Soru!
The sound of the air tearing only reached everyone's eardrums half a second later.
The world in front of Sakazuki had no time to change.
The blond figure abruptly vanished.
Tatsuki's provocative smirk still lingered on his retina.
Where is he?
Sakazuki's monster-like combat instinct screamed a warning. His scalp tingled, and he violently exerted force in his waist to turn and defend.
But it was too slow.
"I'm right here, Sakazuki." A mocking voice drifted from in front of him.
Immediately afterward, a fist slammed into Sakazuki's chest. It seemed like a light tap, but the moment it made contact with his skin, terrifying kinetic energy suddenly erupted.
Crack!
That was the sound of a sternum shattering.
"Pfft!"
Sakazuki spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, instantly losing his center of gravity.
The powerful impact caused his body to fold unnaturally into a ">" shape in mid-air, sending him flying backward with a deafening rush of wind.
Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters...
Boom!
The half-meter thick granite wall at the edge of the training ground instantly collapsed inward from the massive impact, scattering rubble and swirling dust.
When the dust settled, everyone gasped.
Sakazuki was embedded in the wall's crater in a "spread-eagled" position. His red shirt was shredded into rags, his head was tilted to the side, and the baseball cap he always wore had flown off to some corner.
His chest heaved violently twice, and then, his eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.
[Ding! You beat a fellow recruit into unconsciousness!]
[Violation points +300!]
The entire area fell silent.
The trainees opened their mouths but couldn't utter a sound.
What was that?
The life-or-death brawl from a moment ago instantly turned into a one-sided massacre?
"Was that... Soru?"
Zephyr violently ripped off his sunglasses, his fierce eyes, which had seen countless battles, now filled with disbelief. He stared intently at Tatsuki, who was standing in the center of the field, meticulously adjusting his cuffs.
How was that possible?
As the Chief Instructor, Zephyr knew better than anyone the difficulty of learning Rokushiki.
It was a superhuman technique that required years of physical conditioning, elevating one's physical capabilities to an inhuman level.
How long had this batch of New Recruits been enrolled? One week!
He had only briefly demonstrated the principles and power exertion techniques during the theoretical class a few days ago.
Monsters like Sakazuki and Borsalino could barely manage a couple of steps during practice thanks to their extraordinary talent, but Tatsuki was able to use it so smoothly and accurately in high-intensity combat?
This was no longer just talent. This was monstrous.
"This kid..."
Zephyr's throat felt dry as he looked at the blond youth's back, his expression becoming incredibly complicated.
'He acts like a slacker normally, but was he hiding his strength all along?'
Just as Zephyr was still reeling from shock, Tatsuki moved. He took heavy steps, walking inch by inch toward Sakazuki, who was embedded in the wall.
Zephyr's nerves instantly tightened.
That kid had been fighting with bloodshot eyes. He wasn't going to finish him off, was he?
"Tatsuki! Stop! The match is over!"
Zephyr roared, his figure flashed, and he prepared to rush over and intervene.
Tatsuki stopped.
He turned around and looked at the rushing Zephyr with an expression of utter innocence.
He scratched his head, displaying his signature smile. "Sensei, why are you so nervous?"
Tatsuki sighed, looking at Sakazuki in the wall, his tone filled with deep self-reproach. "Alas, this is all my fault."
He spread his hands and shrugged helplessly, "For that last hit, I got a little bit serious, thinking that Sakazuki was so strong that he would definitely take it and then fight me for three hundred more rounds."
Tatsuki shook his head, looking utterly disappointed. "I never thought that he would just faint like that. I genuinely didn't expect him to be so fragile."
"I was too much, how could I overestimate my classmate's strength like that?"
"Pfft!"
Kuzan, standing nearby, nearly choked on his spit hearing this.
Fragile?
Just a little bit serious?
Listen to that, is that something a person says?
Zephyr's lips twitched uncontrollably.
He looked at Sakazuki's miserable state, then at Tatsuki's expression of "I'm sorry, but I'm just too strong," and his blood pressure shot up.
This kid...
Winning wasn't enough, he had to crush his spirit too.
"Enough! Stop with the sarcasm!" Zephyr scolded irritably. "Hurry up and take him to the infirmary!"
"Yes, sensei!"
Tatsuki immediately stood at attention and saluted, his attitude impeccable. "To make up for my mistake, I request to personally carry Sakazuki to the infirmary. I want to use my body heat to warm his injured soul."
Finishing his statement, and without waiting for Zephyr to refuse, Tatsuki dashed forward and pried the unconscious Sakazuki off the wall.
Next, a breathtaking maneuver occurred.
Normally, when carrying someone on your back, the injured person lies prone with their head resting on your shoulder.
But Tatsuki did the opposite. He carried Sakazuki backward, leaving Sakazuki's bruised, swollen face, with blood trickling from his mouth, pointing straight outward.
"Let's go. Sakazuki, time to see the doctor."
Tatsuki strode out of the training ground with a light step.
