Battle with Shu (Please Support with Monthly Tickets, Recommendation Tickets, and Tips!)

Four vice admirals were assigned to lead the four formations: Kizaru, Akainu, and two elderly Marines on the verge of retirement.

The lots representing the four formations were mixed together in a box and carried to the square.

Yellow lots represented Kizaru, while red lots represented Akainu.

The other two types represented the two unknown elderly vice admirals.

Wude stood in line, waiting to draw a lot.

With the two soon-to-retire vice admirals participating, the odds of drawing Kizaru had dropped significantly. Wude confidently reached in.

"Uh..." Wude sighed as he looked at the yellow lot. Never jinx anything; it might turn into a curse.

He was destined to join Kizaru's formation and brush up on his acting skills.

Hina stood behind him. She drew a yellow lot as well, and not understanding what it meant, happily waved it around.

Zephyr stood before the four formations and gave a speech before leaving, handing everything over to the four vice admirals under his command.

The others who had come to watch the excitement also left.

Zephyr will pick me sooner or later, so it's not a big problem, Wude thought.

After the grand competition between the four formations, the outstanding group would receive Zephyr's personal instruction.

Borsalino wore a black top hat, had a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and was dressed in a white pinstriped suit. With a comical yet somewhat sleazy smile, he glanced at Wude and Hina. "Oh~ What an enthusiastic bunch of newcomers you are~"

"Is he about to run off?" Wude guessed as he watched Kizaru.

"Keep up your enthusiasm, young people. See you at the competition."

Kizaru turned into a streak of light and slipped away.

Just as Wude had expected.

"What was that guy's deal?!" Hina clenched her fists. "Why did Hina have to end up with someone like him? He's completely irresponsible!"

"Normal." Wude turned his gaze toward one of the men standing at the front of the Marine officers.

This man had an "extraordinary bone structure." The length of his skull alone far exceeded that of an ordinary person, and the hat covering it was several times longer than his face.

He had a beard that reached halfway down his body, and two long greatswords hung at his waist.

The crowd had become noisy after Kizaru fled right at the start, but then the man gave them a stern sidelong glance...

Everyone fell silent.

"I am Headquarters Colonel Strawberry. For a long period to come, I will serve as your chief instructor for combat courses."

Strawberry swept his gaze over the crowd. "You will soon receive your admission notices, dormitory assignment lists, class schedules, and so on."

Wude guessed, "He isn't going to say we're dismissed next, is he?"

"All right, dismissed!" Strawberry turned and left with the officers, leaving the students staring blankly after them.

"How did you know?" Hina was stunned. How had he guessed what these officers were like?

"Why are you talking to me again?"

"Hmph~"

As the formation dispersed, Wude headed toward a neighboring formation to wait for Smoker's group to dismiss.

Smoker had been assigned to one of the elderly vice admirals' formations. However, the old vice admiral merely introduced himself, mentioned a few points to note, and then left first.

The officers one rank below him gave speeches, and then the lower-ranking officers got acquainted with the newcomers assigned to their teams. They chatted for a long time before Smoker's side finally dismissed.

Although Wude knew it would not be easy to interact with a vice admiral at the beginning, Kizaru and his subordinates had run off a little too... absurdly fast.

After dismissal, Smoker hurried over, slung an arm around Wude's shoulders, and wanted to go have a big meal.

Shu, the Rust-Rust Fruit user who had previously wanted to challenge Wude, also came over and demanded a challenge right then and there.

Hina walked over as well, wanting to see exactly how Wude would embarrass himself.

"Hm?" In the distance, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, who was about to leave, glanced in Wude's direction before turning away.

Damn it!

Such a promising talent had actually been handed over to that Borsalino!

Colonel Maynard, wearing a ponytail and a black beard, walked over from afar and joined his companions in watching the excitement.

"Someone is challenging the number one Doriki Value holder right after being selected. How lively."

"I heard the other guy has the ability to corrode both weapons and people. He can't be underestimated either."

The small group of officers who remained gathered together and discussed Wude and Shu.

Many students also gathered around the two of them in a circle to watch.

"I told you, what's so great about being first? If Shu corrodes his opponent's body, no matter how strong he is, he'll still lose!" a young man from the West Blue sneered.

"Exactly. Doriki isn't accurate when it comes to measuring real strength anyway. With over a thousand Doriki, maybe I'll be able to challenge him after I graduate too. Hahaha!"

"Idiot. You still won't be able to."

"I heard that number one is very skilled at archery. It's hard to say who will win."

"Are you an idiot? That ability counters weapons! Hahaha!"

Some students, jealous of Wude, badmouthed him and supported Shu. Others favored Shu because of his Devil Fruit ability.

There was also a small group of young people from the East Blue who believed Wude would definitely win, but they were only a minority.

"Can he win? Hina really wants to know." Hina asked Smoker.

"It's not a question of whether he can win." Smoker shook his head. "He's bullying him."

"Hina doesn't understand." Hina looked at Smoker in confusion.

"He's an unkillable monster, and he's even learned an ability called Haki. Shu doesn't have the slightest chance of winning." Smoker sighed.

He still remembered how they had agreed back then to meet again in the Marines. Yet when they met again, Wude was the one teaching him Observation Haki.

This was not what they had agreed on when they said they would strive together in the Marines!

I'm still safely developing in the beginner's village, and then you tell me you've already cleared the hard-mode dungeon and come back.

If that isn't bullying a newbie, what is?

Shu held both hands in clawed shapes before him and planted his feet in a guarded stance. "Come on, let me see the strength of the academy's number one!"

"Fine!" Wude nodded, took the bow from his back, and looked at Shu with amusement.

"If this were a battlefield, Shu would already be dead," a Marine colonel commented.

A small number of officers nodded in agreement. Their Observation Haki had sensed Kuroh behind Shu.

Kuroh tilted his head at this stupid human.

As long as Wude gave the order, Shu's head would fall to the ground.

However, Wude was curious about Shu's Devil Fruit, so he wanted to experience its power for himself.

Drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, he stared at his opponent. "Shu, watch the arrow!"

The arrow shot from the string, yet Shu neither dodged nor moved aside.

The arrow flew straight at him, landed on his body, and turned into decayed ash that scattered through the air.

Shu kicked off the ground and sprinted toward Wude. "Haha, I don't need to dodge at all, because every weapon will be corroded by me and turn to ash!"

"It really is fascinating." Wude nodded and shifted slightly aside, evading Shu's attack.

Shu attacked again, reaching out to grab Wude.

Wude dodged every one of Shu's attacks as easily as if he were playing around, watching him with amusement.

"You can corrode weapons and human bodies, but can you corrode this?"

As soon as he spoke, Shu suddenly slammed face-first onto the ground for no apparent reason, pinned down by an invisible presence.

In panic, he screamed and struggled without pause, yet he still could not break free from the invisible restraint.

"Come on, let me see how far you can go." Wude crouched before Shu and smiled at him.