly said.

Morito raised an eyebrow. This is quite interesting.

He's actually letting me leave on my own two feet!

However, to Morito, this scene was like an ant looking up at an elephant and arrogantly roaring: "Kneel down and call me daddy now, or daddy will bite your toes off!"

"Do you think you're some kind of superhero, always showing off?"

Morito, with a blank expression, raised his right hand and pointed at the ground beneath Onigumo's feet.

Since it was practical combat, weapons could naturally be used.

This included firearms, with the flintlock pistol's bullets replaced by plastic ones, but the cannonballs were the real deal.

After all, cannonballs in the world of pirates only seemed to create splashes of water.

In nearly a thousand episodes of One Piece, not a single episode showed cannonballs killing anyone!

Morito's identity was on the pirate side, and entering the forest first gave him the advantage of setting up the terrain.

Following the maxim that he who doesn't seize an opportunity is a bastard.

In this forest, Morito buried over two hundred cannonballs!

This was also why he was standing in the trees from the very beginning!

Onigumo subconsciously looked down at his feet, only to see a lit fuse whiz into the ground.

The pungent smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils.

Onigumo's expression changed drastically, and he quickly tried to retreat!

"Too late!"

BOOM!!!

A deafening roar shook the entire back mountain. Did it end there? This was only the beginning!

The chain reaction of over two hundred cannonballs sent mushroom clouds soaring into the sky from the forest on the back mountain!

The image on the Den Den Mushi was shrouded in smoke, making it impossible to see anything.

"Why are weapons like cannonballs allowed during the exam?"

Zephyr, sitting in front of the monitor, scowled and reprimanded sternly.

This kid was too insidious!

He thought Morito would have a man-to-man, tough guy showdown with Onigumo!

Chief Examiner, Second Lieutenant Majo's eye twitched, but he still explained very seriously, "Firearm-type weapons are permitted and do not violate the regulations."

After all, it was a practical combat scenario; what would it be called if nothing could be used?

And to prevent accidents, the bullets had been replaced with rubber ones, and the Marine-standard sabers were dulled.

But these cannonballs were the real deal.

"What are you standing there dumbfounded for? Hurry up and get to the site to fix the Den Den Mushi!"

"Yes!"

Second Lieutenant Majo quickly turned and left.

Garp, with a mouth full of donuts, chewed with a crunching sound.

If it weren't for Zephyr's ink-black expression, he probably would have laughed heartily without restraint and slapped the table, praising, 'Well done!'

"Garp, get out!"

Veins bulged on Zephyr's forehead as he roared, unable to contain himself any longer.

In the forest, the smoke and dust gradually dispersed.

It indeed proved the One Piece setting: cannonballs can't kill people.

Onigumo, covered in dirt, crawled out.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Oh."

Morito patted the dust off his clothes as if he had touched something unclean.

Onigumo's eye twitched, and his entire face turned even darker.

Poof poof poof!!

A sound of explosions mixed with tearing echoed, and Onigumo's upper body clothing instantly turned into a pile of shredded rags.

He was half-naked, and eight giant black claws had grown from his back!

Four on each side, each composed of seven segments, ending in claws, with a tuft of coarse hair beneath each claw. Each claw held a large saber three feet long.

"Eight-clawed spider demon?" Morito exclaimed.

Onigumo: "..."

You're the damn spider demon!!

Ignorant!

This is the Hybrid Form of a Zoan Devil Fruit user!

Zoan Devil Fruits generally have three forms of transformation.

The first is the human form under normal conditions, with a head on two shoulders, and eyes, nose, ears, and mouth indistinguishable from a normal person. From the outside, there's no sign of abnormality.

The second is the Hybrid Form, where parts of the body exhibit beast-like changes, with the hands and feet being the most obvious, possessing partial physical characteristics of the animal.

The third is the Beast Form, a complete transformation into a wild animal.