Drake, who was deserving of his position among the top-ranking students of this year and swiftly turned around to counterattack.

“Clang!”

Amidst the clash of blades, Drake’s astonished gaze reflected an image of a figure wielding a sword of fire.

What made Drake even more uneasy was that the force transmitted through the blade was no less formidable than his own!

“How is this possible!”

“He was just a brat a moment ago, so how does he suddenly possess such abnormal strength!”

Drake blocked Yang Ming’s flaming sword, feeling a tingling sensation in his arms which caused him to doubt his life choices.

With light footsteps, Yang Ming landed and closed in once again.

Breathing Technique and Six Sensei Thieves formed a strange synergy, causing Yang Ming’s heart, lungs, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner, stomach, gallbladder, and bladder to subtly react.

Vigorous Qi was rapidly being consumed and circulating through his blood, temporarily reinforcing Yang Ming’s bone meridians. Additionally, it significantly boosted his strength and speed. This enhancement was enough to rival even the new recruits from the Navy Academy.

While facing off against Drake, Yang Ming continued to digest the memories in his mind.

Flame Breathing wasn’t just a set of breathing techniques; it came with a comprehensive methodology.

“Form: Honoikazuchi!”

Yang Ming’s foot stomped the ground, igniting a burst of flames beneath him.

As if propelled by boosters, Yang Ming shot forward like an arrow, the fiery blaze on his sword expanded suddenly, resembling the maw of a fierce beast.

Drake’s pupils contracted sharply. He could only lift his arms in time to block.

“Clang!”

The moment the flaming sword and the longsword clashed, then it was already damaged from the previous collision and now cracked open further and ultimately snapped in two under the renewed impact.

The blade’s tip flew through the air while the flaming blade. Its heat radiating intensely, hovered just an inch from Drake’s throat. A slight advance from Yang Ming, and Drake’s throat would be sliced open.

Drake had once contemplated the threat of his own demise, but he had never imagined he would be threatened by a child.

A suppressed gasp echoed from the onlookers. While this would typically have provoked anger from Drake, at this moment, the fear of death was too strong for anger.

Feeling the imminent danger and the scorching sensation on his skin, Drake’s throat bobbed as he struggled to swallow a mouthful of saliva.

“I… I surrender!”

After uttering those words, Drake collapsed like a deflated balloon and completely drained of strength.

Yang Ming extinguished the flames on his blade, sheathed it, and used the motion to conceal his temporary weakness.

Flame Breathing could create a short burst of power. But due to the immense energy expenditure, it would leave him temporarily weakened afterward. Yang Ming needed to find the right balance for combat.

“Clap! Clap! Clap!”

Initially, only Warring States General and Zeff clapped sporadically. Soon, the other students caught on, and as the applause grew, it became a roaring ovation.

Even if the students harbored some reluctance, they had to admit that most of them couldn’t perform better than Drake. The ability to instantly move was one thing, but to also infuse flames into a blade was another level of power entirely. It seemed like there was even a method to temporarily enhance strength.

“Could this guy be a monster?”

Tina’s eyes widened like koi fish, her cute tongue occasionally peeking out.

Daddy Masterson glanced at Yang Ming, etching this figure deeply into his memory, designating it as someone not to be trifled with.

Jonathan yawned and continued observing the surroundings.

Smoker cracked his knuckles, wanting to step forward for a challenge if the timing were right.

Garp observed the students’ reactions, and just as if he had sneakily eaten his favorite sweets in Warring States’ office, his mood turned quite joyous. Even the wrinkles on his face relaxed.

Zeff patted Yang Ming’s shoulder and said in a deep voice, “Congratulations.”

“Starting from today, you’re a new recruit of the Navy Academy!”

With that said, Zeff turned his gaze to the students.

“You’ve all disappointed me greatly. You can’t even defeat a child. Starting today, all training will be doubled!”

“As long as it doesn’t kill you, train to death!”

“Furthermore, I declare that in two months, there will be a live combat test. You will hunt pirates on the Grand Line. If any of you are afraid now, you can still leave the Navy Academy!”

As Zeff spoke, Yang Ming’s heart sank. As expected, the students wore expressions of frustration and exasperation, directed mostly at the instigator.

Seeing this, Zeff inwardly chuckled, “With Yang Ming’s joining, fueled by the bandwagon effect, this group of students will train even harder!”

“I’ve won again!”