Garp's fist came at him again and again, but Klein dodged each blow. Even though he wasn't actively using Kami-e, Klein, who had mastered it, showed exceptional evasion, judgment, and awareness.
But his space to dodge was growing smaller and smaller.
Sooner or later, Garp would force him into a corner of the room.
"If you want to see it that badly... then so be it!" Klein's eyes sharpened. His wooden sword may have been broken, but a broken blade could still fight.
To quote Raven: "Even if the sword is broken, I can still hold the whole situation together!"
He wasn't about to be anyone's whetstone, anyone's stepping stone.
Everyone is the protagonist of their own life!
So why can't I be the protagonist?
The 'Tekkai must lose' debuff—I refuse to believe you, Garp, can break that iron law!
Everyone has a bit of chūnibyō in them. Klein gripped the sword with both hands, his aura flaring.
His heart surged with the will to win.
"Lightning Destruction Sword!"
A technique inspired by Kyros, now unleashed by Klein.
Garp roared suddenly, releasing a terrifying pressure. His iron-hard fist charged forward, carrying the will to defeat everything in its path.
Fist met wood with a thunderous crash, sending a blast of wind in all directions.
It was so strong that people couldn't keep their eyes open. The students' clothes flapped violently as they all wondered…
There, in the center of the training ground…
The wooden sword had shattered, fragments scattering through the air.
Tiny splinters floated around Klein's body like autumn leaves drifting down.
His expression looked calm, but inside he was in turmoil. 'The power boost that comes from a surge of will… I've seen it in anime so many times. Can't believe I got to experience it firsthand so soon.'
'Seriously… it's no joke!'
'Men who can go full shōnen-mode are just too dangerous!'
So many Japanese anime ride on that 'hot-blooded' theme. Once that adrenaline kicks in, their power skyrockets.
This time, Klein understood that very well. He made up his mind: when dealing with 'protagonists' from Roger's era, he needed to be cautious—no making a move unless he was absolutely sure he'd win.
Caution is the mark of a great man.
He looked at Garp, who seemed dazed. Blood was streaming from his fist, skin split and raw.
"It should be a draw," Klein replied. There was no thrill of victory, only a deeper hunger for strength.
If Garp kept pulling off shōnen power-ups like that, all the millions of beli Klein had spent would be overtaken in no time.
He didn't even notice that this time, Garp didn't yell "Ponytail Guy" but had actually called him by name.
Garp grinned wide. "If that wooden sword had been a real one, I'd be…"
"Flat on the floor talking to you."
"A loss is a loss. I'll win next time!"
Klein matched his grin. "Garp, if I can beat you once, I can beat you a hundred times. I'm not giving you the chance."
I'm only gonna make more and more money from now on—pour it all into the game, build a maxed-out whale account...
Once I top up enough, I'll be #1 on the server!
You won't ever surpass me!
"Hahahaha—!" Garp burst out laughing. "Ponytail Guy, then you better not stop improving! Or I'm catching up for sure!"
Applause broke out as the instructor stepped forward. "That was a brilliant sparring match. Your strength exceeded my expectations. You both have a bright future as Marines."
It wasn't just Klein who surprised him—Garp did too.
To grasp moving Tekkai mid-fight and show that level of willpower?
Still, it was Klein he admired more. This guy already had the strength of a Marine Headquarters colonel.
The instructor could already see the shadow of a future admiral in him.
Then he looked at Garp and Sengoku. Maybe the new age of the Marines had truly arrived.
Receiving praise from the instructor, Klein didn't forget his original goal. He cleared his throat and began pitching:
"Anyone interested in signing up, better hurry! If you wait, the others will outpace you…"
"Not just swordsmanship—I can teach hand-to-hand combat too!"
The instructor's face darkened.
Watching Klein hawk his training classes in front of the other students… wasn't this just a slap to his own teaching?
A genius like Klein was best left to grow freely. As long as his strength kept improving—
Just don't interfere.
With a sigh, the instructor turned and walked away.
"Klein! Since we're fellow students, can I get a discount?!"
"If I sign up, can I learn both swordsmanship and Tekkai?"
"Klein, I'm broke. Can I... pay you later once I have the money?"
"Klein, you free tonight!? Come to my dorm—I'll cook noodles for you! My seafood ramen's the best!"
Even though he was overjoyed inside, Klein kept up his calm exterior. Gotta stay cool and in control. "Everyone, relax! One at a time! If you want the Supreme Year Pass, line up in front!"
He was now completely surrounded by students—layers deep.
Sengoku walked over to Garp. "You idiot. Get to the medical bay and patch that up."
"Hahahaha—" Garp flashed a row of white teeth. "At least the afro guy cares about me. That ponytail bastard only sees money."
"Gotta heal fast so I can train again and beat Ponytail Guy!"
Garp wasn't one to get discouraged easily. In fact, setbacks only made him stronger.
On the way there, he asked, "Now that you've seen Ponytail Guy's strength—what do you think, Afro?" Get full chapters from 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
"I can't figure him out..." Sengoku shook his head. "His training volume is minimal, but his power keeps climbing..."
They were in the same class, learning the same things. They even studied extra on the side.
But Klein? After class, he was out making money…
And somehow still improving faster than either of them.
Sengoku could only console himself: "Victory and defeat are temporary. We're still young. The future's what matters."
Even if he were the one sparring with Klein, it's not like he'd do any better than Garp.
But they were still young. There was time.
Then Garp suddenly asked, "Hey, weren't you supposed to spar with Ponytail Guy too? Are you ready?"
"..." Sengoku's face sank. After thinking a bit, he said, "Not yet. I'm not his match. I'll train more first."
"I plan to learn a few more advanced techniques before challenging Klein."
He knew now that he was about the same as Garp. Sparring with Klein now…
Would just be asking for a beatdown.
Scene shifts back to Klein.
He'd kept it cool earlier, but after raking in several million Beli...
He couldn't help the grin creeping up. It was getting hard to suppress. "Eh—Tsuru, you wanna sign up too?"
Klein's gaze landed on the beautiful young woman standing before him. Deep blue hair and eyes, a mature and full figure.
No surgery. No digital filters. Just natural perfection sculpted by Mother Nature herself.
A true blessing of the sea!
Only seventeen, yet her figure outclassed any airbrushed BBW models with enhanced curves, tiny waists, and long legs.
His mind kept flashing to the anime image of 'Vice Admiral Tsuru'—that short, wrinkled old woman carved up by time.
Time really is a butcher's knife!
Thankfully, I've witnessed Tsuru's peerless beauty in her youth with my own eyes.
Klein hurriedly shoved the image out of his brain.
Tsuru, a bit flustered, said, "I… everyone came to the Marine Academy to get stronger. I also want to grow stronger—so I can catch pirates and help protect civilians…"
As she spoke, her expression turned serious, and it had a sincere kind of charm.
"I heard from other students that joining your training class really helped them improve, so I want to give it a try too."
Klein nodded, giving her a serious once-over. After being surrounded by sweaty guys all day, seeing a beauty like Tsuru really was refreshing.
Pretty girls naturally boost male hormones, so—
So if Tsuru joined the class, it'd definitely boost sign-up numbers.
"No problem. Pay up."