Chapter 99: Chapter 98
On the High Platform
"One has the powers of the Logia Smoke Fruit, but the other's abilities are quite peculiar..."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku seriously observed the match at Arena Seven and asked without turning his head, "Garp, can you identify this ability?"
"It should be a Paramecia Devil Fruit. It's a rare ability!" Garp replied.
At this moment, Garp was no longer dozing off and was also intently watching the match at Arena Seven.
Even the three Admirals and several Vice Admirals were drawn to Arena Seven.
...
On Arena Seven.
Realizing that his fists were being held in place by a mysterious force, Smoker's expression changed.
Senior Mondo's ability was stronger than his!
"White Launcher!"
Smoker shouted, and his legs turned into smoke, propelling him like a cannonball toward Chen Ye.
This was Smoker's second skill.
Facing the incoming Smoker, Chen Ye raised his hand and spread his fingers!
Telekinesis activated again.
He once more immobilized Smoker in mid-air.
However, Smoker seemed to have anticipated this and didn't panic at all!
"White Rush!!"
Smoker shouted again, his body swelling and turning entirely into smoke!
Massive amounts of smoke surrounded Chen Ye from all directions.
This was one of Smoker's ultimate moves!
In the original storyline, Smoker used this move to trap an entire pirate crew with considerable strength!
This move could not only trap people but also suffocate them to death.
"Senior Mondo, this is my strongest move. You better surrender!" Smoker shouted loudly after trapping Chen Ye.
Chen Ye thought to himself that young Smoker was a bit of a show-off!
But he wasn't a bad person at heart!
"Smoker, since you're using your strongest move, I'll show some of my strength too! When you feel the pain, remember to let me know!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ye clenched his fist.
Buzz!
Armament Haki covered his fist.
Instantly, his entire fist turned dark and shiny, like polished metal.
Chen Ye's Armament Haki was already at the "Master" level. In terms of mastery, it was among the best even in the "One Piece" world!
Then.
Chen Ye unleashed his full telekinetic power, compressing all the surrounding smoke.
Immediately after, he threw a punch!
"It's useless, Senior Mondo. I'm a Logia Devil Fruit user. Your fist can't harm my real... uh?"
Boom!
Before Smoker could finish, Chen Ye's punch reverted him back to his human form, knocking him to the ground and almost making him vomit blood.
This was Chen Ye holding back; otherwise, this punch could have seriously injured Smoker.
Young Smoker had yet to master Haki, so he was naturally no match for Chen Ye.
"Smoker, what did you just say?" Chen Ye asked with a smile.
"Cough, cough..." Smoker clutched his stomach, half-kneeling on the ground, looking pained. "Armament Haki!!"
Apparently.
He was aware of Haki's existence.
"Do you want to continue?" Chen Ye asked.
Smoker, dejected, reluctantly said, "Senior Mondo, I surrender..."
He wasn't stupid; he could tell that Senior Mondo had held back.
With Smoker's surrender, the captain acting as referee snapped back to reality and quickly announced loudly:
"Arena Seven, Round One, number 30 contestant 'Mondo' wins!!"
Below the arena, many recruits looked at Chen Ye with deep fear in their eyes.
Standing on the arena, Chen Ye scanned the Seventh Area and, not seeing the blind man, breathed a sigh of relief and walked off the stage.
According to the information provided by Murong Chui Xue, the blind man was the only one who could pose a threat to Chen Ye!
Even the future Vice Admiral "Doberman" was unlikely to be very strong at this time.
...
On the High Platform.
Admiral Kizaru watched Chen Ye walk off the stage and said in his peculiar tone, "So young, yet not only possessing Devil Fruit abilities but also mastering Haki. The young ones these days really shouldn't be underestimated!"
Admirals Akainu and Aokiji didn't speak but kept their eyes on Chen Ye as he walked off the stage.
On the other side.
Garp watched Chen Ye return to the crowd and suddenly laughed heartily, saying, "That young man is impressive. I have high hopes for him!"
What impressed him wasn't Chen Ye's strength but his act of holding back against Smoker.
In Garp's view, being a marine, strength wasn't the only important thing; one's character was also crucial.
At that moment, Garp even had the idea of taking Chen Ye as a disciple!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku nodded in agreement, "Indeed, a promising talent!"
He also had high hopes for Chen Ye. Someone who had strength yet could control it to avoid harming others was exactly the kind of talent the Navy needed.
Unlike Admiral "Red Dog" beside him, whom Sengoku didn't like much, always feeling Red Dog had too much bloodlust...
One can only wonder what their reactions would be when Chen Ye's true identity is revealed in a few days?
...
Chen Ye returned to the area below the arena.
Seeing Smoker's dejected expression, Chen Ye couldn't help but smile and comfort him, "Don't worry. Those big shots organized this assessment to select outstanding talents. You performed very well just now. Although you were temporarily eliminated, you'll definitely be given important roles in the future!"
This wasn't just Chen Ye talking to cheer him up.
In the original storyline, although Smoker's strength kept falling short, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the Vice Admiral of the Navy's G-5 branch within a few years!!
Hearing Chen Ye's words, the previously disheartened Smoker's eyes lit up.
"Senior Mondo, do you really mean that?"
"Of course. Just wait for the good news!"
For some reason.
Smoker now found himself trusting Chen Ye's words very much. Hearing them, he immediately cheered up.
Smoker was about to ask Senior Mondo more questions when he noticed Senior Mondo's gaze fixed on Arena Five, looking serious.
Curious, Smoker also looked towards Arena Five.
At this moment.
A middle-aged man over two meters tall walked onto Arena Five.
Surprisingly, this man was blind...
...
(this is author note: Many people are discussing the age limit of 35, so here's some clarification. This is a plot point for the urban storyline, affecting a major event later... This is the eighth update; there are still two more. Not sure if I can finish them today, but I'll try my best. I suggest checking back tomorrow.)
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