Night fell, and the training ground was brightly lit. The news spread like wildfire through the entire training camp. Countless cadets flocked to watch, and even many instructors put down their work to see the spectacle.
"Did you hear? Roy is challenging Mr. Kuzan!"
"Is he crazy?! That's one of the 'Three Monster Logia Vice Admirals'!"
"Shh! Instructor Zephyr is here too. There must be a reason for this."
In the center of the field, Roy and Kuzan faced each other. A light breeze blew, thick with fighting spirit.
Kuzan stood lazily with his hands in his pockets, a slight smile on his lips. "Rules?"
Roy's eyes were focused, his muscles slightly tensed. "I hope you'll give it your all."
A flicker of interest appeared in Kuzan's eyes. "Arara... alright, kid."
Zephyr stood at the edge of the field, arms crossed, his voice deep and powerful. "Begin!"
"Swish—!"
Roy's figure vanished from the spot.
"So fast! Is that his teleportation?!" the spectating cadets exclaimed.
Kuzan narrowed his eyes slightly, his Observation Haki at full power. A ring of pale blue cold air instantly formed around him.
"BANG!"
Roy's fist, carrying a sharp gust of wind, grazed past Kuzan's cheek. The air was blasted apart by the punch, creating a sound like muffled thunder.
Kuzan's lazy expression stiffened slightly as he tilted his head to dodge, the hair by his ear whipped up by the force of the punch. "Not bad, kid~"
Before he finished speaking, the ground suddenly froze over.
"Ice Age!"
"KRA-KA-KA—!"
The entire training ground's floor froze rapidly, with Kuzan at the center. Countless ice spikes shot up from the ground, closing in on Roy like swords.
"Hiss!" A wave of gasps went through the crowd.
Roy's eyes sharpened. He teleported in a flash, a series of teleports streaking across the night sky like lightning.
"Swish-swish-swish-swish!"
Afterimages flickered across the ice. Each teleport was accompanied by the ground roaring and shattering as the ice spikes were destroyed one after another.
"Teleport: Tempest Flash!"
"BOOM!!"
A green slash of energy erupted from the edge of Roy's leg, heading straight for Kuzan.
Kuzan's expression turned serious. He raised his right hand, and the cold air surged wildly—
"Ice Block!"
"BANG!"
The slash slammed into the ice shield, instantly exploding into countless ice shards. The cold air spread, and the ice shield cracked but still managed to block the heaven-shaking attack.
"Not bad, kid!" Kuzan revealed a playful smile. "But... you still can't break my defense."
"Then I'll keep trying!"
Roy stomped his foot, and his entire body vanished instantly.
"Swish-swish-swish-swish!"
The afterimages in the field became so dense they were almost impossible to track. Each appearance was accompanied by a black, Armament-coated fist aimed at Kuzan's vitals.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
The punches were like a rainstorm, as powerful as thunder. But the cold air around Kuzan seemed to form an absolute domain. Every attack was predicted, his Observation Haki capturing Roy's every move. Ice shields flashed continuously, blocking all the attacks.
"Arara... your moves are too straightforward~"
Roy paused, his eyes suddenly narrowing. He took a deep breath—
"Life Return: Giant's Breath!"
"BOOM!!"
His muscles instantly swelled. His body grew to five meters tall, and black Armament Haki covered him like armor. He stood in the center of the field like a black statue of a war god.
"What the hell, he's even bigger than when he fought me?!" Smoker's eyes widened.
A gratified smile finally appeared on Zephyr's face. "He's finally getting serious."
A hint of gravity also flashed in Kuzan's eyes. "Oh? This is getting a little tricky~"
He sank into his stance and slammed his hands together. "Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"SKREEE!!!"
A giant ice bird shrieked to the sky, swooping towards Roy, wrapped in sharp, cold air.
Roy raised his giant fist. Flashing symbols spread like electricity as he clenched his right fist and met the attack head-on.
"Teleport: Heavy Cannon!"
"BOOM—!!"
The giant ice bird exploded in mid-air. The terrifying cold air and the scorching heat of the punch intertwined, creating a blizzard-like shockwave that swept across the entire field.
The spectating cadets were forced back several steps by the force, and even the instructors on the sidelines gasped. "Is... is this still a 12-year-old kid?!"
When the ice mist cleared, Roy was half-kneeling on the ground, covered in a thin layer of frost. His arm was still in a punching position, his eyes terrifyingly firm.
Kuzan stood in front of him, his chest rising and falling slightly. A faint, crack-like pattern of cold energy had appeared on his arm, showing he was not completely unscathed.
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Arara... I guess I lose this time."
The entire field was in an uproar.
Roy frowned and said in a low voice, "You were holding back."
