No one expected that weakling to actually fight back?!
Was he really not afraid of death?
Johnson slowly turned his head back into place, revealing a sinister grin.
"Very well, kid. Now, I'm going to crush every single bone in your body!"
BANG!
Caught off guard, Jay took another heavy punch and was slammed to the ground.
The momentary silence was instantly replaced by an uproar of cheers once again!
Clearly, even with a cheat-like ability, Jay had not instantly risen to the top or erased the overwhelming gap in strength between them.
The [Hanma Yujiro] red card was indeed an incredibly rare one, but it did not mean he had directly become Hanma Yujiro himself.
That was an important distinction!
However, realizing this did not make Jay give up. He had noticed that the passive ability: Blood of Hanma had already been activated.
After all, he had already experienced the terror of facing death.
With the tenacious vitality and accelerated recovery granted by the passive skill, along with the superhuman combat adaptability and limitless potential, Jay figured that his chances of winning weren't entirely hopeless!
And most importantly, Johnson was underestimating him.
That was something he could use to his advantage.
"Kid, you're going to pay for what you just did."
Johnson walked over, looking down with a sinister grin as he raised his right foot, aiming a kick at Jay's head, still lying on the ground.
But he failed to notice the shift in Jay's eyes, any trace of fear had vanished, replaced by a fierce, ruthless glint.
BANG!
BANG!
The first sound came as Jay shielded his head with both arms, taking the full force of Johnson's kick.
He successfully protected his skull, but the cost was a searing pain in his left arm, it was likely fractured.
The second BANG was the sound of Jay seizing the moment, kicking Johnson's supporting leg out from under him, sending the hulking man crashing forward.
Johnson's bulging muscles were real, but they also made his lower body unstable.
With one leg raised to kick, his balance was even more precarious.
Hitting the ground hard, Johnson let out a muffled grunt, the brutal impact of his nose meeting the floor sent a stream of blood gushing from his nostrils.
He was furious, beyond furious!
He swore that no matter what, even if Jay begged for mercy, he would never forgive him!
But before Johnson could fully get up, something dropped onto his head, a metal bucket.
The putrid water inside splashed over him, making him gag.
Still, Johnson reacted quickly. Instead of wasting time removing the bucket, he swung his fist in the direction he assumed Jay was in.
One punch, that's all he needed. He was sure that one solid hit would turn Jay into a whimpering, broken doll.
But, unable to see, Johnson had no idea what happened next.
Jay had been watching every movement Johnson made, dodging each of his wild, blind swings.
And then, just as Johnson hesitated for a fraction of a second, Jay kicked him viciously in the crotch.
"Ugh… uuugh…!!"
The devastating low blow made Johnson collapse to his knees, clutching himself in agony.
The surrounding crowd all gasped, instinctively pressing their legs together in sympathy.
Just watching that kick was enough to make them wince!
But Jay knew, one kick wasn't enough.
Johnson wasn't down for good. He just needed a few seconds to recover, and when he did, one punch would still be enough to shatter Jay's bones, just like what had happened to his left arm.
Jay couldn't let that happen.
Moving fast, he grabbed a dumbbell lying nearby, something someone had left for their workout.
It was only 5 kilograms, but it would do the job.
"Colonel Hammond is coming!"
"Kid, stop now!"
The crowd stirred into a frenzy, but Jay didn't care.
With his right hand gripping the dumbbell, he swung it down with full force.
THUD!
The metal bucket dented inward from the impact, and Johnson let out a pained scream.
"STOP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
A deep, commanding voice rang out.
Colonel Hammond approached like a lion surveying his territory, and not a single person dared to meet his gaze.
But Jay didn't care who had arrived.
All he knew was that his feud with Johnson was now set in stone.
If he backed down now, he'd be the one who suffered later.
His eyes burned with ruthless determination as he raised the dumbbell again, ready to smash it down onto Johnson's head once more!
However
SNAP!
Jay's wrist was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming force, rendering him completely immobile.
"Rookie. I told you to stop. Didn't you hear me?"
Before Jay could react, his body was hoisted into the air and then slammed down onto a pile of debris.
His vision blurred.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, he forced his eyes open one last time, memorizing Colonel Hammond's face.
He might not be strong enough now, but one day… he would settle this debt.
"Lock them both in solitary confinement for a week. Everyone else watching? Five thousand Beli fine, each."
Colonel Hammond was a towering figure, his chiseled face masking a mind as sharp as a blade, calculating, ruthless, and endlessly greedy.
He didn't care about Johnson's well-being. The only reason he intervened was that someone had dared to ignore his authority.
And that? That made him very unhappy.
And when he was unhappy, everyone had to be unhappy.
Grumbling about the fine, the onlookers were displeased, but no one dared to complain.
Because in Marine Base No. 88, "Guillotine" Colonel Hammond was king.
His word was absolute, even above Marine regulations.
So as much as they hated it, all they could do was blame Johnson and the reckless rookie.
Not that it mattered.
From their perspective, Jay probably wouldn't even survive long enough for them to get their revenge.
Three days passed.
For three whole days, Jay had been locked away.
No treatment. No food.
Only a single cup of water at noon, just enough to check whether he was still alive.
It was obvious, Hammond wanted him dead.
The "one-week" confinement was a lie.
With injuries like his, without food or medical care, no one could survive seven days.
Of course, if Jay paid a hefty "fine", he could be released early.
That was the real reason he was given water every day, an invitation to buy his way out.
But Jay, after waking from his initial unconsciousness, refused to give in.
And against all odds, he lasted three days.
Not only was he still alive, but his wounds were actually starting to heal.
Because
[Passive Ability: Blood of Hanma]
It was incredible.
Without its insane vitality and regeneration, Jay wouldn't have lasted a single day.
T/N: Next two chapters tomorrow