At the same time, while Garp was still reeling from shock—
On the other side of the deck, Bogard and the other Marines stared blankly at Kai.
A Marine's throat was dry, his lips trembling:
"Am… am I dreaming?"
He was stunned.
What he had just witnessed had struck his mind with an impact unlike anything before.
His worldview was crumbling.
Was that even human?
How could such a monster exist in this world?!
The deck fell silent.
Utter silence.
Clearly, everyone present had been thoroughly shaken by Kai's display.
Even Bogard himself could only gape, his eyes dazed and speechless.
After a brief silence—
The deck erupted.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Did I see wrong just now?!"
"Mr. Kai just demonstrated all six forms of Rokushiki?!"
"Are you sure this isn't some hallucination?!"
"In less than half a quarter-hour, he mastered Rokushiki completely?!"
"He's… what kind of monster is this?!"
The Marines roared with disbelief, their voices filled with awe.
It was a sight they wouldn't have dared dream of—
Yet it had unfolded right before their eyes.
"He… he really did it…"
Bogard's eyes lost focus, his heart trembling violently.
Then—his gaze filled with awe, reverence, even fear as he looked at Kai's back.
He muttered to himself, as though entranced:
"Mr. Kai… truly a once-in-a-century genius."
"Vice Admiral Aokiji's record has not only been broken by him…"
"I believe no one in the future will ever break the record Mr. Kai has set today."
"In less than half a quarter-hour—
He mastered Rokushiki in its entirety."
"What kind of monstrous talent is this…?!"
The more he thought about it, the more shaken Bogard became.
"Even across the Marine's centuries of history—
Not a single soul can be compared to Mr. Kai! Not even the monsters of our era!"
"Sakazuki, Borsalino, Aokiji—none of them were ever this terrifying!"
"Mr. Kai is a true aberration."
"An unprecedented monster!"
That day, the entire warship was shaken.
Every Marine was stirred by the record Kai had set.
Marines rushed to the railings, eyes burning with disbelief and admiration as they stared at him.
Hundreds of sailors, without exception, looked upon him with awe, reverence, and worship.
"Just earlier, we wondered whether Mr. Kai could master Rokushiki in a single day."
"But we were fools. Our vision was far too shallow."
"A day? No, he needed less than half an hour!"
"His talent is beyond imagination. Half an hour—and Rokushiki is his!"
"Monster!"
They recalled their earlier doubts—and couldn't help but laugh bitterly at their own shortsightedness.
They had been frogs at the bottom of a well.
Reality was even more absurd than their wildest imagination.
A day?
Not necessary.
Half an hour was enough!
One Marine spoke, voice trembling:
"Six years ago, I first tried to learn Rokushiki. But the difficulty was so high, I had to abandon that foolish dream."
"Never… never did I think…"
"What I believed impossible for a lifetime—"
"Would be mastered by someone in less than half an hour."
"Is this… the difference between ordinary men and true geniuses?"
"This gap… it's too vast. It's disappointing!"
His words echoed the hearts of many.
Many among them had once tried to practice Rokushiki.
Yet they all failed.
They knew the agony, the years of struggle it demanded.
And now—
Before their eyes stood a boy who had mastered it all in minutes.
Only now did they truly understand.
The gap between themselves and true genius was a gulf.
Unreachable.
Heaven and earth apart.
"Worse still…" someone whispered hoarsely.
"Mr. Kai is only four years old."
"Four years old—and he's mastered Rokushiki completely."
"What is a genius? What is a monster? This is it."
"In comparison…"
"Our lives have been utterly wasted."
Sighs spread across the deck, heavy and bitter.
A four-year-old child had achieved what they could never touch in a lifetime.
With such a gap, there was no room for envy.
Only reverence.
And so—
Every Marine present looked upon Kai with worship.
He was on an entirely different level.
Bogard snapped out of his daze and quickly waved his hand, dispersing the growing crowd.
"Enough, enough! Nothing more to see here."
"You won't be able to learn it anyway."
"But don't be discouraged. Mr. Kai is no ordinary genius—he's a once-in-a-century prodigy. He cannot be compared to anyone else."
"Even across this entire sea, there are few who could be mentioned alongside him."
"My advice—don't ever compare yourselves to such monsters. It will only hurt your pride."
Gradually, the Marines dispersed, leaving with hearts shaken and reverence blazing in their eyes.
It was a day they would remember for the rest of their lives.
"Kai, boy, you've officially graduated," Garp said with a helpless look, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"When it comes to Rokushiki—
There's nothing more I can teach you."
"Thanks, old man." Kai grinned.
"If not for your guidance today, even with my ability, it would've taken me at least half a month to figure out Rokushiki on my own."
"..."
Garp's lips twitched violently.
He was speechless.
Half a month?
Without a teacher, you'd still master it in half a month?
Was that something a human should even say?!
But—
He could not deny it.
His grandson Kai was a terrifying monster.
Bogard, who had just walked up, nearly stumbled and fell flat when he heard Kai's words.
"So this is what they call a genius, huh…"
"I've truly seen the difference today."
He was speechless.
Could geniuses really do whatever they pleased?
After a long silence, Bogard lowered his head.
Yes.
They really could.
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