Whenever he thought of losing to Yang Ming in public, Drake couldn’t swallow this anger and wanted to find a way to save face elsewhere.

Young people often act with enthusiasm, without considering the consequences of their actions.

Drake was undoubtedly one of those types of people. He asked Tashigi to arrange Yang Ming’s residence in the same Room 601 where he stayed. And he intends to show Yang Ming who’s in charge.

While waiting, just when Drake thought Tashigi was playing him, he heard the voices of Tashigi and Yang Ming outside the room.

“Crack!”

The knob of the door was twisted, and the door swung ajar.

Finally, the figure that Drake had been thinking about appeared before his eyes. He flexed his wrist, speaking with ill intentions:

“Yang Ming, the new member. Welcome to Room 601. How about calling me the dormitory leader?”

For the convenience of managing boarding students, the naval academy set up a dormitory leader in each dormitory, responsible for daily life in the dormitory. Though the authority wasn’t significant, it still held power if they wanted to mess with someone.

Seeing that Yang Ming remained silent, Drake smirked:

“Young man, do you know that the navy has strict ranks, with clear distinctions between superiors and subordinates?”

“I am the dormitory leader, which puts me half a rank above you. If you’re unwilling to address me with respect, are you trying to challenge authority?”

Yang Ming glanced at Drake, feeling speechless. Did they think he was ignorant of the internal rules of the navy because of his young age?

It was true that the navy had strict ranks and clear hierarchies. However, there was another rule within the navy.

Might make right!

Moreover, isn’t it tradition for the underdog to triumph over the superior?

“You’re pretty arrogant…”

“Then be my son!”

Yang Ming’s immature voice echoed in the dormitory, as if a slap had been fiercely slapped on Drake’s face, making his complexion alternate between red and blue.

“Poof!”

Tashigi covered her mouth and laughed.

If it weren’t for the fact that they were all students of the same class, needing to give Drake a bit of a face, Tashigi would have burst into laughter.

Tashigi’s beautiful eyes stared at the young boy. She found him more interesting than the other boys she knew.

Yang Ming didn’t pay attention to the girl’s thoughts beside him; his attention was on the sound prompts in his mind.

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, the host has quoted a classic line from One Piece and earned a chance to draw. Would you like to start the drawing roulette?”

In Yang Ming’s line of sight, a drawing roulette appeared, and no one around them noticed.

The roulette was divided into two categories: Devil Fruits and Techniques.

Devil Fruits: Dark-Dark Fruit, Flame-Flame Fruit.

Techniques: Navy’s Six Techniques, Fish-Man Karate, Cross-Dressing Fist.

Yang Ming contemplated inwardly. The reason he didn’t receive summonable characters or similar prizes was likely due to his presence in the One Piece world.

Tashigi’s smile seemed like she was rubbing salt into Drake’s wounds, making him feel both irritated and ashamed.

“Daddy Masterson, Jonathan, let’s do it together. Teach this kid a lesson!”

It’s unclear what Drake and the other two promised, but they instinctively moved to attack Yang Ming.

Observing this, Tashigi’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, as she sensed that the situation had taken an unexpected turn. She couldn’t help but scoff, remarking, “It’s quite excessive for you three young men to gang up on a child!”

Just as Tashigi was about to intervene, Yang Ming raised his hand to signal her to hold back.

“Let them come at me with all they’ve got!”

The confined space within the dormitory limited Yang Ming’s ability to maneuver.

However, at this particular moment, he showed no intention of evading. Instead, he adopted a wide stance, standing his ground as if he welcomed the attacks from Drake and his companions.

Tashigi was at a loss, but she saw Yang Ming’s calm and composed expression. It didn’t seem like he was pretending; this eased her anxiety.

“Putting on a show!”

Drake’s expression turned cold in his mind. He repeatedly punched as if venting his frustrations, relentlessly pounding Yang Ming’s body.

However, the moment his fist landed on Yang Ming’s body, Drake’s expression suddenly changed.

It didn’t feel like striking flesh; it felt more like hitting a steel plate.

It wasn’t just Drake; soon, Daddy Masterson and Jonathan also sensed something strange.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…”

Their punches fell like raindrops on banana leaves, crazily landing on Yang Ming’s body.

Despite his small stature, Yang Ming’s body seemed as immovable as if it were made of steel, and he even yawned casually, looking at the three of them enduring their exertion, breathless yet helpless.

“Of course, this was all thanks to the system.”

?Navy’s Six Techniques—Iron Block?: Infuse strength into the well-trained body, giving it the hardness of iron. Ordinary bullets and weapons won’t pierce through. The drawback is that movement is restricted while using the Iron Block.

This was the prize Yang Ming had just obtained.

The system shamelessly split the Navy’s Six Techniques, only allowing him to obtain the ability of the Iron Block.

