A chill ran down Garp's spine. Cold sweat poured from his back as he couldn't help but wonder—could Tekkai really block the slash that Klein had just unleashed?
And it wasn't just Garp. Every single cadet stood there, dumbfounded.
A wooden sword had carved a gash several meters long and dozens of centimeters deep into solid stone. A wooden sword!
"W-wait, what kind of swordsmanship was that?!"
"That's terrifying… If a wooden sword is that powerful, I don't even want to imagine what would happen with a real one."
"Garp dodged it... Don't tell me he didn't even trust Tekkai to take the hit?"
"Klein's gotten even stronger again... How is he improving so fast!?"
"That bastard!! He's been slacking off during practice this whole time. His swordsmanship is that good?!"
"Unbelievable! I paid tuition for this! Klein's been hiding that kind of sword technique and didn't teach it to us?!"
"..."
Sengoku's face turned grave. "Klein's way stronger than last time. I still can't see where his limit lies…"
"That sword strike… Even as a bystander from this far away, I could feel the chill down my spine!"
Usually so quiet and unassuming, but every time Klein sparred, he always delivered a "surprise."
Impossible to read.
He was definitely hiding his true strength on purpose.
What a devious bastard.
"Good thing I stayed calm and didn't rush into challenging Klein like Garp did," Sengoku thought.
"Otherwise…"
"Facing swordsmanship like that would've been way too dangerous!"
Sengoku figured Klein had deliberately scheduled this sparring match a month in advance.
Just to make sure he could beat Garp with confidence.
Cautious, yet…
Also damn sneaky. Sengoku's heart was pounding. "Next time I spar with this guy, I need to prepare thoroughly."
This scene didn't escape the eyes of the instructor either.
"Huh??" The instructor's pupils shrank, expression shifting dramatically. "Is this… is this…"
"No way… Klein…"
"His swordsmanship's already reached the realm of cutting iron?!"
The instructor was stunned. He vaguely remembered that just a few months ago, Klein had joined the Marine Academy.
He'd struggled even with basic physical training.
Among this year's batch of cadets, he was totally unremarkable—someone destined to top out as a mere Marine captain at best.
But in just a few months, Klein's progress had been absolutely monstrous.
"A genius!!"
"This guy is definitely the future hope of the Marines!!" The instructor's eyes regained their shine, growing brighter and more spirited.
Radiant, even.
In his eyes, Klein was now shining like a comet in the night sky.
His whole body gave off a dazzling light.
The instructor was visibly emotional, his face flushed red. "A surefire Admiral-tier talent—Klein is the most gifted cadet in Marine history!!"
"We must cultivate him well!"
Just like Rob Lucci¹, hailed by the World Government as the most talented CP agent in 800 years.
Radiating both brilliance and titles.
Being the one to train a future Admiral—that would be the greatest honor for any instructor.
Imagine being able to say, "That Admiral? Yeah, he was my student." What prestige.
Well, aside from that kind of prestige… there's also the "Red-Haired" kind of prestige.
This sword technique—Iron-Cutting Swordsmanship—stunned everyone present.
Can't be helped.
Everyone here's a cadet, yet you pull out something that strong?
Who wouldn't be jealous?
Or completely in awe?
Garp bared his teeth. "You bastard ponytail, you were hiding swordsmanship like that?! You nearly sliced me!"
"Whoa there, Garp. You can eat whatever you want, but don't go spouting nonsense," Klein fired back. "Are enemies supposed to kindly announce their techniques before fighting?"
Without waiting for a reply, he swung his sword again. Every motion was textbook-perfect.
Fast, precise!
And with the Iron-Cutting realm layered on top, Garp had no choice but to avoid the strikes—Klein had him thoroughly suppressed.
But Klein wasn't letting his guard down.
Because he knew... in anime, there was always one absurdly broken thing:
"Power Bursts."
And also: "Flashback Triggers."
In those states, people could explode with hundreds of percent of their strength, enough to blow your eyeballs out.
Instant comeback wins out of nowhere!
Better safe than sorry. Even with the upper hand, Klein was on high alert.
He was guarding against Garp's "Power Burst."
"Klein… so strong!" Tsuru's deep blue eyes gleamed. "He's maintained absolute control the entire time. Looks like defeating Garp is only a matter of time."
"Klein's improvement is staggering. Maybe I should try that training program of his…"
Seeing how fierce Klein was in combat, more and more cadets were seriously considering signing up for his training sessions.
Back on the field—
Garp was feeling miserable. All he could do was dodge.
With Klein wielding a wooden sword at the Iron-Cutting level, he had no chance to make use of his own famed Iron Fists.
"At this rate, I'm definitely going to lose!"
He couldn't accept it.
This match, which he'd been looking forward to for months, ending like this? No way.
As one of the top two cadets in the class—constantly switching first place back and forth with Sengoku—Garp had pride, a stubborn heart that refused to lose.
His gaze sharpened, his face hardened.
Memories flickered through his mind—scenes of him pounding Marine warships with his bare fists during training.
Seeing Garp's face shift, Klein felt a jolt in his heart.
"Shit. Don't tell me… he's really going to Power Burst?!"
"Luffy did it all the time, so it makes sense that his grandpa…"
"…is the main character of the Marines!"
Klein knew—monsters like Garp could grow insanely stronger mid-battle.
Effort matters, sure, but what others reach through years of grinding, these freaks achieve in one breakthrough fight...
Real talk—these dudes are heartbreak material.
"Iron Fist!!" Garp erupted, his sandbag-sized fist flying straight for Klein's wooden sword.
Tekkai in motion! It was here!
Clang—!
Fist collided with wood. The wooden sword shattered, a splash of blood scattering through the air.
The snapped tip of the sword spun wildly before falling to the ground.
Garp stood firm, face like steel, blood dripping from his clenched fist. "Klein, my Iron Fists have been honed by tens of thousands of strikes these past few months. Even without Tekkai, they're like steel!"
"And now, with Tekkai layered on top…"
"There's no way I'm losing to you!!"
A flicker of disbelief crossed Klein's eyes. He hadn't expected Garp to actually Power Burst.
It was happening—right in front of him.
His mood? Like swallowing crap. He felt like he was nothing more than Garp's damn whetstone.
Anyone else passing him was one thing, but not your bro. Never your bro.
A moment later, Garp lunged like a caged beast, striding forward with wild momentum. His fists howled through the air.
That punch packed serious power.
It was ferocious!
Now it was Klein's turn to avoid the brunt, dodging Garp's strikes.
With Garp's aura fully unleashed, both fists flew in rapid succession—soon, Klein's view was filled with a barrage of fists.
A storm of savage strength and raw aggression.
Once Garp gains the upper hand, he fights like a tiger unleashed. "Klein! I know that's not your full power! If you don't want to lose—then show me everything you've got!!"