Bare-Bodied Fierce Battle!

In the forest behind the Naval Academy.

Zephyr took a deep breath to calm his shock, then turned to look at Garp. With just a glance, Garp understood what his old friend was thinking.

Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru were all from the same generation, the same term, and the same class of comrades.

The four had known each other for decades and understood each other's temperaments very well.

Garp had originally intended to test Morito's strength himself. The so-called "iron fist of love" and Garp's outwardly simple and foolish demeanor were merely a facade for fools.

Truly intelligent people don't appear overly smart; instead, they make others think they are foolish.

However, such people are incredibly sharp when it matters.

In Morito's eyes, Garp was the smartest person in Marine Headquarters; his true nature was that of great wisdom hidden behind apparent foolishness.

Since Zephyr wanted to test Morito's strength personally, Garp decided to let Zephyr do it.

It was time for Zephyr to truly recognize how monstrous Morito was.

With Zephyr's protection at the Naval Academy, Morito would avoid a lot of trouble in the future, especially concerning the incident where Onigumo was crippled.

Zephyr stepping in to resolve it was undoubtedly the best course of action.

"Show him what you've got!"

Garp gave Morito a meaningful look and then turned and walked away decisively.

Morito noticed Garp's actions and saw his gaze, but he didn't quite understand its meaning.

He had actually met Garp very few times.

And each meeting had been brief and rather serendipitous.

Thinking of Garp's carefree and unrestrained style, Morito could understand. He also liked the feeling of a friendship as pure as water.

Although Garp was decades older than him, Morito felt more like Garp was a powerful friend rather than an elder or a mentor.

Rip!

Zephyr tore off his coat, revealing a body of bronze muscle, strong and powerful.

Instantly!

An aura of rugged masculinity washed over them.

This very physique, with its well-developed muscles, especially the clean, chiseled chest and abs that looked like inlaid stones, was enough to make countless women's mouths water!

Spike, standing nearby, saw this and his pupils constricted.

Admiral Zephyr intended to act personally?

Although he had intended to teach Morito a lesson earlier, he hadn't planned on crippling or disabling him.

Now, Admiral Zephyr had even taken off his clothes, looking ready to go all out.

This...

Admiral Zephyr, couldn't you reconsider?

Taking off your clothes right away seemed inappropriate!

He's still so young!

"Admiral Zephyr, you..."

"Stand down. I'll handle this."

Zephyr interrupted Spike's words, saying with an unyielding tone.

Onigumo being crippled was not something a mere Second Lieutenant like Spike could handle.

Then, Zephyr looked at Morito and said sternly, "Attack!"

Onigumo being crippled was a major event, or it could be a minor one.

Whether it was major or minor would depend on whether Morito possessed enough talent to make him, the Naval Academy, and the high-ranking officials of Marine Headquarters look at him with newfound respect!

Zephyr was a former Marine Admiral.

Currently at the peak of his strength, he wouldn't attack first against someone like Morito, who hadn't even left the tutorial stage. He couldn't afford to lose face.

But how could he gauge Morito's true strength without applying some pressure?

"Show me your strength!"

Zephyr roared, unleashing a fierce and valiant aura.

He simply stood there motionlessly, not adopting any offensive or defensive stance, yet he exuded an aura of invincibility.

At this moment, Morito felt like a five-year-old child facing a giant black bear.

The mere powerful aura emanating from the other party made him feel as if he were sinking in a swamp, his limbs bound by heavy mud.

Heavy, oppressive.

Immobile.

"Is this the strength of a peak Admiral?"

Morito felt all the muscles in his body tense up, an instinctive reaction to danger and a powerful opponent.

Zephyr was a pure physical combat Marine Admiral, on the same path as Garp.

Compared to Devil Fruit users, Admirals lacked a certain natural disaster-level oppressive power.

However, this didn't mean pure physical combat wasn't strong.

On this vast and magnificent sea today, those so-called Pirate Kings, Beasts, Big Mom, Red-Hair, Silver Axe, John, Ochoku...

They were all just a bunch of kids!

The true peak powerhouses were Garp, Sengoku, Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion!

Among them, Garp and Roger were pure physical combat users!

Zephyr's Observation Haki and Armament Haki were unparalleled.

Especially his Armament Haki, which wrapped around his hands, earning him the moniker 'Black-Arm' Zephyr from the world!

Onigumo?

Zephyr could kill a thousand of him in an instant!

"Very good, very strong, very domineering!"

Morito exhaled a breath of stale air. His muscles were tense, but his mind was surprisingly calm. His Byakugan's vision covered the entire battlefield.

He could clearly see Zephyr's expression, his breathing, even the way his body hair stood on end.

The scenery in his eyes, the sound of the wind in his ears, the rhythm of the air.

Everything was telling Morito just how powerful Zephyr was.

However, such a formidable aura did not crush Morito; instead, it stirred the restless spirit within him.

He also wanted to become such a powerhouse.

No!

He wanted to become an even stronger powerhouse.

Zephyr was a goal, not an endpoint!

If he couldn't punch the Four Emperors and kick the Admirals, wouldn't his life have been lived in vain?

"Don't regret this!"

A dangerous glint flickered in Morito's eyes. The Gentle Fist he practiced was different from the kind of showy attacks where Hyuga Neji would land a hundred blows only for the protagonist to power up and counter-kill.

His Gentle Fist used Chakra as its energy source, transforming into needle-like projections that struck vital points in the human body, destroying its most vulnerable internal parts.

His attacks targeted the body's vital points.

Once hit, the victim would be paralyzed from the waist down at best, or die on the spot at worst.

"I'm afraid your actions won't match your words!"

Zephyr wasn't deliberately mocking Morito.

He simply didn't take Morito seriously.

Of the so-called monsters in the Elite Class, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Dragon, Kuzan, Gion, Kaki – which one of them wasn't easily defeated by him with one hand?

Morito now was like a brat holding a toy gun and challenging a boxing champion to a one-on-one fight.

What could he do?

He could only beat him up first!

And at this moment, Morito moved!

It wasn't that he was eager to attack, but he worried that if he continued to hesitate, he might lose his last shred of fighting spirit under Zephyr's oppressive aura.

If it reached that point, the fight would be over.

He would have lost before even making a move!

Coupled with a Chakra burst, Soru surpassed the limits of vision. Even Zephyr couldn't see where Morito was.

But he didn't need to use his eyes to track Morito, because his Observation Haki was incredibly powerful.

"Kid, your moves are dangerous!"

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Zephyr quickly turned and grabbed Morito's outstretched wrist.

Morito's left hand was held in a loose grip, with a mysterious energy fluctuation between his index and middle fingers.

It was different from Armament Haki; it was an energy fluctuation Zephyr had never seen before.

It was also invisible to the naked eye, and he only detected it with his powerful Observation Haki.

Mysterious and strange.