Kuzan scratched the back of his head and smiled brightly. "Not at all~ If we kept going, I'd have to use my advanced Haki, and that wouldn't be a 'spar,' it would be a killing blow."
Zephyr strode over, his eyes filled with immense gratification. "Well done, Roy!"
Roy slowly stood up, retracting his giant form. He panted and shook his head. "But... I'm still far from enough."
Kuzan stretched lazily, a smile on his lips. "Don't say that~ You're only 12, and I'm almost 30."
Smoker walked over, staring at the two with a complicated expression. "You monsters..."
Kuzan suddenly reached out and ruffled Smoker's hair. "You need to work hard too, little Smoker~"
"Get off me!" Smoker roared, slapping his hand away.
Zephyr laughed heartily. "Alright! That's enough for today! Roy, a new round of special training starts tomorrow!"
Roy nodded, his eyes shining with a determined light. "Yes, sir!"
Kuzan casually patted Roy's shoulder and turned to walk towards the training ground exit. "Arara~ Get some rest. If I were really serious next time, it wouldn't be this easy."
The setting sun's glow fell on the training ground, stretching their shadows long. Roy watched Kuzan's back, silently setting a new goal in his heart—
"Next time, I'll force him to use his true full power!"
Ten minutes later, at the rear edge of Marine Headquarters, two lounge chairs were placed side-by-side. The setting sun dyed the sky a golden red.
Garp leaned back in his chair, his mouth full of rice crackers, his words muffled. "I hear you had a spar with that kid?"
Kuzan was leaning back lazily, his eye mask pushed up to his forehead, holding a glass of iced juice with one hand, the straw gently swaying. "Arara... news travels fast."
Garp grinned widely and patted his stomach. "Duh! My disciple sparring with an Admiral candidate—the whole of Headquarters is buzzing about it!"
Kuzan lifted an eyelid, a slight smile on his lips. "He's no ordinary kid. His potential is huge."
Garp raised an eyebrow, squinting at Kuzan. "Oh? Such high praise?"
Kuzan narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips tapping the juice glass. "His development of the Teleport Fruit has almost no weaknesses, and his combat sense is good. The trickiest part is—" He paused, his voice unusually serious for a moment. "If he doesn't want to fight, he can run at any time. He's almost impossible to catch."
Garp was stunned for a moment, then couldn't stop laughing. "Hahaha! That's right! If that kid really decided to run, even that guy Borsalino might not be able to catch him!"
Kuzan shook his head gently, his eyes turning sharp. "And I can feel... he didn't use all his trump cards in the fight."
Garp, chewing on his rice crackers, raised an eyebrow with interest. "Oh? He's still holding back?"
Kuzan sighed and stretched. "If I didn't use my advanced Armament and Observation Haki, I'm afraid I really couldn't take him down in a short time."
"Of course! My special training wasn't for nothing!"
Kuzan glanced at him thoughtfully, his tone meaningful. "Did you teach him 'Fist Bone'?"
Garp waved his hand. "It's still too early! That kid is still building his foundation. We'll talk about it after his Haki is solid."
Kuzan chuckled softly, a hint of emotion in his voice. "I suppose Instructor Zephyr thinks the same way."
Garp was silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned in and lowered his voice. "Hey, Kuzan, what do you think... how far can that kid go in the future?"
Kuzan looked out at the distant sea horizon, his eyes reflecting a faint light. "Arara... who knows?" He smiled lightly. "But I have a feeling that when he fully matures, at least no one in this world will be able to completely defeat him."
Garp was slightly taken aback, then threw his head back and laughed, a laugh so loud it made his chair shake. "That's what it means to be my disciple!"
Kuzan shook his head helplessly. "You're always so confident."
Not far away, behind a large tree trunk, Sakazuki stood with his arms crossed, coldly observing their conversation. His expression was serious, but a flicker of inexplicable anticipation crossed his mind. "The Teleport Fruit... Armament Haki... Life Return... He's indeed a good prospect." After a moment of thought, his brow furrowed, and he clenched his fist. "But it's still not enough."
Meanwhile, on the roof of the training camp.
Roy lay alone on the roof. The setting sun's glow fell on his black hair, giving it a faint golden sheen. He was playing with a coin, which spun rapidly between his fingers, sometimes disappearing, sometimes reappearing.
Kuzan's light-hearted laughter seemed to echo in his ears. "Arara... if I were to get serious, it wouldn't be just a spar."
Roy muttered to himself, his eyes sharp. "Kuzan was holding back... If he had used his advanced Armament and Observation Haki, I wouldn't have lasted three moves."
The coin in his fingers suddenly stopped, then vanished with a "swish," as if it had never been there.
"I'm still far from enough..."
-------
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