"BOOM——!!!"
Zephyr's fist tore through the air like a siege cannon, compressing and detonating everything in its path!
The condensed white shockwave of pure power roared straight toward Hawke—toward him, and toward the entire G-3 Branch base behind him!
"Step—"
Facing Zephyr's probing strike, Hawke stepped forward.
His body lowered slightly as he assumed a perfect, textbook fighting stance.
In the next instant, a pitch-black sheen like ink surged down his right arm, quickly coating his entire fist.
The density and purity of his Armament Haki were so overwhelming that even the five Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals watching felt their hearts clench.
"Impact Fist!"
Hawke threw a punch!
"WHOOM——!!!"
A condensed, jet-black burst of force shot forward like a cannonball, tearing through the air and crashing head-on into Zephyr's white shockwave!
"BOOOOM——!!!!"
Black and white power collided violently in the center of the dock!
Hawke's dark, condensed force cut through Zephyr's white shockwave, splitting it clean in two before both forces dissipated into nothingness in midair.
The released shockwave erupted outward like a storm, sweeping across the dock and making every Marine's Justice Cloak whip wildly in the wind.
"..."
The entire dock fell silent.
"Good!"
After a brief pause, Zephyr's booming, thunderous voice rang out across the battlefield, laced with unrestrained delight!
Before the sound even faded, his figure vanished from where he stood!
"THUD!"
The ground beneath Zephyr's feet exploded into a crater as he shot forward like a cannonball, appearing instantly before Hawke!
His massive, mechanical arm—the "Crusher"—howled as it cut through the air and slammed downward with devastating force!
"Perfect timing!"
Hawke's fighting spirit surged. Instead of retreating, he charged head-on toward Zephyr!
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG——!!!"
Fist met steel, flesh clashed with metal, and the dock became a battleground of primal, unrestrained violence!
Every collision rang with deafening metallic clangs, sending ripples of black sparks and white shockwaves through the air.
The ground beneath them cracked, splintered, and caved in as though hammered repeatedly by a giant's fist!
Their movements were so fast that most of the Marine soldiers could barely see anything but two blurry figures darting and colliding, accompanied only by the deafening roar of thunderous impacts!
...
In the distance, the five Headquarters Vice Admirals stood grim-faced, their hearts roiling as they watched the clash unfold.
"Zephyr-sensei... he's not holding back, is he?" Onigumo asked, his sharp gaze locked on the center of the battlefield.
"In his normal state, no—he isn't," Doberman replied with a dry throat, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "You and I both know the way sensei fights."
"Sensei's old now. His strength and explosive power are still top-tier, but his stamina can't handle prolonged, high-intensity battles anymore."
He paused, his eyes locked tightly on the two shadows colliding in the distance.
"That's why every strike he throws pushes his body to its absolute limit without damaging his foundation—he fights to end things quickly."
Another Vice Admiral couldn't help but ask,
"Doberman, what level would you say sensei is fighting at right now?"
"..."
Doberman went silent, carefully considering his words.
"Below Admiral... but above Vice Admiral."
He spoke each word clearly and heavily.
"Sensei right now, relying purely on martial arts and Haki... is fighting at an 'Admiral Candidate' level!"
"!!!"
"Hiss——!!!"
The Vice Admirals collectively drew sharp breaths.
Their gazes instinctively shifted back to the young man trading blows with Zephyr.
If Zephyr-sensei was fighting at an Admiral Candidate level...
Then Hawke—matching him blow for blow, each strike colliding head-on without yielding an inch—what kind of monster was he?!
"His command ability—monster."
"His training methods—monster."
"And now, even his individual strength—monster!"
Doberman's voice trembled with disbelief, as though muttering in a dream.
"At this growth rate... for Rear Admiral Hawke..."
"Very soon..."
He didn't finish, but everyone understood.
The strength Hawke displayed today already surpassed these battle-hardened Headquarters Vice Admirals.
His next promotion wasn't far away.
The youngest Vice Admiral in Marine Headquarters history was about to be born.
And after that...
The youngest Admiral!
The thought struck everyone simultaneously.
Rayne Hawke wasn't just "the future of the Marines"!
He was the Marines' undeniable present!
"CLAAAANG——!!!"
The ferocious clash raged on for hours until one particularly violent collision finally sent both Hawke and Zephyr flying back, each gouging deep trenches into the dock as they skidded to a halt.
"Hahahaha!"
"Blood Hawk, your martial arts aren't bad at all!"
"You've got a bit of my style from back in the day!"
Zephyr panted slightly, but behind his sunglasses, his eyes blazed with excitement.
He stared at the young man before him, equally brimming with fighting spirit, and his face nearly overflowed with admiration.
As the Marine Headquarters Instructor, he'd seen countless so-called "geniuses" in his lifetime.
The ones he looked down on the most were those who relied solely on Devil Fruit powers, chasing shortcuts without honing their true strength.
Perfecting martial arts and Haki—that was the only true path to the summit!
From their exchange just now, Zephyr had gauged most of Hawke's physical foundation.
Akainu's report hadn't exaggerated one bit—in fact, it had been conservative!
Blood Hawk's physique was solid and enduring.
His Armament Haki was pure and refined.
His fist techniques—wide, fierce, and utterly dominating.
If not for his aging body, Zephyr would've wanted nothing more than to brawl with this brat for an entire day without holding back!
"Ha——"
Hawke grinned and lowered his fists.
This fight was worth it.
Not long ago, he'd pushed his physique, martial arts, Observation Haki, and Armament Haki all up to Headquarters Vice Admiral level.
He needed a brutal battle like this to merge everything seamlessly.
And Zephyr-sensei—the living fossil of Marine martial arts—was without a doubt the perfect whetstone.
After this clash, the four disciplines had fused perfectly into his combat instincts.
And besides... the people he'd been waiting for were finally here.
The next voyage could finally begin!
"Zephyr-sensei."
Hawke walked up to Zephyr. "Shall I show you around?"
"Blood Hawk brat, cut it out!"
Zephyr waved his hand dismissively.
"I'll be stationed here permanently—why would I need you showing me around?"
He raised his intact left hand and pointed toward the neatly lined soldiers in the distance, who'd maintained their formation even while spectating.
"Come on."
"Walk with me, and tell me how you trained this steel-willed army of yours."
"I'm far more interested in that than where the G-3 Branch toilets are!"