"No way, this is too easy!"
"No, it can't possibly be that simple."
"Could Vice Admiral Hakutaku actually attack us during the examination?"
"How would we possibly get close to her if she attacks us?"
"She is the Marine officer who fought against Whitebeard!"
The moment Saint Roselith Seraphina calmly explained the rules of the fourth assessment, uneasiness spread throughout the remaining candidates.
None of them believed that the final and most important test of the Marine Special Training Camp could possibly be as straightforward as simply approaching the examiner.
There had to be something more.
After all, the woman standing before them was not an ordinary Marine officer.
She was Saint Roselith Seraphina of the Roselith Family, a Celestial Dragon by birth, a Marine Vice Admiral by rank, and the swordswoman known throughout the seas by the epithet Vice Admiral Hakutaku.
Her reputation alone was enough to make even experienced Marines take her seriously.
"Enough speculation."
Saint Roselith Seraphina's voice carried across the training grounds.
"The examination begins now."
The instant she finished speaking, an overwhelming presence erupted from her body.
"What is this?!"
"Ugh…!"
"What's happening?!"
Several candidates suddenly staggered.
A moment later, their eyes rolled backward as they collapsed onto the ground.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
One after another, Marines who lacked sufficient willpower fell unconscious before they could even understand what had happened.
The entire training ground descended into chaos.
"Quick, Tashigi!"
"Concentrate!"
Kuina immediately recognized the sensation.
Her expression became serious.
She had originally assumed that the examiner for the final assessment would be one of the senior officers overseeing the training camp.
However, she had never expected Saint Roselith Seraphina herself to conduct the examination.
Kuina was more familiar with her master's Haki than almost anyone else present.
She had experienced Saint Roselith Seraphina's Conqueror's Haki during training before, so she immediately understood what was happening.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
The invisible pressure spread outward from Saint Roselith Seraphina like a massive wave.
Haoshoku Haki.
The supreme form of Haki.
A power that could overwhelm the wills of others without requiring physical contact.
Saint Roselith Seraphina deliberately restricted the effective center of the examination to approximately one hundred meters around herself, matching the circular boundary that had been drawn across the training grounds.
Even outside that boundary, however, some weaker candidates still collapsed beneath the lingering pressure.
That was because Conqueror's Haki did not behave like an ordinary physical force.
It was the manifestation of overwhelming spirit and will.
Saint Roselith Seraphina could suppress and control it, but maintaining absolute precision over every individual within such a large area was considerably more difficult than simply releasing her Haki.
"I feel like there's an invisible wall in front of me!"
"I can't move!"
"What exactly is happening?!"
The candidates standing outside the circle cautiously tested the boundary.
The moment they approached it, they felt an oppressive force pressing against their bodies and minds.
It was as though an invisible mountain stood before them.
"Hurry."
Saint Roselith Seraphina looked calmly at the candidates.
"You have less than ten minutes remaining."
Her voice remained completely composed.
"After the ten minutes are over, the three hundred candidates who have advanced the farthest will be selected."
The candidates exchanged glances.
No one wanted to be the first person to enter.
After witnessing so many Marines collapse within seconds, even the strongest candidates became cautious.
Then one young Marine clenched his teeth.
"If nobody is going, then I'll go first!"
He was an impatient man by nature.
Rather than continuing to stand around while everyone else hesitated, he stepped directly into the range of Saint Roselith Seraphina's Conqueror's Haki.
The instant he crossed the boundary, his expression changed.
His knees buckled.
His consciousness vanished.
Thud!
He collapsed.
The entire process took only a few seconds.
Saint Roselith Seraphina glanced at him.
"Commendable courage."
She shook her head slightly.
"But courage without sufficient willpower is not enough."
She had always appreciated reckless young people to a certain extent.
Those who possessed the courage to charge forward could become valuable soldiers on a battlefield.
However, recklessness alone could not make someone strong.
A Marine who lacked the will to withstand pressure would eventually collapse when confronted by a truly powerful enemy.
"This is Conqueror's Haki!"
Someone among the candidates finally recognized the ability.
"Only people with extraordinary willpower can resist it!"
"So that's why everyone collapsed!"
"Is it dangerous?"
"No."
"As long as Vice Admiral Hakutaku isn't deliberately trying to injure someone, the pressure should only overwhelm their consciousness."
"In that case, what are we waiting for?!"
The fear created by the unknown immediately disappeared once the candidates understood what they were facing.
One by one, they began approaching the boundary.
They knew the examination was no longer about defeating Saint Roselith Seraphina.
It was about proving that their willpower was strong enough to stand before an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.
Among the candidates, one figure stepped forward without hesitation.
Riva.
He had already distinguished himself during the physical assessment, and his performance had placed him among the strongest candidates.
