Tap
Renn Hawk stepped forward.
"Salute!"
Tina and Smoker raised their hands sharply, the soldiers behind them following in unison.
Hawk returned the salute.
Hum
Just then, another medium-sized warship slowly glided into the harbor and anchored at the pier.
The men from the 16th Branch had arrived.
Dane, Zoro, Sanji, and the others disembarked, leading the unit Hawk knew better than any other.
"Good. Everyone's here."
Hawk's voice was firm. "All of you, to the training grounds."
Soon, on the drill field of G-3 Branch.
Thousands of Marines stood in neat, divided formations.
To the left: the veteran soldiers of the original G-3 garrison.
Their expressions were stern, eyes full of scrutiny and curiosity as they sized up this young commander parachuted into their ranks.
To the right: the troops under Smoker and Tina.
They stood tall, yet their gazes lingered on their former leaders.
And in the very center Hawk's own men from the East Blue.
Their lines were the sharpest, their discipline absolute.
Every one of them radiated a feverish devotion and unshakable loyalty.
Even Zoro and Sanji, dressed in the uniforms of common seamen, stood silently within the ranks.
At the front of all formations, Hawk stood tall. Behind him were Dane, Hibari, and Peacock.
His gaze swept across every soldier present, capturing the doubt, the scrutiny, the defiance, and the expectation on their faces.
"I know many of you have questions."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the entire training ground.
"How can a lieutenant commander from the East Blue suddenly rise to become your highest-ranking officer?"
"How can a nobody receive such extravagant resources from Headquarters?"
"And how can a Rear Admiral, younger than most of you, command a legion of veterans hardened by the Grand Line?"
Each word fell like a hammer, pounding against the hearts of every soldier.
These were the questions they had dared not voice, yet every one of them had thought.
Why?
Why could a lieutenant commander from the East Blue leapfrog ranks into a Rear Admiral?
Why could that same Rear Admiral be placed in charge of G-3?
Why did he command such a massive fleet?
Their doubts had begun the moment the orders arrived.
Discipline kept them silent, but obedience was not the same as loyalty.
"Serving under me will be harsh," Hawk continued.
"My training is hell itself."
"My rules are countless."
"But—"
"To follow me will also be rewarding."
"Your pay will never be docked."
"Your pensions, salaries, and bounties will never be withheld."
"Your merits and promotions if you dare to fight for them, I'll make sure you get them!"
"What I have, you will have too."
His eyes turned to his men from the East Blue.
"Am I right?!"
For a moment, the training grounds fell silent.
All eyes shifted instinctively to Hawk's old unit.
Whump—!
Over a thousand men moved as one, crossing their fists over their chests
Then struck their hearts with thunderous force.
Boom—!
The sound reverberated like rolling thunder, as though each blow struck not flesh, but the hearts of all who heard it.
A fervor beyond reason erupted from them, shaking the air.
"For Rear Admiral Hawk offer your heart!!"
"Loyalty!!"
The roar, unified and deafening, rose like a tidal wave and shook the entire G-3 Branch to its core.
The veterans of G-3 froze, eyes wide.
They had seen ruthless pirates and fearless lunatics.
But never had they witnessed soldiers like this.
This wasn't discipline it was devotion, the kind of absolute loyalty that sent shivers down the spine.
What terrifying cohesion was this?
What methods had this young Rear Admiral used to forge such a force?
Hawk raised his right hand and pressed it down lightly.
Instantly, the thunderous roar ceased.
Silence fell again.
Thousands of faces still burned with fervor, yet not a single sound escaped their lips.
Orders obeyed. Discipline absolute.
Hawk nodded faintly to himself.
Then his gaze shifted locking onto a figure at the front of the right formation.
"Of course, that alone isn't enough."
He stepped forward, his aura shifting sharply.
"Colonel Smoker, step out!"
"...Huh?"
Still reeling from the echo of the chant, Smoker blinked, dumbfounded.
Why was this about him?
"Smoker," Tina murmured, nudging him discreetly with her elbow.
Reluctantly, Smoker stepped forward.
Hawk's eyes met his.
"Smoker... back in the East Blue, you did me a favor. But a debt is a debt."
"You still owe me five boxes of cigars, don't you?"
Smoker's face darkened instantly.
You bastard you bring that up in front of thousands?!
"So here's the deal." Hawk raised three fingers.
"If you can withstand three blows from me, the debt is cleared."
"What?!"
"Three blows?!"
Smoker's temper flared, the vein on his temple throbbing.
Who the hell did this kid think he was?!
He was Smoker, the White Hunter, a Logia-user, a veteran officer of the Grand Line!
And Hawk dared to say he could only last three moves?
"Fine, Hawk!" Smoker's jaw clenched, fury boiling.
"Not three try thirty!"
The soldiers cleared a wide space in the center of the field, anticipation thick in the air.
Two titans of G-3 were about to clash for the first time.
"White Snake!!"
Smoker struck first, his arm exploding into smoke that coiled into a massive serpent, hissing as it lunged at Hawk.
He knew Hawk was strong.
But with his Logia powers, he was confident he could last far longer than three blows.
Yet Hawk stood still, his expression calm.
Through the sharpened perception of his Observation Haki, every swirl of smoke, every current of movement was laid bare.
Too slow.
Full of openings.
But if he wanted to establish authority, he needed to end it with overwhelming force.
One strike.
Just one strike.
He waited waited for the largest opening.
And as the smoke serpent lunged within a breath of his face
Hawk moved.
His right fist clenched, coated in hardened Armament Haki.
Then he threw his punch.
"Piercing Heavy Fist!"
No wasted motion.
No flashy techniques.
Only raw power pure violence.
Boom!!!
His fist smashed through the serpent's head, tearing it apart instantly into a cloud of scattered smoke.
And the force didn't stop there.
The blow crashed through, slamming into Smoker's crossed arms before he could properly defend.
Thunderous impact shook the field.
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