"He… accepted it…"
"Colonel Bogard accepted Mr. Raifeng's challenge!"
Koby swallowed hard, eyes wide with shock.
"My god!"
"Colonel Bogard is really going all out against Mr. Raifeng!"
"How does Mr. Raifeng even dare to do this?!"
"He's only seven years old—how can he challenge Colonel Bogard?!"
The marines erupted into heated discussion.
They were stunned.
First, a seven-year-old Raifeng openly challenged a Marine Headquarters colonel.
And not just any colonel—
Bogard was far from an ordinary officer.
He had followed Vice Admiral Garp for decades, serving as his trusted right hand. How could someone like him be weak?
A normal Marine colonel couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as Bogard.
And yet now—
A seven-year-old Raifeng had issued the challenge.
And Bogard had accepted.
The scene left them shaken to the core.
Utterly unbelievable.
The age gap alone was absurd.
Seven years old.
Bogard was at least in his forties.
A difference of over thirty years.
One was still growing, barely out of childhood.
The other stood firmly at his peak.
How could such a fight even happen?
"Isn't Mr. Raifeng being way too confident?"
"Does he really think he can defeat Colonel Bogard? That's impossible!"
Nearly everyone agreed.
Raifeng had no chance.
The age gap was simply too great.
If Raifeng were given another half year, maybe they wouldn't dare judge the outcome.
But right now?
In their eyes, Raifeng's odds were almost nonexistent.
"This is too reckless…"
Many marines sighed inwardly.
The fight hadn't even begun, yet they already felt they could see the ending.
All eyes gathered at the center of the deck.
Raifeng slowly drew his sword.
The blade gleamed sharply under the sunlight, dazzling and cold.
With the sword in hand, the smile on Raifeng's face faded. His eyes narrowed slightly.
He looked calmly at Bogard—focused, steady, without the slightest emotional ripple, like a tranquil lake.
"Colonel Bogard—please."
Raifeng spoke calmly.
"You'd better be careful. You said you'd go all out, so I won't expect any restraint."
"You should prepare yourself."
Bogard also drew the blade at his waist.
He was a swordsman.
A swordsman with extremely high attainment.
Swordsmanship was his strongest weapon.
This meant—
what was about to unfold was a clash between two swordsmen.
"Just don't cross the line."
Garp stepped to the edge of the battlefield, acting as referee.
He wasn't worried about accidents.
After all—
a one-sided fight wouldn't produce any.
In Garp's mind, Bogard would completely crush Raifeng.
And Bogard knew how to control his strength.
"Begin."
Bogard raised his sword.
His aura subtly changed.
In an instant, he was no longer the calm, scholarly officer—
but a battlefield commander drenched in bloodshed.
Killing intent surged from his body, spreading outward.
Sharp.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The atmosphere turned suffocating.
Even under the blazing sun, the temperature seemed to plummet.
The sea breeze only made the chill more biting.
Some marines felt goosebumps rise instantly, their bodies trembling under the pressure.
"It's… starting?"
Koby, Helmeppo, and the others fell completely silent, eyes locked on the battlefield, hearts pounding.
The deck—moments ago filled with noise—
fell deathly quiet.
"Colonel Bogard… you're stronger than I imagined."
Raifeng felt the overwhelming pressure rolling off Bogard and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
But—
that was perfect.
At least this fight wouldn't be boring.
Raifeng raised his sword.
A sharp, swordmaster's edge radiated from him, sweeping across the deck.
Two immense auras collided.
Boom!
Bogard moved.
He kicked off the ground, turning into an arrow loosed from a bow.
In a flash—
he vanished.
"He's here!"
A tearing sound reached Raifeng's ears.
Raifeng turned smoothly, blade already raised, swinging at what appeared to be empty air.
Clang!
Bogard's figure appeared, sword held horizontally as he blocked Raifeng's strike.
Sparks flew.
Neither gave ground.
A violent shockwave erupted, rippling outward and ruffling the uniforms of nearby marines.
"…What?"
Bogard's eyes widened slightly.
"You sensed my attack in advance?"
He hadn't expected that.
That opening strike had carried seventy percent of his strength.
He'd intended to end the fight quickly.
Yet—
Raifeng blocked it effortlessly.
"No way, no way…"
"Colonel Bogard, you weren't planning to one-shot me, were you?"
"Or…"
"Are you still treating me like the Raifeng from two days ago?"
Raifeng smiled teasingly.
"There's a saying—three days apart, and you should look at someone with new eyes."
"Even though it's only been two days…"
"Let me warn you in advance."
"If you keep fighting me with that mindset—"
"You're going to lose very badly."
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