The Navy's Grand Occasion, Taken Seriously

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In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Today was immensely important to the entire academy, because today was the day they would rise through the ranks.

On a small island some distance from Marineford, a simple arena had been erected at its center, surrounded by rows of spectator seats.

This island had originally been one of the Navy's research sites, 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 that morning, Ye Chen and the others arrived aboard a warship. Many Headquarters officers, as well as Navy personnel on leave, had also come to attend.

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

What no one knew was that five elderly men in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise were also watching this graduation ceremony.

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

"I'm a little nervous. What should I do?" Shu looked at the Navy officers watching from the stands. Some wore the rank insignia of colonels, while there were even Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals present. Most importantly, Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Zephyr, and Admiral Sengoku were here.

Shu was not the only one. The others were nervous too, more or less.

"What are you afraid of? We've trained so hard for the past two years. We're already very strong. We'll definitely get good rankings." Smoker stood with his arms folded, not worried in the slightest, because 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 show everyone his potential. Only then could he receive more resources and broaden the road ahead.

As the leaders of a major power, they had no idea how many matters required their attention every day, yet they still made time to watch a group of children fight. That alone said everything.

That was right—fighting. In Kong's and the others' eyes, this match did not even count as a battle. It was merely children fighting. Such was the perspective born of experience and strength.

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

All the cadets qualified to participate in the ceremony had essentially 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 every other sound as a major stepped onto the stage.

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

The major saluted Kong, standing ramrod straight.

There was no amplification equipment. Yet seated at the highest point, Kong's voice was as resonant as a great bell when he spoke, allowing everyone present to hear him clearly.

"All contestants are the Navy's future. 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 the slightest excitement. Others were different, though. Their faces flushed and their necks swelled, as if they had taken stimulants and planned to instantly obliterate everything the moment they stepped onto the stage.

"I look forward to being surprised by all of you. Now, begin!"

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

"All cadets will draw lots to determine their opponents. Defeated contestants will have three chances to challenge cadets ranked above them. If they win, they will take that person's position. Falling from the arena, exhaustion, or surrender during battle will all be considered defeat. Give it everything you've got. You may also designate one person to challenge."

"Begin."

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

"The two cadets holding number one, take the stage."

The first to step up was a cadet carrying a katana. However, when his opponent appeared, his face immediately turned green.

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

"Yukimura is really unlucky. He ran into this monster in the first match."

Below the stage, some cadets looked sympathetic and silently broke out in a cold sweat for Yukimura. Damn it, he might as well surrender immediately.

"I surrender."

With an ugly expression, Yukimura understood perfectly well how vast the gap between him and this monster was. Unafraid of embarrassment, he surrendered outright.

"Oh!"

Borsalino shrugged indifferently, then turned into a streak of golden light and vanished from the arena.

The first match ended without even causing a ripple. It was over absurdly fast.

Ye Chen and the other six did not encounter each other in the second or third matches. They merely watched the others fight.

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

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

"How did she end up against Momonga? With Hina's strength, this will be difficult." Smoker looked at Hina's opponent from below, somewhat worried.

Vergo and Ye Chen frowned as well, because Momonga was stronger than Hina. This was already due to Ye Chen's influence; otherwise, according to the original story, Hina would not even have been qualified to face Momonga, as the gap between them would have been enormous. But now, Momonga would need at least several hundred exchanges to defeat Hina.

"Hina."

"Momonga."

The two announced their names to each other.

"You're not my opponent." Standing upright with a long blade at his waist, Momonga looked solemnly at Hina.

Leaving aside the fact that she was a girl, she was also graceful and 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.

Therefore, Momonga wanted Hina to be sensible. "Surrender."

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

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

"Go, Hina!"

Below, Shu and Very Good shouted loudly. Even Gion in the distance joined in to encourage her.

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

"That girl is pretty good."

On the high platform, Tsuru revealed a faint smile. As the only female member of the upper ranks, she paid more attention to women.

"She is good, but compared to that boy, she's still a little lacking."

Beside her, Garp leaned back in his chair with his feet propped on the seat in front of him, completely without dignity. More importantly, he held what looked like a donut in his hand, crunching away loudly.

"Do you have an objection? Hmm?"

Tsuru glanced sideways at Garp, narrowing her eyes. She did not release any aura, yet Garp's body tensed. He scratched his head, chuckled, and shut his mouth.

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

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