"Kyoya, how was it?"
Kyoya opened his eyes to see his instructor bending down, eagerly asking him.
"Mm, sensei."
"I was quite lucky… I managed to establish a good connection with it."
Kyoya stood up and sheathed his Zanpakuto at his waist.
Indeed, from Kyoya's perspective, his luck had been exceptionally good.
Though in the later stages of the One Piece world, Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits were considered the meta, the prestige of Logia-types never faded from beginning to end.
The Pika Pika no Mi is the pinnacle of speed in the One Piece World.
'Speed is weight' was Borsalino's catchphrase.
With a casual 'How terrifying', he could knock out a Supernova in a single kick!
Even the Goro Goro no Mi, hailed as the strongest Logia, fell slightly short of the Pika Pika no Mi in terms of speed.
In other words, aside from stamina, where it couldn't compete with the endless resilience of Mythical Zoans, the Pika Pika no Mi excelled in every aspect, standing at the very top.
Being able to obtain an ability like the Pika Pika no Mi from the [Devil Fruit User] achievement truly delighted Kyoya.
"Good. Since you've already established a connection with your Zanpakuto, you no longer need to attend the fifth-grade Zanzen training sessions."
Hearing these words from the instructor, the students of Class 5-A couldn't help but look at Kyoya with envy.
This was what it meant to be a genius...
No matter how many years they had spent at the Shin'o Academy before Kyoya arrived, what did it matter?
In just half a day… no, merely two hours, Kyoya had completely surpassed them.
Among their class of several dozen, there were some whose Reiryoku had reached the 8th-class.
But to say they could ever achieve what Kyoya had would be nothing but self-deception.
Kyoya was like the idealized version of themselves they had once fantasized about.
But alas...
Fantasies remained just that… fantasies.
The reality was that the genius was Kyoya.
They probably didn't even qualify to be supporting characters in his story.
Perhaps the only thing they could boast about to their friends over drinks was that they had once been classmates with Kyoya for two hours and witnessed him establishing a connection with his Asauchi!
"If you wish to advance to the sixth-grade, I can issue you the certification immediately."
"Hiss…"
The students collectively gasped at the instructor's words.
After all, before today, some instructors and students at Shin'o Academy had been speculating whether Kyoya could surpass the record set by Gin the previous year.
But now, seeing that Kyoya had taken less than two hours to connect with the Spirit of his Asauchi and complete the fifth-grade year training, the students were stunned.
However, they didn't fully understand the instructor's suggestion.
Logically speaking, even after establishing a connection with the Spirit within the Asauchi, students needed time to nurture that spirit and forge the Asauchi into their own unique Zanpakuto.
Though Kyoya had already connected with his Asauchi, the instructor wasn't advising him to stay in the fifth grade to nurture it into a Zanpakuto. Instead, he was offering to certify Kyoya's completion of the course immediately, allowing him to advance to the sixth grade.
They wondered if the instructor was trying to push Kyoya to break Gin's record.
As for what would Kyoya choose?
They felt that he would probably refuse.
After all, sixth-grade students were those who had completed all their studies at Shin'o Academy… essentially "provisional Shinigami."
The sixth-grade curriculum consisted entirely of combat training.
They fought experimental Hollows, and their final exam involved battling real Hollows!
Therefore, to further strengthen himself, Kyoya should decline and spend more time in the fifth-grade, shouldn't he?
"Okay."
To everyone's surprise, Kyoya didn't hesitate at all in response to the instructor's suggestion. He nodded immediately and said: "Then I'll trouble you, sensei."
The teacher's proposal aligned perfectly with Kyoya's own intentions.
His Asauchi, under the influence of the One Piece Achievement System, had already transformed into a Zanpakuto.
And, if nothing unexpected happens, it is also the 'Strongest light-type Zanpakuto'.
Moreover, Kyoya could already perform a Partial Shikai. Staying in the fifth grade would offer him no benefit beyond slowly accumulating Reiryoku over time.
For Kyoya, the most efficient way to rapidly increase his Reiryoku was to complete more system achievements.
The rewards from the system didn't just include skills… they also granted the Reiryoku growth equivalent to the time spent training.
For example, the [Marine Rookie] achievement Kyoya had obtained last time didn't just elevate him to the level of a great swordsman, it had also boosted his Reiryoku to 8th-class.
In just one year, Kyoya had advanced two full ranks.
Though higher classes of Reiryoku became increasingly difficult to break through, if Kyoya were to spend the full six years at Shin'o Academy, his Reiryoku would at least reach the 6th-class… enough to meet the requirements for Complete Shikai.
But that would be the stupidest choice.
Kyoya's innate talent as a Shinigami was merely average.
Without the One Piece Achievement System, his limit would likely be Lieutenant at best.
In fact, he might never even reach the 4th-class Reiryoku in his lifetime, remaining just a decently strong seated officer.
The reason he had come this far was almost entirely due to the One Piece Achievement System… accounting for at least 95% of his progress.
Only by graduating as soon as possible, completing more achievements, and claiming more achievement rewards can Kyoya become stronger.
…
Half a day later, Kyoya once again found himself in the head instructor's office.
As Kyoya expected, when the dean saw the application in Kyoya's hands, his expression wasn't just shocked… it was tinged with awe.
It can't be helped… if the fifth-grade instructor knew about Kyoya's situation, the head instructor certainly did as well.
After approving the application, the head instructor immediately reported Kyoya's case to higher authorities.
As a training institution under the Gotei 13, Shin'o Academy had a duty to report prodigies to the Gotei 13.
If a division took an interest in a particular student, they would approach them before graduation and attempt to recruit them.
Generally speaking, once a division made an offer, others would refrain from interfering.
But if the student was exceptionally talented, it wasn't unheard of for multiple divisions to compete for them.
Of course, if a student wasn't satisfied with the division that approached them, they could still join their preferred squad after completing the graduation exam.
However, under normal circumstances, few would refuse such a direct offer.
After all, joining a division where a senior officer had already taken an interest in them meant they would receive guidance and support.
Otherwise, entering an unfamiliar division without connections could lead to difficulties… unless they had the strength and potential to stand their ground.