Shuzuo's Past: The Winner Is Decided!

"Die, bastard!"

On the elevated platforms, the battles in the other arenas were gradually drawing to a close. The stronger fighters used their wounded comrades groaning and recovering below the platforms to intimidate others, seizing the chance to catch their breath and recover. Some still refused to give up and continued climbing onto the platforms, hoping to pry a brick loose from the increasingly solid walls.

But on Platform No. 29, the battle had only just begun!

At least, that was how Shuzuo saw it...

He had been played!

Played in front of the entire Navy!

That was the only thought left in Shuzuo's mind...

He understood what had happened.

When Ron had acted as if he wanted to clash head-on with him, Shuzuo had held back a good deal of strength out of caution, waiting for an opening. But he had not expected that this was exactly what Ron wanted. The instant Shuzuo reined in his force and his previous momentum ran out, Ron launched a sudden attack, using his strongest strike in his normal state to forcibly drive him back!

Luckily, the center of the arena had been behind him at the time. Otherwise, that move might have blasted him straight off the edge of the platform!

But even though he had not fallen off, he had lost far too much face!!!

A renowned combat-oriented brigadier general had been forced back in a direct exchange by a recruit. That was even more humiliating than when Ron had beaten him with tricks a month ago. There had been no outside factors involved at all, merely... an intellectual crushing by his opponent!

Humiliating. Damn humiliating!

Shuzuo was furious beyond measure. He no longer wanted to think about any schemes or twists. He unleashed one ultimate move after another, determined to defeat Ron in his strongest state. With Armament Haki, Ron's lightning could not do him much harm. He was like a tank with absurdly thick armor, charging again and again at the lightly equipped cavalryman Ron.

Once he landed a hit, the consequences went without saying!

"Brigadier General Shuzuo is getting a little reckless..."

"Yeah, but it's understandable, right?"

"Pfft... Shh, keep it down!"

In the stands, the spectators struggled not to laugh. Shuzuo's furious appearance was hilariously amusing. But amusing as it was, Shuzuo's strength was undeniable. After he erupted, Ron was gradually forced onto the defensive. His situation was now extremely dangerous; one careless move and furious Shuzuo would kick him off the platform.

"This should be about enough, right? Let me check the time..."

Kizaru spoke in his usual slow drawl, rolling up his sleeve. "Fifty-five minutes... Hmm, looks like we won..."

Hearing that, Akainu's mouth twitched twice involuntarily. He snorted and said nothing more. He had indeed lost this wager; half an hour had passed long ago. He was not someone who could not accept defeat, but Kizaru's pretentious act of checking the time with the black Listening Den Den Mushi was utterly annoying to him.

But then, Aokiji, who had been half-asleep all this time, suddenly opened his eyes. After carefully examining the platform, he said flatly, "Though I'd really like to take a vacation, it seems the outcome hasn't been decided yet."

"Hm?"

Kizaru turned back in surprise and glanced at Aokiji. "You think he still has a chance?"

Boom!

As they spoke, another explosion rang out!

In his rage, Shuzuo was bringing out one hundred percent of his strength. Combined with the narrow platform, even though the Rumble-Rumble Fruit gave Ron astonishing speed and he had mastered Teleportation, Observation Haki allowed Shuzuo to greet every one of Ron's movements with explosive punches the moment he reappeared. Ron could only keep evading, trapped in an endless passive cycle!

As time went on, the greatest difference between a recruit and a veteran became glaringly obvious. Ron's breathing was growing heavier, his chest rising and falling constantly, his stamina nearly exhausted. Shuzuo, on the other hand, showed no signs of fatigue at all!

The humans of this world were all monsters, especially those at the very top! In Punk Hazard, Aokiji and Akainu had fought for ten days and ten nights without rest, which said it all!

As an elite of Marine Headquarters, Shuzuo could fight fiercely for three days and three nights without any problem!

If this dragged on, Ron would eventually make a mistake from lack of stamina. When that happened, Shuzuo would surely seize the opportunity and take him down in one move!

"Yeah, there is a chance..."

Watching the man on the platform chase the light, Aokiji slowly yawned and replied, "But he won't create it. Whether it comes or not depends on Shuzuo..."

"Hm? You mean..."

Kizaru was the only one who had defeated an instructor back when he was in the New Recruit Camp, so he was extremely familiar with Shuzuo's fighting style. Hearing Aokiji say this, he immediately remembered something.

