The Navy's Grand Occasion, Taken Very Seriously

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Day and night had flipped by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Today was incredibly important to the entire academy, because today was the moment they would rise to greatness.

On a small island far from Marineford, at its very center, a simple arena had been set up early, with spectator stands surrounding it.

This island had originally been a Navy research site, but it had since been abandoned. Many buildings had collapsed, yet even so, it was clear that this had once been a prosperous place.

Early in the morning, Ye Chen and the others arrived aboard a warship. Many headquarters officers and Marines on leave had also come to attend.

The most imposing group was undoubtedly Kong, Zephyr, Sengoku, and the others. Even Garp, who had been teaching his son in the East Blue, had made a rare appearance.

No one even knew that five old men in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise were also watching this graduation ceremony.

On Kong's viewing platform sat a Visual Den Den Mushi, though it had not yet been activated.

"I'm a little nervous. What should I do?" Down below, Shu looked at the Navy officers gathered around them. Some wore colonel's insignia on their shoulders, while there were even rear admirals and vice admirals present. Most importantly, Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Zephyr, and Admiral Sengoku were here as well.

Shu was not the only one. The others were nervous to varying degrees too.

"What's there to be afraid of? We've trained so hard these past two years. We're already strong enough, so we'll definitely get good rankings." Smoker stood with his arms folded, completely unconcerned. He had that confidence.

Ye Chen said nothing. He merely looked at Kong, Sengoku, and the other admirals seated above. This time, he would go all out and let everyone see his potential. Only then could he obtain more resources and broaden the road ahead.

As the leaders of a major force, they had no idea how many matters they dealt with every day, yet they still took the time to watch a bunch of kids fight. That alone explained everything.

That was right—it was just fighting. In the eyes of Kong and the others, these matches did not even qualify as battles. They were merely children fighting. That was the perspective born from experience and strength.

Therefore, Ye Chen had to seize this opportunity. If someone could not provide the corresponding returns, no one would invest in them. This was not only a world where strength reigned supreme, but also one where interests did. At its core, they were the same.

All the cadets qualified to participate in the ceremony had basically arrived, including Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, Hōshō, and the others. This competition was not as simple as it seemed, because every opponent was a monster.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, suppressing all other sounds as a major stepped onto the stage.

"Now, let us invite Fleet Admiral Kong to speak."

The major saluted Kong, his body standing ramrod straight.

There was no amplifier, yet Kong sat at the very top and spoke with a voice like a great bell, allowing everyone present to hear him clearly.

"All contestants are the future of the Navy. For justice—"

He went on with a pile of encouraging, justice-filled nonsense for nearly half an hour. Ye Chen remained expressionless, letting it go in one ear and out the other without showing the slightest excitement. But some people were different. Their faces flushed and their necks reddened, as though they had taken stimulants and planned to obliterate everything the instant they stepped onto the stage.

"I look forward to your surprises. Let us begin!"

After speaking, Kong sat down and gestured for the major to explain the rules.

"All cadets will draw lots to determine their opponents. Losers will have three chances to challenge cadets ranked above them. If they win, they will take that person's place. Falling off the arena, running out of strength, or surrendering during battle will all count as defeat. Show everything you have. You may also designate someone to challenge."

"Begin."

A stern-faced Marine carried a box around Ye Chen and the others, allowing everyone to draw lots in turn.

"The two cadets holding number one, come onto the arena."

The first to take the stage was a cadet carrying a katana. However, the moment his opponent stepped up, his face turned green.

With that lecherous expression and those sunglasses, who else could it be but Borsalino? He was one of the three true monsters.

"Yukimura is really unlucky. He ran into that monster in his very first match."

Below the stage, some cadets wore sympathetic expressions and silently sweated for Yukimura. Damn it, he might as well surrender immediately.

"I surrender."

With an ugly expression, Yukimura understood the gap between himself and that monster. He was not afraid of losing face and simply surrendered.

"Oh!"

Borsalino shrugged indifferently, turning into a streak of golden light and vanishing from the arena.

The first match ended without even causing a ripple, and far too quickly at that.

Ye Chen's group of six did not encounter one another in the second or third matches. They merely watched the others fight.

Still, the third match was rather intense, though a victor was eventually decided.

By the fifth match, Hina took the stage. Her opponent was actually Momonga.

"How did she get Momonga? With Hina's strength, this is going to be difficult." Below the stage, Smoker looked at Hina's opponent with concern.

Vergo and Ye Chen also frowned, because Momonga was stronger than Hina. That was only because of Ye Chen's influence; otherwise, according to the original course of events, Hina would not even have been qualified to face Momonga. The gap between them had not been small at all. But now, Momonga would need several hundred moves if he wanted to defeat Hina.

"Hina."

"Momonga."

The two announced their names to one another.

"You're not my opponent." Momonga stood upright, a long sword hanging at his waist as he looked sternly at Hina.

Leaving aside the fact that she was a girl, she was also exceptionally beautiful. No matter what, Momonga did not really want to make a move against her.

If he won, people would say he had no tenderness for women and even bullied girls. If he lost, people would say he could not even beat a girl.

Whether he won or lost, he would lose face.

So Momonga wanted Hina to be sensible. "Surrender."

"Hmph, are you looking down on me?" Puffing out her cheeks, Hina glared fiercely at Momonga. Her well-developed chest rose and fell, carrying a particular sort of allure.

Momonga felt somewhat awkward and actually blushed. After all, so many people were watching.

"Go, Hina!"

Below the stage, Shu and Very Good shouted loudly. Even Gion, standing not far away, joined in to encourage her.

Hearing the cheers, Hina raised her face proudly. If she had had a tail behind her, it would probably have already been sticking straight up.

"This girl is pretty good."

In the elevated seats, Tsuru revealed a faint smile. As the only female high-ranking officer, she paid more attention to women.

"She is good, but compared to that brat, she still falls a little short."

Beside her, Garp leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on the seats, utterly lacking decorum. More importantly, he held what looked like a snack in his hand—a doughnut that crunched loudly with every bite.

"Do you have a problem with that? Hmm?"

Tsuru glanced sideways at Garp, narrowing her eyes. She did not release any aura, yet Garp immediately tensed up. He scratched his head with a smile and shut his mouth.

The bickering on the elevated platform did not affect the battle below.

Because Momonga and Hina had already begun fighting. At first, the two were evenly matched, but after seventy or eighty exchanges, Hina began to fall behind, and her rhythm started to become disordered.