On the elevated platform—
"One has a Logia-type smoke ability, and the other… something strange."
Sengoku stared intently at Arena No. 7 and asked without turning his head,
"Garp, can you tell what that ability is?"
"It should be a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. Quite a rare one at that," Garp replied.
At this moment, Garp was no longer dozing like before. He sat upright and focused on the battle playing out on the screen.
The same was true for the three Admirals and several Vice Admirals. All eyes were now on the seventh arena.
In Arena 7
Smoker's expression changed drastically as he realized his outstretched fist had been frozen in place—restrained by some invisible force.
Senior Mundo's ability was even more bizarre and overwhelming than his own!
"White Smoke Launcher!"
Smoker shouted. His legs instantly turned into smoke as he launched himself at Fenric like a cannonball.
This was his second technique.
Facing the charging Smoker, Fenric simply raised his hand—his fingers splayed open.
Telekinesis power—activated again.
Once more, Smoker's body was suspended in mid-air, immobilized by Fenric's will.
However, Smoker didn't panic. It was as if he had anticipated this.
"White Blast!!"
Smoker shouted again, and his body began to expand before dissolving entirely into smoke.
Thick white clouds surged outward, surrounding Fenric from all directions.
This was one of Smoker's ultimate moves!
In the original plot, he had once used this technique to trap an entire pirate crew—not exactly weak opponents either.
It wasn't just a trap. If used to its fullest, this technique could suffocate or kill.
"Senior Mundo! This is my strongest move! I advise you to surrender now!" Smoker yelled from within the fog.
Fenric couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
This younger version of Smoker really gives off some serious chuuni energy… But he's not a bad kid.
"Since you've shown your strongest technique, Smoker, then I'll also get serious. You might get hurt, so don't say I didn't warn you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fenric clenched his fist.
Om—
Armament Haki surged forth, coating his hand.
His entire fist turned jet-black with a deep metallic sheen, shining faintly under the arena lights.
Fenric's current Armament Haki had already reached Grandmaster proficiency. Just in terms of Armament Haki mastery alone, even in the world of One Piece, he ranked mid-top.
Then—
He unleashed his full Telekinesis power, condensing all the surrounding smoke into a dense cluster.
Immediately after, Fenric launched a punch.
"Senior Mundo, it's useless! I'm a Logia-type Devil Fruit user! Your fists can't hurt me—"
BAM!
Before Smoker could even finish his sentence, Fenric's punch struck him head-on, instantly forcing him back into his solid form and sending him crashing to the ground.
Smoker nearly coughed up blood on impact.
And that was with Fenric holding back.
If Fenric had used his full strength, Smoker would've been eliminated instantly.
Smoker was still far too inexperienced. He hadn't even grasped Haki yet, so there was no way he could match Fenric.
"Smoker," Fenric said with a smirk, "What was that you were saying just now?"
"Cough… cough…" Smoker clutched his stomach, half-kneeling on the ground, his face pale. "Armament… Haki!"
Clearly, he now understood what he had just been hit with.
"Want to keep going?" Fenric asked casually.
Smoker lowered his head and replied weakly, "Senior Mundo… I surrender."
He wasn't an idiot. It was obvious that Fenric had gone easy on him.
With Smoker conceding, the referee captain, who had finally recovered from shock, quickly stood up and announced:
"First match on Arena No. 7—Player 30, 'Mundo', wins!"
Beneath the broadcasting platform, many recruits looked at Fenric with newfound fear and awe.
Standing in the center of the ring, Fenric scanned the area but didn't see the blind man he'd been wary of. He let out a quiet sigh of relief before stepping down.
According to Aurora's intel, that blind man was one of the few individuals who might actually threaten Fenric.
Even someone like the future Vice Admiral "Momonga" might not be much stronger at this point in time.
On the high platform—
Admiral Kizaru watched Fenric walk off the stage, his tone as lazy as ever but with a hint of surprise:
"He's so young, yet already has a Devil Fruit ability and mastered Haki? These rookies nowadays really can't be underestimated…"
Akainu and Aokiji remained silent, but their gazes were fixed firmly on Fenric.
Meanwhile, Garp suddenly burst out laughing.
"That kid's not bad. I'm very optimistic about him!"
It wasn't just Fenric's strength that impressed Garp—but the fact that he had shown mercy to Smoker.
To Garp, strength alone wasn't what defined a great Navy officer. Character and judgment were just as important.
In fact, at this moment, Garp was even entertaining the idea of taking Fenric in as a disciple.
Sengoku nodded beside him, agreeing with Garp's assessment.
"He's a good seed, indeed," the Marshal said. "Someone who wields power yet knows how to restrain it—that's the kind of talent the Navy needs."
Unlike the red-hot Admiral Akainu standing next to them... Sengoku had never liked his overly aggressive nature.
But how will these two old veterans react when Fenric eventually shows his true colors?
Back in the rest area—
Seeing Smoker sulking, Fenric chuckled and offered some words of comfort.
"Don't be discouraged. This whole assessment is about finding promising talent. Your performance was excellent, even if you were eliminated for now."
He wasn't just being polite.
In the original storyline, Smoker's strength kept improving, and he was promoted rapidly. Within a few years, he became a Vice Admiral of the G-5 Branch!
Smoker's eyes widened in surprise.
"Senior Mundo, are you serious?!"
"Of course," Fenric said with a smile. "Just wait—you'll go far."
For some reason, Smoker completely believed him. Encouraged by those words, his spirits lifted immediately.
He was about to ask more, but noticed Fenric's gaze had shifted—focused sharply on the fifth ring.
Smoker followed his line of sight, curiosity piqued.
At that moment…
A middle-aged man, over two meters tall and visibly muscular, stepped onto Arena 5.
Surprisingly—this man was blind.
(Author's Note: I saw some readers asking about the 35-year-old age limit. This ties into a future urban arc and is part of a major upcoming plot twist so don't mind the details.)