The ranking tournament and a monster's game

Lorne nodded firmly, Zephyr's stern yet concerned face reflected in his golden beast eyes.

"I understand, sir."

At that promise, Zephyr's tense expression finally relaxed a little. He looked at the boy before him with a complicated gaze, but in the end, he merely let out a long breath.

"Good."

He patted Lorne's shoulder heavily, as though confirming something.

"Your body is a unique treasure, but it could also become the curse that destroys you. Head back, kid. Tonight... get a good night's sleep."

Zephyr said no more and turned to leave. For the first time, his broad back looked somewhat forlorn in the moonlight.

He had trained countless elite Marines, yet he had never encountered anyone like Lorne. It reminded him of Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors of the New World, who had possessed the strength to kill a giant at just five years old.

Perhaps Lorne was that sort of monster, too.

Over the next half month, Lorne's life became exceptionally regimented.

Hellish training by day, feasting at night, then deep sleep.

Zephyr kept his promise and stopped interfering with Lorne's training methods, instead devoting all his energy to teaching him the Six Powers.

He had assumed that Lorne's sweeping, forceful fighting style would make learning the intricate Six Powers extremely difficult.

Reality, however, once again overturned his understanding.

"Geppo!"

On the training ground, Lorne's legs kicked against the air at high speed. Instead of dull booms, they produced crisp, continuous sonic cracks! His figure twisted nimbly in midair as though he were walking on solid ground, moving so fast that he left a string of afterimages.

"Rankyaku!"

With a low shout, Lorne unleashed a swift side kick. An incredibly solid blue-green slash tore through the air, cleaving a terrifying gash over ten meters long into the distant wall built from Seastone!

"Finger Pistol!"

He pressed his five fingers together and thrust them at a specially made steel target. The instant his fingertips met the steel plate, a string of popping sounds erupted, and five seemingly bottomless holes appeared in the hard steel!

Zephyr stood nearby, the cigar in his mouth having gone out at some point. As he watched the boy perform the Six Powers with such flair, he could find no feeling beyond shock.

"Is this guy... really human?"

The Elite Camp instructors behind him had already gone completely numb.

"Soru, Iron Body, Kami-e, Geppo, Rankyaku, Finger Pistol... Half a month. In just half a month, he learned all six, and... his proficiency is frightening."

"Proficiency doesn't begin to cover it. Look at his Rankyaku. Its power is almost on par with Rear Admiral Caesar's sword slashes!"

"The scariest thing is how fast he learns. Yesterday, his Geppo could only move him in a straight line. Today, he can already do a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree spinning kick in midair..."

Lorne paid no attention to the instructors' discussion.

He relished the feeling of his strength growing every day. Every muscle's jubilation, every thunderous heartbeat, left him utterly intoxicated.

Finally, one morning half a month later, Zephyr blew the assembly whistle.

All the recruits, Lorne included, were summoned to the largest training ground, Training Ground One.

"Boys!"

Zephyr stood on the raised platform, his piercing gaze sweeping across the young, vibrant faces below.

"After a month of acclimatization training, you've gained a basic understanding of Marine life. But the Marines have no use for greenhouse flowers! We need lions who can take to the battlefield and kill the enemy!"

His voice rang like a great bell throughout the training ground.

"Today, we'll hold a recruit ranking tournament! Your opponents will be the comrades beside you! There are no rules in combat. You may use any ability you excel at, until one side can no longer fight!"

"Your final rankings will determine your future assignments, resource allotments, and... glory!"

"Now, let the ranking tournament begin!"

At Zephyr's command, the atmosphere across the training ground instantly caught fire.

The recruits were randomly assigned to different rings to fight in pairs.

The dull thuds of colliding fists and feet, the sharp clangs of clashing weapons, and the peculiar sounds of various Devil Fruit abilities rang out one after another.

Lorne's match was scheduled for the largest ring in the center.

His opponent was a tall, heavily muscled man who enjoyed considerable prestige among the recruits.

"Hey, long ears!" The burly man looked at Lorne with contempt as soon as he stepped into the ring. "I don't care whose connections got you in here. Today, I'll show you that the Elite Camp is no place for a pretty boy like you!"

Lorne picked at his ear and yawned lazily.

"Done talking? Then hurry up and get started. I still need to go back and eat."

"You're asking for death!"

The burly man roared and drove off the ground, his enormous fist hurtling toward Lorne's face with a fierce rush of wind.

Lorne stood still without moving.

Only when the fist was about to touch his nose did he slowly raise his right hand.

Smack!

A soft sound rang out.

Lorne casually caught the burly man's steel-piercing punch in his palm without budging an inch.

"Is that all the strength you have?" Lorne tilted his head, pure puzzlement in his eyes. "Are you trying to tickle me?"

The burly man's face instantly turned a dark purplish red. He tried with all his strength to pull his fist back, only to discover that his hand was locked in place as though held by an iron vise.

"Too little strength."

Lorne shook his head and gave his wrist a gentle flick.

"Aaargh!"

The burly man screamed in agony as an irresistible force flung his entire body away. He landed outside the ring like a torn sack and passed out on the spot.

Dead silence fell over the grounds.

Everyone was stunned by how cleanly and decisively it had ended.

In the next few matches, almost all of Lorne's opponents fell to a single blow.

Whether they specialized in hand-to-hand combat or swordsmanship, they were as fragile as paper before him.

Soon, he faced a new opponent.

"Next, Lorne versus Bart!"

