Underground Tunnel, Thunderstorm!

Ron noticed something the instant the sand and dust exploded... The Lightning Person constitution granted by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit made him exceptionally sensitive to electric fields. Limited by his Fruit Development, he could not generate a massive Electromagnetic Field like Enel to control the entire area, but dispersing electric currents around himself and receiving feedback was no problem at all.

After entering the Test Field and sensing that something was wrong, Ron had never stopped probing with electric currents. Sure enough, the results confirmed it—there was something strange about this place!

The magnetic field all around was extremely chaotic, as though something were interfering with the electromagnetic waves. Yet after examining the sand and gravel, he found no metal powder mixed within. The open expanse of sand and stone was visible at a glance, with nowhere to hide any special device that could disrupt the magnetic field.

At that point, he could rule out the possibility that someone was targeting him.

And!

The closer he got to the ground, the more chaotic the magnetic field became!

This meant there was a large amount of steel beneath the Test Field, interfering with the current fluctuations he had sent out! At the spot where he stood, there was a gap in the Electromagnetic Feedback, leaving a one-meter-wide blank space—enough for someone to enter.

This was... a tunnel made of Pure Steel?

Ron wondered.

What was it for?

An emergency shelter?

Or was it needed for the test?

As he probed downward, Ron detected a massive map of steel, leaving him utterly puzzled... So even after an instructor appeared ahead of him, he remained wary of the underground and never let down his guard.

"So that's it. A sneak-attack test?"

Quick-witted as he was, Ron instantly understood the true purpose of the test. The reason for the Underground Tunnel's existence was self-evident. At that moment, he had to thank Garp for a month of "personal instruction." Even without turning around, he knew his opponent was an expert capable of using Armament Haki. His habitual Elementalization as a Logia would not save him—he would be hit!

Dash forward, sidestep?

No!

The other man was agile, and his explosive speed was no slower than Ron's. He would still get hit!

"Then..."

At that critical moment, Ron wrapped his right foot in lightning, condensing it into a sharp blade, and stomped down with all his strength.

Boom!!!

His heavy foot came down, blasting dust into the air!

The figure rushed past, his fist nearly brushing Ron's nape—but nearly was all it did... The fierce wind raised by the punch made the back of Ron's head sting. The slightest difference had put them worlds apart, allowing Ron to turn into lightning, seize the opportunity, and escape underground.

In the stands, Kizaru and Traine stared over in shock... Before Observation Haki, everything Ron had done was crystal clear to them.

He had actually... dodged it?

A rookie had dodged Brigadier General Shuzuo's sneak attack?!

Was that not completely absurd?!

After a long moment, Kizaru asked blankly, "You... didn't tell him about the Test Field beforehand, did you?"

"I swear on my military rank!"

Traine raised his right hand, his expression grave. "Absolutely not!"

Just moments ago, Ron had stomped down hard enough to collapse the ground. By a hair's breadth, he had avoided the fist coated in Armament Haki.

Kizaru had considered that Ron might foolishly rely on Elementalization and get sent flying by Shuzuo. He had considered that Ron might use Movement Speed no inferior to his own Glint-Glint Fruit to evade. But as long as Ron did not open too much distance, Shuzuo had countless ways to hit him. No matter how fast one's Movement Speed was, if one's reactions could not keep up, that was merely running away and held no meaning in battle.

Yet none of that had happened. It was as though Ron had known in advance that the sand beneath his feet was only a disguise. With one heavy stomp, he collapsed the ground and entered the Underground Tunnel.

That was right!

Just as Ron had guessed, the central area of the Test Field was packed underground with crisscrossing Steel Tunnels. Shuzuo had hidden below, determined positions through footsteps, then chosen an exit from which to launch his sneak attack.

This move had always worked without fail, catching every target dead on! It had become the nightmare of countless geniuses, stripping them of all the arrogance and confidence they had possessed before joining!

For Traine to swear on his military rank was an extremely serious oath!

Kizaru immediately drew in a sharp breath, his expression turning solemn as he said in his usual wretched tone, "A Rumble-Rumble Fruit user... Is the Rumble-Rumble Fruit terrifying, or is the Devil Fruit User terrifying?"

