The atmosphere was suffocating.
Tension crackled in the air—
a battle was about to erupt at any moment.
"I'm curious…"
"Who gave you the courage…"
"to treat the Cerberus Pirates as training fodder for a bunch of Marine rookies?"
Kurrin of the Cerberus Pirates stepped forward, staring at Smoker and the cadets with a cold, sinister grin. His eyes burned with killing intent.
He was broad-shouldered, bare-chested, and covered in vicious scars. The sheer presence he radiated was terrifying.
"Cerberus Kurrin!"
"A pirate with a bounty of sixty million berries!"
"Zoan user—Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Cerberus!"
"Everyone, be careful."
"He's strong."
Smoker and Tina narrowed their eyes, their expressions turning grave as they warned the others.
The cadets tightened their grip on their weapons, meeting the pirates' hostile gazes without flinching.
Their strength wasn't lacking—
what they lacked was real combat experience.
Simply put—
they needed blood.
Only through the baptism of blood could they truly transform into elite Marines.
"Attack!"
"Kill them all!"
"A bunch of Marine brats dare to show off in front of us?"
"Let's teach these rookies a proper lesson!"
"Brothers—kill them!"
At last, the Cerberus Pirates made their move.
Over three hundred pirates surged forward like a tidal wave, launching a full assault against the seventy Marine cadets.
Weapons swung down, drenched in killing intent.
"Move!"
Smoker took a deep breath and charged without hesitation.
His target—
was naturally Kurrin.
The strongest enemy on the field.
As a Logia user, Smoker had no reason to fear Kurrin.
As long as the opponent lacked Armament Haki or Seastone restraints, Smoker held the advantage.
"White Blow!"
With a shout, smoke billowed from Smoker's body as he shot forward at incredible speed.
His fists detached—
like cannonballs, blasting straight toward Kurrin.
Kurrin's pupils shrank.
"A Logia user?!"
"I didn't expect a monster like this among a bunch of rookies!"
Pressure surged.
He immediately dodged.
Smoker's fists grazed past him—
but the smoke began to spread, creeping toward Kurrin's body.
"Bind!"
Smoker manipulated the smoke, attempting to envelop Kurrin, restrict his movement, and cut off the surrounding oxygen.
"This kid… isn't simple."
Kurrin's expression hardened.
He could no longer afford to underestimate his opponent.
Boom!
With a stomp, the ground beneath him shattered.
His body began to expand—
growing larger, more monstrous.
From two to three meters tall—
to nearly five meters.
Two additional wolf heads sprouted from his shoulders.
Three heads.
The origin of the name—Cerberus.
At the same time, black fur spread across his body, dramatically enhancing his defense.
From the very start, Kurrin went all out.
Against a Logia user, he couldn't afford carelessness.
"Come!"
Kurrin grinned viciously.
"A Logia? So what?"
He reached back—
and drew out a spear.
At its tip—
Seastone.
"Seastone weapon?!"
Smoker's expression darkened.
The next instant—
they clashed.
Elsewhere—
Tina unleashed her Cage-Cage Fruit ability, sweeping through pirates with overwhelming force.
In a single exchange—
she took down nearly ten pirates.
Black iron bars extended from her arms, smashing through enemies and sending them crashing to the ground.
"Watch out! That woman's dangerous!"
"Send more men!"
"Get a captain-level fighter over here!"
"She's a Devil Fruit user!"
The pirates grew wary.
Soon—
a pirate with a bounty exceeding thirty million berries stepped forward to face Tina, attacking with ruthless, killing intent.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Aside from Smoker and Tina, the remaining Marine cadets also joined the fight, using Rokushiki techniques in combat.
Even if most hadn't fully mastered the Six Powers—
just a few techniques were enough to give them an advantage over ordinary pirates.
Their strength was undeniable.
After a year and a half of Zephyr's training—
they were far from weak.
But—
their first time killing…
was another matter.
Faces turned pale.
Their combat effectiveness dropped sharply.
"Hah! These Marine brats haven't even seen blood before!"
"Kill them!"
"Pathetic!"
"They've got strength, but they freeze at the sight of corpses?"
"Trash!"
"Kill!"
The pirates grew more ferocious.
Meanwhile—
many cadets began to falter.
"You idiots!"
"This is a battlefield!"
"Get over yourselves!"
"If they don't die—then you will!"
Smoker roared in fury mid-battle.
At a time like this—
they were hesitating?
Did they think pirates would show mercy?
Ridiculous.
His shout snapped several cadets out of it.
They forced themselves to endure the horror—
and threw themselves back into the fight.
"You see that?"
"Your comrades aren't doing so well."
"At this rate…"
"They'll all die at my hands."
Kurrin sneered, trying to provoke Smoker.
But Smoker remained calm.
No opening.
No weakness.
Then—
Kurrin's gaze shifted.
He froze.
Outside the battlefield—
there was someone.
A Marine recruit…
who hadn't joined the fight.
A small figure—
trembling.
Helpless.
Afraid.
A child.
"A five-year-old kid?"
"Since when does the Navy recruit children?"
"Have they run out of people?"
Suddenly—
an idea struck him.
A cruel one.
He grinned.
"Not all your comrades are strong."
"For example…"
"that trembling five-year-old outside the battlefield."
"What if…"
"I have my men capture him?"
"Would you surrender?"
"Take a guess."
"Do you think that little brat can survive against my men?"
"He'll die a miserable death."
"You Marines sure are bold…"
"sending a child to face us."
"We'll gladly take his life."
Kurrin expected Smoker to panic—
to reveal an opening.
Instead—
Smoker just looked at him.
Strangely.
That look—
sent a chill down Kurrin's spine.
It felt like—
he was being looked at…
like a clown.
Or worse—
like a corpse.
"What kind of look is that, brat?!"
Kurrin snapped in anger.