"Clatter, clatter—"
Dense footsteps surged like tidal waves, rushing in from all directions.
Hawke didn't retreat—he advanced, swinging a powerful fist straight into the crowd.
"Boom—!"
The force of his punch tore through the air, producing a sharp, piercing whistle.
One of the veteran G-3 soldiers charging in front had no time to react before Hawke's fist slammed squarely into his chest.
"Whoosh—!"
The soldier's body shot backward like a kite with its string cut.
He crashed into an entire row of men behind him, knocking them down like bowling pins.
In an instant, an open space formed in front of Hawke.
But the next moment, more soldiers filled the gap, surging forward.
"Hmph—"
Hawke grinned, his body suddenly lowering.
At an incredible, almost unnatural angle, he darted forward and snatched up another charging soldier.
The man felt his body clamped in an iron grip, as though he'd been seized by a beast's steel claws—completely unable to move.
"Sorry…"
Hawke whispered softly to the soldier in his arms.
"But from now on, you're my 'weapon'!"
He swung the man like a battering ram, charging straight ahead.
Wherever he passed, soldiers were knocked flying.
Those struck spewed blood from their mouths, instantly losing consciousness.
Forcing open a path through the crowd, Hawke leapt high into the air and hurled his "weapon" down into the densest part of the formation.
"Absolutely… breathtaking!"
"Boom!"
The entire training ground trembled violently.
At the point of impact, a shockwave visible to the naked eye exploded outward.
Hundreds of soldiers were thrown high into the air, scattering like ragdolls, before crashing heavily to the ground—completely incapacitated.
At the center of the blast zone, the unfortunate soldier who had served as Hawke's "weapon" was foaming at the mouth, thoroughly unconscious.
Just then, a sharp voice rang out: "Black Cage Formation!"
Hina extended her arms, and several black iron bars shot out from her sleeves, intertwining into a massive net that descended over Hawke from above.
"White Bind!"
Smoker's figure turned into billowing clouds of smoke, forming several thick, whip-like tendrils that sealed off all of Hawke's escape routes.
Faced with their seamless pincer attack—
Hawke spoke calmly.
"Nice coordination."
"But… not enough!"
He inhaled deeply, then unleashed twenty rapid punches toward the dense wall of attacks ahead.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The violent gales from his fists roared, tearing through Hina's iron bars and scattering Smoker's smoke tendrils.
Smoker and Hina were both caught by the storm of force and sent hurtling backward.
With the two strongest opponents down, Hawke charged straight into the crowd.
"Thud!"
Amid the siege of thousands, Hawke moved with effortless grace, as though strolling through a garden.
Every punch he threw carried a sharp whistle.
Every strike sent clusters of Marines screaming, crashing into the ground.
The sweeping arcs of his fists embodied the ultimate blend of raw violence and pure beauty.
"!!!"
From the ground, Smoker struggled to push himself upright.
His pupils contracted violently as he watched the scene unfold.
No Devil Fruit.
Hawke was relying solely on his body—honed to perfection—his martial arts, his mastery of fists, and his suffocatingly intense Armament Haki!
With just his own strength, he had crushed the entire G-3 Branch.
This… this is the terror of refining one's foundation to the absolute extreme?!
Only one word could describe it—invincible!
Smoker thought of his vaunted Smoke-Smoke Fruit abilities, only to realize how laughable they seemed before Hawke's overwhelming strength.
I admit defeat.
For the first time, Smoker felt a deep sense of awe and respect for someone of his own generation.
Completely convinced.
And it wasn't just Smoker.
"Hina is convinced."
Hina stood up on the other side, straightening her slightly disheveled hair.
"That Hawke… he really doesn't know how to show mercy to a lady."
"Hina admits defeat… completely."
"…"
Smoker dragged himself up and gestured toward the edge of the field.
There, Hibari was cheering wildly for Hawke.
Kujaku stood with arms crossed, watching the one-sided slaughter with evident interest.
"Hina," Smoker muttered gruffly, "if you don't charge in, you won't get beaten."
It wasn't that Hawke didn't know how to be gentle with women.
It was that she had insisted on charging into the fight.
"…"
"Hina understands."
"Next time, Hina will stand on the sidelines and watch you get beaten, Smoker!"
"…"
Smoker's face instantly darkened.
"Thud—"
Soon, with one final heavy punch, the battle came to an end.
The training ground was a complete mess.
Thousands of Marines lay sprawled across the ground, groaning in pain.
At the very center of the field—
Hawke slowly lowered his fists.
His gaze swept across the surroundings, feeling the mix of fear and reverence in the air, and his chest swelled with satisfaction.
Not bad.
It wasn't as enlightening as his sparring session with Admiral Akainu, where his mastery had advanced to a new realm.
But this kind of pure, crushing domination… was incredibly satisfying too!
Perfect.
In a corner, Zoro and Sanji groggily regained consciousness.
Rubbing their dizzy heads, they looked around at the battlefield—scenes of devastation that looked like illustrations straight out of hell.
"Oi… curly-brow…"
Zoro's voice was hoarse.
"What… just happened?"
Sanji lit a crushed cigarette, taking a deep drag before regaining his voice.
"No idea… everything went black in an instant…"
The two of them slowly raised their heads, staring at the lone figure standing above thousands.
"So, moss-head… what do you think?"
"What else is there to say? Commodore Hawke—I'm sticking with him!"
...
Meanwhile—
Mock Town.
Once part of Jaya Island, the town had since become a lawless haven for pirates.
Its buildings were stylish, resembling a seaside resort.
But the air was thick with alcohol, sweat, and the metallic stench of blood.
Fights and brawls broke out daily, serving as the town's main source of entertainment.
"Whoosh—"
A pirate ship adorned with grinning faces from bow to sail slowly departed the harbor.
At the bow stood a blond man with a long scar across his left eye, his expression brimming with arrogance.
Bellamy.
He turned to his men behind him and said,
"Have you heard? The Navy's new G-3 Branch Commander is a Commodore transferred from the East Blue."
"Commodore? Bellamy-san, aren't all Grand Line Navy branches usually commanded by elite Vice Admirals from Headquarters?"
"Exactly. That's why this is our chance!"
"As 'new era' pirates, we have to do something different!"
"You mean…?"
"A Commodore transferred from the weakest sea? How strong can he possibly be?!"
"We're going to take the G-3 Branch!"
"And present it as an offering…"
"To the young master, Donquixote Doflamingo-sama. He's going to love this!"
...
(This chapter was posted for your review, thank you. For each review I post +1 chapter)