Even though there was no tangible prize attached to the title, for the cadets standing here today, it was more precious than any reward.
After all, as trainees of the Elite Officer Training Camp, they already had one foot inside the gates of the future "Admiral-level" officers.
They would eventually become the backbone of Marine Headquarters.
What they lacked now was reputation — fame.
Just a glance at who had taken the top spots before was enough to show its value:
The First Class had two joint top cadets: Borsalino and Sakazuki, now both Rear Admirals of Headquarters — both monsters in their own right.
The Second Class had Monkey D. Dragon, the "Son of the Hero," now also a Rear Admiral.
If any of them could seize the title of "First Seat," their fame would be placed on par with these legends!
Even if they couldn't take the top, there was still second, third... even fifth place.
No one here wanted to be forgotten.
Everyone in this camp — handpicked talents and elites from every Marine branch across the world — were still in their early twenties, the prime age of pride and ambition.
No one was willing to stand beneath another.
Their hearts burned with unyielding spirit!
The cadets' eyes shifted, focusing sharply on Darren and Kuzan.
Their gazes carried clear, unhidden challenge.
"Alright, time to draw lots," Zephyr said, smiling faintly as he swept his gaze across the field.
From inside his uniform, he pulled out a handful of tightly rolled paper slips, opening his thick fingers to reveal them.
"There are fifteen of you."
"Among these slips are numbers from 1 to 7. Two cadets who draw the same number will face each other in battle."
"That means fourteen cadets will fight in the first round."
"One person will be lucky enough to get a bye and advance automatically."
No one raised any objections — after all, luck was just another part of strength.
It was the same on the battlefield, where stray bullets and cannon shells could strike without warning.
Who could argue with fate?
"Darren, I hope I get to fight you in the first round!"
Kuzan clenched his fists, his whole body radiating excitement.
He was genuinely curious about Kuzan's strength.
Right now, Kuzan hadn't yet reached the monstrous level of power he would one day achieve as an Admiral.
This was still his rapid-growth phase.
Maybe it was one of the few times Darren could "bully" him.
Meanwhile, Tokikake stood off to the side, hands in his pockets, muttering under his breath in a voice only he could hear:
"Please don't let me draw Darren... please don't let me draw Darren..."
He hadn't forgotten the nightmare from the North Blue, when he and Gion were tortured half to death by this madman.
Others might not know, but Tokikake understood all too well:
When Darren fought seriously, he was like a savage beast.
Thinking about those brutal beatings, Tokikake shivered involuntarily.
He glanced at Kuzan, who was doing warm-up exercises with feverish enthusiasm.
Tokikake hesitated, then added:
"Please don't let me draw Darren or Kuzan... not Darren or Kuzan..."
If he drew either of them, it would be instant elimination.
Imagine the headlines:
> "Headquarters' genius Tokikake loses in the first round!"
Trembling slightly, Tokikake stepped forward.
After a long, nervous hesitation, he finally picked a slip from Zephyr's hand.
"Please not Darren, please not Kuzan, please not Darren, please not Kuzan..."
He chanted silently as he unrolled the paper.
Zephyr's mouth twitched slightly.
Tokikake shouted, raising his slip triumphantly — it bore a bold number "8."
His face lit up with sheer joy, grinning from ear to ear.
Every eye turned to Tokikake.
He coughed awkwardly, forcefully schooling his expression into one of solemn regret.
"Such a pity," he said, shaking his head, his voice dripping with false melancholy.
"I was hoping to fight top-tier opponents like Darren or Kuzan right away...
Looks like I'll just have to wait until the next round."
He turned to the other cadets, his cloak fluttering dramatically behind him, his gaze lofty and proud:
"Good luck, everyone.
I'll be waiting for you in the next round."
Gion silently pressed a hand to her forehead.
Darren's mouth twitched.
"Commander Tokikake is..."
Kuzan walked up beside Darren, staring wide-eyed at Tokikake's overly dramatic posture.
Kuzan's eyes gleamed with pure admiration.
Darren, Gion, and Zephyr: "..."
Very quickly, the draw results were finalized:
Tokikake had drawn the bye and advanced automatically.
Kuzan drew number 1 — his opponent was Doberman, a Captain and the former Supreme Commander of the East Blue Marines.
Gion drew number 2 — her opponent was Mozambia, a Marine officer from the West Blue.
Darren vaguely recalled Mozambia — a poor soul who, in the future, would be manipulated by Donquixote Doflamingo during a Shichibukai meeting and forced to attack his own allies.
Even among Vice Admirals, Mozambia ranked low in strength.
Suppressing his thoughts, Darren quietly unrolled his own slip.
The number on it was... "5."
Looks like your opponent is me, Commodore Darren."
A deep voice sounded from behind him.
Turning around, Darren found himself facing a tall, muscular youth with a Marine cloak, a sheathed saber at his waist, and spotted markings across his body.
Dalmatian — a Headquarters Marine, originally from the Grand Line, and destined to become a powerful Vice Admiral.
"I've heard your name for a long time," Dalmatian said steadily.
"The man who slew the 'World Destroyer' Byrnndi World, a monster among monsters...
I want to know how far I still have to go to reach your level."
His dark eyes began to shift —
his pupils twisting and turning into yellow canine slits.
An animalistic, feral aura started to pour from his body.
Darren remained calm, smiling softly:
"I won't disappoint you, Commander Dalmatian."
Zephyr raised his voice after confirming everyone had found their opponents.
"We'll now begin the matches in numerical order!"
"In your duels, you may use any weapons, Devil Fruit abilities, anything you have — there are no restrictions."
"I expect you all to fight with everything you've got!"
Zephyr waved his hand grandly:
"First match: Kuzan versus Doberman!"