The word "bro" made Garp's face darken. "Ponytail guy, this time when we spar—whoever wins is the big bro!"
"Loser's the little bro!"
"Exactly what I was thinking!" Klein worked hard to suppress the urge to raise his AK, hiding the grin creeping up the corner of his mouth.
At the same time, he pulled out a cigar. Click! went the metal lighter, a spark flickering to life.
Flame ignited.
"Phew—" Klein took a satisfied puff, then raised a hand and crooked a finger in provocation, grinning. "Garp, bring it on!"
"This big bro title? It's mine!"
Soon, Dragon will have to call me godfather, and Luffy will have to call me grandpa!
Then…
What should Roger, Ace's father, and Whitebeard Newgate call me?
Seeing how Klein acted like he didn't take him seriously at all, a tiny flame seemed to spark in Garp's pupils.
His inner cosmos…
Was about to explode!!
But something bugged him—he couldn't help asking, "Ponytail guy, where's your weapon?"
"How are you gonna use swordsmanship without a sword?"
Last time, he'd experienced firsthand the destructive power of swordsmanship at the "Iron-Cutting" level.
He still had a faint scar on his "Iron Fist" to prove it—a constant reminder that he must wipe out this shame!
He had to beat Klein!
"A sword?!" Klein's voice was laced with gunpowder as he taunted, "Beating you with swordsmanship again would just be boring!"
"I happen to know a bit of martial arts too."
"Beating you with my fists? More than enough!"
The instructor nearby twitched at that, muttering internally, This bastard learned all of Rokushiki, even came up with something as broken as Demonic Flame Kick...
If that's what he calls 'a bit of martial arts,' then the rest of my students might as well crawl on all fours like babies.
This brat…
Even I, a worldly instructor, can't match his level of bluffing!!
Kong furrowed his brows, face puzzled. "Instructor, didn't you say Klein's swordsmanship is amazing? Why is he so arrogant?"
"Just watch. This monkey show's just getting started." The instructor gave a mysterious smile, hands clasped behind his back.
In the center of the training ground—
Garp, stung by Klein's mocking words, suddenly had flames roaring in his eyes, nearly shooting out of his sockets.
Furious.
"Take this!"
Garp's thigh muscles exploded with power as he leapt into the air, swinging a fist the size of a sandbag straight at Klein's face.
He had to beat this damned ponytail brat black and blue!
And make him call him bro!
Muscles bulged, angles sharp, sinews overlapping in perfect harmony—power and beauty in motion!
"Tekkai!" Klein stepped back, channeling muscle force inward, his body hardening like steel!
He'd always wanted to test the defensive limits of his upgraded Tekkai Lv.2.
And Garp…
Was the perfect guinea pig!
Since Klein had stepped back, Garp's punch that was aimed at his face landed on his chest instead.
The fist crashed down.
BOOM!!!
Their bodies collided with a deep thud.
Klein's face turned green. A surge of raw force surged from Garp's fist into his body.
Shit!
Got too cocky!!
'Tekkai' is seriously not something you just throw out casually.
This thing's a scam!!!
The force knocked Klein back several meters.
For a moment, he thought his iron body was about to bend under the pressure.
Pain—
So much pain!!
Such a painful lesson. He'd just wanted to create some "entertainment" to give the audience their money's worth.
That way, future ticket sales would explode.
And his earnings would naturally rise with the tide.
But...
After taking that punch, Klein deeply regretted it!
Meanwhile, Garp was having the time of his life. "Hahahaha—Klein, your body really can take a beating!!"
"My fist's actually sore!!"
As if that compares to what I'm feeling!?
Damn it!
Klein's intestines twisted with regret.
After landing a solid blow, Garp went full throttle. His fists, the size of toddler butts, swung with violent momentum, slicing through the air like tigers on the hunt.
"Iron Fist!"
"Ponytail guy, get ready for fists of steel!"
His punches tore through the air with tremendous force. His arms bulged, veins popping out like writhing blue worms.
"Garp, from now on, remember to call me big bro!" Klein's expression turned serious, a flash of light gleaming in his eyes.
His aura erupted like a storm. The pressure materialized as fierce winds, sweeping in all directions like a hurricane.
From fluffy little lamb to prehistoric beast in an instant!!
"Fistbone: Impact!"
Will ignited!
It was hunting time!
Although Klein deliberately held back his Conqueror's Haki, the aura when he unleashed this move was still terrifying.
He felt like the blood in his body was boiling!
His strength surged like a raging river, flooding into his fists.
Klein knew—if he wanted to stop Garp's inner cosmos from exploding, he had to crush him utterly, like how Kaido floored Luffy with a single Thunder Bagua.
Before me, Klein…
Everyone's just a little bro!!
A giant fist and a slightly smaller one collided—
BOOM!
A violent explosion blasted the air, sending shockwaves surging outward.
The next second, Garp's body was blasted out like a cannonball. "Urgh—!"
Midair, his eyes widened, bloodshot and trembling.
Complete shock!
That punch…
Klein's punch had completely overpowered his Iron Fist. That wild, destructive force steamrolled him.
What kind of punch was that!?
CRASH—
He slammed into the wall, leaving a human-shaped dent as cracks spread from the impact point.
Debris rained down—mixed with Garp's blood.
The scene—
Came so fast and unexpectedly that the watching cadets didn't even react.
They stood there like stunned frogs, mouths agape, eyes bulging.
Collective petrification!
Only after Garp's body was embedded in the wall did the cadets erupt with screeching shock.
"Holy crap! Klein just punched Garp into the air!?"
"Mother of—! That was brutal! Savage!! He one-shotted Garp! That's even scarier than his sword!"
"Klein isn't human! First swordsmanship that can cut steel, and now this? One punch and Garp's down? How are we supposed to live!?"
"He's not a cute puppy—he's more terrifying than a beast!"
"That skinny body exploded with that kind of force? There's a damn monster living inside Klein, right??"
"That punch... was way too scary!!"
"Garp's strength test scores were always the highest, and Klein nearly punched him back into the womb!"
"Wait... did Garp just get knocked out cold in one hit!?"
"······"
Meanwhile, Klein's cheer squad—the Marine Four Flowers—waved their pom-poms like maniacs.
"Klein-nii is the best!"
"No cadet can beat Klein-nii!"
"Klein-nii is invincible!"
"······"
Okay, you can chant, but why does your tone sound so... off!?
My skin's crawling here!
Help!
Amidst the noise, Sengoku's heart went cold. "Just how ridiculously strong is Klein now!?"
"And to think I was planning to challenge him after mastering Rokushiki… but by the time I do…"
"He'll be so far ahead, I won't even be able to see his back."
Crushed.
If the gap last time seemed surmountable with hard work—
Then this time, Klein's complete domination made Sengoku feel hopeless.
In just a few short months…
Klein had gone from a student he wouldn't even look at, to someone capable of one-punching Garp.
It was…
Like a dream!!
Sengoku gritted his teeth. "I already have outstanding talent—so why is the gap between us only growing!?"
Now, he finally understood how Klein once felt—envying and resenting him and Garp.
The world is a cycle.
A process of repetition.
...Someone please comfort this broken child!?