Oharden pulled back from his thoughts, eyes full of shock."Klein's swordsmanship… it's truly one of a kind. Has he carved out a sword path of his own?"
Just thinking about it made him shudder.
"Only eighteen, and already his swordsmanship can be called the best in the Marines!"
"Given time, Klein might even become the strongest swordsman in the world!"
However…
Oharden knew something even more terrifying—before Klein even drew his sword, he was battling Kong in close-quarters combat using pure martial arts and aerial maneuvers!
"A true all-rounder?"
"What kind of monstrous talent is this?!"
His eyeballs nearly popped out from shock. He couldn't help but exclaim,"This guy isn't just the greatest genius in the history of the Marine Academy..."
"He's the greatest in 800 years of Marine history!"
That kind of growth rate made his blood boil with excitement. His eyes burned as he shouted,"Klein, hurry up and grow already! This old man's counting on you to take over so I can finally retire!"
"???"
"???"
Instructor Carter and Rampaging Bear both looked dumbfounded. They slowly turned to stare at Oharden's shameless old face.
"Ahem—" Instructor Carter coughed. "Fleet Admiral, he's only eighteen. Are you that desperate to retire?"
He's eighteen. You're nearly eighty.
And you want him to take over? You've clearly lost it.
Rampaging Bear grinned."Wahahaha—Fleet Admiral, I can take over too!"
"You?" Oharden sneered, full of disdain."You think I haven't tried? The World Government doesn't want a brain-dead musclehead like you!"
"..."
The truth cuts the deepest.Rampaging Bear's smile vanished. His face turned as black as Armament Haki hardening.
So black it gleamed with white reflection.
Better if he'd never asked!
In the Arena.
The dazzling green slash sent Kong flying.He tumbled across the ground, coughing up blood he barely managed to swallow."Cough, cough—"
He stood up, eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
That slash…
"So sharp it gave me goosebumps," Kong muttered. His eyes sharpened like a beast's and turned slightly red.
His fists throbbed with pain, even a hint of numbness.
The next second—
Klein pointed his blade at Kong, voice ice-cold."One slash wasn't enough. Let's try another."
Shhhk!
The gleaming blade seemed to cut through the very air.In an instant, that green light burst to dozens of meters in length!
"Another?!" Kong's pupils shrank as the muscles in his legs erupted with explosive power.
The slash carved a deep trench into the earth.
But immediately after—
A bone-chilling sense of danger surged over him like a curse clinging to his soul. Every hair on his body stood on end.
It was that same razor-sharp, elegant flying slash again.
Dodge!
Kong unleashed explosive power from within his body, forcing himself to halt.
The brilliant green slash roared past him—mere inches from his face.
The glow dyed his whole body an eerie green. His face turned ashen.
A few cold drops of sweat trickled silently from his temple.
Shave!Whoosh—
Kong's body blurred as he darted across the battlefield, leaving seven or eight afterimages behind.
Following a winding, unpredictable path, he circled ever closer to Klein.
'His punches can't beat me. Only in close range can I suppress and defeat him!'
There was no way he could keep taking slashes like that head-on!
"So fast!"Klein's pupils remained calm. And in that calm, his Observation Haki sharpened.
'This guy's mastery of Rokushiki runs deep.'
He held his longsword, refusing to swing randomly—waiting in silence for the beast's strike to react.
Suddenly—
Klein's eyes narrowed. A glint flashed.
Armament Haki instantly surged from his arm onto his katana…
A black blade wrapped in dark purple flames was born!
He's coming!
His instincts screamed—an icy chill piercing straight through his bones.
In his black eyes, a steel-hard fist grew rapidly larger.
"Steel: Raging Fist!"
Block it!
CLANG—
Sparks flew. The overwhelming force shattered the ground beneath Klein's feet.
Fists rained down like a storm, pummeling him mercilessly.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Klein's katana moved like a storm of water, flawlessly intercepting each blow, giving Kong not a single opening.
Cracks spread across the ground beneath them until—BOOM!—The earth collapsed inward.
Klein dropped down with it, losing his footing.
"Now!"Kong's tiger-like eyes flashed. The muscles in his arms bulged like rock, veins popping.
"Steel Secret Technique: Iron King Fist!"
He forced every ounce of power from his body into his fists—like a tidal wave crashing through a dam.
Unstoppable!
BOOOOM—
Klein raised his sword to block—and felt his Haki tear.The force traveled straight through his blade and slammed into him like a speeding train.
THUD—
His back crashed into the bottom of the crater, web-like cracks spidering out around him.
Dust exploded into the air.
"Did I beat him?"That thought barely formed in Kong's mind when—
SHHHK!
A sharp green light burst from the dust cloud.A flying slash ripped through the air, forcing him back.
Klein stepped out of the smoke, sword in hand.
Other than some dust on his clothes, there wasn't a single scratch on his body.
"Kong, you're the first man who's ever made me feel pain."
???
Three thick black lines appeared on Kong's forehead. A vein popped in the shape of a 井 character.
This bastard sure knew how to get under someone's skin!
His strongest attack…
Had only made Klein feel pain?!
Kong quickly calmed down, but the disbelief remained in his eyes.
"Hey—Klein, what's with your body?!"
"That punch just now... Even with Armament Haki and Tekkai, it shouldn't have been blocked!"
"You…"
"How the hell are you still fine?!"
Even though he could keep calm, he couldn't stay composed.
His attack… hadn't done any damage to Klein?
Not even a body made of steel could withstand that!
Something was off.
"Hehe—" Klein grinned."Surprised? You should be."
"Because…"
"Because what?!" Kong pressed.
Klein's face froze in mild panic.'Shit! Why'd the cool line have to break right now?!'
'Think!'
'Should I tell him… my body's made of Beli?'
His mind spun furiously.
Then Klein smirked."Because I'm… a man without weakness."
Yeah, that line should land just right.
Using Observation Haki, he subtly watched the crowd's reaction from afar—feeling very pleased with himself.
"Without weakness…"
Kong repeated those words, body trembling, eyes wide.
Yes!
This guy's martial arts, swordsmanship, even his physical defense—
All were monstrous.
No weaknesses.
He instinctively wanted to argue.'Nobody on the sea is without a weakness!'
But…
Standing before him, Klein had no visible flaws.
He couldn't refute it.
Kong's pupils shook violently. Klein's image reflected in his eyes as he muttered,"…It's a response I can't even argue with. But how can a person's talent and focus cover everything like that?"
"Do you think you're a god or something?!"