23 The Arrival of New Recruits
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"Have they both gone crazy?!"
The word 'kill' had slipped from Brontes's lips, and the murderous intent radiating from him was palpable.
It was a chilling declaration, one that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it. The recruits and even the other instructors were dumbfounded by the scene.
They could tell that Brontes was genuinely ready to kill, his murderous intent spreading like wildfire, leaving no room for pretense. It was a chilling spectacle, one that left them in a state of shock and disbelief.
"Roar! Rumble!"
Eight dragon heads roared, their voices intertwining and soaring into the sky to meet the descending Zed.
It was a sight to behold, a spectacle of raw power and unyielding determination. The dragons, each one a manifestation of Brontes's will. They were his declaration of war, his refusal to back down.
"Boom! Rumble!"
A thunderous sound echoed, as if the entire sky had exploded.
The sound of the lightning was so loud that everyone felt a ringing in their ears. It was a deafening roar.
The sky was enveloped in a blinding flash of light, and for a moment, they lost all sight of what was happening in front of them. It was as if the world had been consumed by the light, leaving them in a state of disoriented blindness.
"Boom!"
As their vision returned, they saw two figures engaged in a rapid exchange on the field. Brontes, in his Thor state, was fully elemental.
Although he couldn't maintain this state for long, he chose to fight Zed this way. It was a desperate gamble, a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the battle.
After all, whether it was combat experience, strength, or the proficiency level of his Haki, Zed outclassed him by a significant margin. Brontes was no match for Zed, and he knew that fact.
Once he reverted from his elemental state, Zed would definitely seize the opportunity to knock him down with a single punch.
It was a grim reality, one that Brontes was painfully aware of. Faced with this situation, escape was impossible. After all, this wasn't a true fight to the death. It wasn't as if Zed really wanted to kill Brontes, or vice versa.
As the fight continued, the electricity surrounding Brontes gradually weakened. However, he maintained a high frequency of movement, his lightning-fast leaps and dodges skillfully avoiding Zed's attacks and causing him considerable trouble.
It was a dance of death, a ballet of violence and destruction. After all, Brontes was surrounded by electricity. If Zed was to engage him in close combat, he would inevitably be struck by the electricity.
Over time, Zed's movements began to slow. It was a subtle change, one that was barely noticeable at first. But as the battle wore on, it became more and more apparent.
"Boom! Boom!"
Brontes's arms were wrapped in Armament Haki, clashing with Zed in a battle of fists. However, without his elemental state, Brontes's fists began to redden.
He was forced to retreat, looking at his hands. Despite being wrapped in Armament Haki, they were bruised and swollen. It was a painful sight, a stark reminder of the disparity between them.
Clearly, his fists were far inferior to Zed's in hardness. It was like Luffy's fight with Katakuri. Faced with Katakuri, whose Armament Haki was stronger than his, Luffy's hands were nearly blown apart.
It was a grim reminder of the harsh reality of their situation. Despite his best efforts, Brontes was no match for Zed. But even in the face of such overwhelming odds, he refused to back down.
The disparity in strength between Brontes and Zed was not something that could be bridged in an instant.
It was a chasm that would take time, effort, and countless battles to cross. Haki, the spiritual energy that fueled their abilities, was a consumable resource.
It would be depleted in battle and needed time to recover. Yet, paradoxically, Haki was also a product of battle. The initial awakening of Haki often occurred in the heat of combat, in moments of extreme stress and danger.
In such extreme environments, Observation Haki would be activated, allowing its user to predict impending danger.
For instance, during the Summit War, when Luffy used his Second Gear, Gomu Gomu Jet Bazooka to attack Mihawk, he saw a vision of his hands being cut off by Mihawk.
This premonition caused him to immediately redirect his attack to the ice surface. This could be considered an awakening of Observation Haki.
In extreme environments, humans' primal senses would be stimulated, pushing them beyond their normal limits.
Brontes could feel that in his battle with Zed, his Haki and proficiency with his skills were gradually increasing.
This was the final lesson, the ultimate test. In truth, Zed was teaching them how to fight, how to push beyond their limits and tap into their latent potential.
Unfortunately, the only one who could trigger this teaching mode was Brontes, or rather, the biggest beneficiary of this teaching was Brontes.
The battle raged on, the two figures locked in a relentless dance of violence and destruction.
