Chapter 30: Alvis's Shock
A faint flicker passed through Binz's eyes when he saw Axel walking toward him.
He was not angry about losing.
A loss was a loss. He had simply been outmatched. Besides, Axel was his friend. More than resentment, what Binz felt was admiration... and a little envy.
He envied how naturally Axel could stand among the others.
How easily the class gathered around him.
How casually he could laugh and speak without worrying whether others would reject him.
That was all.
"Binz," Axel called as he stopped in front of him.
Binz gave a small nod. "Mm."
He did not dare say much more. Not in front of everyone.
Even now, some part of him still feared that if their friendship became too obvious, Axel would be dragged down with him. Binz knew what it was like to be avoided, to be treated as something strange. He had lived with that for years. The last thing he wanted was for the first real friend he had made here to suffer because of him.
Axel seemed to understand exactly what he was thinking.
He smiled and said casually, "You were amazing. If I didn't have my weird ability, you definitely would've beaten me."
Binz blinked.
Then he scratched his cheek awkwardly, a little embarrassed by the direct praise.
"I'm not that strong," he muttered. "You're stronger."
Axel tilted his head slightly.
"Even though we're already friends, I still want to ask again." His voice grew clearer, louder, meant for more than just Binz to hear. "Binz, can we be friends?"
For a second, Binz just stared at him.
His eyes grew wet almost immediately.
That simple question struck far harder than any attack.
Ever since accidentally eating a Devil Fruit and growing into something that didn't fit the image of an ordinary child, Binz had learned to keep distance from people. Even when friendship appeared possible, he had always treated it carefully, quietly, secretly, afraid that if it came out in the open, it would vanish.
But Axel had asked him openly.
Directly.
Without hesitation.
Binz pressed his lips together and nodded hard.
Seeing that answer, Axel turned toward the rest of the students.
"Then what about you guys?" he asked. "Can you be friends with him too?"
The children froze.
The reason they had avoided Binz was simple enough.
First, he looked too different.
Although he was close to their age, his body had already grown much more than theirs, giving him the presence of someone older, someone more intimidating. Second, his Devil Fruit ability looked strange and unsettling to children who still did not understand how broad the world really was. Add to that Binz's poor social habits, and the distance between him and the rest of the class had only grown wider over time.
But now Axel had shoved the issue into the open.
He had given them a chance to step forward.
Still, children were children. Even with Axel making the first move, many of them instinctively glanced at each other, hoping someone else would take the first real step.
Eventually, one boy gathered enough courage.
He stepped forward, scratched the back of his head, and asked awkwardly, "Binz... do you want to be friends?"
Binz looked at him, startled.
Then he answered at once, "Yes."
That was all it took.
Once the first child moved, the others no longer felt the need to hold back. One by one, they began crowding in, speaking over each other, some awkward, some excited, some just curious.
In the world of pirates, the strong were respected.
In the Navy, the strong were admired.
And after seeing Binz's battle with Axel, no one here would mistake him for weak.
The fear that had once kept them away was quickly replaced by fascination.
Before long, Binz was surrounded by classmates.
He spoke in short, clumsy answers, but his expression had already softened noticeably. For the first time, he no longer looked like a child trapped on the outside of the group.
Axel stood to one side and watched the scene with a quiet sense of satisfaction.
At that moment, Ain walked up beside him.
She smiled, her sea blue hair shifting gently in the breeze, and said, "Thank you."
Axel glanced at her. "For what?"
"For helping Binz solve something that's been bothering him for a long time."
Axel shook his head. "I didn't really do much."
Ain looked at him and smiled in a way that was both amused and admiring.
"You're wrong. I'm Binz's friend too, but I never had the courage to say it openly. I was always afraid the others would start avoiding me too." She lowered her gaze slightly, then added, "But you just said it. In front of everyone. You're much braver than I am."
Axel did not think that was true.
