The powerful shockwaves erupting from Ren's twin fists pounded Whitebeard Jr.'s body relentlessly, bursting into brilliant golden-white flashes of light.
The terrifying pressure from his punches shot across the sky, blasting towering waves hundreds of meters high from the distant sea surface.
Even the surrounding ships were violently shaken, as if they could be swallowed by the ocean at any moment.
"So scary! Just how strong is Boss now? That kind of punch pressure alone is this powerful! I really don't know what that fat guy's body is made of."
Simba and the others were dumbfounded. Never in their lives had they imagined a human being could possess such overwhelming power.
He was literally altering the ocean itself.
"This level of power is nothing," Zephyr said as he began to encourage the Marine cadets. "Remember, with enough training, you too can reach this level someday!"
"A true powerhouse is a hundred times stronger than this. You must never slack off. In the Grand Line, there are countless monsters with power like this. Graduating from the Marine Academy doesn't make you rulers of the seas!"
Zephyr's words ignited a fire in the hearts of the young cadets. Watching such a terrifying battle firsthand stirred their ambition to become strong.
Zephyr watched with satisfaction. Though none of these cadets could match Ren's strength yet, the seeds had been planted. They would grow in time.
They were the future hope of the Marines.
Whitebeard Jr.'s massive body was sent flying over a thousand meters before crashing into a small island.
What shocked Ren was that, even after receiving such an overwhelmingly powerful attack, the guy still wasn't dead.
His life force remained. He had only lost consciousness.
"Damn. Is the Self-Healing Fruit really that broken?"
Ren frowned and immediately flew toward the island.
Within a few breaths, he landed.
"Radiant Sword!"
Condensing Glint-Glint Fruit energy into the shape of the Radiant Sword, Ren thrust it forward and pierced through Whitebeard Jr.'s body.
Then, with another swing, he completely dismembered the man.
Even his head was severed, and Ren hacked away until the corpse was reduced to hundreds of chunks.
Splatter splatter splatter!
Chunks of flesh dropped to the ground, raising clouds of dust.
"Let's see if you can come back from this! What do you think this is, Dragon Ball? You're not Majin Buu!"
Ren spat in disgust at the meat pile.
Even though he was used to killing, this scene made his stomach churn for a moment.
Fortunately, he had done this before. He quickly steadied himself.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! You have killed Whitebeard Jr. and obtained 10 Frozen Fruit shards!"
With the sweet voice of the system in his ear, Ren's mood instantly brightened.
Bosses really were different. Ten shards in one go—this was the most he had ever received at once.
With the battle over, the trial ended too.
Everyone gained something valuable from this fight. Beyond combat experience, they also captured a large number of pirates, which meant a hefty payday for all.
Especially Ren—by slaying Whitebeard Jr., he claimed a bounty of 480 million berries.
However, upon seeing Zephyr's half-pleading expression, Ren clenched his teeth and donated 100 million berries to the Marine Academy—as a gesture of gratitude for their "care" over the past few years.
"Damn that old man. He scammed me out of a whole hundred million!"
Ren could only vent by "taking it out" on Ain later that night—showering her with kisses for hours.
Of course, they didn't go all the way.
Ain was only sixteen, still too young, and Ren didn't have the heart to push her too far.
—
Meanwhile, far away on the Grand Line, aboard a massive pirate ship...
Whitebeard lay slouched on an enormous throne, half-asleep and hooked up to IV drips. His health had been steadily declining lately. These days, IV bags were his closest companions.
"Pops, your son is dead."
Marco approached with a newspaper in hand, speaking with a teasing smirk.
"Huh? One of my sons died? Which one?"
Whitebeard blinked, confused.
Marco handed over the paper.
Across the front page in bold was the headline:
"Marine Super Rookie Ren Slays 480 Million Berry Pirate Whitebeard Jr.!"
There was even a photo to prove it.
"Oh, that idiot? He's not my son. I never acknowledged him."
Whitebeard scoffed as he skimmed the article.
"Just an old hag dragging around some dumbass, pretending he's my kid. I've got a lot of sons, but none that stupid!"
"Still… this Marine rookie is kind of interesting. Looks like Sengoku's making his move."
He glanced at Marco.
"Marco, looks like you've got a rival now."
Whitebeard's voice was calm.
He didn't care much about this "super rookie." Even the three Admirals didn't concern him, let alone a newcomer.
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