Beating the Young When You Can't Beat the Old

Watching Dragon push open the door and walk in, Jin An was somewhat surprised.

From the moment Jin An first met Dragon, he had sensed that Dragon was an incredibly proud person. Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to make him change his nature.

Pride was a good thing, but it also had its drawbacks.

People like that trusted themselves too much and had absolute confidence in what they did, making it easy for them to ignore the advice of those around them.

Just like how he would establish the Revolutionary Army in the future. He could have quietly developed it with the Marines at his back, but because he could not stand the Marines' actions, he defected in a fit of anger.

"I came to admit my mistake..." Dragon lowered his proud head.

"Oh?" Jin An looked at Dragon with interest. Seeing him so humble was a rare sight indeed.

"I never expected you to have done so much for this island, while I formed a bad impression of you just from seeing a few things."

"I reflected on it, and I admit I was wrong. I won't make judgments so rashly again."

Being willing to correct his mistakes was already better than what many people could do. Dragon truly had nothing to criticize in that regard.

"I actually think you were right before. I did overlook some of the king's actions," Jin An said.

"Hm?" Dragon raised his head and looked at Jin An in confusion.

"You know that the World Government does not allow us Marines to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. After all, they provide our military funding, so we still have to respect the rules somewhat."

"Besides, the things the king did were only to vent his emotions and did not have much impact on the people, so I chose not to interfere."

He was not a god who could manage every single matter. Even if he put everything in perfect order, what would the people here do after he left? Giving someone a fish was not as good as teaching them how to fish.

Seeing that Dragon still did not understand, Jin An continued.

"A king can determine whether a country rises or falls. As far as I'm concerned, although the current king is narrow-minded, he still keeps the people in mind. His existence benefits everyone. As long as he doesn't cross the line, he can do whatever he wants."

In a stable environment, people would only settle for the status quo. Only by applying a little pressure would those with outstanding abilities continue to emerge.

Dragon seemed to understand somewhat. Everything revolved around balance, to the point that all sides had tacitly accepted this state of affairs.

"No, I think balance is merely the most opportunistic choice." Dragon abruptly raised his head, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

He clenched his fists tightly.

"This is not the justice I believe in!"

Calling it balance sounded nice, but put bluntly, it was compromise.

"The Marines entrusted all of South Blue to your protection. Your strength should be pretty good, right?"

A competitive look appeared on Dragon's face.

"I would like to experience Colonel Jin An's skills and see whether you truly deserve your reputation."

"Hahahaha! I just sparred with Karp earlier, and I haven't had enough yet. I accept your invitation."

Hearing Dragon's request, Jin An burst into laughter. If he could not beat Karp, could he not beat Dragon?

Jin An was still extremely confident in his own strength.

Sorbet Kingdom Branch.

Training grounds.

"Come on, Dragon. You strike first. Let me see what you're made of after being taught by Karp all this time."

Jin An spoke calmly, giving Dragon the opportunity to make the first move.

Dragon was a genius, and a hardworking genius at that. Otherwise, he would not have reached the rank of colonel at such a young age.

Geniuses also had one typical trait: they liked to be troublemakers. To deal with someone who liked picking fights, he needed to beat him into submission first, lest he keep causing trouble.

Dragon was still too young. He did not possess the maturity and wisdom he would gain after leaving the Marines in the future; now, he only charged ahead on the strength of his burning passion.

In Dragon's eyes, Jin An was being overconfident and did not take him seriously at all. He had been fearless since childhood, so how could he possibly swallow this insult?

He would make Jin An regret underestimating him.

Dragon took a deep breath, then narrowed his eyes slightly. A moment later, he opened them, regaining his usual composure. Looking at Jin An, he said calmly, "I won't hold back. This time, I'll have a proper spar with you."

"Go ahead without worry." A smile also appeared on Jin An's face as he nodded slightly.

As Jin An's words fell, Dragon's expression grew increasingly solemn. Wind swirled around him, enveloping his entire body before gradually spreading outward.

"So it really is an ability related to wind..."

Seeing Dragon use his ability, Jin An grew interested. He had not expected Dragon to have already eaten a Devil Fruit.

"Now this is getting interesting..."

As he spoke, Dragon suddenly stepped forward at incredible speed. His hands bent into strange arcs, his ten fingers pressed together like the claws of a giant dragon. Enhanced by the wind, they even produced a piercing sound as they tore through the air.

Dragon Claw Fist, Sabo's famous ultimate technique years later. It could easily crush even the hard armor worn by Blackbeard's subordinate, so it was not strange for Dragon to use it now.

Dragon had clearly trained this move for a long time. The moment he attacked, the movements of his arms became impossible to predict.

Ever since going to sea to hunt pirates, Dragon had understood one principle: he could never look down on anyone he fought. That was why he used his strongest technique from the very beginning.

To onlookers, the power and imposing presence of Dragon Claw Fist could indeed be called perfect.

Facing Dragon's fierce assault, Jin An's expression did not change. He remained as casual as ever; he had no intention of taking a powerful move head-on.

In all martial arts under heaven, only speed was invincible. As long as Dragon could not hit him, even the most impressive technique was nothing more than flashy posturing.

With a thought, Jin An stepped forward. After leaving an afterimage where he stood, his body had already appeared ten meters away.

Rumble!!!

Dust flew across the training grounds as Dragon's claw plunged into the earth, a trace of astonishment appearing on his face.

"Dragon boy, I'm behind you."

Jin An's voice sounded beside Dragon's ear. As Dragon turned around, he saw Jin An press his palms together and instantly assume a stance. His palms swept out, and fierce gusts of force blasted over, scattering all the dust and sand nearby.

In his haste, Dragon immediately countered with Dragon Claw Fist.

Bang!!!

The sharp attacks collided in the next instant, and violent shockwaves spread outward.

Their attacks rapidly intertwined at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, dull impacts ringing endlessly across the training grounds.

The sounds of their fight inevitably drew some people over to investigate.

Under countless curious gazes, the two figures crossed back and forth on the training grounds, exchanging blows in an exceptionally fierce battle.

"Whoa, they're fighting that intensely..."

Watching the two figures clash on the field, many people could not help exclaiming in amazement.

"Is this guy's physique really that strong?"

As Dragon Claw Fist swept out, Dragon's expression changed again and again. He had not expected that even while taking the fight completely seriously, he still could not inflict even the slightest injury on Jin An.

Moreover, as they attacked each other, he constantly felt that Jin An was deliberately observing his moves, as though studying the patterns behind his attacks.

"I can't keep deadlocked like this..."