The biggest training field on the base was buzzing.
Colorful banners waved in the wind, and the excited shouts of the crowd rose like a giant wave.
"Peacock! Peacock! Peacock!" they roared.
As Peacock strutted into the arena, the eager cadets went wild.
Peacock, soaking in the adoration, twirled her black whip. A playful, alluring smile touched her lips.
"Oh, how cute," she purred. "Do you all want a little training from me?"
"Ooooh!!!" The cadets practically vibrated with excitement. They were dying to get onto that field, maybe get a little sting from her whip, or even better, have her step on them!
The officers from the East Blue branch practically bugged out. This was their first glimpse of the legendary Peacock, and they were instantly smitten.
"Brothers, she's a goddess!" one exclaimed.
"I want to be Peacock-sama's Royal dog!" another cried.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Peacock-sama, look over here!" they chanted, their voices blending into a chorus of admiration.
The East Blue camp was completely, utterly captivated.
The pressure now shifted to the G-5 Branch camp.
"Brothers, hold strong! Don't let that woman bewitch you!" a gruff voice yelled.
"But she's so cute!" came a weak reply.
"She really is... Damn it! We're still behind Black Hair-bro!"
Pike, a tough-looking guy, and a group of his rowdy friends curled their lips into sneers.
"Boo!!!" they shouted, but their jeers were completely swallowed by the overwhelming cheers for Peacock.
As noon approached, Roya was still a no-show. The crowd in the training field grew restless.
"Has Black Hair even bothered to show up yet?" someone grumbled.
"Damn Black Hair, showing off like he's so important!"
"You don't think he chickened out, do you?"
"He probably wouldn't..."
Almost every Marine on the island, including the instructors, was there. If Black Hair ditched them at the last minute, there would be hell to pay.
He would be punished severely!
"Look up there!" someone shouted.
Just as the clock was about to strike noon and everyone was losing their patience, a dark shadow appeared in the sky.
"It's Black Hair!"
Roya, hands casually in his pockets, used his Moon Walk technique to float directly above the training field. He landed gracefully, right on time, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Thud!
A perfect, showman's landing!
The time was exactly noon, 12 o'clock sharp.
"Boo..." The cadets booed in unison, expressing their dissatisfaction with Roya's grand entrance. It was just too cool, too enviable.
In the East Blue camp, Doll finally relaxed. She shook her head, a mix of exasperation and amusement on her face. Even at a time like this, that showoff can't resist making an entrance.
Roya spotted Doll and raised a hand in a casual greeting.
"Yo, long time no see!"
"Hmph!" Peacock scoffed, her nose in the air. After three grueling days of intense training, she had finally managed to banish the memory of Roya's irritating, devilish laughter.
Today was the day she would erase her shame!
"I'm going to teach you some manners!" she declared.
"Is that a promise?" Roya grinned. He didn't mind women who played with whips. A little bit of that kind of fun could be quite interesting.
Zephyr strode onto the field, his gaze sweeping over the two young Marines, both looking ready and eager. He nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
These two are the future of the Marines!
"Let's begin. The audience is getting restless," Zephyr announced.
"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.
They stepped apart, positioning themselves about ten meters from each other.
Before they could even make a move, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd, like a tidal wave of voices.
"Take down Black Hair!"
"Show that arrogant Black Hair the true power of Headquarters!"
"Peacock will win! Peacock will win!"
Her support completely drowned out any possible cheers for Roya.
Roya chuckled, shaking his head. He had expected this. He glanced towards the East Blue camp, and even those guys were cheering for Peacock.
Snap!
The black whip cracked against the ground, leaving a deep, clean gash in the earth.
Peacock gripped the whip tightly with both hands and licked her lips. "You better watch yourself, Black Hair little brother!"
"I'm actually older than you. You should call me big brother," Roya retorted, his eyes studying the gash in the ground. So, her whip is a sword in disguise, with a real cutting edge?
An interesting weapon indeed.
Let's see what it can do.
Roya's eyes narrowed, focusing his energy. His right leg shot out in a swift, upward kick!
"Storm Leg!"
Waves of blue energy slashed through the air!
Snap!
Peacock expertly flicked her whip, intercepting the energy waves. The whip looked deceptively soft, but it effortlessly shattered the attack.
"Just as I thought!" Roya muttered to himself.
That whip really does have the properties of a sword.
"Shave!"
Roya vanished in a blur of speed, instantly appearing in mid-air. He danced on the air, changing direction three times with impossible agility, finally landing directly above Peacock!
His right leg extended behind him, tracing a perfect arc forward, and he kicked down with tremendous force!
"Storm Leg: Arc Moon!"
A crescent-shaped energy wave, several times larger and more powerful than before, hurtled down from the sky!
I can't block that head-on! Peacock thought, her heart pounding as she sensed the immense power of the attack. She quickly leaped away, dodging the blow.
Boom!
The energy wave slammed into the ground, carving a deep, ten-meter-long trench in an instant!
Staring at the neat furrow beside her, Peacock felt a jolt of genuine shock.
Black Hair's kicking power is stronger than mine!
Not only that, but his speed is incredible. Whether it's Shave or the smoothness of his Moon Walk, he's clearly faster than me.
He's only been training with the Six Styles for less than two months, so how is he so proficient? Is he some kind of monster?!
My body... feels so light! Roya thought, savoring the feeling of lightness and control. The Moon Walk felt as natural as walking on solid ground.
I can still go faster!
Roya dropped towards the ground, suddenly exploding with speed, and the air under his feet cracked!
Bang!
His body shot towards Peacock like a speeding arrow. At the same time, his right hand flipped his sword hilt into a reverse grip.
Drawing his sword!
Clang!
Rain Cutter clashed against the black whip, sending sparks flying in all directions!
Peacock gripped the whip with both hands, barely managing to block the incoming blade. The force of the impact drove her feet deep into the ground!
"Such strength!" she exclaimed.
He's even overpowering me in terms of raw strength!
While it's true that women are naturally weaker than men, and my physique isn't the strongest among this year's recruits, being outmuscled by Black Hair is still shocking.
Black Hair is lean and slender. He's not some hulking brute, so his power must come from his incredible control over his body!
There's a huge amount of power hidden within the human body, but we're limited by our physical strength and our survival instincts. We can barely access a fraction of it.
And one of the goals of the Six Styles is to unlock our potential, especially the special technique, Life Return.
If I can channel my consciousness into my arm, forcing every muscle to work together, along with the rest of my body, the power that erupts will far exceed my normal state.
She was now absolutely certain that Roya's mastery of the Six Styles was beyond her own. It was hard to believe, but that was the truth.
This man is a monster!
"Peacock is being pushed back!" someone in the crowd shouted, stunned. The cheering gradually died down. No one had expected that the battle would start so one-sided, with Peacock already on the defensive.
Even though it had only been a few exchanges, it was clear to anyone watching that Black Hair was on the attack with fierce intent!
"That kid!" Zephyr exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.
I see a glimpse of my younger self in Roya, he thought.
This kid is a true physical genius!
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter Access up to Ch 242
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 199 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
Want to support my work and get early access to chapters? Check out my Patreon! 👇
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]