Whoosh!
As the blinding red light dissipated and the whistling winds gradually subsided, the surrounding Marines finally opened their eyes wide to look.
They saw a huge crater where the explosion had just occurred, with dust and smoke constantly rising.
The Marines turned their gaze to Renji on the field, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Oh my goodness! Are you sure he is a new recruit?!"
"The power of that move might even surpass a battleship's cannon."
"Be confident, remove might."
"By the way, is Vice Admiral Yamakaji alright?! That explosion was too terrifying!"
"Vice Admiral Yamakaji didn't even dodge. My only comment on that is, he's truly a real man. A role model for us to learn from."
Thwack!
A fair fist landed on the Marine's head, and Gion scolded, "Man, my foot! And a role model? Anyone with a brain should know to avoid the enemy's ultimate moves."
"Who hit me!... It's Vice Admiral Gion!" The Marine's face instantly flushed red upon Gion.
"Vice Admiral Gion is here too!"
Everyone looked over at the sound, saluting one after another.
Gion's eyes swept over the Marines, her voice serious as she said, "Don't you understand the principle of avoiding the enemy's strength? Today, Vice Admiral Yamakaji is your negative example. Remember that."
"We remember, Vice Admiral Gion!" The Marines said in unison.
There was no other way. Gion's justice was simply too persuasive.
Gion then showed a hint of satisfaction, turning her gaze to Renji, her voice softening as she said, "You're the Marine recruit everyone's been talking about today, aren't you!?"
Renji then turned his head to look.
A pink Marine coat, and that immense justice...
Isn't this Admiral candidate Gion? And that sleazy dwarf next to her must be Tokikake.
Renji smiled slightly. "Vice Admiral Gion. Vice Admiral Tokikake."
Renji's turn instantly surprised everyone.
"Wow, how is this new recruit so handsome?"
"Indeed. Even when I was 18, I was slightly inferior to him."
Amidst the Marines' whispers, Gion also clearly saw Renji's appearance. Her pupils imperceptibly contracted, and her voice unconsciously became even softer.
"To possess such strength at such a young age, your future is promising."
"Haha, not at all." Renji responded with a smile.
Hearing Gion's praise for Renji, Tokikake's face almost turned black. He had been a bit curious about this powerful Marine, but now his favorability dropped to negative.
And why is this kid so tall and handsome?!
Damn it!
Tokikake, his face somewhat distorted, said sarcastically, "That's right, Gion, not at all. With just this bit of strength, I, Tokikake, was much stronger back in the day."
Gion retorted without ceremony, "Oh? I remember when you first joined the Marine, you were being chased and beaten, weren't you?"
"...Nonsense! I was preparing to practice Geppo." Tokikake's cheeks gradually flushed, and he quickly began to explain.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake was also chased and beaten back then?"
"I never would have thought he actually has such a past."
Listening to everyone's discussions, Tokikake suddenly felt a bit restless. He then spoke, "New recruit, what's wrong with you? You just arrived and caused such a big commotion. You've got some nerve."
"Look at the state of this training ground you've destroyed. And you've injured so many comrades."
Renji looked at the embarrassed Tokikake and said indifferently, "They brought it upon themselves."
Tokikake saw that Renji still dared to act arrogantly and gradually became angry. "You brat, you dare to talk back!?"
He glanced at Renji's rank and said impolitely, "You're just a Petty Officer. Do you know the consequences of contradicting a superior officer?!"
Gion reprimanded Tokikake, "Enough, Tokikake! Doesn't everyone know the rules of the training camp? He won by his strength, what more do you have to say?!"
The latter, facing Gion, wanted to say something but ultimately closed his mouth.
Renji found it amusing to see Tokikake deflated. He hadn't expected Gion to stand up for him. However, he had no intention of backing down in the face of Tokikake's aggression.
Besides, he had already been so high-profile today. Make him concede now?
Impossible.
He wouldn't agree, and the system wouldn't either.
Worst case, he'd drop the act and reveal everything.
With Conqueror's Haki coating, he'd just blow him up.
Tokikake was merely an Admiral candidate, who would be replaced by Fujitora and Aramaki two years later. Such a guy wasn't worthy of him bowing his head.
But saying such things seemed to unintentionally harm Gion as well, especially since she had just spoken up for him.
"I'm sorry, Vice Admiral Tokikake, but I prefer to let my strength do the talking, unlike certain short Vice Admirals who only boast."
"..."
The scene fell silent. Everyone looked at Renji, unable to believe he dared to call Tokikake a dwarf to his face.
Saying such things behind his back might be acceptable, but for a mere new recruit to slap him in the face like that, you're truly brave.
Renji said with a smile, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. I must say, Vice Admiral Tokikake does have aspects that I admire."
Hearing this, everyone who had been holding their breath was about to relax. It seemed this new recruit wasn't as arrogant as they thought.
However, Renji continued, "After all, I couldn't possibly shamelessly follow someone around after being rejected hundreds of times. Such an unyielding spirit makes me admire him. It's worth everyone learning from."
"Hiss..."
Only gasps of cold air remained on the field. Everyone looked at Renji as if he were a monster.
Will you really be alright, poking a Vice Admiral's sore spot like that to his face?
Gion was also stunned after hearing this, looking at Renji with some disbelief.
This handsome young man is so venomous when he speaks.
Is he really not afraid of getting beaten? Or does he have some other backing?
And he just joined the Marine, how does he know all these things? Has he already collected all the Marine's intelligence?!
Unconsciously, Renji's abilities had risen to a new level in Gion's mind.
Crack, crack, crack!
Tokikake's fists clenched, making a cracking sound, his face completely darkened.
To dare to slander him like this in front of Gion, if he, Tokikake, didn't teach this kid a lesson, then he would have no dignity left in the Marine in the future.
"Brat, are you challenging me? Do you think winning against Yamakaji means you can walk all over the Marine?"
A cold glint flashed in Tokikake's narrowed eyes, and an invisible pressure quietly permeated the air. Even the onlookers felt that something was wrong.
Vice Admiral Tokikake was truly angry!
Just then, the system's voice rang in Renji's mind.
[Ding! Host's performance upon joining the Marine has been recognized by the system.]
[Reward: Reverse Cursed Technique (Lv. 1)]
Oh, there's this reward too. Not bad at all.
Renji's face broke into a smile.
This scene fell into everyone's eyes.
"He's crazy! This kid is truly crazy!"
"He can still smile in the face of Vice Admiral Tokikake's wrath."
"This kid really isn't afraid of being carried out on a stretcher."
[Ding! Detected that Host's actions are too charming, Reverse Cursed Technique level has been upgraded to Lv. 2!]
[Reverse Cursed Technique (Lv. 2): Consumes a large amount of Cursed Energy to quickly recover one's injuries. Can achieve limb regeneration. The more severe the injury, the slower the recovery.]
Upon seeing this, after a brief moment of surprise, Renji's smile widened.
Seeing the increasingly brilliant smile on Renji's face, Tokikake could no longer suppress himself.
"Heh heh, you've got guts, kid."