The day, Smoker and Hina arrived at the training grounds as scheduled.

  The cadets' faces lit up as soon as they saw them.

  After endless days of monotonous training, they were eager for a distra.

  The group swarmed around them, chatteriedly.

  Some expressed genuine , some were curious, and others couldn’t resist gossiping.

  “Wow, it’s amazing! You’ve really brought honor to us cadets!”

  “I’m from the North Blue, and Dofmingo is the most ruthless pirate there! I ’t believe you defeated him…”

  “Smoker, the title of top cadet belongs to you now, no question about it!”

  Smoker blinked in surprise. “Top cadet?!”

  “ht. You probably don’t know yet…”

  “After you defeated Gavinte in the previous assessment and the on to take down the even more dangerous Dofmingo, you’ve earhe title of top cadet in the advanced css!”

  Unbeknownst to Smoker, news of their aplishments had already reached the academy before their return.

  While every Marine in the elite advanced css was young and brimming with pride, they knew when to aowledge someone’s superior achievements.

  Thus, most of them grudgingly accepted Smoker as the rightful top cadet.

  Just then, a loud voice shouted from a distance, “Form up!”

  Reflexively, everyone froze and scrambled to line up in formation.

  Garp appeared, holding a file as he walked up to the group.

  “I have an official annou. Since we’re pressed for time, I’ll keep it brief!”

  “Smoker is hereby promoted to Navy Headquarters Lieutenant ander, and Hina to Navy Headquarters Lieutenant. Details will be posted on the bulletin board for anyone curious.”

  A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.

  The cadets were visibly shocked—after all, Hina had just been a warrant officer, and Smoker a mere seaman recruit. Both of them had essentially skipped several ranks.

  Even Smoker and Hiaken aback.

  It wasn’t because the promotio undeserved—it was the opposite. The reitio underwhelming.

  Take Smoker’s tributions, for example. Just his improvements to gunpowder and onballs alone had strengthehe Navy’s arsenal. A promotion to ander wouldn’t have been excessive.

  Sharing a gnce, Smoker and Hina chose not to voice their thoughts.

  Both believed in a merit-based system and didn’t care much for ranks.

  Besides, they knew Zephyr and Akainu uood the value of their efforts, so this must have been a deliberate decision by the higher-ups.

  They didn’t know the reasoning behind it, but with Zephyr’s character, they trusted he wouldn’t let them be shortged.

  They saluted, accepting their promotions with calm posure, while the other cadets watched enviously.

  Most of them rarely left the academy grounds for field experience, fog instead on training and studying. Promotions were naturally slower for them.

  Out of the 200-plus cadets, only a handful of senior officers had reached the rank of Lieutenant, while the rest were still ensigns or sergeants.

  Smoker, now the first to bee a Lieutenant ander among them, was undeniably envied.

  After finishing their m training, Smoker and Hina were about to leave when a grating voice called out from behind them.

  “So, you two actually survived!”

  “Too bad I fell off the ship by act. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had a ce to shine!”

  “Smoker, here’s some advice. That top cadet title you’re holding onto? It won’t be yours for long.”

  Smoker’s eyes narrowed, turning slowly toward the speaker.

  Gasparade.

  Right. He still had unfinished business with this guy.

  In the past, Smoker had ignasparade’s provocations, unwilling to stoop to his childish level.

  But during the previous battle, Gasparade had attacked Hina, crossing a line Smoker couldn’t five.

  “Fell off the ship? You mean got sent flying?” Smoker retorted, his tone icy.

  “Your punches may be soft, but I have to admit, your life is pretty tough.”

  “Sent flying?!”

  Everyouro stare at Gasparade, whose face flushed red with embarrassment.

  “You sharp-tongued bastard! If my punches are so soft, why don’t you e feel them for yourself?”

  “These past months, I haven’t been sg off. Holy, I felt a little regretful when I thought you’d died…”

  “But since you’re alive, how about proving if you’re really worthy of that title? I challenge you!”

  Smoker smirked coldly. “A challenge? I was hoping you’d say that.”

  The surrounding cadets perked up with excitement.

  “Yeah, Smoker! Teach that jerk a lesson!”

  “Top cadet, we’re rooting for you!”

  Some, however, were more cautious.

  “ Smoker hahis?”

  “I’m not sure. Gasparade’s a jerk, but he’s undeniably strong.”

  “Strong? He’s just relying on his Devil Fruit powers. Without them, I’d beat him senseless!”

  “Fruit powers are still part of his strength. And didn’t he almost beat you without using them once?”

  “What the hell?! You’re bringing that up now?!”

  Gasparade’s abilities were undeniably troublesome.

  While his powers had weaknesses, not many cadets knew how to ter them. Most didn’t even know that flour could harden his gummy-like body.

