As Cermo's blood sword thrust forward, it seemed poised to pierce Satoru's body. For a brief moment, a victorious grin crept onto Cermo's face, convinced his worries were unwarranted. But then, the smile froze.
The blade stopped mere inches from Satoru, unable to move closer. Cermo's eyes widened as he realized something was wrong. His blood reserves were intact, yet his weapon couldn't extend further. It was as if an invisible barrier separated the blade from its target.
"What... What is this?" Cermo muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Is it your Devil Fruit ability again?" he asked, retracting the blood sword into a standard length.
Satoru smirked, his tone teasing. "Who knows? But if that explanation helps you sleep better, go with it."
Cermo gritted his teeth, anger bubbling within. "Don't get cocky, kid. Just because you're a Devil Fruit user doesn't mean you can act so arrogantly."
He focused his energy, coating his blood sword in a dense layer of Armament Haki. The blade turned jet black, exuding an aura of menace.
Satoru's eyes narrowed. "Impressive. Mastering Armament Haki in the first half of the Grand Line is no small feat."
Cermo chuckled darkly, his confidence returning. "Armed Haki is the bane of Devil Fruit users like you. Judging by your age, I doubt your body can withstand it, let alone master it. This fight is as good as over, boy—you've already lost."
But Satoru's expression remained unshaken. "You're right about one thing: the outcome is predictable. But it's you who'll lose."
Cermo's confidence faltered at Satoru's unwavering tone. Then, with a simple flick of his fingers, Satoru activated **Cang**.
An invisible force gripped Cermo's limbs, twisting them unnaturally. Panic flashed across his face as he felt his body betraying him. He hastily cloaked his arms and legs in Armament Haki, nullifying the distortion just in time.
"So that's how you broke my subordinate earlier," Cermo snarled.
Satoru smiled faintly. "You're quick to catch on. Armament Haki can block my technique to some extent, but it has its limits. You can't coat your entire body forever, can you?"
Cermo's face darkened. He now understood the danger he was in. If Satoru targeted his whole body with that ability, the outcome would be certain death.
"You bastard," Cermo spat, frustration and fear mixing in his voice. With a roar, he unleashed another attack. Blood pooled on the ground, morphing into bullets that shot toward Satoru in rapid succession.
But it was futile. Not a single drop of blood touched him, each bullet stopping mid-air before harmlessly falling away.
Satoru remained calm, observing his opponent. "Your fruit power is versatile, but it's wasted on someone like you."
Meanwhile, the other cadets were turning the tide against the pirates. Though initially hesitant, their confidence had surged after Satoru's display. These were elite trainees, each proficient in at least one of the **Six Powers** techniques like Rankyaku or Shigan. Against the untrained pirates, they quickly gained the upper hand.
Pirates fell one after another, unable to withstand the relentless assault.
"They're not normal marines!" one pirate cried in despair.
The next moment, a cadet silenced him with a Shigan to the skull.
Still, not all the cadets found the battle easy. Chris, in particular, was struggling against the pirate crew's vice-captain—a Devil Fruit user with a bizarre and terrifying ability.
The vice-captain could manipulate his own bones, drawing them from his body as weapons. Sharp bone spurs protruded from his flesh, forming a natural armor that made him nearly impervious to attack.
Chris darted around him, landing swift strikes. But every attack came at a cost—his own body suffered cuts and scrapes from the vice-captain's spiked defenses.
"Damn it," Chris muttered under his breath, wiping blood from his cheek. His speed was his greatest asset, but it was useless if he couldn't find an opening.
The vice-captain sneered. "What's the matter, marine? Can't handle a real fight?"
Chris ignored the taunt, opting for a more cautious approach. He unleashed a series of Rankyaku attacks, the air blades slicing toward his opponent. But the vice-captain's bones proved too resilient, each attack failing to penetrate his defenses.
Across the battlefield, the difference in strength between the pirate leaders and their subordinates was painfully clear. While the cadets easily handled the weaker pirates, the captain and vice-captain remained formidable adversaries.
Chris gritted his teeth. "I'll break through eventually. Just watch me."