Free-for-All, Dazzling to the Eye

"This kid has given me a huge surprise."

Seated at the head of the table, Kong was very satisfied with Ye Chen's performance in the match. From the looks of it, Doberman was not qualified to force out all of this kid's strength. Perhaps only Sakazuki and the other two could squeeze out his full power.

"I've kept an eye on him for the past few days. He trains diligently. Just as Zephyr said, his willpower is strong, and his potential is high." Tsuru looked somewhat serious. She still remembered that when she had first met him, Zephyr had held high expectations for him.

He had even compared him to Sakazuki and the other two. Back then, Tsuru had not paid much attention to it, but after his first battle with Sakazuki, she had looked into him. Ye Chen's daily training afterward truly made her understand Zephyr's assessment.

This guy definitely had the potential to become an admiral.

Tsuru was not the only one. Sengoku and Garp had also looked into him. In their eyes now, Ye Chen was not much different from Sakazuki and the other two. They were all placed on the same level.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, perhaps someday, you'll need to ask the Five Elders for one more admiral's position. When the Navy has four admirals, those pirates won't dare be so rampant!"

As if he could see the future, Sengoku slapped the table.

"We'll talk about that when the time comes. It's still too early." Kong gave no answer, merely sighing.

The others were the same. The Navy's situation was not as good as it appeared on the surface. Leaving aside the pirates outside, the restrictions imposed by Mary Geoise alone left the Navy constrained at every turn.

That was right. To keep the Navy from slipping out of their control, the Five Elders had long begun suppressing its development in certain ways. Funding, promising recruits—anything that would prevent the Navy from developing independently.

Zephyr, who sincerely served the Navy, also sighed for no reason. They understood many things clearly, but they had no way to change them.

"The second match: Smoker versus Onigumo."

Below, the second match had already begun. It was unexpectedly Smoker against Onigumo.

Likewise, before taking the field, Smoker had removed his weights, because his opponent was strong.

The two went all out from the start. This time, all eight of Onigumo's arms held weapons, making him look rather ferocious.

But Smoker was no pushover either. Even against Onigumo's Eight-Sword Style, he fought him to a standstill without falling behind in the slightest.

Smoke billowed behind Smoker as more than a dozen smoky fists appeared, densely packed as they collided with Onigumo.

Most importantly, those smoky fists could transform into all kinds of weapons. Onigumo's advantage of having eight arms vanished at once.

"Go, Smoker! You're the strongest!"

In the stands, Hina and the other two had somehow gotten hold of a loudspeaker. Puffing out her cheeks, she shouted at the top of her lungs, even drowning out the cheers for Onigumo.

With Hina and the others cheering him on, Smoker's face flushed red, and he actually grew fiercer as he fought, nearly making Onigumo curse aloud.

"What pure friendship!"

"Such a nostalgic age."

"We were like that too, full of youthful vigor."

Eating donuts, Garp, Sengoku, and the others watched with great interest as the students cheering for Smoker and Onigumo argued with one another. It was as though even the battle itself could not compare.

That was because the two camps in the stands were now hurling insults at each other.

One side cheered for Smoker, the other for Onigumo. Neither would yield, and at some point, the two sides had begun arguing.

Mist Sea.

With an explosive burst, Smoker suddenly erupted, and the entire arena was blanketed in a layer of fog.

Just like in Smoker's first battle, the sounds of clashing steel and impacts came from within. Only those with powerful Observation Haki knew the exact situation of the fight inside.

Ten minutes later, the fog dispersed, revealing a desolate scene. Smoker and Onigumo lay in a huge crater, covered in blood and breathing heavily.

Both of them stared wide-eyed, gritting their teeth as they tried to stand. But after failing again and again, neither could rise.

"Go, Smoker! Go, Smoker! Get up! You're the best!"

Hina had completely abandoned her image. Holding a large loudspeaker, she planted her long right leg on a chair and shouted.

"Smoker is the best!"

Behind her, Shu and Very Good also held loudspeakers. Ignoring the strange looks around them, they wore serious expressions and roared at the top of their lungs.

Hina and the other two looked rather comical, even laughable, but many people envied Smoker, because these three were true friends.

Even Vergo in the arena cheered for him.

"You can do it." Ye Chen also said coldly. His voice was soft, but Smoker could hear it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't lose to you. Otherwise, where would my friends' pride go?"

On the field, Smoker's face was deathly pale. He grinned at Onigumo and slowly began to rise, enduring his body on the verge of collapse as he swayed unsteadily to his feet.

Onigumo clenched his teeth and tried to stand as well, but his body had already slipped beyond his control.

"Oh! I knew you could do it, Smoker!"

In the stands, Hina, Shu, and Very Good cheered, even more excited than Smoker himself. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought the three of them had won.

"Smoker wins!"

It was still the same major referee. He stepped onto the stage and raised Smoker's hand, even sighing softly. "You have some good friends."

"I think so too."

After saying that, Smoker fell directly toward the major. He clearly could not hold on any longer.

Medical personnel immediately began treating the two of them.

"The third match: Kuzan versus Hōshō."

There were no surprises. Even though Hōshō used all his strength, he still lost in the end.

"The fourth match: Vergo versus Chaton."

"The fifth match: Borsalino versus Gion."

"The sixth match: Sakazuki—"

As the matches continued, every battle was extraordinarily intense. So long as they did not encounter the few strongest opponents, the fights were basically thrilling.

After a full day of matches, the final results had more or less emerged.

Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, Ye Chen, Vergo, and Smoker were currently the strongest among the students. Apart from Smoker being slightly weaker than the top five, the other five would likely claim all five top spots.

After all, the rewards for the top five were the most generous.

Therefore, tomorrow's battles would be the most anticipated part of this graduation ceremony.

Night fell, and the stars shone brilliantly. From time to time, a shooting star streaked across the sky. On the shoreline, Ye Chen sat there gazing at the stars, lost in thought.

He had not trained tonight, because tomorrow's battles would surely be intense. He had to remain at his peak, so he had even removed his weights.

Having made up his mind, he would go all out tomorrow. He would make Kong and the others recognize his worth, while also seeing just how strong he truly was.

He had kept his head down and trained hard for a long time. It was time for him to go out and see the world.

He had to find a way back. No matter what, he had to see his father and mother again.

Looking at the starry sky, Ye Chen's hope was slim, but his heart was filled with stubborn determination.

He wanted neither wealth, nor power, nor beautiful women. He only wanted to go back, taste his mother's cooking again, hear his father's scolding once more, and say the words that had been delayed for more than ten years: "I'm sorry."