Unlike the teachers—
The students gathered to watch the duel had far less experience and perception.
They could only see the surface of things.
"Holy crap! How is Li Zhiwei this strong!?"
"Zhao Xuan's getting completely crushed! He can't even fight back!"
"Hey, Class 2 guys! Wasn't Li Zhiwei the weakest in your class? What's going on!?"
"You're asking me? How the hell would I know!?"
"Damn! He was hiding his strength this whole time!"
"Brother Wei's insane! Unstoppable!"
"…"
Their excited chatter filled the stands—but none of it reached the two figures clashing in the center.
Li Zhiwei continued to dominate with his superior battle experience, pressing Zhao Xuan hard from every angle.
Zhao Xuan tried counterattacking several times at first,
but after seven or eight failed attempts—all dodged easily by Li Zhiwei—he decided to switch tactics.
"Fine, then. If I can't win offensively, I'll just wear him down."
He tightened his stance, focusing entirely on Iron Body.
"Let's see who breaks first," Zhao Xuan thought calmly.
"I'll take every hit you've got."
He was confident in one thing—his recovery ability.
No Paramecia user like Li Zhiwei could possibly outlast a Mythical Zoan user like him.
Sure, turtling behind defense looked passive, maybe even cowardly.
It was slow. It was boring.
But Zhao Xuan didn't care.
In fact—he welcomed it.
Because the longer the battle dragged on…
the more system rewards he would get!
As time passed, Li Zhiwei began to notice something strange.
His breathing had grown heavy,
while Zhao Xuan was still standing tall, completely unfazed.
"Damn it… I can't keep this up!" Li Zhiwei thought, gritting his teeth.
"If this drags on any longer, I'll lose for sure!"
His eyes sharpened suddenly—
a decision made.
He dropped the sluggish aura surrounding his body.
And then—
BOOM!
His speed doubled instantly.
He shot forward like a bullet.
Storm Kick!
His foot sliced through the air, striking Zhao Xuan squarely in the chest.
Tap! Tap!
The impact forced Zhao Xuan back two steps.
The crowd gasped in unison.
"Holy—! Li Zhiwei's insane!"
"He wasn't even fighting seriously before!?"
"He was using his Sluggish Fruit on himself! He's been fighting under self-imposed restraint this whole time!"
"No wonder! What a monster!"
"Just like his father—no wasted potential at all!"
In the teachers' viewing area, several instructors exchanged knowing looks.
"So that's it… he used the Sluggish Fruit to suppress his own reflexes for training, then released it mid-battle. Clever kid."
"Yeah, impressive. At this rate, Zhao Xuan's going to lose."
"Agreed. If Zhao Xuan could only defend before Li Zhiwei went all out, he definitely can't turn the tables now."
In the arena's center, Li Zhiwei unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Finger Gun!
Storm Kick!
Two of the Six Powers' primary offensive techniques fired off in rapid succession, his strikes relentless.
Zhao Xuan was forced to retreat again and again, the tiles cracking under his heels.
"Impressive," Zhao Xuan thought, blocking another flurry of blows.
"There really are no useless fruits—only useless users."
He could feel the respect rising in him.
"But…" he whispered, eyes narrowing,
"…if this is the extent of your strength, then this duel's already over."
In that moment, he called upon his hidden trump card.
Mythical Zoan: Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon Form—Activate!
The change was subtle, but terrifying.
Since Zhao Xuan's mastery over the fruit was still low,
he couldn't yet achieve full or even half-dragon transformation.
But partial transformation—just enough—was possible.
His once-dark eyes turned a shimmering teal-gold.
A faint, draconic pressure rippled through the air.
In an instant, Zhao Xuan's mental power, physique, and reaction speed all multiplied by five.
A crushing aura of dominance surged outward from his body.
The pressure slammed into Li Zhiwei like a tidal wave.
His body froze for a moment—instinctively, his movements slowed.
And in that same heartbeat—
Zhao Xuan moved.
His eyes tracked Li Zhiwei's next motion perfectly.
At five times his normal speed, his arm shot out like lightning—
—and caught Li Zhiwei's leg mid-swing.
"What!?"
Li Zhiwei's eyes went wide with horror.
Before he could react—
Zhao Xuan's right fist, wrapped in raw, draconic force, crashed into his abdomen.
BOOM!
With the strength magnified fivefold, the impact was catastrophic.
"Urgh!!"
Li Zhiwei's body bent inward from the blow,
then shot backward like a broken arrow—
smashing into the ground dozens of meters away.
He didn't get up.
One punch.
Total knockout.
The dueling field fell utterly silent.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three—
Then—
ROAR!
The crowd erupted.
The entire arena exploded with cheers and disbelief.
"He… he one-shotted him!?"
"What the hell did I just see!?"
"Zhao Xuan—he's a monster!"
"Was that his Devil Fruit's real power!?"
The name Zhao Xuan spread through Tongcheng High once again—
this time, not as a curiosity…
but as a legend in the making.
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