Firelight

The battle at G-42 Fortress continued.

Hades had still underestimated the Marines' strength.

"Tyrant" Bar was the strongest of his father Jaeger's former subordinates, with strength approaching that of a Top Combatant.

Even so, Admiral Candidate De Gea still seemed to have the upper hand against him.

As a Steel-Steel Fruit user, De Gea possessed extraordinarily powerful defenses.

In a head-on battle, De Gea had nothing to fear, and his raw strength surpassed Bar's as well.

Army Admiral Candidate "Bamboo Python" was an Ancient Zoan Titan Python Fruit user.

The clash between "Monster" Stumann and "Bamboo Python" was like a battle between a giant python and a giant.

Stumann had already fallen behind.

Some Admiral Candidates did, in fact, possess the strength of a Top Combatant.

They had failed to become Admirals only because they were slightly weaker than the others.

There was also the limited number of positions.

Unless they were strong enough to make the Marines and the World Government add another Admiral's seat.

There had been precedents in history, but these men clearly did not qualify.

A towering physique and terrifying strength could still be advantages in certain situations.

"Bonecrusher" Anselde and "Wildman" Cowens, whom Hades had worried about beforehand, instead held a clear advantage.

Their massive bodies were anything but sluggish. With wild instincts, exceptional reflexes, and weapons in hand, they drove the two CP0 agents back again and again.

Of course, the main reason was that these two CP0 agents were not strong enough.

Powerful though they were, they were only at the level of Elite Vice Admirals.

They would have been formidable fighters anywhere on the seas, but in the Rocks Pirates, known as a "breeding ground for monsters," they were merely ordinary senior officers.

The overall battle remained inconclusive as countless shells rained