  Because of this, Gasparade had always been untouchable in the advanced css.

  His arrogance grew unchecked, making him universally disliked.

  But his unshakable fidence meant he shrugged off the disdain of others with ease.

  Before long, the cadets cleared a space, f a circle around Smoker, Hina, and Gasparade.

  Smoker flicked his cigar to the side, ready to fight.

  But before he could step forward, Hina raised a hand, stopping him.

  Smoker instantly uood—Hina wao take this fight herself.

  He stepped aside, blending into the crowd.

  Hina locked her gaze on Gasparade."Last time, Instructaji interrupted ht. Let’s settle our score now!"

  Gasparade smirked. "Doesn’t matter who the oppo is. But don’t expect me to hold back just because you’re a woman!"

  "Please, give it your all," Hina replied with a faint smile. "Don’t use that as an excuse when you lose."

  Gasparade’s face darkened. "Me? Lose to you?!"

  With a roar, he charged at her, his movements aggressive and forceful.

  "Shave!" Hina’s figure vanished.

  "You’re not the only one who knows that move! Shave!" Gasparade disappeared as well.

  A loud crack echoed as their fists collided mid-air before they both nded, separating quickly.

  Smoker raised an eyebrow. "Huh? This guy’s improved a lot..."

  A nearby marine nodded. "Yeah, ever sihat st i, he asked to train in the Six Powers. Even Instructaji said his progress has been impressive." The marine g Smoker, as if asking, Aren’t you worried?

  Smoker shrugged, pletely unfazed. Without Haki or Seastone, how could Gasparade even hope to challenge Hina?

  Gasparade lunged again, this time aiming a kick at Hina.

  She moved to block, but his leg sprouted tless sharp green spikes, turning it into a spiked club.

  Hina’s eyes narrowed in surprise. She quickly used Paper Art to dodge the attading a few feet away.

  Gasparade lowered his leg, the spikes retrag."How’s that? Tough to handle, right? But hey, props for dodging."

  He unched another series of attacks, eae ced with spikes that would give any ordinary mariough time.

  Hina calmly sidestepped, tering with a Tempest Kick. The sharp air bde sshed through Gasparade’s neck, severing his head. She hopped back, keeping a safe distance.

  "Impressive," Hina remarked. "I didn’t expect you to bine physical teiques with your Devil Fruit ability."

  "To think, I used to sider you just a fruit-reliant weakling."

  Gasparade’s head regeed as he shanks to you, I realized my shortings. Now, let me return the favor with some of my new moves!"

  He stretched out his arms."Soft dy S!"

  Green goo spread rapidly, engulfing the eraining ground.

  Hina stepped into the air with Moonwalk, avoiding the sticky trap. She sshed at the goo with Tempest Kick, but it simply reformed, uerred.

  "You ’t escape! Soft dy Barrage!"

  Gasparade fired tless green spikes from his hands, eae aiming for Hina.

  From the sidelines, a marine whispered, "This... kinda looks like Zean’s style."

  "Yeah," anreed, "but the speed and teique aren’t even close to Zean’s level."

  Hina, having sparred with Zeaensively, found these attacks ughably easy to dodge.

  Gasparade cackled. "How long you keep jumping around? My soft dy is endless!"

  Hina shook her head in disdain. "A frog in a well."

  She suddenly accelerated, closing the distan an instant. With a powerful punch, she smmed her fist into Gasparade’s face.

  "You think your attacks hurt me—ugh!" Gasparade’s taunt was cut short as blood ah sprayed from his mouth.

  He hit the ground hard, but before he could recover, Hina stomped onto his chest, pinning him down.

  Coughing up blood, Gasparade struggled to breathe as her hand cmped tightly around his throat like a steel vice.

  "Even Logia users don’t cim invincibility," she sneered. "Yet here you are, a mere Paramecia, trying to tank hits head-on? Foolish."

  "Curse you!" Gasparade roared, summoning his preen goed up Hina’s legs, hardening into a solid trap.

  "You’re mine now! Soft dy Thorns!"

  tless spikes shot out from Gasparade’s body, pierg Hina through.

  "Hina!"

  "Hina-san!"

  "That bastard Gasparade!"

  The marines gasped in shock, while Gasparade gririumphantly."Talk all you want. In the end, strength decides everything!"

  But his expression froze as Hina’s figure dissipated into white smoke.

  "What...?"

  Hina reformed a short distance away, entirely unharmed.

  "Your moves," she said, her tone icy, "don’t deserve to be called thorns."

  Befasparade could react, Hina’s fist crashed into his face with bone-crushing force.

  His head so the side, eyes rolling back as he fell unscious, his body limp.

  Hina scoffed, grabbed her coat from the ground, and walked off without a sed gnce.

  .....

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