Even If You Can't Win, You Must Still Draw Your Sword!

"Two Reserve Navy?"

Bourne frowned slightly. He didn't underestimate the two because of the Reserve Navy uniforms worn by Morito and Kazan.

Vice Admiral Akita and Colonel Doug had both been taken down by them, and the Navy was escorting civilians to evacuate.

Under these circumstances, why would they send two Reserve Navy to their deaths?

When something is abnormal, there must be a demon.

Adhering to the principle of caution, Bourne decided to let Jotte try.

Bourne and Jotte were merely cooperating. Wasn't this the time to demonstrate the value of a 'teammate'?

"These two are acting with impunity. I suspect there's something wrong."

Bourne feigned hesitation, intending to provoke Jotte into making the first move.

The drunken Jotte indeed fell for it.

Or rather, he didn't take the two Reserve Navy seriously at all. After all, Jotte was still very young, and his mind was far less seasoned than Bourne's, who had wandered the seas for decades.

He barely thought twice, slinging his large wine gourd over his back and staggering directly towards Morito and Kazan.

"Oh? And I think they're just two weaklings! Hic!~"

Kazan's expression stiffened, and he immediately became extremely vigilant.

These two were the ones who had taken down Vice Admiral Akita and Colonel Doug. He absolutely couldn't afford the slightest carelessness.

Any mistake could lead to instant death.

Not only could he not afford to make a mistake, but he would have to perform beyond his usual capabilities just to buy enough time.

Kazan glanced at Morito from the corner of his eye, thinking to himself: Why is this guy acting so calm? Could he be scared stiff?

That shouldn't be right. Morito was the monster who defeated Onigumo.

He himself was only evenly matched with Onigumo.

While Kazan was briefly contemplating, Jotte had already charged forward.

Jotte swung his massive fist, accompanied by a whistling gust of wind. Even from a distance, one could feel a pressure wave rushing towards them.

This brute force alone was not to be underestimated.

Kazan settled his stance, his lower body rooted like an old tree. He covered his right fist with his immature Armament Haki and was about to punch back.

"Careful, let me—"

Come?!

Before Kazan could finish speaking, suddenly! He felt a gale erupt beside him.

Bang!

With a muffled explosion, Kazan barely saw Morito's movement before the way Jotte had charged forward was the way he was sent flying back.

Crack, crack, crack!

Boom!

A series of large trees were snapped like tofu.

Jotte's massive body plowed through them, leaving a clearly visible gully in the ground that stretched for a hundred paces.

Dust billowed, obscuring their vision.

Kazan's face was filled with shock. He wasn't surprised by Morito's speed; he had already witnessed Morito's Soru.

What shocked him was Morito's strength!

How could those thin arms and legs, that delicate skin and flesh, unleash such terrifying power?

Was that a side kick just now?

Kazan couldn't see clearly and wasn't sure.

A side kick sent the barrel-chested Jotte, who was several times his size, flying a hundred paces away? And he knocked down a series of trees along the way?

Bask Jotte was called "Big Wine Barrel" not only because of his insatiable thirst for alcohol and constant drunkenness.

There was also a very important reason: Jotte's enormous size.

Morito's waist wasn't even as thick as Jotte's arm!

When Kazan initially received the mission to intercept Bourne and Jotte, he was incredulous.

He even suspected that Second Lieutenant Jimmy disliked him and Morito and had deliberately sent them to their deaths.

At this moment, Kazan understood everything.

With such a formidable teammate, delaying for twenty minutes really wasn't a problem.

They probably just needed someone to play a supporting role!

"Looks like it's not me who's going to die, but these two unlucky fellows."

Kazan obediently stood to the side, giving Morito a look that said, 'Your show.'

Morito had called upon Kazan mainly as a precaution; he wasn't sure of Bourne and Jotte's true capabilities.

After kicking Jotte, who had charged at him aggressively, flying away, Morito was bewildered, looking at his right leg with suspicion.

The kick that sent Jotte flying was a side kick from his right leg.

Didn't they just defeat a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters and a Captain?

That's it???

How did they do it?!

"Just as I suspected, these two aren't ordinary Reserve Navy members. They're from the Naval Academy's Elite Class, just like the magma kid and the ice kid!"

"Disciples of the former Admiral Zephyr?"

"No wonder they're so confident."

Bourne got a bit more serious, but only a bit.

Not everyone was Sakazuki, nor was everyone Borsalino. Monsters were called monsters because they were rare and scarce.

If he had actually encountered Sakazuki and Borsalino, Bourne would have turned and fled without a second thought.

But he didn't believe these two brats in front of him were on par with Sakazuki and Borsalino.

Zing!

His twin swords were drawn, their cold, gleaming blades seeming to lower the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

The air suddenly stilled, as if a biting frost had emerged.

Bourne shouted towards the distant ruins, "Stop playing dead! Get up and finish these two off so we can go for drinks!"

At his words, Morito and Kazan exchanged a glance.

They instinctively turned their heads towards the large, dust-filled crater Jotte had created.

A dark silhouette emerged from the smoke-filled pit.

Jotte stood up as if nothing had happened. His steps were still unsteady, and his clothes were covered in dust and dead leaves.

He looked quite disheveled.

But judging from his steady and powerful aura, Jotte was unharmed!

Morito and Kazan reached this conclusion almost simultaneously.

A side kick of that intensity had snapped a row of trees, yet Jotte himself was completely unscathed?

"Is it Armament Haki?" Kazan muttered uncertainly.

"It's also possible it's a Devil Fruit ability. Devil Fruit abilities are incredibly diverse, and there are certainly ones that aren't affected by heavy impacts," Morito added.

In his memory, didn't the protagonist of One Piece, Luffy, have the Gum-Gum Fruit, which made him immune to blunt force?

The kick just now had considerable power, but he hadn't used Armament Haki.

"Jotte's attack was just to test our basic combat strength. They'll likely try to have Jotte tie me down while Bourne defeats you as quickly as possible," Morito analyzed in a low voice.

To an outsider, Morito's fighting style appeared to be pure physical combat, with his monstrous strength in punching Jotte being the main focus.

Kazan, on the other hand, specialized in swordsmanship and Armament Haki, possessing a high-attack combat style.

Jotte's defensive capabilities would be used to restrain Morito, while Bourne's combat prowess would overwhelm Kazan, aiming to quickly defeat Kazan and then double-team Morito.

"Then what do we do?" Kazan gripped his katana tightly, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Morito without hesitation.

Even though his current identity was just a student, just a Reserve Navy member, he already possessed the qualities of a Marine.

He didn't flinch even when facing a formidable enemy.

He drew his sword, even knowing he might be outmatched!

"No need to be so tense. Who fights whom isn't up to them!" Morito said with a faint smile, calmly reassuring him.