Squelch!
In that moment of stunned disbelief, as the giant bear Sano hesitated, Nao's blades had already slashed down. With a sharp, angled strike, they slipped past her defensive claws and carved a deep gash into her shoulder.
Blood spurted out as Sano let out a furious roar and swung her claw in retaliation.
"Soru!"
Nao didn't hesitate—he withdrew instantly, flickering across space with a flash, reappearing on a rooftop more than ten meters away.
Sano's claw hit only air, reducing a nearby building to rubble. But before she could recover, Nao had already kicked off a nearby chimney and launched another attack from behind, targeting her now-exposed back.
After several exchanges, he had found the most effective way to fight Sano.
With overwhelming speed on his side, Nao held total control over the battlefield. Even if he couldn't match the monstrous strength of her transformed bear body in a direct confrontation, he could rely on his high stamina to wear her down.
Stamina didn't just mean endurance.
It included resilience, healing rate, and overall durability—so as long as he could stretch this into a prolonged battle of attrition, he was guaranteed to outlast her.
BOOM! BOOM!
Frustrated by missing again, Sano became more violent and frenzied. Her strikes now carried even more force, smashing the surroundings with each blow.
Buildings crumbled. Dust filled the air. The ground cracked wider with every impact.
The sheer destruction shook the entire town, drawing increasing attention.
Figures started appearing one by one, watching from alleyways and rooftops. Some were pirate grunts from the West Blue underworld syndicate, others were Elite Camp Marines who had lasted this far.
At first, hidden behind smoke and dust, no one could tell what was happening—they could only speculate.
But as the battle escalated and the combatants moved into clearer areas, the fight gradually came into view.
The towering black bear, easily over ten meters tall, was the first to draw attention. Even from hundreds of meters away, her presence and overwhelming strength were enough to send chills down observers' spines.
"All this destruction… It's probably her doing. Is that Sano, the captain with a 52 million bounty?"
Some of the Marine recruits had interrogated captured pirates during the night's battles and gathered intel.
So, they quickly identified her.
"Just as expected—completely overpowered. Among the West Blue pirates who haven't entered the Grand Line, she's probably in the top tier."
Others nodded grimly, grateful they hadn't run into her earlier.
"But who's fighting her? Whoever it is has lasted this long…"
"Shiryu, maybe? No… even someone like him, ranked first in the assessments for years, probably couldn't handle this alone."
BOOM!
Just then, a tall figure erupted from the rubble behind Sano. Dual swords flashed as they slashed downward toward her head.
And in that instant, everyone got a clear look at his face.
"Wha—No way, it's Nao?!"
Many of the recruits who recognized him nearly dislocated their jaws.
"Wasn't he left behind on Gull Island? How's he even here? Did Rear Admiral Gion take the test for him?"
"No, that's him—he's using dual blades! That's definitely Nao!"
"Damn it! That maniac's been secretly grinding again, hasn't he?!"
While everyone stared in disbelief, the roaring Sano suddenly sensed movement overhead. With no hesitation, she swiped both claws upward.
THUD!
Nao dodged one claw, but the other hit him squarely. His small frame, compared to the giant black bear, was sent flying and smashed into the ground, forming a crater several meters deep.
"Not good!"
Some of the recruits who were friendly with Nao gasped in worry.
If it had been them, they'd be unconscious on the spot from a hit like that. And even though Nao was famous for his freakish stamina, surely he'd taken some serious damage?
But—
SHUFF!
Nao sprang to his feet like nothing had happened, brushing dust off his hair. Without a moment's pause, he charged back into the fight.
The movement was so fluid and familiar that it almost felt routine—as if this wasn't the first time it had happened during their drawn-out battle.
Meanwhile, Sano, despite her rage and power, was visibly slowing. Her furious strikes lacked precision, her energy waning fast.
Now, even the pirates watching the fight were dumbfounded.
They knew Sano's strength better than anyone. She had survived the Grand Line and returned unscathed. Compared to even the mafia boss Capone himself, she was a far more dangerous combatant.
And now she was being gradually overpowered… by a kid?
Time passed. The fight raged on.
Elsewhere, Shiryu finally ended his own battle, taking down Tours—a fishman pirate captain with a bounty even higher than Kark's.
Fishmen were naturally gifted physically, so defeating one was no easy task. Shiryu leaned on his sword, panting heavily, face pale with exhaustion.
After a long rest, he lit a cigarette, stood straight, and looked toward the smoke and dust in the distance—where Nao was still battling.
"Still going, huh…"
Watching Nao get knocked back again and again, only to get up like it was nothing, even Shiryu couldn't help but be impressed.
"His body's getting more insane by the day. But hey—he seems to have the upper hand. Doesn't look like he'll need help from me."
He shifted his gaze, scanning the area for Rosinante or Ron—the Door-Door Fruit user from the Black Hat Pirates.
But neither was in sight.
Shiryu figured that Ron's annoying escape abilities must've allowed him to slip away, forcing Rosinante to chase him far from the center of the town.
He was worried, sure—but with his own stamina nearly drained and no sign of them nearby, he didn't have the energy to track them down right now.
So instead, he turned his focus to the small-fry pirates hiding in the surrounding alleys, watching Nao's duel with slack jaws.
"Almost noon… Only five or six hours left before the assessment ends. Might as well clean up a few more heads and pad my numbers."
He muttered to himself, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"But with the way Nao's dominating, I guess I'll just have to watch my first-place ranking slip away…"