I crippled him on purpose!

The battle in the forest was over.

The proctor in charge called for medical staff, and several medics carefully placed Onigumo on a stretcher.

With grave expressions, they carried Onigumo away.

The preliminary diagnosis was that Onigumo was crippled.

He would likely permanently lose all sensation below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra.

When Spike heard the news, his face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Given Onigumo's potential, he would have become at least a Rear Admiral, perhaps even an elite Vice Admiral, a pillar of Marine Headquarters.

And someone had crippled a genius like him!

Right in front of Spike!

"Do you have any idea what you've done? Onigumo might be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life!"

Proctor Spike scolded him coldly.

Morito raised an eyebrow and asked, somewhat amused, "Oh? When he was unleashing his big move just now, why didn't you say a damn thing?"

"If it weren't for me, that guy would've died too!"

Morito glanced out of the corner of his eye at the hostage lying unconscious nearby.

He had broken that Training Camp student's nose because the student had insulted him and needed to be taught a lesson.

He had saved that student from Onigumo's attack because he didn't want to end up with a life on his conscience for no reason.

There was no contradiction between the two.

"What did you say?"

Proctor Spike hadn't expected Morito to talk back to him!

Morito watched him coldly.

He'd seen this sort of thing too many times. When a good student and a bad student got into a conflict, teachers always took the good student's side.

It was only human nature, and there was nothing wrong with that.

But when it happened to him, he couldn't just shrug it off. Morito was the most hopeless "bad student" around, the one who'd ranked at the bottom for nine years!

Morito curled his lip. "Are you hard of hearing?"

"???"

Proctor Spike could hardly believe his ears.

Even the Training Camp students Onigumo, Doberman, and Kazan wouldn't dare speak to their instructors in that tone.

This was a world where strength mattered, but respecting one's teachers was a basic virtue.

Spike's eyes grew dark.

Morito rolled his wrist and turned to face Spike, his body lowering slightly like a leopard ready to pounce.

If Spike dared attack, Morito would retaliate with all his strength.

"What? You want to hit me too?"

Spike growled ominously.

Morito's ready stance only strengthened the thought that had flashed through Spike's mind.

He was ruthless and had no respect for his teachers.

There wasn't a trace of justice in this guy's heart!

If Morito really became a Marine, he'd bring shame upon the Marines one day!

Morito merely stared coldly at him and said nothing.

If someone was going to hit you, were you supposed to offer them your face?

He had no masochistic streak.

Spike gathered strength in his legs and lowered his body, about to charge forward. He'd decided to take Morito into custody!

Just then, Zephyr and Garp arrived together.

"What are you doing, Spike?"

Zephyr barked. He didn't know what had happened here; he'd only noticed Spike gathering strength in his legs, clearly beginning the Soru technique!

Only Spike and Morito were there. Why was Spike using Soru?

For fun? Nonsense!

"Admiral Zephyr, Vice Admiral Garp, you've come at the perfect time."

Spike was one of Zephyr's old subordinates. Even after Zephyr had retired to the Naval Academy, Spike still called him Admiral.

Though he was only a warrant officer, he had extensive combat experience and was a true elite Marine. He'd been injured in a battle with pirates and moved behind the scenes, following Zephyr to the Naval Academy.

His combat strength was exceptionally formidable.

"I propose that Ōtsutsuki Morito be expelled from the Naval Academy. The Marines should be made up of people with a sense of justice, not ruthless scum like him!"

Spike spoke stiffly, his expression indignant.

Zephyr didn't know what had happened to Onigumo.

In the broadcast from the Den Den Mushi, he'd only seen Morito use Soru to appear behind Onigumo at incredible speed. Then Onigumo's body had trembled slightly before he fell.

But Zephyr was quick on the uptake.

Something serious must have happened to make his old subordinate this angry.

Connecting the events and Spike's words just now, it didn't take much thought to figure out that something had probably happened to Onigumo in the earlier battle.

"What happened to Onigumo?"

Zephyr asked gravely.

Onigumo was one of the students Zephyr had high hopes for. Naturally, he didn't want anything to happen to him.

Spike didn't exaggerate. He simply stated the facts.

"Just now, the medical staff who took Onigumo away told me that the spinous process of his third lumbar vertebra was irreversibly damaged! He'll have no feeling in his lower body."

"In other words, Onigumo will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair!"

Onigumo was crippled?

Zephyr's expression changed abruptly. This was terrible news.

He turned to look at Morito.

Though Spike was his old subordinate and someone he trusted, he couldn't simply believe everything Spike said without hearing the other side.

He decided to hear Morito's account.

"That's probably right."

Morito nodded, confirming Spike's account. A quick examination would be enough to determine Onigumo's condition.

The moment he said that, silence fell over the scene.

The air grew heavy and oppressive.

Even Garp, who was usually carefree, turned serious.

Onigumo wasn't just a student Zephyr had high hopes for.

Onigumo's father, mother, and grandparents had all been Marines, and they were hardliners within the Marines—members of the Hawk Faction!

By crippling Onigumo, Morito had made an enemy of the entire Hawk Faction!

At the Naval Academy plaza, it was Onigumo's big day, and his father, Vice Admiral Tarantula, had come in person.

But instead of seeing Onigumo dominate the entire field as he'd imagined, Tarantula saw him defeated by a good-for-nothing who idled away his time and had no ambition!

And defeated so badly.

In a single move!

Yet that wasn't what shocked Tarantula most. What left him rooted to the spot was a message from Marine Headquarters Hospital.

Onigumo had suffered severe damage to the spinous process of his third lumbar vertebra. With current medical technology, there was probably no way to heal him.

It was a very tactful way of putting it. Tarantula couldn't possibly fail to understand.

His son, the one he'd been so proud of, was crippled!

His precious son was crippled!

His son, who could have surpassed him one day, was crippled!

"Where's that brat!"

Tarantula's eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged at his temples.

The Marine who'd delivered the message instinctively thought Tarantula was asking about Onigumo. "Onigumo's in the intensive care unit. Do you want to go see him, Vice Admiral Tarantula?"

A dangerous glint flashed in Tarantula's eyes. He remembered that Onigumo and Morito had fought in the forest behind the Naval Academy.

If he went there now, he might still catch him!

He shoved the Marine aside and strode toward the rear mountain.

"Vice Admiral Tarantula, the hospital is this way!"