Riva looked toward Saint Roselith Seraphina.
"This time, I won't be intimidated by Haki."
He stepped into the circle.
The moment he crossed the boundary, an enormous pressure descended upon him.
His muscles tightened instinctively.
His breathing became heavier.
Yet he remained standing.
Riva narrowed his eyes.
So this is Conqueror's Haki…
He had experienced Saint Roselith Seraphina's overwhelming presence before, but this feeling was different.
Her control had become noticeably more refined.
She was not simply releasing Haki indiscriminately.
She was regulating its intensity.
Riva gritted his teeth and continued forward.
"Look!"
"Someone entered!"
"That's Riva!"
"The same Riva who scored over 1,400 during the physical assessment!"
The candidates immediately recognized him.
Seeing Riva advance without collapsing gave the others a surge of confidence.
Then another figure entered the circle.
Turi.
His footsteps were steady.
His expression remained unusually calm.
"He's moving too!"
"That's Turi!"
"He was the highest scorer in the physical assessment!"
The candidates remembered the results immediately.
Riva and Turi had been among the most outstanding participants during the previous examination.
Their performances had already marked them as exceptional talents among the current generation of Marines.
Kuina watched the two men advance.
Then she turned toward Tashigi.
"Tashigi, take my hand."
"Huh?"
"We'll move forward together."
Tashigi hesitated for only a moment before gripping Kuina's hand.
"Okay!"
Kuina stepped forward.
The moment she entered the range of Saint Roselith Seraphina's Conqueror's Haki, an oppressive force descended upon her.
Her body trembled slightly.
She had experienced this pressure before.
It was powerful, but not overwhelming.
Her teacher was clearly controlling her strength.
Saint Roselith Seraphina could have released a much greater amount of Conqueror's Haki, but this examination was not designed to kill or permanently injure anyone.
It was designed to test their will.
However, Saint Roselith Seraphina had already noticed several familiar faces among the candidates.
Her gaze briefly passed over Riva.
Then Turi.
Then Kuina.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
She had no intention of giving them special treatment.
The Marine Special Training Camp was not a place where personal relationships could determine who passed.
If these candidates wanted to become elite Marines, they needed to prove themselves.
Saint Roselith Seraphina slowly increased the intensity of her Conqueror's Haki.
The pressure within the circle suddenly became heavier.
Riva's expression changed.
"This pressure… increased!"
His feet sank slightly into the ground.
Turi also noticed the change.
"So she really is taking this seriously."
He exhaled slowly.
"She doesn't intend to let us reach her easily."
Kuina's expression became increasingly strained.
"Teacher…"
She immediately understood.
Saint Roselith Seraphina was deliberately increasing the pressure around them.
And because Kuina was her student, she suspected that her teacher was testing her more strictly than the others.
Kuina clenched her teeth.
Her legs trembled beneath her.
She was not afraid.
But the pressure was becoming difficult to endure.
"Tashigi… are you alright?"
Tashigi was already struggling.
Unlike Kuina, she had not yet developed the physical foundation necessary to withstand such overwhelming Haki for an extended period.
The ordinary pressure alone was difficult enough.
Now Kuina was struggling beside her, and the force surrounding Kuina seemed even heavier.
"Tashigi, listen to me."
Kuina released her hand.
"From here onward, you have to move by yourself."
"Kuina…"
"Teacher is testing me specifically."
Kuina forced a smile.
"If I keep holding your hand, she'll probably increase the pressure even more."
Tashigi understood immediately.
Kuina was not abandoning her.
She was simply refusing to allow Tashigi to rely on someone else's strength during an examination designed to test individual willpower.
"I understand."
Tashigi slowly straightened her back.
Her legs were trembling.
Her breathing was uneven.
But she refused to retreat.
"I can do it myself."
Kuina smiled.
"That's the spirit."
Tashigi clenched her fists.
"Let's do our best together!"
The two girls stood separately within the enormous pressure of Saint Roselith Seraphina's Conqueror's Haki.
Around them, more and more candidates began advancing.
Some collapsed.
Some were forced to retreat.
Others continued crawling forward despite the tremendous pressure.
The fourth assessment had officially become a battle of wills.
And at the center of it all stood Saint Roselith Seraphina, quietly observing every candidate who dared to approach her.
She was not looking for the strongest person.
She was looking for those who possessed the will to become stronger.
For a Marine, physical strength could be trained.
Swordsmanship could be taught.
Combat techniques could be refined.
Even Haki could eventually be awakened and developed through experience and determination.
But the will to stand back up after being crushed by overwhelming pressure was something far more difficult to teach.
That was what Saint Roselith Seraphina intended to discover.
Who among these thousands of Marines had the potential to stand at the summit?
And who would break before they ever reached it?
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 232 ON PATREON.
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