Morito hadn't expected the blow he'd been so sure would land to be stopped so easily. When he'd fought Onigumo, that guy hadn't even managed to react!
Zephyr hadn't used Armament Haki. He'd simply clamped down on Morito's wrist with brute strength.
It was like the claw of a giant crab gripping his wrist in a vice.
No matter how hard Morito struggled, he couldn't break free.
"Your speed is decent, but your strength is too weak. By the way, your skin is awfully pale. It's smooth and soft, like a woman's hand."
Zephyr secretly resolved that once Morito joined the Elite Class, he'd make him train under the blazing sun every day to build up his stamina.
It was one thing for a grown man to look better than a woman. But his skin was even paler and softer than a woman's?
How was any woman supposed to compete?
A sun-bronzed, dark complexion—that was the proper color for a real man!
But to Morito, Zephyr's words sounded like something else entirely. His heart gave a start, and a strange thought surfaced.
Women were all shameless lechers. He could accept them all craving his body.
But now even a grown man like Zephyr was lusting after him?
In an instant, Morito felt every hair on his body stand on end. He couldn't bear Zephyr holding his wrist any longer.
Morito narrowed his eyes and focused!
Buzz!
A burst of Chakra surged from the tenketsu in his wrist. Combining it with a surge of strength from within, he broke free of Zephyr's grip in an instant.
Zephyr felt a sharp sting in his palm, then Morito's hand slipped away like a loach.
He was a little surprised, and curious.
"How did you do that? Is it a Devil Fruit ability?"
The personnel records at the Naval Academy Training Camp stated that Morito wasn't an Ability User.
But what he'd just done was definitely not Armament Haki, so Zephyr was both surprised and curious.
Telling your opponent how your abilities worked in the middle of a fight wasn't showing off. It was just plain stupid.
How could Morito possibly reveal the secrets of his Byakugan and Chakra?
"It's just a special application of Armament Haki."
Morito bluffed an answer.
Then he backed away, putting more than ten paces between them.
That hadn't been the full extent of his strength, but Zephyr had handled that speed with ease. That meant Zephyr's Observation Haki could easily track his Shave.
If a burst of speed couldn't win, he'd have to try a different approach.
Morito curled his fingers into a fist.
He switched straight from Gentle Fist's opening stance to Steel Fist's.
Gentle Fist worked by using Chakra to attack an enemy's body from the inside. The blows struck directly at the meridians, tenketsu, and internal organs, causing damage from within.
Steel Fist was the complete opposite. It damaged an enemy from the outside in, striking their muscles and bones directly.
"Changing your approach?"
Zephyr had a sharp eye. He could tell just from Morito's subtle hand position, his gaze, and his expression.
Though Gentle Fist and Steel Fist were both forms of Taijutsu, their fighting styles were completely different.
When using Gentle Fist, Morito had to focus, use his Byakugan to see inside his opponent's body, and precisely control the Chakra at his fingertips.
He didn't need to hit hard. Sometimes, just a light touch with his fingertips was enough.
That was why Zephyr had thought Morito's strength was too weak.
It wasn't that Morito was weak. Gentle Fist simply didn't require much strength, and there was no point in wasting any.
Steel Fist, on the other hand, was all about ferocity.
A Steel Fist punch could even stir the air, sending out rings of shock waves with explosive force.
"If you don't come at me soon, I'm coming to you!"
Zephyr had watched Morito stand there for ages and couldn't help urging him on.
It wasn't that Morito didn't want to move. He simply couldn't find an opening in Zephyr's defense, no matter how long he looked.
Zephyr was standing there casually, yet Morito couldn't find a single place to attack.
He looked like he was wide open, but there wasn't a single real opening!
The apparent openings were just a trap Zephyr had set.
He was trying to lure Morito into attacking at close range!
"Phew."
Morito suddenly exhaled, and the tension in his face eased.
"Why am I hesitating so much?"
"I never hesitated this much even when facing Garp."
"The worst that can happen is I take a beating."
"It's not like I've never been beaten before."
Garp didn't see Morito often, but every time they met, he made sure Morito got a firsthand taste of the "Fist of Love."
He called it a way to test Morito's strength and train his Taijutsu.
Most of the time, Garp just felt like punching someone.
"Here I come!"
Morito shifted his feet and charged straight at Zephyr with steady steps.
This time, he didn't use Shave.
If Zephyr's Observation Haki could track his Shave, then there was no point wasting his strength on a Chakra-powered burst of speed.
He kept his footing steady and approached at an even pace.
His speed wasn't too fast or too slow, making sure he'd have enough time to react no matter what Zephyr did.
The distance of more than ten paces wasn't far. One dash was enough to close in.
Morito held his left fist at his waist and clenched his right fist.
Boom!
He threw a simple, no-frills punch straight at Zephyr's chest.
You like to face attacks head-on?
Fine by me!
"Good!"
The plain, direct punch came with a gust of force. Zephyr's eyes lit up.
Now that was how a real man fought!
Blow for blow!
Zephyr praised him without reservation. He drew in his chest and abdomen, quickened the flow of blood through his torso, and set his muscles vibrating at an incredibly high frequency.
Marine Six Styles: Iron Body!
Thud!
Morito's fist slammed into him with a dull clang, like metal striking metal.
His knuckles jolted hard. It felt like he'd punched a steel plate—one of those extra-thick plates made by compressing the metal.
"Not bad. But can you dodge?"
Zephyr couldn't let anyone accuse him of bullying someone younger, so he'd stood still and let Morito attack twice first.
Now it was his turn!
A huge hand, as broad as a fan, shot toward Morito. The gust of wind erupted, making Morito's cheeks quiver.
The simplest moves were the strongest.
That single slap had enough force to shatter a tree several armspans thick!
Morito didn't want to experience Zephyr's slap firsthand.
He could guess the result without even lifting a toe. Even if Zephyr wasn't going all out—even if he didn't use Armament Haki—
Morito would still be sent flying like a bug swatted out of the air.
"I didn't want to use that move."
Morito licked his lips, stepped sideways, and settled into a firm stance.
His hand position changed again.
Gentle Fist became Steel Fist, then Steel Fist became Gentle Fist.
The switch was incredibly smooth.
"Oh? Is that the fighting style you used earlier?" Zephyr narrowed his eyes and sped up his hand.
He wanted to see how Morito would respond.
Just as Zephyr's palm was about to hit him, Morito's low shout rang out.
"Rotation!"
Buzz!
Centered on Morito, Chakra burst from the tenketsu throughout his body. As he spun rapidly, the raging Chakra formed a spherical barrier around him.
Zephyr's palm came down, striking the shell of Rotation.
Bang!
The moment Zephyr's palm collided with the raging Chakra spinning at high speed, a terrifying force surged up through his hand.
"Not bad, kid!"
Zephyr felt a tremendous force trying to flip him backward. He sank his weight, planting his feet in the ground like the roots of an ancient tree.
His body held firm, and power rose from the ground beneath him.
"Hah!"
Zephyr let out a shout and put his strength into it a second time.
Dark Armament Haki wrapped around his palm!
He unleashed the force in a single, concentrated burst, bringing his palm down!
Whoosh!
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