Chapter 57 - 57: An Extreme Breeds Another Extreme!

Words : 1294 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Yoriichi Tsugikuni's long blade was pressed against Captain Cain's neck and in that instant, not a single Marine dared make a move. Stunned, they stared at Yoriichi with wide eyes. Though their rifles were trained on him in perfect unison, not a single finger so much as grazed a trigger—for fear of setting off a disaster. Captain Cain felt the chill of the blade's edge against his skin. His pupils shrank sharply, and fury flared in his tiger-like eyes. Never in his wildest imaginings had he thought Yoriichi would actually move, let alone move with such terrifying speed. In just a blink, the youth's sword was at his throat. "Private Third Class, Yoriichi Tsugikuni! What the hell do you think you're doing?! You trying to kill a Navy captain?!" Cain forced the words out between clenched teeth, barely restraining the storm of rage inside him. "I already said," Yoriichi replied calmly, "I'm acting under direct orders from Chief Instructor Zephyr. I've been commanded to detain all officers ranked Ensign and above from Branch 133." "Captain Cain, I'm asking for your cooperation. There's no need to fear for your life. Chief Instructor Zephyr has already dispatched trusted personnel to investigate certain matters within your branch. An upright officer like you, Captain, surely has nothing to hide." Yoriichi looked up at the much taller Cain, his voice quiet but unwavering. "Kid… seems to me you've got things very wrong. Zephyr hasn't meddled in internal Navy affairs for years. He's focused on training recruits at HQ." "There's no way he issued that order, and even if he had, it wouldn't matter! And you think you've got me under control?" As he spoke, Cain's body began to shift grotesquely. His once bronze-toned skin bleached into a ghastly pale white. His face twisted, his nose stretching into a grotesque trunk, two massive tusks sprouting from above his lips. Already built like a beast, he grew even larger. Thick, weathered, elephantine skin wrapped around him like natural armor. "I'm the user of the Elephant-Elephant Fruit, brat. You think a blade to the throat is enough?!" With the transformation complete, a feral light gleamed in Cain's eyes. His long trunk cracked through the air like a whip, aiming straight for Yoriichi. BOOM!! The trunk came down with bone-crushing force, smashing a crater two meters wide into the deck. As the dust settled, Cain squinted at the spot where Yoriichi had stood, now empty. His pupils contracted. "I don't want to kill you," came a soft voice at his ear. "So please... cooperate, would you?" Cain turned sharply, just in time to see the shadow of a fist coming at him. THUD!! A dull, devastating impact rang out. Cain's gut took the full force of the blow. Even with his Devil Fruit's toughened defenses, the hit forced bile from his mouth. His massive frame shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through the ship's bulkhead and vanishing from view. The stunned marines turned to Yoriichi, who now stood in silence, head slightly bowed. He glanced at his clenched fist and muttered: "I held back. He shouldn't be dead." "Still… not entirely sure I got the force right. Hopefully, he lives." "In this pirate world, people have ridiculous endurance. It's not something you can gauge by normal standards. Even with my Transparent World, I can't always tell what they can really withstand." Clatter! Just then, the half-transformed Cain stepped back onto the deck. One massive hand braced against the wall, he staggered out of the gaping hole in the ship's side. His hunched body scraped against the breach's upper edge, knocking splinters loose. Raising his head, he locked eyes with Yoriichi, expression fierce and furious. With a roar, he bellowed: "Brat!!!" Yoriichi met the beast-man's fury with icy calm. "Too light," he said. "You're still able to stand." In the blink of an eye, Yoriichi vanished again. Cain sensed something and instinctively threw a punch straight ahead—just as Yoriichi reappeared before him. He didn't dodge. Yoriichi's right arm darkened, clad in Armament Haki. With no hesitation, he struck forward, fist meeting Cain's squarely. The instant they collided, Cain's instincts screamed something was wrong—but it was already too late. Crack! A sharp sound rang out. Bones in Cain's hand shattered. He stumbled back, staring at the twisted mess of his fist. The fire in his eyes dimmed. The difference in strength was overwhelming. Only now did Cain finally realize the truth: He had picked a fight with a monster. Smack! Before he could react, Yoriichi vanished again. With a burst of Soru and Geppo, he appeared overhead, seized Cain's skull in one hand—and slammed it into the deck. BOOM!!! The impact shook the ship. A crater opened beneath Cain's head, his muscles going slack. His beast form dissolved. Yoriichi hoisted the unconscious Cain by the collar with one hand and sighed. "Sorry… you brought this on yourself." With a casual toss, he flung the limp body aside and turned to the deck's remaining marines. His voice rang out, clear and commanding: "All officers ranked Ensign and above step forward." "Everyone else, restrain them. Once we return, throw them in the branch prison and wait for Central Command's inspectors to arrive." The marines hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. Yoriichi's brow furrowed. His tone dropped, cold and absolute: "Must I do it myself?" The message was clear. None of the marines wanted to test their luck. Yoriichi's terrifying strength made one thing certain: if he was an enemy, none of them would leave this ship alive. And more importantly, he wasn't targeting them. His actions were directed only at the higher-ranking officers. For the enlisted men, it was a matter of survival and perhaps even justice. If Yoriichi was telling the truth, they'd be helping expose corruption. If he was lying… HQ would deal with it. Several marines made their decision. Offering muttered apologies to their stunned superiors, they turned their rifles on the higher-ups in their midst. "You—you traitors! You dare betray the Navy?!" "Don't listen to him! He's lying!" "Back off! I swear, if you come any closer!" The officers weren't going down without a fight. As the tension neared breaking point, Yoriichi stepped in once more, swiftly knocking out the most belligerent ones before the situation could spiral out of control. Once things had settled, he sought out the highest-ranking loyal sergeants and had them contact Marine Headquarters via Den Den Mushi to verify his orders. With that handled, Yoriichi didn't linger. He used Geppo to leap from ship to ship, repeating the process: detaining all officers ranked Ensign and above. Resistance was minimal. Those who opposed him ended up in the brig too. By the time it was done, he had consolidated all captured officers aboard the flagship's prison. When Kyros returned, Yoriichi gave the command to set sail for home. And just like that... Yoriichi Tsugikuni had become the de facto commander of Marine Branch 133. His swift, iron-fisted style bore no resemblance to that of his mentor, Zephyr. ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 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! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 57 - 57: An Extreme Breeds Another Extreme!

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