A tall, thin man with a gloomy gaze stepped into the ring.

"Finally, it's my turn." Bart licked his lips, excitement gleaming in his eyes as he watched Lorne. "They all call you a monster. Perfect. Let me taste what a monster is like!"

The moment he finished speaking, his body began to undergo an astonishing transformation.

His bones cracked and popped as his frame rapidly expanded. Black fur sprouted wildly from beneath his skin, and in the blink of an eye, he had become a giant hunting dog over three meters tall, with exposed fangs and streaming drool!

Zoan Dog-Dog Fruit, Hunting Dog Form!

"Oh?"

Lorne's beast ears twitched, and a trace of interest appeared in his eyes for the first time.

"Interesting."

"Roar!"

Bart roared in his hunting dog form, dropped onto all fours, and lunged at Lorne like a bolt of black lightning. His sharp claws carved several cold streaks through the air!

"So fast!" a recruit below the ring exclaimed.

In Lorne's eyes, however, that speed was still far too slow.

He did not even bother using Soru. A slight turn was enough to evade Bart's pounce with ease.

"Iron Body."

At his murmur, every muscle in his body instantly tightened, and a metallic sheen spread over his skin.

After missing his first attack, Bart spun around and raked a claw hard across Lorne's back!

Clang!

Instead of the expected spray of flesh and blood, a metallic clash rang out, sending sparks flying!

Bart felt as though his claws had struck an indestructible steel plate. The tremendous recoil numbed all five of his fingers and nearly broke them!

How... is that possible?! Shock surged through Bart's mind. My claws can tear through iron plates with ease! What... is his body made of?!

In that instant of shock, Lorne moved.

He spun around, one large hand shooting out like lightning to clamp precisely around Bart's neck, forcibly lifting his enormous body into the air.

"Decent strength. Unfortunately..."

Lorne grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

"You're too weak."

Thud!

He knocked Bart unconscious outright and casually tossed him aside.

After dealing with Bart, Lorne's next opponent was Lina, the girl known among the recruits for her bizarre footwork.

The moment Lina entered the ring, she put distance between herself and Lorne, her expression utterly grave.

"I admit you're strong, Lorne." She looked at him and said solemnly, "But my ability is the perfect counter to power-focused fighters like you!"

"Paramecia Slow-Slow Fruit!"

With her sharp cry, her figure suddenly became elusive.

Every step she took seemed somewhat sluggish, as though playing out in slow motion, yet somehow she evaded imagined lines of attack with extremely strange angles and timing.

"Come on, let's see how you're going to touch me!" Lina challenged confidently.

Lorne watched her ghostlike movements thoughtfully.

"I see. You briefly slow your own movements to redirect force and evade attacks? It's a little like an alternative application of Kami-e."

He nodded approvingly. "Not a bad idea."

"Enough talk!"

Lina's figure flashed, suddenly appearing behind Lorne to one side, her slender palm striking toward his shoulder.

"Once I touch you, you'll move as slowly as a turtle!"

An almost imperceptible ripple of energy coated her palm.

Yet before her palm could land, a large hand abruptly appeared before her, its five fingers spread as it stopped steadily just in front of her nose.

Lina's pupils contracted sharply!

Wh-when?! Horror filled her mind. She had not seen how Lorne moved at all!

"Speed means nothing before absolute strength and even greater speed."

Lorne's calm voice sounded beside her ear.

He withdrew his hand and, not even bothering to look at her again, turned toward Zephyr on the raised platform.

"Sir, this is too boring."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the training ground.

"Not one of them can put up a fight."

The entire crowd erupted!

Every recruit glared at Lorne. This guy was far too arrogant!

Ignoring their furious gazes, Lorne extended a finger and pointed toward all the recruits below the ring.

"Stop coming one at a time. It's a waste of time."

"All of you, come at me together."

At those words, the entire training ground instantly exploded into an uproar!

"Bastard! You're way too cocky!"

"Who does he think he is? He's challenging all of us alone?"

"We can't take this! Instructor, we want to fight him!"

The recruits seethed with outrage, itching to rush into the ring immediately and tear that arrogant bastard to pieces.

On the raised platform, Zephyr watched the scene and, far from being angry, burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Interesting! What an interesting brat!"

He rose, walked to the front of the platform, and bellowed at full strength, "All of you, quiet!"

The tremendous wave of sound instantly drowned out all the noise.

Zephyr looked at the indignant recruits below, then at Lorne in the ring, who looked utterly unconcerned, as though he had said something trivial. The grin on his face grew increasingly fierce.

"Fine! Since he has that much guts, I'll give you a chance!"

"All of you, attack together! If you can defeat him, I'll make an exception and give every one of you a week off!"

A week off?!

Every recruit's eyes instantly went red!

In a hellish place like Marine Headquarters, leave was more precious than gold!

"But!" Zephyr abruptly changed tack, his gaze turning cold. "If all of you together can't even handle him alone..."

"Then everyone's training load doubles!"

"Raaagh!!"

The recruits roared in excitement, looking at Lorne like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing a succulent lamb.

"Take him down!"

"For our leave!"

"Charge, brothers!"

No one knew who shouted first. The next second, hundreds of elite Marines below the ring surged forward from every direction like a flood bursting through a dam, charging wildly toward the lone figure in the center!

Watching the dense sea of people, Lorne finally spread his lips in a bloodthirsty, exhilarated grin.

He gently rolled his neck, producing a crisp crack.

"Now I can finally get a proper warm-up."