One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Pu!" "Ah!" "Ugh~"...

It was a scene too gruesome to look at, truly unbearable to witness.

More than a hundred cadets, but no more than thirty could withstand Zephyr's controlled punch, and fewer than ten managed to counterattack and take it head-on—

Smoker, a martial artist, had used all his strength to exchange a blow with Zephyr, yet his hand was still trembling. As for Rosinante, who wasn't skilled at direct confrontations, he could only rely on his solid fundamentals to defend against the blow.

"My turn," Wright said, stepping forward. Taking this punch was a mere trifle; he wouldn't even need to draw his sword...

"Wright," Zephyr smiled, his usually serious face now showing interest. "You're the exception. I've heard that you can withstand Vice Admiral Garp's punches... though they were just a greeting."

"I need to gauge your true strength to formulate a proper training plan, so..."

"Give it your all. Treat me as your opponent. This is a battle of life and death. Go all out!"

"..."

Wright only felt an overwhelming malice fill the entire training field—every cadet, even the instructors Gumer and Shuzo, looked at him differently!

"Can withstand Vice Admiral Garp's punches!" What kind of explosive news was this?! That was Vice Admiral Garp, known as "Iron Fist"! Even if it was just a casual punch as a greeting, no new ensign should be able to take it—let alone anyone at the colonel level of the headquarters!

Shuzo and Goomir sighed. It seemed that Admiral Zephyr truly held Wright in high regard. Since the current Headquarters Vice Admiral Kuzan, Zephyr hadn't shown such interest in anyone else.

"Understood!" Wright disregarded the odd stares. He felt calm on the outside, but inside, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated. Joining the Marines brought him one step closer to his dream. To catch the attention of three Admiral-level figures like Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr was a shortcut to the top!

Zephyr, whose family had been killed by pirates, had turned his focus toward training Marine soldiers. Strengthening the collective power of the Marines would greatly strike at pirate forces. And if he could train an Admiral-level powerhouse, it would change the balance of power in the world!

So far, Zephyr had encountered three Admiral-level talents—the current "monster" Vice Admirals—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan, all of whom were trained under him. And now... Was Wright the fourth?! Zephyr was eager to verify it personally!

Taking a deep breath, the "Ashes" sword was drawn. The previously unseen golden-colored Armament Haki wrapped around the blade, followed by a brilliant golden aura that soon ignited into blazing golden-red flames, drawing gasps of awe from the onlookers.

"This sword... Interesting!" Goomir, a swordsman who had practiced the blade, was seeing such a magnificent longsword for the first time. The sword's aura... was unique, and the golden Haki was unlike anything he had ever witnessed.

Surrounded by a faint golden mist, Wright had activated his full potential. Zephyr, watching Wright bathed in golden light, grinned: "So this is the 'Holy Light Fruit,' the one said to combine attack, defense, and healing? It truly lives up to its reputation... Wright, are you ready?"

"Ready, Chief Instructor! I'm good to go anytime!"

"Alright, everyone step back! Wright, begin your attack!"

The cadets quickly moved to a safe distance, and after a moment, they retreated even farther.

"Swish—" Wright surged forward with speed, his special training further enhancing his physical abilities.

"Final Judgment!" A massive crescent-shaped golden slash flew forward. Zephyr covered his arm in Armament Haki, swinging to dissipate the attack. "A flying slash combined with Devil Fruit powers? Interesting! It actually consumed some of my Haki!"

Before Zephyr could finish speaking, Wright had already closed the distance and was in melee range. With both hands gripping his sword, which blazed with divine fire, Wright brought it down heavily. Zephyr's fist, wrapped in dark Haki, swung up to block—

"Clang—!"

The punch and blade collided, sparks flying as the metallic clash echoed, followed by a shockwave that spread outward.

"Crackle—"

The attack was ineffective. Wright quickly changed tactics, tilting his sword to the side. His eyes flashed with golden light as his Observation Haki kicked in—just like the martial artists, Zephyr's other fist, cloaked in dark Haki, was already silently heading for Wright. He managed to block it with the angled blade!

"Your Observation Haki is not bad," Zephyr remarked. "But your reaction speed is too slow!" Wright had sensed the change in Zephyr's movements, but it was too quick—his body simply couldn't keep up.

"Boom—!"

With a dull thud, Zephyr's punch slipped past the blade and struck Wright squarely in the abdomen. However—

"Armament Haki and your Devil Fruit ability? Your defense is strong!"

Zephyr's punch had failed to knock Wright off his feet—normally, anyone receiving such a punch would have been sent flying!

Taking the blow head-on, even with the protection of Haki and Holy Light, and despite Zephyr holding back, Wright still felt a searing pain in his stomach.

At this moment, Zephyr wasn't just attacking Wright; his arms were also pinning Wright's sword, preventing him from drawing it. The chance earned by tanking that punch couldn't go to waste. Wright's sword shook, using the momentum to twist his body and sweep his leg in a horizontal strike, his right leg smashing into Zephyr's side!

"Boom—!"

A shockwave sent the air flying, but Zephyr remained completely unmoved, while Wright felt his leg was nearly broken. "So this is Admiral-level strength... How is it possible that he didn't even budge?!"

"Not bad. You understand that you can't just rely on your weapon. In a real fight, any part of your body can be a weapon. A top-level swordsman won't be easily controlled just because their weapon is restrained!"

Zephyr, though unmoved, released his grip on Wright's sword and continued attacking. Wright pressed the tip of his blade upward, launching himself into the air, using Holy Light to heal mid-flight. As he landed heavily on the ground, he immediately dashed toward Zephyr again.

"Ashes Awakening!"

With Armament Haki wrapping around the blade and burning with divine fire, Wright's sword, "Ashes," seemed to break through some barrier. The entire sword transformed into a massive blade of glaring golden-red flames, slashing down at Zephyr!

"Boom—!"

The slash and Haki collided, creating a shockwave so powerful it felt like an explosion on the training field. Zephyr crossed his arms to defend, but was still knocked back two steps by the strike!

"Shave!"

Wright, prepared to press the advantage, noticed through Observation Haki that Zephyr had disappeared. A moment later, Wright felt a crushing blow to his abdomen...

This strike was completely different from the previous ones. Wright was immediately knocked to the ground—one hit, and he was down!

"Alright, that's enough. I've got a good idea of your strength," Zephyr said, his final punch knocking Wright down. "So, Wright will be the leader of this elite squad. Anyone with objections can challenge him—if you win, the position is yours."

Looking at Wright lying motionless on the ground, Zephyr cleared his throat. "Stop playing dead. Get up and heal yourself. Let's see if anyone wants to challenge you."

The cadets who had passed the first test watched as Wright slowly stood up, using Holy Light to heal himself and bounce back. They could only shake their heads.

This was a monster... Definitely not someone to mess with!

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