"Iron Body!"
Bakel let out a low shout, and his body instantly became as hard as steel.
Bang!
The finger struck his shoulder with a dull metallic clang.
Bakel took two steps back, rubbed his shoulder, and grinned.
"Not bad, but not enough!"
"Again!"
Ryan shouted, and the two clashed once more.
The other Marines were sparring in pairs too, each giving it everything they had.
A thin layer of black Haki coated Ryan's lower legs-the Armament Haki Hardening he had only just barely mastered.
"Soru!"
Ryan vanished from the spot, moving more than twice as fast as before.
"So fast!"
Startled, Bakel instinctively tried to defend with Iron Body.
But Ryan had already appeared above his head.
"Rankyaku: Line!"
Ryan swept out a kick in midair, sending a sharp blade of air straight at Bakel.
Bakel dared not take it lightly. He hurriedly rolled backward, narrowly dodging the strike.
The air blade struck the beach, cutting a deep trench through the sand.
"You little punk, you're improving pretty fast!"
Bakel spat the sand out of his mouth and stood up, laughing.
"It's all thanks to the commander's guidance."
Ryan landed steadily, the Haki on his lower legs gradually fading. Though somewhat tired, his eyes were full of excitement.
"True. The commander's training methods are harsh, but the results couldn't be clearer."
Bakel sighed in admiration.
"Back at Marine Headquarters, those instructors never taught us how to combine Haki with the Six Powers."
"That's because they don't know how themselves."
Kuina walked over, cradling Wado Ichimonji in her arms.
"The commander's combat techniques were developed through one life-and-death battle after another. They're killing techniques best suited to real combat."
"Have you heard? Vice Admiral Garp is a legend in our Marines!"
One Marine spoke quietly during a break.
"Of course!