Kapitel 36: Chapter 36 Results announced!
Time passed swiftly.
Three days later, on the coast of the island, the horn sounded, signaling the end of the representative assessment. The recruits slowly gathered on the shore.
They were all marked by signs of battle: some were bruised and battered, while others needed the support of their comrades to remain standing.
As the assembly horn continued to echo, more recruits emerged from the forest one after another.
"Hey, how many points did you get?"
"I don't know. I couldn't even recognize half the animals I encountered."
While the recruits gathered and exchanged comments, many of them stole glances at Loya, who stood at the front.
The site where Loya had fought the Silverback Great Ape had been discovered the morning after the battle, and the news of the fight spread like wildfire. Some recruits had even abandoned their own goals to visit the scene.
The aftermath was shocking: hundreds of meters of claw marks had scarred the forest, and everything was encased in ice. Though it was the tropical Xia Island, the area felt as cold as East Island. Animals and insects caught off guard had become ice sculptures, frozen in whatever posture they had when the attack struck. The scene was stunning but equally terrifying.
Frozen hell.
That was the only way the recruits could describe it.
Despite the horror of the scene, it had become a safe haven for most of the recruits. Many returned there for meals and breaks, treating it almost like a base camp.
With the lingering presence of the dragon's aura from Loya's "First Awakening" and the deadly presence left by the Silverback Great Ape, no animals dared to come near. Not even insects dared to chirp in the vicinity.
For a forest survival assessment, it was like being on a group outing rather than a life-or-death test.
"Terrifying... Are we really supposed to fight that guy?" one recruit murmured, recalling Zefa's announcement. They couldn't help but feel they'd been tricked. They had initially anticipated an opportunity to take Loya down, but now, seeing his strength, they realized they were no match for him.
"Maybe... we have a chance," another recruit suggested. "I heard it's going to be a one-on-one series of matches. We just have to tire him out."
Still, the recruit sounded uncertain.
"No, it might be a group battle. If it were one-on-one, we wouldn't last long enough to exhaust him. Remember, he has an animal-type Devil Fruit."
The first recruit fell silent. That was a concerning possibility.
While Zoan-type fruits were often considered weaker at sea, they were unmatched in terms of stamina. Loya's performance during training had also earned him a reputation for unparalleled physical strength.
---
Loya stood at the front of the formation, looking bored. He had been thinking about his barbecue, but the assembly horn had interrupted his plans. As a soldier, he couldn't ignore a military order to continue cooking.
Mole and several other generals were at the front, casting surprised and approving glances his way.
They had seen the battlefield he had created. The claw marks, the craters, the splintered trees, and the frozen blood on the ice told a story of a brutal and intense battle.
Even though Loya's display of power had forced a one-day pause in the assessment, the officers had to acknowledge his strength. Loya had proven himself to be a formidable force.
In terms of sheer destructiveness, he was already a match for many high-ranking officers, and only the elite vice admirals could rival his power.
"If he could maintain that state constantly, it would be terrifying," several vice admirals thought, amazed by the young recruit's potential.
Though they hadn't witnessed the climax of Loya's fight with the Silverback Great Ape, they knew about his explosive finishing move. His training and growth were well-known among those in the elite camp, who had watched him develop his techniques step by step.
With the rare Dragon Dragon Fruit of the Mythical Zoan type, coupled with such rapid progress, Loya had the potential to surpass them one day. Even if he merely stabilized his current power, becoming a vice admiral was a certainty.
Given all this, the vice admirals showed him respect and no longer saw him as just a recruit. In the world of One Piece, respect was won by strength.
---
Half a day passed.
The patrol teams carried the final group of injured recruits out of the forest and to the infirmary. A school official approached Zefa and saluted. "Reporting, Chief Instructor! All recruits are assembled!"
"Understood," Zefa nodded, accepting the report.
The first page contained a summary of the injuries: 75 recruits were seriously wounded, while minor injuries were nearly universal. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Zefa glanced over this section quickly. He flipped to the second page, which detailed the scores and rankings of the recruits.
His expression darkened. "Announce the results once they're finalized," he ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The officer saluted and hurried off.
Standing on the deck, Zefa's gaze fell on Loya. His face betrayed no emotion.
"Is this the state of the new generation of the navy?" he thought to himself.
---
After about half an hour, the final results were ready.
The recruits stood at attention, hearts pounding in anticipation.
The lead instructor, a major general, saluted the vice admirals before facing the recruits.
"At ease! Attention!"
The recruits responded in unison, moving with military precision.
The major general, satisfied, gave the signal for the projector to be turned on. A curtain had been set up to display the results.
The projector hummed to life, and names began to appear on the screen. The recruits held their breath as they searched for their scores. Some celebrated quietly, while others clenched their teeth in disappointment.
Loya was among them, but he only cared about the top position.
His eyes locked on the name at the very top:
"Tony Mill, score: 1795, Rank: First."
1795 points. An inhuman score for most recruits. The Shigu Cows, with hides impervious to musket fire, were only worth 50 points each. Ordinary recruits would have struggled just to escape, let alone defeat them.
Tony Mill, however, had hunted over 30 Shigu Cows in three days. Loya remembered Tony: the number one recruit in the third division. Before joining the navy, Tony had been the head of a kendo dojo on a small island. His town was destroyed by pirates, and he had enlisted to seek revenge.
Tony was fiercely competitive, dethroning the previous top recruit on his first day and never relinquishing his spot. But even so, Loya and Zefa shared the same thought: Tony was still too weak.
In past years, the top recruits had been true monsters. Tony was strong compared to his peers but lacked the overwhelming power of previous generations.
Loya had once asked Zefa about Kuzan's score during his assessment year, and the answer had left him in awe. The power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit was indeed extraordinary.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein