Training Complete

The air in the forest grew increasingly oppressive.

The flash of blades intertwined with footsteps, leaving barely a moment's pause.

Clang!

Whoosh!

Bang!

Every collision pushed them closer to their limits.

Ace kept retreating. His judgment remained precise—but his opponents were five grown adults, while he was only nine years old.

Worse still.

Luffy was hanging off his back, constantly squirming and shouting.

"Stop moving!"

Ace growled, unable to suppress the urgency in his voice.

He suddenly twisted sideways.

Whoosh—!

A blade grazed past his shoulder.

Rip—

His clothes tore open.

A line of blood instantly seeped out, leaving a long red mark across his skin.

"Ace!"

Luffy's voice tightened with obvious panic.

"Shut up!"

Gritting his teeth, Ace swung his stick backhandedly!

Bang!

One man was forced back.

Ace used the momentum to retreat, stomping down hard.

Whoosh, whoosh—!

Two blades struck the ground almost against his body, blasting apart the dirt.

His breathing was uneven.

His rhythm had been suppressed.

The bandits fought even more viciously, because they knew the Grim Reaper behind them was watching.

If they didn't go all out now, they would be the ones to die!

"Get him!"

"Crush him!"

"Don't give him a chance to catch his breath!"

All five closed in at once, their blades weaving together.

Ace was forced back step by step. Fallen leaves crunched beneath his feet, and branches snapped around him.

Until—

Crack.

His back hit a tree trunk. There was nowhere left to retreat.

Atop a huge boulder.

Rock watched silently, his eyes utterly unmoved.

He merely spoke calmly.

"One minute left."

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed to strike everyone's hearts.

"Roar—!!!"

The bandits completely lost their minds, and the gleam of their blades suddenly intensified!

Whoosh!

Clang!

Ace forcibly blocked two strikes, but