All's Fair in War, Victory!

The air in the dim underground tunnel was stifling and hot, pitch black so that one couldn't see their own hand. The electric current on Ron's hand was the only source of light here, allowing the two to see each other.

Looking left and right, unable to spot any ambush, Brigadier General Shuzuo frowned and barked, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Brigadier General Shuzuo, right...?"

Ron leaned his hand against the metal wall, electric light flickering as he bent over, panting heavily: "Anyway, if we keep chasing, you won't catch me anytime soon. How about we just call this test over?"

The chase just now had exhausted Ron, and now pushing harder nearly drained him completely.

"Pass you... is that what you mean?"

Shuzuo was stunned for a moment, then understood.

Indeed, he had almost forgotten this was a targeted test, that he didn't necessarily have to defeat Ron. He had been so furious just now, but now coming back to his senses, Ron's performance was already perfect.

Knowing his own strengths and weaknesses, using only his strengths to hold Shuzuo back—even if there was some slyness in having prior intel, that was still good intelligence work on his part! As a soldier, never make excuses—Shuzuo knew this principle well.

"Yeah, it's just a test after all!"

Ron propped himself against the wall and smiled: "Be honest, with my performance so far, how many points would you give me?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

Duty called, no shirking it.

After hearing this, Shuzuo seriously considered the question. He was the main person in charge of the New Recruit Camp Test Field, known for being strict and rarely giving high scores. But for Ron's performance today, he couldn't deliberately make things difficult.

Just like Ron said—be honest!

"I think... for practical combat, you should get..."

Good opportunity!

Seeing Shuzuo distracted, in that instant, Ron's eyes lit up. The electric current on his hands no longer concealed, bursting forth in full!

In that moment, the tunnel blazed with thunderous light, a piercing hum ringing endlessly. Shuzuo looked up dumbfounded, thinking to himself.

Wasn't he asking for a score?

What the hell are you up to now?!

Ignoring him, Ron gathered lightning in both hands and roared: "Iron Tempering!!!"

This was something Ron could already do long ago, but he had never revealed it before, using metal to interfere with the chase just to hide it—like the fangs in a viper's mouth, waiting for the chance to inject lethal venom into its prey and secure victory!

He really wanted to win... because he couldn't do it...

That was the true meaning of challenging himself: to do what he couldn't do!!

Boom—!!!

Under Shuzuo's stunned gaze, suddenly, the steel around them that had never moved since being forged began to twist, writhing as if alive! Iron blocks from all sides wrapped around the Lightning Python, their terrifying heat turning them into viscous molten iron, creeping closer and closer to him.

In an instant, front and back, left and right, all around him, he was covered in steel! The thick iron formed a cage, trapping him in place!

At the same time, the steel kept shrinking, squeezing his range of motion.

"Holy shit!!!"

Shuzuo was utterly shocked, forced to brace himself with all his strength, leaving fingerprints on the scorching red-hot steel just to carve out a bit of space to move.

But that only let more steel rush in madly, filling the gaps he couldn't tend to.

Gradually, the blue light began to dim. The gap between him and Ron was shrinking, the cage nearly complete.

Looking up through the last sliver of space, Shuzuo saw Ron's hands plunged unguardedly into the steel, lightning crackling. His lips were pale, sweat pouring down, clearly exhausted, but the smile on his face was so infuriating!

"Bastard!!!!"

Realizing he had been played, Shuzuo angrily wrapped himself in Haki, raised his fist, and smashed toward where that face had been.

But he was a step too slow—the steel had already closed. His punch landed on the thick steel wall.

Dong—!!!

A dull bell-like echo reverberated through the quiet underground tunnel, dust raining down. Ron was jolted onto his backside, curling up and covering his ears. It took a while for the vibrations to fade before he dared to look back at the bulging fist imprint on the steel ball, clicking his tongue in awe.

"Close call, close call—good thing I prepared enough steel in advance!"

In the square tunnel, this section of soil was completely exposed. The steel that had been plastered over it had melted into one mass, forming a steel ball encasing Shuzuo. All the underground steel within a twenty-square-meter radius had been pulled over by him—no easy feat!

Shuzuo thought he had been chasing Ron all over the place, forcing him to flee in panic without a plan. In reality, every path was within Ron's calculations. He deliberately chose completely unremarkable routes to lead Shuzuo forward. Elsewhere... while Shuzuo was dodging the thunderstorm outside, Ron had already looped around and modified them. As a Lightning Person, the Steel Tunnel was like a maze game with cheats enabled for him. The tunnel was pitch black, and even Shuzuo couldn't always remember the way, but Ron never forgot!

Only the thunderstorm had been too short, leaving the work incomplete. Ron had to pick his paths carefully, continuing his construction during the chase, melting the walls with the heat of his lightning.

Shuzuo, completely focused on Ron, never noticed that aside from the paths he took, the steel elsewhere was constantly melting and deforming. Excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, pure steel construction—the dark, lightless underground tunnel provided Ron with the perfect environment for mischief.

The gap in the corner at the end was left deliberately by Ron. Reaching that spot meant he had finished all his preparations, just waiting to activate them.

And then...

Bang!

On the Sandstone Field, lightning crackled.

Bursting out from underground, Ron leaned back against the exposed steel ball, plopping down on the ground.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The dull drum-like sounds kept ringing in his ears, shaking him with each pulse. He immediately turned and thrust his hand into the steel ball, using the last of his physical strength to continuously heal the cracks Shuzuo had smashed open with the high temperature of lightning.

He had no choice but to do this!

That guy was simply a monster!

A steel ball over three meters thick was bursting with cracks under his punches, on the verge of breaking out of the cage!

Those were fists of flesh and blood!

Not a pile driver!

And this was under the premise of limited space and insufficient swinging distance!

If it weren't for his exhausted stamina making it hard to continue, he would have wrapped Shuzuo tightly in steel, leaving him no room to move.

But even so, the final outcome was already decided.

The high temperature from the melting steel would rapidly consume the internal oxygen, and under that heat, Shuzuo's demand for oxygen would also increase. The internal space wasn't spacious, and oxygen was already scarce; soon he would faint from hypoxia inside, no longer the energetic figure he was now.

Being able to continuously throw such powerful punches in a cramped, oxygen-deficient, even oxygen-free environment, cracking the steel ball, already showed Shuzuo's strength.

Watching Ron's such ruthless methods from the stands, Kizaru pondered for two seconds before speaking.

"This Ron... hmm... is quite unique..."

As someone who had been watching from a high vantage point the whole time, he could clearly see those steel plates extending bit by bit from the ground, suddenly converging toward the center at some moment, finally wrapping up that area.

Barring any surprises... that was where Shuzuo was.

The dull drum sounds in his ears kept weakening, from earth-shaking to barely audible—it was easy to imagine what Shuzuo had encountered.

At this result, Traine's mouth twitched, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Ha, haha... indeed... very unique!"

Holy shit!

This kid was about to turn the world upside down!