The system shamelessly divided the Navy’s Six Techniques, only granting him the ability of the Iron Block.

It must be said that to some extent, the system was on par with the penguin in its audacity.

After years of studying the Armament Haki and Observation Haki, the Navy simplified them to create the Navy’s Six Techniques, which were widely used by lower-ranking naval officers.

As a neutered version of the Armament Haki, the Iron Block had various flaws, but currently, it was a defense that the three teenagers couldn’t break through.

Yang Ming could keenly feel that when he activated the Iron Block, his muscles instantly tightened. Additionally, through the resonance of Flame Breathing and Six Coupes, his Iron Block underwent subtle changes, making it three times harder than the usual Iron Block that regular naval personnel employed.

It had to be said that this was a pleasant surprise.

The Iron Block was a technique that originated from within, and only high-ranking naval officers had the chance to come into contact with it.

Typically, mastering the Iron Block required a solid foundation of physical fitness; otherwise, it was easy to fail.

Seeing Drake and the others hammering away without being able to break his defense, and even getting tired and flushed, Yang Ming stretched lazily and said, “My boys, you’re giving your old man a nice massage. Give it to me a bit harder!”

Drake and the others turned red-faced, too angry to even speak.

Seeing Yang Ming’s enjoyable expression, they realized they were like obedient sons giving their father a back rub. How could they not see they were being played by Yang Ming?

And just at that moment, Tashigi added fuel to the fire:

“Is this what friendship between boys looks like? So sweet!”

The three faces turned black, and they immediately withdrew, slinking away embarrassed.

If they didn’t leave now, did they want to continue being humiliated in front of everyone?

Tashigi raised her hand to tuck back a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her ear. Her gaze fixed on Yang Ming, feeling that there was a layer of mist enveloping the young boy, making her even more curious about him.

She bent down, the tight fabric of her clothes accentuating her exaggerated curves.

“Yang Ming, I want to apologize to you here sincerely. I didn’t know that Drake was planning something so excessive against you. It’s my fault.”

A pleasant fragrance wafted towards Yang Ming, and then he felt a slight coolness on his forehead.

Tashigi covered her lips, her ears turning crimson. Blushing, she said, “Consider this a sincere apology, and you better not dislike it. After all… it’s someone’s first kiss!”

Leaving behind this statement, Tashigi turned and walked away.

Looking at her retreating figure, Yang Ming touched the lingering imprint on his forehead and felt a mix of laughter and tears.

“Do all the girls in this world mature so early?”

One’s perspective follows one’s senses, and Yang Ming couldn’t avoid it either. He found it difficult to be angry at this enthusiastic and lively young beauty. 

After the music ended and everyone scattered, only Yang Ming remained in the dormitory. He looked around his new dwelling with a sense of satisfaction.

The four-person dormitory could be divided into two rooms and a living room. Each room had two beds, adorned with soft mattresses and accompanying bedding.

The living room wasn’t big, roughly around 30 square meters, equipped with a sofa and coffee table. Various snacks were spread on the tabletop. The living room led to a balcony where a clothes rack stood, used for drying laundry.

Standing on the balcony, he could see the vast blue sea. The sunset was gradually fading on the horizon.

Sometimes, Yang Ming did miss the days of his previous life with air conditioning, computers, and smartphones. After washing his clothes in the dormitory, he had no choice but to sit on his bed and practice meditation to pass the time.

For most students, after enduring brutal training every day, there were only a few ways to pass the time. One was playing cards, and the other was gossiping.

The spread of gossip among students was swift. The conflict that had occurred in Room 601 was soon widely known among them.

It wasn’t just the students from this year; there were also students from the previous two years in the dormitory building. They needed to achieve a certain level of performance at the naval academy to be allowed to graduate.

Graduating from the naval academy wasn’t that simple. The assessment content varied every year—either hunting large sea kings solo or capturing famous pirates on the Grand Line. If they failed to complete it, they would have to continue studying at the academy.

In the span of one night, all the students in the entire dormitory building quickly learned about the new freshman who wasn’t easy to mess with.

The next day, when Drake arrived at the training ground, all the students looked at him and laughed.

Some shouted, “Drake, how did you lose to Yang Ming again?”

Drake was sulking and pretended not to hear.

Someone deliberately shouted loudly, “Drake, could you tell us what kind of experience it is to be a father to a little kid?”

Drake widened his eyes and angrily retorted, “Why are you so quick to tarnish my reputation!”

His face turned red, veins popping on his forehead, and he continued to ramble on.

“What’s wrong with winning or losing for a moment? Can the navy’s matters be determined by wins and losses?” At this point, everyone burst into laughter.

The atmosphere inside and outside the training field was filled with a sense of joy.