20 Sakazuki vs Zed
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"Who among us can withstand such firepower? Should we just surrender?" Borsalino questioned, his voice echoing in the tense silence.
His gaze was fixed on the fallen form of Dalmatian, a formidable warrior who had only managed to hold his ground for a mere ten minutes against the relentless onslaught of Zed.
"Why don't you try using your speed to escape?" Brontes suggested, a smirk playing on his lips. His eyes were alight with a dangerous spark, a clear indication of his confidence.
"Forget it, we have a traitor among us." Borsalino's words were heavy, his shoulders shrugging in resignation.
His gaze shifted to Brontes, a silent accusation hanging in the air. The traitor he referred to was none other than Brontes himself, who was gradually assuming the role of a leader.
Borsalino's power was immense, his speed unmatched. If he were to flee, Zed's speed would never catch up to his light speed. But Brontes was different.
He was a user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, a power that allowed him to merge his body with electricity and reach any place struck by his lightning in an instant.
His speed was no less than Borsalino's, especially his modified move, Lightning Flash, which was akin to Borsalino's Eight-Foot Mirror.
If Sakazuki was a monster, then Brontes was a monster among monsters, a genius in developing unique techniques. He had developed all sorts of moves, each more powerful than the last.
His presence was a constant reminder of the immense power they were up against.
"Next batch." Zed's command cut through the tense silence, his voice as cold as steel.
"Let's go, we can't back down." Comil, the future Vice-Admiral of the Marine Base G-2, shouted, his voice filled with determination.
"It seems that Instructor Zed doesn't want to teach us, but simply wants to discipline us." Stainless, a man with a small mustache who had appeared in the Summit War, stated, his voice laced with a hint of bitterness.
"Let's go." The nine recruits drew their long swords simultaneously, their faces set in grim determination.
These nine were all sword masters, each with their own unique style and technique. Comil was a dual-sword user, his position as a Vice-Admiral and his command over the G-2 Marine Base a testament to his formidable strength.
The nine charged forward, their swords gleaming under the harsh light. But they couldn't escape the fate of falling after ten minutes.
Their Shave technique was useless under Zed's Observation Haki. Once Zed used some of his strength, he knocked them down with a single punch, making it difficult for them to stand up again.
"Here we go again." Borsalino muttered, his gaze shifting to Brontes. He wanted to slip away, but Brontes's presence locked onto him, making it difficult for him to escape.
The third batch was led by Kadar, and included John Giant, from Elbaf. These two were future pillars of the Marine. After a major event, Kadar even became the Rear-Admiral of the G-2 Base.
John Giant, a future Vice-Admiral in the Marineford, was the first giant to ever enlist in the Marines. Their presence added a new layer of tension to the already charged atmosphere, a clear indication of the intense battle that was about to unfold.
During the Summit War, John Giant had played a heroic role, being one of the first marines to take the lead in attacking Whitebeard.
They were all sword masters, each having mastered the Six Powers. Those selected for the elite camp were the cream of the crop, geniuses in their own right.
Kadar was a straightforward man, a trait that was both his strength and weakness. While others fell after a few punches, he took a good beating from Zed, lasting five minutes. Because of him and John Giant, the other seven passed the assessment successfully.
"Fool!" Sakazuki spat out a word upon seeing Kadar's fighting style. He knew he was no match, yet he still didn't give up, earning himself a multitude of serious injuries all over his body.
The fourth batch, ten people including Doberman and Onigumo, also fell, but they held up for twenty minutes.
This made them feel better and proud of themselves for being able to take Zed's ruthless beating for the longest period.
As the ten of them cleared the field, Sakazuki jumped down.
"Oh, the first one is Sakazuki." Jonathan chuckled, puffing on his cigar as he watched the man jump down.
"He probably couldn't hold back any longer. How long do you think he can last on his own?" Dalmatian, who had a good relationship with Sakazuki, laughed and asked.
This was because the two of them shared a dormitory, and Dalmatian's personality was such that he got along well with everyone, and Sakazuki was no exception.
"At least longer than us, after all, those three are monsters." Comil said with a smile.
"It's starting." Doberman and the others said in unison.
"Shave!" Sakazuki didn't use his fruit ability at first, but drew the sword from his back. In an instant, he appeared in front of Zed, his Armament Haki enveloping the long sword as he slashed at Zed.
"Armament Haki!"
Seeing the sword turn into black in Sakazuki's hand, Brontes was surprised. He hadn't expected Sakazuki to have mastered Haki, probably even Observation Haki.
Brontes then turned his gaze to Borsalino. "Don't look at me, I've only known it for a while." Borsalino said.
"I knew it." Brontes smiled.
Down below, Zed caught Sakazuki's sword with a simple lift of his hand, squeezed it, and then punched Sakazuki in the chest.
"Ugh!"
Zed's fist pierced through Sakazuki's body, turning him into his elemental state. The scorching magma caused the air temperature to rise sharply.
"If you don't like using a sword, then don't." Zed yanked the blade from Sakazuki's hand, threw it behind him, and pinned it to the wall. His voice was cold, his words a clear indication of his disdain for Sakazuki's reliance on his sword.
"He's forcing Sakazuki to use his full power." Borsalino observed, his eyes narrowing as he watched the unfolding battle.
"Otherwise, his Magma-Magma Fruit is destined to make him give up that sword. Keeping it is useless. He might as well fully develop his fruit power. He's not like you, able to create a light sword." Brontes said, his gaze shifting to Borsalino.
"You're right, the last lesson was very useful." Borsalino agreed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
The two started fighting again. The ground was covered with magma, the high temperature melting the stone slabs of the square.
Sakazuki looked like a creature made of molten rock, with magma constantly dripping from his body, his fists turned into magma.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
The sound of their blows echoed through the square, each hit a testament to their immense power.
But Zed's Armament Haki was too strong. Perhaps in the Marine, only Garp and Sengoku could surpass Zed's fists.
Moreover, such high temperatures were completely negligible for those with strong bodies. Their strength had long surpassed normal people.
Facing the magma, Zed suppressed Sakazuki and kept bombarding him, reducing Sakazuki's body size to half.
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki pulled away, a giant magma fist rolling towards Zed.
"Too slow." Just as Sakazuki's punch was about to hit Zed, Zed was already at his side, landing a punch on Sakazuki's chin and sending him flying.
"Bang!" The sound of Sakazuki's body hitting the ground echoed through the square.
"Kid, you're still far from ready." Zed said, his voice echoing in the silence.
"What did you say?" Sakazuki's voice echoed from the sky, followed by a violent expansion of his body in the air.
"Hey, hey, hey, is he trying to destroy this island?" Borsalino's face changed as he saw Sakazuki's move. His eyes widened in surprise, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. The battle was escalating, and the outcome was becoming more and more unpredictable.