Their movements were a blur, their attacks a symphony of power and precision. It was a spectacle that held the entire island in its thrall.
...
Just then, five warships quietly approached the shore. However, the people on the island were all captivated by the two fighting figures in the field, paying no attention to the approaching warships.
Their focus was entirely on the battle, their minds consumed by the spectacle unfolding before them.
"This is the elite camp, isn't it? Why is there no one here? And what is this terrible smell?" A marine disembarked from the warship, his nose wrinkling in disgust.
His confusion was evident, his senses overwhelmed by the unfamiliar scent.
"Didn't Admiral Zed and his team return? They should be inside." A colonel in a marine coat disembarked and said, his voice filled with uncertainty.
He was clearly puzzled by the situation, his mind racing to make sense of the scene before him.
"What a terrible smell. Is it a volcano?! Is there a volcano on this island?!" A young seamen in recruit outfit seemed familiar with the smell of a volcano. His eyes were wide with surprise, his voice filled with disbelief.
The Vice-Admiral shook his head: "A volcano? No, there's no volcano here. But there is a moving volcano on the island." His words were cryptic, his tone filled with a strange sense of foreboding.
"A moving volcano?" The recruits were stunned. They exchanged confused glances, their minds struggling to comprehend the colonel's words.
"You'll understand soon. And remember, behave yourselves. This isn't a place for fooling around. The highest-ranking officer here is Admiral Zed." The Vice-Admiral warned, his voice stern and commanding.
"Yes, sir!" The marines responded in unison, their voices filled with a mixture of fear and respect.
They had a vague impression of the Marine Admirals. They were the Marine's top-ranking officers, the highest combat power of the Marineford.
They were figures of awe and reverence, symbols of the Marine's might and authority. And now, they were about to meet one in person. The thought filled them with a sense of trepidation, a feeling of anticipation and dread.
Even though there were over a thousand of them, facing an Admiral, their death would only be a matter of time. It had nothing to do with numbers.
The sheer power of an Admiral was enough to decimate their ranks, regardless of how many they were.
"Phew, it's a bit hot here." A man with fluffy hair and an eyepatch said as he disembarked. His casual demeanor was a stark contrast to the tension that hung in the air, a beacon of nonchalance in a sea of apprehension.
"Boom! Rumble!"
Just as over a thousand people disembarked from the five warships, a loud noise suddenly echoed from the sky.
It was a deafening roar, a thunderous explosion that shook the very ground beneath their feet. They looked up, their eyes wide with shock and awe.
The sky, which had been filled with swirling clouds, was suddenly covered by a layer of dark clouds. Immediately after, they saw a bolt of lightning fall.
It was a sight to behold, a spectacle of raw power and unyielding fury. After the lightning fell, they heard something.
"Roar!!! Rumble!!!"
It was a blue and white eight-headed lightning dragon!
The sight of the dragon sent chills down their spines, its sheer size and power enough to instill fear in the hearts of the bravest men. The power of the lightning caused the air to be filled with electromagnetism, and their hair, affected by the static electricity, began to stand on end.
"What... what is that?!!" A recruit looked at the soaring lightning dragon in horror. His voice was filled with fear, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"D-Dragon! Damn it! Are there dragons on the island?!!" Another recruit exclaimed, his voice filled with panic.
"Is this really the location of the Elite Training Camp? How can such a monster appear here?!" A third recruit questioned, his voice filled with confusion and fear.
"Quiet!" A marine with a cigarette in his mouth stepped forward, loudly reprimanding the recruits.
"If you want to know what's going on, go and see for yourselves." The marine said, his voice filled with a strange sense of calm.
"B-But, Vice-Admiral!" A recruit tried to speak, his voice filled with apprehension.
"Do you think the Marine would kill you little brats?" The Vice-Admiral glared at him coldly and led the way in.
His words were harsh, his tone filled with a strange sense of certainty.
...
At this moment, the sky above the island was constantly changing. The clouds were getting thicker. When the lightning dragon disappeared into the sky, the originally white clouds were instantly disturbed.
Because clouds are essentially water vapor, the positively and negatively charged water vapor in the air collided. After being stirred by the lightning dragon, they turned into black thunderclouds.
The color of the clouds in the sky was getting darker and darker, and the sound of lightning was constantly ringing in their ears.
"Rumble!!! Rumble!!!"
