From the very beginning, Fenric knew he couldn't defeat the old blind man.
The reason he hadn't chosen the Navy camp was simple—his current strength was still far from that of an Admiral.
In other words, if he had chosen the Navy camp, he wouldn't have been able to earn the highest evaluation.
That's why Fenric resolutely chose the Pirate camp.
"Mr. Issho, I have one final move. Please be cautious."
Though unable to move, Fenric's voice remained calm and resolute.
"If I cannot win after this strike, I will admit defeat."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Issho suddenly lifted the gravitational pressure.
"Your next attack must be formidable. To show my respect, I will respond with something appropriate."
With that, Issho waved his sword and slashed at the air.
Boom!
A powerful surge of violet gravitational energy erupted from him and shot into the sky.
Fenric's expression changed instantly.
He recognized it immediately—it was one of Issho's ultimate moves: Meteor Summoning!
"A parting gift. I hope we can spar again next time," Issho said calmly, sheathing his blade.
Below the ring, the crowd of onlookers hadn't yet grasped what was happening and began to murmur:
"Hey, what's going on? Are they done fighting?"
"I'm not sure…"
"Judging by Senior Mundo's posture, the battle doesn't seem over!"
"That blind uncle is ridiculously strong. It's the first time I've seen Senior Mundo at a disadvantage."
"Wait, look at the sky! What's that!?"
"A meteorite? Seriously!?"
"Dear god… why is there a meteorite falling from the sky!?"
"It has to be the blind uncle's Devil Fruit power… terrifying!"
"Hey, are you joking?! That thing will kill us all!"
"Run! Run!!"
A massive meteorite, dragged down by the gravitational surge, began plummeting toward the square. As it tore through the atmosphere, it ignited, trailing flames behind it. From below, it looked like a flaming planet descending from the heavens, blotting out the sun.
The moment it appeared, the recruits watching from the square panicked and screamed.
Many were too shocked to react at first.
What the hell?!
It's just an internal evaluation! Why the hell are we dealing with a meteorite?! That's insane!
Once reality hit, the crowd turned and bolted in all directions, scrambling to save themselves.
Panic gripped the square.
"This is a bit excessive, isn't it?" Admiral Aokiji muttered from the high platform.
Not far from him, Kizaru added in his usual lazy tone, "Scary... really scary."
Sengoku and Garp had already stood up from their chairs.
Sengoku was worried that an accident might harm the recruits.
Garp, on the other hand, was simply concerned for his "disciple."
"These guys are going too far!" Sengoku growled, glancing at the blind man. "Garp, go handle this!"
Garp nodded and stepped forward, preparing to crush the meteorite with his Iron Fist.
"Garp-san, wait a moment," Aokiji suddenly interjected, pointing toward the arena. "Don't underestimate your 'disciple.' He's still standing."
Everyone looked toward Mundo and saw him standing calmly in the ring, completely unshaken.
His entire body was clad in Armament Haki, including the black blade Shusui in his hand, which gleamed with a glossy sheen.
This was the mark of someone who had mastered Armament Haki—capable of covering not only their body, but their weapons as well.
Garp was stunned.
Then, slowly, he unclenched his fist, though he still looked at Mundo with worry.
To someone like him, Issho's meteorite was nothing—a single punch could destroy it.
But for Mundo, it was too dangerous.
He was still too young.
The old man believed that with Mundo's talent, if trained properly for ten years, he could surpass even him. At that point, defeating Issho would be inevitable.
But now… Garp couldn't see how Mundo could survive this.
Mundo's physical strength and mysterious devil fruit ability were still far from enough to stop a meteorite.
"Borsalino," Garp said through clenched teeth, "stop watching and get ready. If my disciple's in danger, you save him!"
Among everyone present, Kizaru was the fastest.
And as a Vice Admiral, Garp had the authority to order even a top-tier Admiral like Kizaru.
"No problem, Garp-san," Kizaru replied lazily. "I wouldn't want to see such a promising kid go to waste."
Only then did Garp feel reassured.
With Kizaru ready to step in, his "disciple" should be safe.
Back in the ring…
Fenric had no idea that an old man had already prepared a safety net for him.
Right now, his entire focus was on the falling meteorite summoned by Issho.
Huff… huff… huff…
Finally, the meteorite drew near, casting a massive shadow over the square.
Fenric could feel the searing heat radiating from it.
The recruits below were losing their minds, wishing they had a few extra legs just to escape faster.
Who would've thought watching a match could cost you your life?
When the meteorite was less than 100 meters from the arena, Fenric suddenly bent his legs and slowly crouched.
Then—
He kicked off with explosive force.
"Crack!!"
The ruined ring cracked further as Fenric's launch left a massive crater behind.
He rocketed upward like a bullet, directly toward the meteorite.
A brutal impact was coming.
That's right—Fenric's final move was Savage Charge.
Savage Charge (Active): Launch a ferocious forward rush. For 5 seconds you are immune to all damage; your attack power ×3 during the charge.
He'd long wanted to test the true power of this move.
In the next instant, a five-second invincibility state enveloped him.
His entire body slammed into the meteorite—
—and his black blade Shusui cleaved through the air!
Buzz!
A brilliant sword light tore through the sky.
Fenric had never trained in advanced swordsmanship. The blade light that appeared now was purely a result of his speed and power.
Savage Charge had tripled his strength.
It was a sword light born of raw force—not technique.
Boom!!!
Fenric collided head-on with the meteorite.
The massive rock halted mid-air for a moment.
Then—
Crack!
Fractures spread across its surface.
BOOM!!
The meteorite shattered in midair, exploding into countless flaming fragments that scattered like flower petals across the sky.