"Boom—!"
Akainu's overwhelming aura suddenly receded.
His magma-like blazing eyes locked tightly onto Hawke.
"Hawke, I still have one slot."
"A direct promotion to Marine Headquarters Commodore."
"This slot doesn't require Fleet Admiral Sengoku's approval. As long as I submit the request, it's yours."
"But you need to prove to me that you deserve it."
"!!!"
Hawke breathed heavily, the Armament Haki coating his body gradually fading away, revealing skin drenched in sweat.
The moment he heard the words "Marine Headquarters Commodore," his pupils shrank violently.
Marine Headquarters Commodore?!
Right now, he was just a Commander in a small East Blue branch.
From Branch Commander to Marine Headquarters Commodore—between those two stood Branch Captain, Headquarters Lieutenant Commander, Headquarters Commander… an enormous gap.
This wasn't something you could measure with common sense.
This leap… was massive!
Akainu-sama's sincerity… was overwhelming!
If he became a Headquarters Commodore, it would mean stepping through the gateway into the ranks of Marine senior officers.
The resources he could mobilize, the classified intel he could access, the authority he would gain—everything would change dramatically.
He would no longer be some regional Branch Commander tucked away in East Blue, but one of the core members who could directly participate in decisions and operations at Marine Headquarters.
"Phew—"
Hawke took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart.
He raised his head, meeting Akainu's gaze directly.
"Akainu-sama, what do I need to do to earn that slot?"
"Shff—"
Akainu slowly stood up.
He walked toward the office window, looking down at the training grounds below.
"Show me your full strength."
"Fight me."
"..."
Hawke's heart skipped a beat violently.
Fight… Akainu?
This was how he was supposed to prove himself?
His brain spun rapidly.
Akainu—one of the highest combat forces of Marine Headquarters. A Logia-type user, the Magma-Magma Fruit's fearsome power in human form.
His strength was beyond doubt—one of the monsters standing at the very peak of this world.
With his current power, defeating Akainu was impossible.
But… Akainu's meaning was clear: he wasn't asking Hawke to win.
He wanted to see—to measure exactly how strong Hawke was.
To see if he was truly worthy of being promoted directly to Commodore.
What kind of performance could someone with a "Marine Rear Admiral-level overall strength," as judged by the [Justice System], show before a true Marine Admiral?
Honestly… Hawke was curious too.
After all, every fight up until now—whether against Scimitar, Nezumi, or Arlong—had been far too one-sided.
He had never gotten the chance to fight with his full strength.
But Akainu… Akainu was the perfect testing stone.
Facing such a powerhouse wasn't just an honor—it was a rare opportunity.
He could test his limits and fight for a Headquarters promotion.
Two birds, one stone!
Hawke's eyes grew sharper, and battle intent surged inside him like a rising tide.
"Alright!"
...
Marine Branch 16 – Training Grounds
Soon, preparations were complete.
Dane led the branch soldiers, working together with the soldiers Akainu brought from Headquarters, forming a tight encirclement around the spacious training ground.
Every single gaze was locked onto the two figures standing opposite each other in the arena.
"Oi oi, seriously?"
"The Admiral's going to fight personally?"
The Headquarters soldiers whispered among themselves, their voices low but laced with disbelief.
"This isn't a joke!"
"Are we sure this isn't some kind of punishment in disguise?"
Someone muttered under his breath, clearly worried for Hawke.
"Did you forget? When the Admiral casually threw out a magma punch earlier, the soldiers of Branch 16 managed to block it together!"
"And Commander Hawke's their commanding officer. No way he's weak. I'm betting on him!"
"Betting's pointless!"
"Akainu-sama is one of Marine Headquarters' top combat forces! Commander Hawke's strong, sure, but he'll lose for sure!"
"Yeah, he'll lose—but… I'm betting Commander Hawke lasts five minutes!"
"Five? That's way too many! I'm betting three!"
"One minute!"
"Oi oi, you guys are getting ridiculous!"
"Since Akainu-sama personally invited this spar, he's obviously testing Hawke's full strength."
"Betting on minutes is meaningless."
"Commander Hawke could stand there charging up for ten minutes, and Akainu-sama would still patiently wait. You'd all lose your pants!"
"...That… actually makes sense."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Fine, then let's bet on his strength instead!"
"We're all Headquarters Marines, right? We should have the eye for it!"
"Alright, I'm in!"
Voices rose in unison.
"I bet Commander Hawke's got Headquarters Captain-level strength!"
A bespectacled, scholarly-looking soldier pushed his glasses up, his tone unusually firm.
"You're insane!"
The soldier next to him exclaimed,
"He's just a Commander from an East Blue branch! And you're betting he's Captain-level Headquarters strength?!"
"Just look at him—he's cleared out the entire East Blue!"
"I say Commander Hawke does have Headquarters Captain-level strength! Maybe even… Commodore!"
"No way!"
"He probably cleared East Blue because this batch of pirates was just trash!"
"I'm betting he doesn't even have Headquarters Captain-level strength!"
"..."
Before long, the wager was settled.
They were betting on whether Hawke had Headquarters Captain-level strength.
The stakes? Washing everyone's socks for a whole month!
And after daily high-intensity training, those socks… were practically biochemical weapons!
For Headquarters soldiers, this was an ultimate gamble.
"..."
Hawke listened silently to the chatter around him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
He glanced at Akainu, his expression a little strained.
"Akainu-sama… is this really okay…?"
"A Marine's life needs a little fun."
A rare smile tugged at Akainu's lips, his deep voice rumbling low:
"Besides, I'm curious too."
"About your strength."
"..."
Hawke inhaled slowly, nodding as his aura began to condense.
Akainu glanced at him and asked, "Where's your weapon?"
Hawke raised his right hand, slowly clenching it into a rock-solid fist.
"This is my weapon."
"Good."
Akainu's eyes gleamed with appreciation.
"I used to use a blade myself… but later, I found these steel fists far more useful."
"Come, Hawke."
"..."
Hawke said nothing more.
He tightened his right fist, and his entire presence shifted in an instant.
A dark, ink-black sheen spread rapidly from beneath his skin, creeping over his right fist and half his forearm at a speed visible to the naked eye.
That deep black seemed to swallow all light, exuding an oppressive, indomitable density.
Armament Haki—full coverage on the right fist!
In the next instant—
Hawke's toes pressed hard against the ground!
Boom!
The solid training ground cracked instantly beneath his feet.
His entire body shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string, blurring into a phantom as he charged straight at Akainu!
The speed alone stirred up a violent air current, whipping the clothes of the surrounding soldiers into a frenzy.
During the sprint, Hawke pulled back his right arm, tightening his core, his body coiling like a fully drawn war bow.
All his strength, all his power, all his intent—he poured everything into that jet-black steel fist!
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