Shuzuo had not originally been an instructor at the New Recruit Camp. He had been a veteran from the same generation as Momonga, training under Zephyr thirty years ago. When he fought Kizaru twenty years ago, Shuzuo had appeared as a special training instructor.

After graduating, Shuzuo had fought campaign after campaign and earned countless Military Merits. He quickly became an outstanding Marine capable of standing on his own and taking charge... But due to certain aspects of his personality, his rank had never risen any higher.

Then came the incident where Edward Weevil, the self-proclaimed "Whitebeard Jr.," attacked the training ship. Zephyr's beloved students were slaughtered, and he himself lost an arm. Zephyr never recovered from the blow.

At that time, Zephyr, tormented day and night by guilt and pain, rarely intervened in the affairs of the New Recruit Camp. He even began to deny the value of his own existence as head instructor. So before Zephyr could pull himself together, Sengoku had no choice but to find a way to maintain the camp's daily operations.

As it happened, Shuzuo had caused trouble again and was confined at Marine Headquarters. Considering his relationship with Zephyr, Sengoku arranged for him to go to the New Recruit Camp.

And once he was there, he stayed for many years!

As for what personality issue kept Shuzuo from advancing in rank... the man was exceptionally easy to anger! And once enraged, aside from broad matters of right and wrong, he ignored every little detail!

That time, the pirates he had been pursuing had seized on this weakness. They deliberately provoked him, then fought while retreating as he led his forces into a fierce assault. Part of their group circled around for a surprise attack from behind, resulting in heavy Marine casualties. Though the pirates were ultimately wiped out, merit could not outweigh fault. Sengoku would never allow someone like that to enter the upper ranks as a commander.

The World Government could be corrupt, and Marine Branches could have scum among their ranks, but at Marine Headquarters, even placing incompetent people in high positions was absolutely unacceptable! Looking at the upper ranks of Marine Headquarters, every one of them was a righteous figure without a single stain to criticize!

Kizaru rubbed the beard on his chin. Behind his brown sunglasses, his gaze was sharp as he locked onto the platform.

"I see. As expected... there's no way to keep playing..."

"Huh?!"

Akainu paused, then asked, "What do you mean?"

"It means... Shuzuo is bound to lose. We all lost..."

Aokiji lazily yawned, waved his hand, and got to his feet. "Forget it, I should go back and write my report. Otherwise, I won't get any rest tonight... Bye-bye!"

After Aokiji left, Akainu looked at Kizaru and frowned. "What exactly is going on?"

He could not see where Ron's path to victory was at all. Why were these two so certain Ron had won? The current situation was extremely unfavorable for Ron!

"Well... how should I put it?"

Resting his chin in his hand, Kizaru tilted his head and pondered with a lecherous look before spitting out four words: "Victory conditions."

The Three Admirals were difficult to rank against one another; all were outstanding figures of their era. Aokiji's thinking was simply a little more flexible than the other two. Now that Kizaru had pointed it out, Akainu suddenly turned around and fixed his eyes on the platform itself... rather than the two people fighting upon it!

"Damn... Shuzuo got careless!"

Rankyaku!

Bzz!!

The massive Shuzuo leaped into the air like a moving fortress. Then he raised his leg, compressed the air with the tip of his foot, and swept it fiercely sideways.

In an instant, as the air trembled, a dark green sword wave burst forth!

Below, a thunder dragon roared without end as it met the Rankyaku sword wave head-on.

Screech—!!!

With a crisp sound, the sky-blue thunder dragon was instantly sliced into two. At the same time, Shuzuo stomped fiercely through the air with his right foot, creating a sonic boom as he dove toward Ron.

Geppo!

Seeing this, Ron took a deep breath.

"This is the only and final chance, then..."

By now, he had already been knocked out of Overload Form. The exhaustion from the consecutive fierce battles was not something he could afford! Yet he had not surrendered. Instead, for this very opportunity, he had forcibly endured the pain of his drained stamina and weak limbs, waiting patiently.

At last, the chance had come!

Watching Shuzuo dive down at a forty-five-degree angle toward the ground, Ron transformed entirely into lightning. Gathering his last shred of strength, he teleported upward to evade.

Bang!

Shuzuo landed, smashing the already charred planks into pieces. Since this was a platform defense match, he had always controlled his strength and would not directly collapse the platform.

Yet this attack brought a result he had never anticipated.

The planks where his fist struck shattered into ashes instantly, giving him not the slightest reaction force. At the same time, Ron appeared high in the air, raising his crossed hands.

Final Shot · Overload · Lightning Fist!

BOOM!!!

"What?!"