He answered honestly, "That's not because of me. Binz was able to make friends because he's strong enough for them to see him differently. That part was his own achievement."
Ain did not argue with him.
She simply smiled, her lips curving with a hint of quiet warmth.
Then, almost under her breath, she murmured, "Now I have one more person I want to surpass."
Axel caught the movement of her lips.
"What did you say?"
Ain immediately straightened. "Nothing."
Axel looked at her for another second, clearly unconvinced, but in the end, he let it go.
Instead, he turned his attention toward Alvis.
"Teacher," he called, "does what you said earlier still count?"
The training ground quieted almost instantly.
Everyone knew exactly what he meant.
Alvis had said it himself. If Axel defeated the opponent he arranged, then he would personally spar with him.
The students' eyes lit up at once.
Their earlier excitement had been about Axel defeating Binz. But that battle, though impressive, still had not shown the true extent of Axel's strength. They wanted to see more. They wanted to know how large the gap really was between them and the grandson of the legendary Garp.
More than that, they wanted to see Alvis fight.
To them, Alvis was practically invincible.
So the idea of seeing the two clash was enough to stir every child there.
Under all those eager stares, Alvis felt something he had not expected.
Pressure.
A bead of sweat slid quietly down his back.
He had only said that line casually.
But now, standing there after watching Axel's performance, he was no longer nearly as confident about it.
That boy's speed had already brushed the edge of Alvis's own.
Binz's entangling attack was troublesome enough that even Alvis himself would not have escaped it so cleanly. Yet Axel had slipped free with absurd ease, as though the entire thing had never truly threatened him at all.
And that was not even the most worrying part.
The most worrying part was that Alvis still could not clearly read the limits of Axel's ability.
If the boy was still hiding something...
If he had another move prepared...
Then what?
Was Alvis really going to risk losing face in front of his students because of one line he had thrown out impulsively?
His years as an instructor had built him up into a near myth in their eyes. If that image cracked here, then the authority he relied on to shape them would crack with it.
No.
Absolutely not.
So he chose the only path left to a man cornered by his own words.
He put on the face of a calm, reasonable teacher.
"Of course it counts," Alvis said evenly. "But not today."
The students sagged in visible disappointment.
Alvis continued before anyone could object.
"I still have paperwork to deal with, and Axel has already fought once today. We'll save that match for another time."
Then, without giving Axel any chance to press him, he turned sharply.
"Binz!"
Binz stiffened immediately.
"Yes, sir!"
"Clean up all the plants you made during training and during the spar."
The class turned to look.
Only then did everyone properly notice just how badly the ground had been cluttered. Saplings, thorny roots, and tangled growths were still spread across large sections of the field.
Binz's shoulders drooped.
While his ability could make plants grow and wither, it could not magically erase the mess they left behind.
He let out a heavy sigh.
The other children were still disappointed that the battle between Axel and Alvis had been postponed, but since Alvis had said there would be a next time, that meant the possibility still existed.
Axel himself also felt a little disappointed.
He had genuinely wanted to test himself against Alvis.
After defeating Bluejam and spending months developing his abilities further, he wanted to know where he stood now against a real Marine Headquarters officer.
Still, part of him also knew this outcome was not necessarily bad.
Even with all his recent growth, he did not have full confidence in defeating Alvis yet.
Bluejam had been dangerous, yes, but Axel's victory over him had involved timing, trickery, and exploiting his opponent's ignorance. Alvis was different. He was a Lieutenant stationed at Marine Headquarters, the kind of officer who would usually surpass branch Lieutenant in both skill and combat experience.
If Axel wanted a real chance at winning, then he needed more time.
More training.
More refinement.
More strength.
He looked up at the sky above the training ground, then slowly exhaled.
Good.
If the battle had been delayed, then he would just use the extra time well.
The next time he stood in front of Alvis, he would not be satisfied with simply surprising him.
He wanted to win.
.....
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