Tokikake frowned slightly, yet deep down he did not dare underestimate Karl in the slightest.
After all, this was a man whose reputation preceded him—someone who had crossed blades with Whitebeard, Big Mom, Red-Hair Shanks, and Kaido.
Aside from the earliest encounters, where things had been rather rough, none of the later clashes ended with Karl being truly suppressed—even the Emperors themselves had failed to deal with him.
A great name is never hollow.
Tokikake would never look down on Karl simply because of his age.
Besides, the Three Admirals weren't much older than Karl either—but they had already served as Admirals for over a decade.
And him?
He had been an Admiral Candidate for over ten years.
That alone spoke volumes.
Standing between the two, Zephyr once again emphasized the rules of the bout. Then he said solemnly,
"Three… two… one—begin!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zephyr immediately retreated.
At his age, he really couldn't afford to get caught in the shockwaves anymore.
Tokikake's expression turned serious, shedding his usual carefree demeanor. He even removed his Justice cloak, clearly not wanting it to hinder his movements.
"Take this! Tempest Kick – Cutting Gale!"
Tokikake flipped backward and lashed out with a kick mid-air.
A white crescent-shaped blade of compressed air tore forward, kicking up dust and debris.
Clang!
At that instant, Conqueror's Haki erupted.
A terrifying pressure burst forth from Karl's body like a tidal wave.
Several of the recruits watching nearby collapsed on the spot, while many others struggled to breathe, drenched in cold sweat, staring at Karl in pure fear.
"T-That pressure… could it be the legendary Conqueror's Haki?!"
"It has to be! Other than Fleet Admiral Sengoku, only Vice Admiral White Crow has this kind of presence!"
The recruits didn't feel the full force only because Karl had precisely controlled the range of his Conqueror's Haki.
The one under the greatest pressure—
Was Tokikake.
"Damn it! I won't be scared by this!"
Gritting his teeth, Tokikake charged forward against the suffocating pressure.
His fist turned pitch-black with Armament Haki, his entire arm compressed like a coiled spring, ready to explode with force.
Karl showed no fear.
With a faint sizzle, he grasped the hilt of Raimei and drew it.
"Elbaf Spear · Sovereign Nation!"
A gigantic flying slash—nearly thirty meters long—tore through the air.
The sky itself seemed to darken, leaving only a blood-red arc racing straight toward Tokikake.
"What?!"
Tokikake's eyes widened in shock.
It was too fast. There was no time to dodge.
He crossed his arms and released his Armament Haki outward, desperately trying to block the attack.
But it was futile.
Driven by the sheer force of the slash, Tokikake's feet were pushed backward, carving two long black trenches into the ground.
Veins bulged across his body. Sweat poured down his face as he roared,
"Get—out—of—my—way!!!"
With a final burst of strength, Tokikake deflected the Sovereign Nation slash into the sky.
He froze in place, panting heavily, staring at Karl in disbelief.
How can he be this strong?
That swordsmanship… that power…
Even the Admirals weren't necessarily stronger than this.
The recruits watching covered their mouths in shock.
"Incredible… Vice Admiral White Crow really is terrifying. Just one move, and Vice Admiral Tokikake looks like he's already at his limit."
Among the crowd, Tashigi clasped her hands under her chin, staring at Karl with shining eyes.
So this is Vice Admiral White Crow… someone who can stand against the world's greatest swordsman…
Wait—that technique just now…
That was a giant race secret art, wasn't it?!
And he used it that easily?
Could his physical body already rival that of the giants…?
Her gaze grew filled with admiration.
If only I could serve under Vice Admiral White Crow after graduation… I could learn swordsmanship from him… and see his three famous blades up close…
But reality soon caught up with her thoughts.
Someone as strong as him would never notice someone as weak as me…
Watching from close range, Zephyr revealed a satisfied smile.
Karl truly had not disappointed him.
No—rather, Karl had become the most satisfactory student Zephyr had ever taught. Without question.
At the very least, Karl's existence gave him hope.
Hope that the Marines still had a future.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake," Karl said calmly,
"we've only just begun. You're not tired already… are you?"
Tokikake glared at him unwillingly, took a deep breath, and replied,
"Of course not! That was just a warm-up! Again!"
Tokikake rushed forward once more.
Karl met him head-on.
Objectively speaking, Tokikake was indeed stronger than most Vice Admirals.
But—
He was still a step away from an Admiral.
No wonder that after Akainu became Fleet Admiral, neither Tokikake nor Gion—both legitimate Admiral Candidates—were promoted.
They simply didn't have the strength.
About two hours later, the battle finally drew to a close.
Tokikake was at his limit.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake," Karl asked,
"do you still want to continue?"
"Huff… huff… no, no more!" Tokikake waved his hands frantically.
"I concede!"
He was done.
Completely done.
No matter what he tried, he couldn't even get close to Karl.
And when he finally did, Karl tanked the hit with his body—and nothing happened.
Not to mention that utterly shameless Holy Light Devil Fruit…
The longer the fight dragged on, the more despairing it became.
Whoever wanted to fight next—go ahead.
He was out.
Karl shrugged at Zephyr, then gathered a sphere of golden holy light and infused it into Tokikake.
"Hahaha! Looks like I won by a small margin," Karl said with a grin.
"Since there's still plenty of time… Sister Gion, would you like to continue?"
Gion's beautiful eyes widened. She pointed at herself, then waved her hands quickly.
"No, no, no! Karl—your strength isn't something your sister doesn't understand."
"There's no need to fight. I acknowledge you."
"Well, then…"
Zephyr burst out laughing and slapped Karl hard on the shoulder.
"Well done! I really didn't misjudge you. Looks like you truly didn't waste these past years!"
Karl smiled but said nothing.
Ain, however, curled her lips.
Didn't slack off?
Please.
Other than developing his abilities, she had never seen Karl actively train.
And even his "ability development" usually happened after certain nighttime activities, supposedly to "restore stamina"—
—for emergencies, he claimed.
"Instructor Zephyr," Karl suddenly said,
"I have something to ask of you."
Zephyr nodded.
"Go ahead. If I can help, I will."
Karl immediately pulled Ain over and said with a smile,
"Ain has already been promoted to Rear Admiral and will soon be leading missions independently."
"You're training new students right now—could you recommend someone suitable?"
Zephyr frowned slightly and lowered his voice.
"Ain… it's not that I don't want to help. It's just that this generation…"
"…is worse than the last."
"To be honest, there isn't a single student in this class who really stands out."
"I truly don't know who I could recommend."
Ain covered her mouth in shock.
"Not even one?"
Zephyr nodded.
Even Karl's class had only produced Karl and Ain. The rest were… mediocre.
This batch didn't even have someone on Binz's level.
It was clear just how badly the new generation of Marine talent had withered.
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