Shuzuo was not surprised that his first strike had missed.

Like Kizaru, he knew Ron was a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user with astonishing speed. Without using Soru, the odds of that punch connecting were low... unless Ron stupidly chose to take it head-on.

Thus, Shuzuo had prepared himself to alter his movements at any moment, constantly watching Ron's every action. As long as Ron could not instantly escape beyond the limit of his attack range, Shuzuo had a hundred ways to put him on the ground!

Yet he had never considered that Ron would use the Underground Tunnel to widen the distance, one above and one below, creating a horizontal offset. All the follow-up moves he had prepared had nowhere to go. It was like punching cotton, leaving him so frustrated he nearly coughed blood!

At first, Shuzuo, his bronze skin gleaming with oil, also believed Ron had learned about the Test Field in advance. He thought Ron had deliberately put on that suspicious act earlier to deceive him, and rage instantly surged through him.

"You little bastard, you dare play me?!!"

Crackle!

Just as the furious Shuzuo prepared to leap into the passage and pursue him, lightning suddenly flashed brilliantly. The air became incomparably dry, and the intense current made his scalp tingle.

"What?"

Looking down, Shuzuo saw violent lightning rapidly gathering within the pit Ron had fallen through. A faint blue glow could be seen, and a foul odor rushed up at him. His Observation Haki screamed out a warning. Without another thought, he pushed off with his foot!

Soru!

Whoosh!

The instant he left the ground and his feet lifted into the air, a violent Lightning Pillar erupted upward, scorching the edge of his clothes black. Sky Blue Lightning incinerated soil and steel, bursting toward the heavens with unstoppable force!

Ten Million Volts: Lightning Pillar: Rainstorm!

Within the Underground Tunnel, Ron threw back his head and roared. Lightning exploded around him, electric light flickering. A blinding pillar of lightning surged upward from his body, like heavenly thunder hanging upside down, piercing straight into the skies!

But this move took too long to unleash. A second before he attacked, Shuzuo had already left his original position. Aside from feeling a slight numbness, it had achieved nothing.

Boom!

Having opened the distance, Shuzuo calmly rose to his feet and patted out the burning corner of his clothes. "Not bad power, but far too slow! You need to improve your casting speed, you little rascal!"

Even against Ron, a powerful Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, Shuzuo still had strength to spare and even commented on Ron's attack, looking entirely at ease.

This was also a combat technique: displaying one's power through a relaxed, unhurried demeanor, creating psychological pressure and forcing the opponent into mistakes.

Commonly known as: acting cool!

Only, Ron had not made a mistake. Shuzuo had made one first.

Now was not the time to act cool, because he had not confirmed his surroundings... If this had been a real battlefield, or if Ron had been a little stronger, Shuzuo's mistake would have been fatal.

In the stands, Kizaru shook his head slightly. "Tsk, tsk... Brigadier General Shuzuo is still as reckless as ever! What did the teacher teach him? If I were him, I wouldn't waste so much breath..."

"Uh, Instructor Shuzuo was careless, but the gap in strength is too great, so it won't matter... Hmm... Ron's idea for this move is quite good. I didn't expect him to use his Fruit Ability so skillfully."

Since it involved Zephyr, Traine awkwardly changed the subject.

Then he raised his head to the sky, looking at the lightning filling the heavens as it poured downward, and took a deep breath. "What a spectacular sight!"

"Indeed. As expected of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. It's terrifying..."

The pillar of lightning lasted less than a second, but the attack it brought had not ended.

High in the sky, countless Lightning Arrows broke away from the pillar, dense as rain. Accompanied by terrifying thunder that shook the ears, they poured down in a torrential barrage!

This was a thunderstorm—there was nowhere to evade!

I suddenly discovered that this writing software binds its registration code to the motherboard information. After switching computers, I couldn't use it at all!!!!! What left Dashu even more speechless was that when I moved over the old computer's hard drive, I instinctively chose to format it... So five chapters of saved drafts!!! Fifteen thousand words!!!! Gone!!!