On the training ground, dust rose in thick clouds.
Darren, Gion, and Kaji stood facing one another at a distance, powerful auras gradually spreading out from their bodies.
Yellow sand rolled across the ground. The wide capes behind Gion and Kaji snapped loudly in the cold sea breeze.
Marines from Branch 321 had already rushed over after hearing the news. They packed the perimeter so tightly that there wasn't even room for water to seep through, eyes wide with anticipation.
"Lieutenant Commander Momonga, do you think Chief Darren will lose?"
A young Marine asked softly.
Momonga stood with his arms crossed beneath his Marine cap. He smiled faintly but didn't answer.
Lose?
That word didn't exist in that man's vocabulary.
If anything, the real question was how badly those two "geniuses" from Marine Headquarters were about to be beaten.
---
"So, Colonel Darren—who do you want to spar with first?"
Kaji asked eagerly, even flipping what little hair he had in a stylish motion.
Noticing several female Marines from Branch 321 watching with excited expressions, his chest swelled with confidence.
He had been personally guided by numerous senior officers at Headquarters. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku had praised his talent more than once.
Among his peers, aside from Gion, there was no one who could truly compare to him.
He could already picture himself knocking Darren flat—and then those female Marines gazing at him with admiration and excitement.
Thinking about it, Kaji couldn't help but grin foolishly.
Darren glanced at him, then shook his head.
"No need to waste time. The two of you—come at me together."
Kaji and Gion both froze.
Then anger surged up simultaneously.
This guy… how arrogant can he be!?
"Then don't blame me for being rude! I'll go easy on you!"
Kaji ground his teeth.
He was absolutely going to show this backwater North Blue Marine the true strength of Headquarters!
He lowered his stance slightly. The muscles across his body visibly tightened.
Bang!
The ground beneath his feet exploded inward.
With a terrifying burst of raw power, Kaji shot forward like a cannonball, charging straight at Darren at incredible speed.
It wasn't Soru from the Six Powers—neither he nor Gion had entered the Marine Training Camp yet, and they hadn't mastered those "superhuman" techniques.
This was pure physical strength and acceleration.
The Marines watching gasped as Kaji vanished from sight in a blur.
In less than a second, he crossed over ten meters, appearing directly in front of Darren. His fist shot out like splintering bamboo, aimed squarely at Darren's abdomen.
No tricks.
No feints.
Just absolute power pushed to its limit.
Seeing Darren still standing there, unmoving—as if he hadn't even noticed the attack—Kaji laughed wildly in his heart.
He could already imagine Darren collapsing to the ground, vomiting in agony.
That's what you get for acting smug!
That's what you get for showing off those muscles!
That's what you get for sleeping with Mrs. Margaret!
That's what you get for "caring for the people" so enthusiastically!!
Go down!
Bang!!
The punch landed solidly against Darren's sharply defined abs, sending ripples of compressed air outward.
But the grin on Kaji's face instantly froze.
Something was wrong.
That punch felt like it had struck solid iron.
Not even a tremor.
Gion, standing a short distance away with her Meitō half-drawn, froze in shock.
Kaji slowly looked up.
What he saw was Darren's youthful face—wearing a faintly helpless expression.
"Uh… Lieutenant Commander Kaji," Darren said lightly, "I appreciate you holding back, but could you please take this spar seriously?"
His smile was almost teasing.
Kaji's mouth twitched.
"Kaji! What are you doing!? Stop messing around!!"
Confusion flashed across Gion's face as she shouted.
Kaji: "..."
He clenched his teeth, drew a deep breath, and the muscles in his arm bulged as he threw another full-powered punch.
Boom!!
A violent shockwave spread outward, whipping up dust and wind.
Darren—Chief of Branch 321—
Didn't move an inch.
Kaji stood there, stunned.
Is this… Tekkai!?
He hadn't learned the Six Powers yet, but he'd seen them enough times.
That steel-like defensive effect—this was unmistakably Tekkai.
But something was wrong.
Darren didn't show the telltale signs of accelerated blood flow or tensed muscle circulation that accompanied Tekkai.
"I told you, Lieutenant Commander Kaji," Darren's calm voice sounded again, "you really don't need to hold back. I honestly want to see what you can do."
"Kaji! What on earth are you doing!? I told you to go all out!"
Gion snapped angrily.
Kaji looked like he was about to cry.
I'm not holding back at all!!
With a roar, he unleashed a furious barrage, punching with both arms.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like a raging storm, countless afterimages of fists engulfed Darren.
Blows powerful enough to shatter stone walls crashed into Darren's chest, abdomen, legs—even his head.
Yet not a single strike forced him back even half a step.
Completely ineffective.
Darren stood there like an immovable reef amid a raging tempest.
This… isn't working…
How is this even possible…
Kaji stared blankly at Darren's relaxed expression—and the faint smile hidden in his eyes.
A terrifying realization surfaced in his mind.
Could it be…
At that moment, Darren suddenly grinned.
"Had enough? If so, it's my turn."
Kaji froze.
A bone-chilling cold shot up from his feet, racing straight up his spine into his brain.
A large, rough hand reached out with lightning speed, rapidly filling his vision.
Too fast—there's no way to dodge!
Kaji's face twisted in horror. The vague suspicion in his heart finally became undeniable truth.
This man… possessed strength that completely crushed him.
"D-Don't—don't hit my face!!"
Kaji screamed.
But in the next instant, that massive hand covered his face.
Under Gion's disbelieving stare,
Under the stunned expressions of the Branch 321 Marines,
Under Momonga's helpless gaze,
Amid Kaji's pig-like shrieks—
Darren pressed one hand firmly against Kaji's face, stepped forward with a feral grin, and—
Slammed his head straight into the ground!
BOOM!!
The earth within a twenty-meter radius shook violently.
A massive crater instantly formed, cracks spreading outward like spiderwebs.
Kaji's entire head was buried deep in the pit. His legs, still wearing wooden clogs, stuck straight up into the air, twitching occasionally.
Dust surged skyward, swirling like a raging dragon.
Everyone present stared at the scene, faces twitching.
This…
Just watching it hurts.