The heavy iron door slammed shut behind them, leaving a dull echo.
The solitary confinement cell became dim.
The air was thick with a damp, moldy smell, and the cramped space made every breath feel uncomfortable.
The only ventilation was a tiny iron window set high into the wall, no larger than a palm. A few faint strands of moonlight came through, casting faint streaks of light onto the floor, barely outlining the room's layout.
"Dammit!"
A low growl broke the silence.
Smoker paced back and forth, the sound of his military boots clicking against the stone floor loud in the empty cell.
He had been here for many days, but being thrown into solitary was a first—and it was all because of some newcomer.
"It's all that pretentious kid's fault!" Smoker was furious and had nowhere to vent.
Aiden, the protagonist of his rage, ignored him completely.
He simply went to a relatively clean corner, cleaned the spot with his hand, sat down, and closed his eyes.
It was as if he had never been locked up.
This "ignoring" was more infuriating to Smoker than any verbal taunt.
Finally, unable to restrain himself any longer, Smoker stopped in front of Aiden. Standing over him with a provocative tone, he barked, "Hey, kid! You trying to play dead? You think if you don't talk, this is just going to blow over?"
Aiden slowly opened his eyes. In the darkness, his gaze was calm.
"What else?" His tone was flat. "Do you really want to discuss the smoking policy in here too?"
"Don't you damn well mention that to me!" Smoker's sore spot was hit instantly, causing him to explode. "I'll make you understand right now: whether it's in the dorm or in here, you follow my rules!"
With a roar, his fist swung directly toward Aiden's cheek!
In his mind, this single punch was enough to teach this arrogant brat the meaning of "respecting your seniors." He was even prepared to follow up with a stomp once the kid hit the floor.
Yet, facing this aggressive strike, Aiden didn't even shift his posture.
The moment Smoker's fist was about to collide with his nose, Aiden's seated torso leaned back quickly.
Smoker's fist grazed the tip of Aiden's nose, the wind from the punch even moving his bangs.
Smoker's pupils shrunk. He was startled.
Too fast!
He didn't have time to pull his fist back, much less make a follow-up move.
Because something faster than his own punch had already struck toward him!
It was Aiden's fist!
However, Smoker smirked. He didn't even think about dodging.
As a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, physical attacks wouldn't work on him.
He had already completely elementalized his abdomen, waiting for the opponent's fist to pass through his smoky body. Then, he could grab the kid's arm and show this know-it-all what it felt like to be restrained by smoke.
He wanted to make this recruit understand what a Logia user truly was!
BAM!
A short, dull thud rang out.
The expected sensation of a fist passing through nothing never came. Instead, it was replaced by real, agonizing pain!
The sneer on Smoker's face hadn't even fully faded before it froze into an expression of shock, pain, and disbelief.
He looked down to see Aiden's fist pressed firmly against his belly.
In the dim light, he couldn't see clearly, but Aiden's knuckles seemed to have been coated in darkness for a split second.
He only knew that the fist seemed to have seized the "physical entity" within his illusory smoke. A strong force pierced through his elemental defense and struck his internal organs directly!
"Ugh—!"
The pain exploded in his abdomen. Smoker felt his insides twist together from that single punch.
His mouth fell open, and his entire body hunched over.
"Hey! What's going on in there?! Keep it down!"
From outside the door came the impatient warning of the Marine guard.
Just as Smoker was about to fall to his knees from the pain, a hand shot out quickly, clamping firmly over his mouth and stifling his groans.
Then, a voice whispered in his ear.
"Deep breaths, deep breaths..."
"Feeling dizzy is normal."
That was the last thing Smoker heard before he lost consciousness entirely.
The final thought in his mind was a question.
How... did he... hit me?
Smoker: (×﹏×)
Some time passed. When Smoker finally regained consciousness, the sky was already beginning to pale.
The faint morning light filtered through the small window high on the wall, illuminating dust in the cell.
He struggled to sit up, only to feel his abdomen still throbbing with pain and his head feeling heavy and groggy.
"Was it a hallucination...?"
He shook his head and looked toward the corner. Aiden was still in his original position, sitting cross-legged and motionless, as if he had been there the entire night.
Perhaps... that punch earlier was just a hallucination brought on by his own rage?
Just as the thought occurred to him, the figure in the corner seemed to sense his movement and slowly turned his head.
In the faint morning light, a "kind" smile appeared on Aiden's face.
"Ah, you're awake."
That smile instantly brought Smoker's memory back.
It wasn't a hallucination!
Smoker's face turned pale. He wanted to say something stubborn to save face.
However, Aiden had already stood up. While stretching his neck, which was stiff from sitting so long, he walked toward him slowly.
"It seems we've reached a preliminary consensus," Aiden said in a calm voice.
He walked up to Smoker, crouched down, and looked directly into Smoker's suspicious and fearful eyes. "I don't want trouble, and you shouldn't bother me. Let's get through this year peacefully, staying out of each other's way. As for the 'no smoking in the dorm' thing... I trust you understand now."
He paused, the smile at the corners of his mouth gaining a touch of playfulness.
"Also, about last night... if you talk... next time, I might not be able to control my strength so well."
Smoker felt cold. Looking at that "kind" face so close to his own, he felt, for the first time, pressure from this recruit—a pressure similar to that of Vice Admiral Kuzan, the man known as a monster.
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