The Final Test, VS Xiluo

"All right, perfect! Full marks again."

The beautiful woman rested her lovely cheek on Louis's shoulder from behind him, a faint blush on her face. Her arms wrapped around him, her right hand twirling his hair while she idly scratched at his chest. "Just as expected of Louis, a perfect performance. Any normal woman would be completely enchanted by you by now, wouldn't she? Honestly, that face of yours is practically cheating!"

"Thank you for taking care of me all this time, Anna."

Louis remained perfectly still, like a Buddha statue carved from wood and molded from clay. This was probably what it meant to remain unmoved even with a beauty in one's arms.

"No, Louis, I should be the one saying that to you."

The woman hugged Louis with an intoxicated expression, took a deep breath, and chuckled softly. Her voice was low and magnetic. "Honestly, this is the first time I've met such an outstanding student! Hehe, a perfect teaching experience. Ah, I'll quit teaching this course after you leave. How could I possibly find any of those other students pleasing to the eye after you?"

"So I made you lose your job?"

Louis smiled faintly. "Then I'm truly sorry."

"Ah, honestly, you really don't understand a woman's heart, Louis."

Anna chuckled softly, moving her arms upward to wrap around Louis's neck. Louis felt slightly uncomfortable; the woman was holding him too tightly. Anna pressed her face against his. "At a time like this, you should say, 'Then let me take care of you.'"

"Is that so?"

Louis turned around, grabbed Anna's right hand, and pulled it upward, pushing her against the wall. Though young, he could still look down at her. His eyes nearly met her dazzling gaze. "Anna, let me take care of you."

"Ah, honestly."

Anna smiled brilliantly, her left hand caressing Louis's face with a somewhat infatuated expression. "Won't you learn some more advanced theory from me?"

She licked her lips. "Special interrogation methods."

"I'll have to decline. I'm only thirteen."

Louis smiled and shook his head, retreating several steps. If he had to say it, this woman was the only one in the training camp he could count as a friend.

"Ah, what a pity. You only meet a man like Louis once every ten years."

Anna let out an exaggerated sigh and shook her head. "Make sure to let me know when you grow up."

"Then don't die before that."

Louis said it casually.

"Don't worry. Even if I die, I'll crawl back from hell."

Anna smiled like a blooming flower. "I—"

Her hand pressed against her ample chest. "I desperately crave Louis's body."

"Only my body? I thought you cared more about my interesting soul."

Louis did not mind joking with a beauty like her.

"Because I'm a pragmatist."

Anna waved a hand. "Leave interesting souls to other women."

"I see."

Louis nodded slightly.

"So, Louis, don't die either."

Anna said, "You know, right? That Brat isn't as kind as he looks."

"We might not face each other."

Louis said.

"No, you will definitely face each other."

Anna smiled. "That is fate."

"I figured as much."

Fate was what was bound to happen. Louis would face Xiluo in the final test; that was inevitable. Therefore, it was fate.

Louis did not care what kind of woman Anna was. Knowing that he could chat with her was enough.

The various tests proceeded steadily. This round of examinations lasted a long time. It did not only cover the skills learned during the past year; what they had learned previously at Sihai Training Camp had also become a major focus of the tests. The contests lasted three days. Louis felt good about it. His powerful mental strength gave him an almost photographic memory, and he had never encountered any difficulty when it came to studying.

Compared with the contests, the practical combat tests took less and less time. Only eight students remained in the training camp. Five were originally from the CP9 Training Camp, while only Louis, Xiluo, and Yerika remained from the Sihai, Paradise, and New World Training Camps. Yet everyone knew that the three of them were actually the strongest among the eight.

With eight people, at most seven battles were needed to determine the final loser. It would not even take two hours. This was the last test of this training camp session.

"Xiluo, your opponent is—"

The Instructor looked at the slip Xiluo had drawn and shouted, "Louis!!!"

The crowd immediately erupted. Though few people remained, when people were shocked, they always had plenty of nonsense to say.

Louis and Xiluo, the two strongest people in the training camp, would finally determine the victor in this final test and decide who was truly the strongest.

"So it's these two after all?"

"Of course. Other than Louis, who else is qualified to be Xiluo's opponent?"

"But even Louis won't be a match for Xiluo, right? In terms of Doriki, Xiluo with his Devil Fruit Power absolutely crushes Louis!"

"That's right. Louis only defeated Stuart by using Kami-e to dodge. If Stuart hadn't opened his mouth himself, Louis couldn't even have hurt Stuart while he was using Tekkai."

It seemed that no one thought highly of Louis.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I'm doomed. My opponent is Brother Louis."

Yet Xiluo, whom everyone favored, wore a frightened expression instead. "I'm completely doomed, meow!"

"Then surrender."

Louis said bluntly, "Someone wants to see us both badly injured. Shouldn't we avoid that?"

"That does seem to be the case, but, Brother Louis—"

For the first time, Xiluo opened his eyes completely. His narrow pupils were especially sharp. "I've never lost before, meow. Surrendering is something I just can't do, meow."

"Then just as you said—"

Louis sighed softly. "You're doomed."

"Hehehehahahahaha!!"

Xiluo merely laughed. "Mm-hm, mm-hm, I'm looking forward to it, meow."

Enough nonsense. The battle had begun.

Louis and Xiluo's fight was scheduled for the final match. After two pathetic battles, it was Yerika's turn. This woman had also become quite strong. She had mastered at least four of the Six Powers, and her proficiency in Geppo and Rankyaku was extremely high. She leaped into the sky, widened the distance, and unleashed a storm of Rankyaku that filled the heavens. Her opponent was left riddled with wounds, collapsed on the ground and unable to rise again.

"You were right. The injustice of the world is fundamentally nothing more than the difference between strength and weakness."

As she walked past Louis after leaving the arena, the woman stopped. She looked directly at him and said in a deep voice, "So I will become stronger than you."

"I see."

Louis nodded slightly and stepped onto the battlefield.

"Hehehe, I heard that, meow. Brother Louis, did that woman fall for you?"

Xiluo chuckled, his face full of teasing. "Even though she's in the same profession, Yerika is quite the beauty too, meow. Damn, I'm suddenly a little jealous, meow."

"Give it up. It's the difference in looks."

Louis said casually.

"Pwahahahaha! Right, right! That's the one thing I have to admit I'm inferior to you in, meow."

Xiluo laughed loudly and scratched his cheek in acknowledgment.

"But that's the only thing. Brother Louis, I've been waiting for this day for a long time, meow."

Xiluo narrowed his eyes.

"So does that mean our promised game of rock-paper-scissors is off?"

"Well, I've been looking forward to this for too long, meow. Next time. Rock-paper-scissors can wait until next time, meow."

"Hoo."

Louis exhaled. "I thought so."

"Battle! Begin!"

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!

The two figures had already vanished. Every corner of the solid ground began to crack apart.

The final battle had begun!