Chapter 100: I Want Him, Give Him to Me
Chen Yu took the training whistle from Feng Qi, his head full of question marks.
He subconsciously pointed at himself, his tone filled with disbelief. "Sister Feng, you're not mistaken, right? Me?"
The surrounding students were stunned. Although shocked, none of them voiced any dissatisfaction.
Gong Wei and Jin Ling'er were even clamoring to duel Chen Yu one-on-one.
Gu Yunxi leaned close to Zhuge Jing and muttered, "Is Brother Yu really going to teach us?"
Zhuge Jing pushed up his glasses, his gaze resting thoughtfully on Chen Yu. "His Taijutsu seems to be very strong."
Beside them, Shen Lie said excitedly, "It's more than just strong!"
Feng Qi crossed her arms and leaned against the railing at the edge of the training grounds, smiling frankly. "No mistake. It's you."
"The Fish-Man Karate I know isn't suitable for them. Your Taijutsu is surely better than theirs, right?"
"Just train them for now. Once they're assigned to their departments, there will be specialized Taijutsu instructors."
"Brother Yu, let's do this!" Long Aotian swung his arms. "I submit to you."
"Alright then." Chen Yu took the whistle and blew a crisp blast. The field instantly fell silent.
He walked to the center of the training ground, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Taijutsu (Body Techniques). The body comes first, the technique comes second."
"First, train your physique. Temper your flesh."
"Huh? Just training that?" Gu Yunxi's face fell. "I thought we'd learn how to use our Devil Fruit abilities to fight beasts. Physical training is tiring."
"Yeah, it is tiring." Chen Yu rubbed his chin. "But do you really think Devil Fruit development has nothing to do with physique?"
Chen Yu looked at He Yan and continued, "And He Yan, you have a Logia fruit. But if your physique is too weak, you might not even be able to produce magma without overdrafting your body. Forget fighting; even protecting yourself will be hard."
He Yan recalled his fatigue when facing Lin Jun earlier and nodded in agreement.
Chen Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. "Personally, I believe a Devil Fruit ability is like a knife."
"Physique is the hand that holds the knife. If the hand isn't strong enough, even the sharpest knife won't be used well."
"When the hand can wield the knife with ease, perhaps you can achieve... Fruit Awakening."
"Fruit Awakening?!"
As soon as these words came out, the field went dead silent. Even the sound of breathing became audible.
Fruit Awakening—a concept they had never even heard of. Even Feng Qi looked at Chen Yu with curiosity.
"What does that mean?"
Chen Yu didn't intend to hide it, mostly because the threshold was ridiculously high.
It was like putting Qian Xuesen's handwritten manuscripts on mechanics—akin to a heavenly cultivation manual—in front of an ordinary person. Just one look would make them dizzy.
Even if Chen Yu told them the method for awakening, they might not be able to achieve it.
Recalling the words of "Big News" Morgans: "After awakening, Paramecia types can change the environment or the properties of their opponents. Pure mechanical monsters."
"Zoan types, upon awakening, are perfectly suited for slaughter. Vitality is maxed out, constitution is massively enhanced, and animalistic traits become more pronounced."
"Logia types, upon awakening, seem to be able to permanently alter the weather and climate. Perhaps they can achieve an effect like a map editor."
Gulp.
The entire training ground was so quiet that only the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard.
It was now officially imagination time!
"Re... really?" He Yan imagined himself erupting like a volcano, the corners of his mouth becoming harder and harder to suppress.
"Then can I make the entire Alliance float..." Jin Ling'er closed her eyes, immersed in her fantasy.
Feng Qi thought on a grander scale. If this realm truly existed, even if only one person succeeded, it would play a massive role in the continuation of humanity.
However... the veracity couldn't be confirmed.
"Bro!" Zhuge Jing dropped directly to his knees. "Brother Yu, even with all these people watching, I'm kneeling. You have to teach me this."
Long Aotian hugged Chen Yu's thigh. "Teach me. I'll do anything you ask."
"Oh?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "Then you're not allowed to eat today."
Long Aotian's face froze, plunged into a deep internal conflict.
Chen Yu rolled his eyes and didn't keep them in suspense. He continued, "I've only heard of the method."
"When an ability user's mind and body can catch up to their powers, they can reach this realm."
"The 'body' refers to strength and power, and physique is especially important."
"So, today's training is simple. Nothing else."
"Run one hundred laps first. Each lap is one kilometer. After running, do one thousand push-ups and one thousand sit-ups."
Chen Yu blew the whistle. "Now, begin!"
Long Aotian was the first to charge out, shouting, "I'm gonna get strong! I'm gonna swallow the whole Blue Planet!!"
The others didn't dare to slack off and followed suit.
Ten laps later.
Everyone was chanting internally: Huff, huff... Fruit Awakening! I want to awaken!
One hundred laps later.
"F*** me... so tired."
One thousand laps (implied/hyperbole or total distance).
"Sh*t!! I actually survived!"
Just when everyone thought they could rest, they heard Chen Yu speak with his body temperature of 37°C: "Continue. One more lap!"
Instantly, people were unhappy.
They were about to turn around and retort, but then they remembered they couldn't beat Chen Yu, so they obediently continued running.
By the time everyone finished all the training, the sky was dark, and the streetlights around the training ground had turned on.
Under the dim yellow light, everyone lay paralyzed on the ground, soaked in sweat, their clothes drenched.
At this moment, everyone had only one thought in their minds: Chen Yu! F*** your m...
Feng Qi walked over, holding several bottles of water, and distributed them. "Alright, that's it for today's training. Go back, take a shower, eat something, and rest well."
She paused, looking at everyone with a serious tone. "One more thing. Tomorrow morning is Department Assignment."
"You will be sorted into either the Combat Department or the Academic Department. Think carefully tonight about which department suits you better."
"Combat Department and Academic Department? What's the difference, Teacher Feng?" Gu Yunxi asked weakly.
"The Combat Department mainly trains people to fight on the front lines. Daily training focuses on actual combat, learning how to use abilities against Ferocious Beasts, and how to explore Divine Phenomenon zones."
"The Academic Department mainly researches Divine Phenomena and Devil Fruit abilities. For example, analyzing the principles behind miracles, researching how to better develop fruit abilities, and developing equipment to fight beasts."
Feng Qi explained simply, "In short, the Combat Department is for 'conquering the world,' and the Academic Department is for 'securing the rear.' There is no hierarchy; both are for the Alliance, for humanity."
After speaking, Feng Qi dismissed everyone to rest and turned to walk toward her office.
Meanwhile.
In an office within the training camp, Huo Jia sat at his desk, holding a list containing the names and ability evaluations of each student.
He examined the list carefully, occasionally marking something, muttering to himself, "Ling Yue... three abilities, plus special sensory perception. Her physique is also good. Suitable for the Combat Department..."
"But the Academic Department also needs talent like this. Maybe a dual enrollment could work."
"...Zhuge Jing. Sharp mind, good at analysis. Suitable for the Academic Department..."
Just then—
BANG!
The office door was kicked open, and a burly man walked in.
The man was over two meters tall, with bulging muscles and a scar across his face, looking exceptionally fierce.
"I want him. Give him to me."
Huo Jia: "???"
What do you want? Give you what? Speak clearly, dammit!
(To be Continued)