But he "got lost."
The way to the infirmary was clearly to the left, yet he deliberately went right, heading straight for the Administrative Plaza, the busiest area in Marineford.
It was seven in the morning, the peak time for Marineford staff to report to work.
"Isn't that Tatsuki from the Elite Camp? Starting weighted training so early?" A passing Marine greeted him curiously.
"Reporting, Sir!"
Tatsuki stopped, deliberately puffed out his chest, and bounced Sakazuki on his back to ensure the Marine could clearly see the swollen face.
"This is my close friend, Sakazuki. He collapsed from exhaustion because he trained too hard."
"This spirit, persisting in combat even after fainting, is moving. So I specifically carried him around for two extra laps to soak up his righteous energy."
"Oh? He's that dedicated?"
The Marine looked at Sakazuki's horrific face and was filled with awe. "Although it looks like he was beaten up... the Elite Class training truly is brutal. What a promising talent."
Tatsuki beamed brightly, his feet never stopping.
From the Administrative Building to the family quarters, and then to the cafeteria entrance.
Along the way, Tatsuki displayed Sakazuki's miserable state like a trophy, giving three hundred and sixty degrees of viewing pleasure to half of Marineford.
[Ding! Publicly executing a future Fleet Admiral has caused a negative impact.]
[Violation points +150!]
[Ding! False propaganda, damaging the reputation of a fellow New Recruit.]
[Violation points +80!]
Tatsuki couldn't stop smiling as he listened to the pleasant notification sounds.
—
One hour later.
Marineford Infirmary.
The strong smell of disinfectant pierced his nostrils.
"Ugh..."
Sakazuki let out a painful groan as his consciousness gradually returned.
His last memory was frozen on the moment Tatsuki vanished, and the sharp pain in his chest.
I lost?
I actually lost?
An intense feeling of humiliation immediately surged through him. Sakazuki violently opened his eyes and shot up from the hospital bed.
"Tatsuki!!"
The furious roar made the IV stand rattle.
But he froze after shouting.
The ward was lively.
Zephyr stood by the window with a dark expression, Borsalino was trimming his nails while crossing his legs, and Kuzan was looking at him with sympathy.
And right beside the hospital bed, that blond bastard was holding a bowl of medicine, smiling widely as he looked at him.
Sunlight streamed through the window onto Tatsuki's face. His blond hair was dazzlingly bright, and his blue eyes were full of motherly concern.
"You're awake?"
Tatsuki picked up the spoon, scooped up an unknown liquid, even thoughtfully blew on it to cool it, and offered it to Sakazuki's mouth.
"Come on, Sakazuki, time for your medicine."
Sakazuki's hair stood on end and he instinctively recoiled, which aggravated his chest injury, making him grimace in pain.
"Get lost! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
"Don't be such a stranger. After all, we fought, and now we share a bond."
Ignoring him, Tatsuki shoved the spoon right up to Sakazuki's mouth, his tone so sincere it was nauseating. "I really am sorry about earlier. I saw how confident you were, so I thought you had some real skill. Who knew you were so fragile you'd collapse with one hit."
"Look, I specially brewed this medicine for you. It's for your brain... no, it's for your blood."
Sakazuki's face instantly turned red, and veins bulged on his neck. "You... who did you say was fragile?!"
"Oh, well, everyone is saying it."
Tatsuki sighed and said earnestly, "When I carried you over just now, all the passing officers saw you. You were sleeping so peacefully on my back, with a bloody bubble hanging from your nose. Everyone was moved by your appearance of 'training so hard you collapsed.'"
"Now the whole of Marineford is spreading your story—'Glass Cannon Hardman' Sakazuki."
The whole... Marineford?
Everyone saw me?
A bloody bubble hanging from my nose?
Sakazuki felt a loud "buzz" in his head, and his blood pressure instantly exceeded the critical limit.
I, the magnificent Sakazuki!
The future pillar of the Marine!
Not only was I knocked out by this bastard, but I was also paraded around like a monkey?!
"You... you bastard..."
Sakazuki's finger, pointing at Tatsuki, trembled violently, and he couldn't catch his breath.
"Pfft!"
He spat out another mouthful of blood.
Immediately afterward, this hardman, known for his iron will, rolled his eyes and fell straight back onto the pillow. He was literally angered back into unconsciousness.
[Ding! Verbal provocation caused a fellow New Recruit to faint a second time, resulting in severe mental trauma!]
[Violation points +500!]
"Oh dear!"
Tatsuki exclaimed in surprise, and the spoon in his hand clattered into the bowl.
He turned his head and looked at Zephyr with an innocent expression. "Zephyr-sensei, this is bad! Sakazuki fainted from excitement! He must have been so happy feeling his comrade's care that his brain ran out of oxygen!"
Zephyr took a deep breath. He glanced at his fist, then at the purely innocent Tatsuki.
He had never wanted to beat a student of his so badly in his life.
"Get out!!!"