Chapter 46 - 46: Bullying the Quiet One?(300 P.S chapter)

The Navy Academy, despite being called a "school" in name, was in truth, more of a military unit. Its core nature leaned far more towards a battalion than a classroom. In the military, humility and politeness wouldn't help someone like Yoriichi Tsugikuni gain a foothold. Here, there was only one thing that could establish Yoriichi's place. Strength. Strength. And more strength. The moment Zephyr pushed Yoriichi to the front, he immediately understood his teacher's intentions. With a calm, composed expression, he stepped forward and faced the crowd of naval cadets, accepting without hesitation Zephyr's bold label: "the strongest." The younger cadets stirred uneasily at Yoriichi's tranquil demeanor. Murmurs rippled through the ranks, yet not a single one of them stepped up to challenge him. After all, everyone who had made it into the Navy Academy had been hand-picked from across the Four Seas, young, yes, but far from brainless. They had never seen this red-haired boy before, but if Zephyr, the Chief Instructor himself, called him the strongest… well, it probably wasn't just empty talk. Though their mouths ran wild with speculation, every cadet kept their eyes trained on the others, waiting for someone else to step up first. Beat this redhead and you'd get promoted on the spot? If promotions were that easy, the Navy would be crawling with generals by now. Faced with the tempting bait Zephyr had thrown out, the cadets only grew more cautious. It was the exact opposite of what Zephyr had expected. Watching the cadets jabber on without taking action, his brow creased in displeasure. He barked: "No one's going to challenge him?!" "You're just going to let a brat like that lord over you, and none of you have a problem with it?!" "A bunch of spineless cowards!" "If no one steps forward, every last one of you, demoted by one rank!" Zephyr's emotions were clearly conflicted. Sure, Yoriichi was his personal disciple, but these Navy cadets were also his students. He'd stirred up animosity against Yoriichi on purpose, hoping to push him to earn his place at the Academy through sheer power. At the same time, he'd wanted to show Yoriichi that the Academy was no pushover, that there were worthy fighters here too. But instead, these cadets were all playing it safe, unwilling to act, and now Zephyr was starting to lose face. If every one of them waited for someone else to go first, this whole performance of his might fall flat before it even began. After a few more awkward beats, still no one stepped forward. Zephyr sighed inwardly, then decided to throw more fuel on the fire. The moment he declared that everyone would be demoted if no one volunteered, the murmuring among the cadets intensified. They could all smell the danger in the air now. "Hey, Kyros, why don't you give it a go?" "You just joined the Academy, sure, but your strength is no joke. Honestly, Third Class Seaman doesn't do you justice." "Come on, Kyros, go knock that redhead down a peg and get yourself promoted to Second Class! Out on real missions, climbing the ranks isn't anywhere near this easy!" From within the crowd, a young marine with a scar shaped like a cross on his chin nudged his roommate in the ribs with a grin. His name was Kibin, a petty officer in the Navy. He wasn't particularly high-ranking, but he was well-known among the cadets. The reason was simple: within just a year of enrolling, Kibin had mastered Tekkai(Iron Body) one of the Navy's famed Six Styles. At this Academy, where even the weakest cadets had a minimum Douriki rating of 80, Kibin was considered almost unbeatable, at least among the non-Devil Fruit users. He and the newly-enrolled Kyros shared a dorm room and had gotten along fairly well. Hearing Kibin's suggestion, Kyros's expression stiffened. He had barely opened his mouth to refuse when the crowd suddenly closed in, "encouraging" him with all sorts of cheerful persuasion: "Yeah, Kibin's right! Kyros, you've got the lowest rank in the entire Naval Academy. This kind of promotion opportunity doesn't come around often!" "That's right, that's right! Go give that kid a lesson, Kyros! We'll be cheering you on. This is a golden opportunity for a promotion, I'm a second lieutenant, so I'll graciously let you have it." "Hahaha, Lieutenant Shuen's got a point. Do your best, Kyros! I'm rooting for you!" Kyros, who had clearly wanted to refuse, suddenly found himself lifted up, figuratively and almost literally—by the overbearing "support" of his fellow cadets. Faced with such 'enthusiastic' encouragement, the young man, with his shy nature and thin skin, found himself unable to say no. With a reluctant heart, Kyros slung his greatsword across his back and stepped out of the crowd toward the open area. As he did, the group of naval cadets burst into cheers, shouting support at the top of their lungs. Yoriichi Tsugikuni observed everything calmly, noting Kyros's reluctant steps forward. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Poor Kyros. Honest to a fault… and now being used as someone else's pawn." Zephyr, standing nearby, watched as Kyros stepped forward. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Striding over, he gave Kyros a firm slap on the shoulder and said in a booming voice: "Not bad! At least you've got the guts to stand up!" "That's the spirit! That's what it means to be a Marine!" "Your name's Kyros, right? I like your backbone. Keep it up!" With a few hearty claps on Kyros's back, Zephyr stepped aside, clearing a space in front of them. The surrounding cadets, eager to watch the spectacle unfold, all backed away several meters to create a makeshift arena. Yoriichi stepped forward to meet Kyros. Before Kyros could even open his mouth to greet him, Yoriichi spoke first, his tone calm: "Let's start. No need to hold back." The words Kyros had meant to say stuck in his throat. With a deep breath, he drew the massive sword from his back and gripped it tightly. Though he was well aware he was no match for Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he had already stepped up, there was no turning back now. Kyros was a proud man. It had been over a month since he left Dressrosa. During his time aboard Garp's ship, he had trained earnestly. Now, he wanted to see for himself just how far apart their skills really were. After all, he too was a swordsman! "Careful, Tsugikuni-san," Kyros warned solemnly. The moment the words left his mouth, he launched forward, kicking off the ground and closing the distance between them in an instant. His longsword slashed down fiercely, holding nothing back. "Whoa! That's impressive, Kyros is no pushover!" Kibin exclaimed in surprise. Though they were roommates, Kyros had only recently joined the Navy, and most of the others had never seen him fight before. Witnessing his explosive attack now, Kibin couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration. He wasn't the only one. The same cadets who had just been egging Kyros on now all nodded subtly, acknowledging his strength. Yoriichi saw the incoming blow and instinctively prepared to counter, but then, as if remembering something, a subtle smile appeared on his lips. He leapt back, "slowly" dodging the strike. Kyros was momentarily stunned. He had witnessed Yoriichi's swordsmanship before, so fast and ferocious, it seemed to defy logic. There had never been a need to dodge. And yet… he dodged? Zephyr, watching from the side and originally expecting a good show, also blinked in slight surprise. But then a glint of understanding flickered in his eyes, and he cast a knowing, almost mischievous glance at the group of cadets who had been cheering Kyros on moments earlier. To the roar of the cadets, Yoriichi appeared to struggle under Kyros's assault, narrowly avoiding strike after strike—each close enough to graze. Once, he even got knocked several meters back while blocking an attack. The few counterattacks he launched were only when Kyros's old momentum had faded and new strength had yet to rise. To the onlookers, it looked as if Yoriichi was relying on his speed just to keep up with Kyros's relentless swordplay. And this kind of fight electrified the cadets. It was clear: Kyros might not win outright, but it also didn't seem like Yoriichi was untouchable. To them, it meant only one thing. A chance at promotion had just become very real. ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 450 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! 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