Twelve days. 200,000 views. I still can't quite believe it.
When I started translating this story, I never expected it to blow up — but here we are, and it's all thanks to you.
Your support, energy, comments, and every single read have pushed this way beyond what I imagined. (╥﹏╥)
To celebrate, I'm dropping a bunch of Chapters all at once. (ง •̀_•́)ง
Think of it as a little "power boost" for the journey ahead —
because from here on out, things are only going to get wilder, darker, and more intense. (¬‿¬)
Thanks for sailing with me. This is just the beginning.
Let's keep pushing forward — together! (ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ)
With Zephyr's commanding voice echoing across the field, the Marine cadets instinctively cleared a wide space in the center.
"Ahh... the first match is mine!! This really gets my blood pumping!!"
Grinning widely, Kuzan strode confidently into the clearing.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Kuzan, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
This kid always gave off a lazy, carefree vibe.
Yet whenever something caught his interest, he would suddenly reveal a passionate, burning side.
Two seemingly opposite temperaments, yet somehow they coexisted perfectly within him.
> "What a fiery spirit..."
Zephyr thought silently.
Having the students fight to determine the top five seats was a long-standing tradition.
On one hand, it stoked the fires of competition.
On the other, it allowed instructors to closely observe the students — to clearly identify their strengths and weaknesses and tailor their training accordingly.
At that moment, Doberman — the scarred Marine — stepped forward from the crowd, his expression grim and his gaze coldly locked onto Kuzan.
"My target was Darren," Doberman said, his voice sharp.
"I wanted to see for myself just how strong the so-called 'King of the North Blue' really is."
"His name has been tossed around so much lately, I'm sick of hearing it."
He paused, hand resting on the hilt of his saber.
"But since fate has placed you in front of me, Kuzan —
I'll just have to go through you first."
Before arriving at Headquarters, Doberman had been the Supreme Commander of the East Blue Marines.
As one of the Supreme Commanders of the Four Seas, he'd long heard of Darren's brilliant exploits.
And in truth, Darren's remarkable achievements as the North Blue Commander had weighed heavily on him, gnawing at his pride.
Sure, Darren had taken down Byrnndi World and clashed head-on with Gol D. Roger — and survived.
That certainly proved his strength.
But Doberman wasn't fully convinced.
After all, Sengoku the Admiral and Borsalino the Rear Admiral had participated in the battle against the World Pirates.
And when Darren fought Roger, Vice Admiral Garp and Rear Admiral Dragon had been there too.
Who knew what the real situation had been?
Only by facing Darren himself — win or lose — could he be truly convinced.
"Sorry, but Darren's already my rival," Kuzan said with a regretful smile, scratching the back of his head.
"In that case," Doberman said coldly, "I won't be holding back."
Slowly, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, lowering his center of gravity.
The air around him thickened, charged with murderous intent.
The wind howled, kicking up clouds of yellow sand.
Doberman's white cloak billowed fiercely behind him.
He shifted into a perfect battōjutsu stance —
front foot forward, knees bent, body coiled like a taut bowstring ready to snap.
Kuzan narrowed his eyes slightly.
> "That's a textbook-draw technique..."
Gion's eyes lit up with interest.
"Trying to end it in a single strike?"
Darren mused, smiling calmly.
All the cadets fell silent, holding their breath.
No one wanted to miss a single detail.
After all, the winner would be their future rival.
Any scrap of information could make a difference.
The tension in the air thickened...
The sand exploded upward.
Doberman lunged like a hunting leopard, moving so fast he seemed to blur from sight.
A brilliant arc of sword-light flared through the air, sharp and overwhelming.
In that instant, his aura shifted from heavy and imposing to razor-sharp and relentless.
The level of this slash...
it was already at the point where it could sever steel.
A gash opened across Kuzan's shoulder — but not a single drop of blood flew out.
Instead, sparkling ice crystals danced in the air, glittering under the blazing sun before vanishing into the wind.
Doberman landed behind Kuzan.
He stared blankly at his frozen hand — and the frozen blade gripped within it — struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
The gathered cadets gaped in shock.
"How do you even fight against that...?"
"Wait, look carefully — Doberman's hand and sword are frozen!"
Their eyes widened in horror.
Doberman's battōjutsu had been executed flawlessly.
A draw-cut aimed at maximum speed and destruction.
For Kuzan to not only survive, but freeze Doberman's blade and hand at the moment of impact—
There was only one explanation.
Kuzan had perfectly read the trajectory of Doberman's slash,
and activated his Logia powers exactly at the moment of contact.
Such a feat required:
Exceptional dynamic vision,
Lightning-fast neural responses,
And near-perfect mastery over his Devil Fruit ability.
"He's really a monster..."
The cadets shivered involuntarily.
Tokikake murmured in disbelief.
He imagined himself standing in Doberman's place —
and his heart immediately sank.
Even if Kuzan didn't use his Devil Fruit powers, he'd still be outmatched.
"...That was one hell of a draw,"
Kuzan said softly, scratching his head.
The gash across his chest slowly froze over, restoring his body to its usual pristine state.
"Stop kidding around..."
Doberman growled, gritting his teeth.
Slowly, he straightened, turning to face Kuzan.
Ice crystals cracked and flaked off his sword and hand as he moved.
"Complete and utter domination...
It's like fighting despair itself."
He sheathed his blade and shook his head, casting Kuzan a complicated look.
After a moment of heavy silence, Doberman bowed his head slightly:
Thank you for the lesson, Kuzan."
Kuzan gave him a wide, cheerful grin and a thumbs-up:
"Your sword technique is amazing too!"
At first, he thought Kuzan was mocking him —
but when he met Kuzan's sincere, burning gaze,
he realized the kid was being completely genuine.
Some words, when spoken by certain people, sounded sarcastic no matter what.
But from someone like the hot-blooded Kuzan...
they were simply pure.
Doberman pursed his lips, then gave a bitter smile.
"Losing to a monster isn't something to be ashamed of," he said finally.
"But... I'll catch up to you someday."
His eyes gleamed with new determination.
Doberman smiled wryly again.
This guy... it was impossible to hate him.
Watching the scene unfold, Zephyr nodded with satisfaction.
Then, he raised his voice:
"First match, winner: Kuzan!!"
"Second match, prepare!
Gion versus Mozambia — step forward!"