So annoying!
Klein was getting stronger by the day, and Garp's desire to fight him only grew. He wanted to personally test this guy's strength—with his own "Iron Fist."
The problem was... Klein wouldn't budge. No matter how many times Garp asked, the guy refused every sparring request.
Logically speaking...
Sparring with Sengoku, who was stronger, should be the better option. But after many such sessions, the novelty had long since worn off.
It was only natural to crave something new. Garp wanted to enjoy the thrill of battling a new opponent.
"I really wanna punch him!" Garp gritted his sparkling white teeth.
But Klein was like an unyielding wall—nothing worked on him.
Sengoku, ever the clever one, rolled his eyes and stepped in to block Klein. "Klein, if you want to make money, why not spar with me? I'm sure a lot of cadets would come to watch. You could charge admission."
That stopped Klein in his tracks. He rubbed his still-youthful chin. "Boom... Sengoku, I like your idea."
He almost blurted out "Afro-head"—mainly because Garp said it so often it rubbed off on him.
Spend enough time around someone and you start picking up their habits. Klein was no exception.
He thought it over carefully. There was still a gap between him and Garp or Sengoku. If he trained for another month, he'd probably catch up.
His Basic Swordsmanship should also reach level 50 by then, unlocking Breath of All Things.
When that time comes...
"Hehehehehe—"
"Sengoku, don't blame me for not going easy. I can't afford to lose. If I do, what'll I do if the cadets start dropping out of my classes?"
"Besides, if I beat you, I can raise my class prices."
"I've got every reason to win!"
Perfect.
Klein nodded. "Sengoku, I'm in—but it has to be next month. That okay with you?"
Before Sengoku could respond, Garp cut in eagerly. "I'll go!!"
"Ponytail guy, I'll spar with you next month. You keep all the ticket money!!!"
He bulldozed his way into the conversation.
Garp had been itching to spar with Klein for ages!
Sengoku glanced at him and nodded. Letting Garp test Klein's strength first wasn't a bad idea.
Ever the cautious one, Sengoku stepped back voluntarily. "Klein, let Garp go first. We'll arrange our match for later."
"Deal!" Klein said, suppressing his excitement. "It's settled then—next month."
"I'll be off, then."
Garp clenched his fists in excitement, the muscles in his massive hands crackling like cannon fuses. "It's been months, but I finally get to spar with Ponytail! I'm gonna show you the true power of Garp's Iron Fist!!"
Those fists of his had spent countless hours smashing into wrecked ships at the junkyard.
His strength was unreal.
Even Sengoku and Zephyr had marveled at it—his fists were harder than steel.
At this moment, Sengoku, who was usually Garp's "rival" or "nemesis," stood by his side. "Garp, do your best. You have to beat Klein!"
Staring in the direction Klein had left, Sengoku's expression turned solemn. "At the rate Klein's growing, if we don't beat him now, we'll never get the chance..."
"We have to take him down before he's fully grown!"
The Next Day
Klein's proposal was approved. Additionally, there was a new policy shift: resources would now be concentrated to form an elite class.
The top fifty scorers in the latest assessment were selected as the first batch of elite cadets.
In the classroom.
Same old back seat by the window—home of the king.
Klein sat at his usual desk, long, nimble fingers twirling a pen.
This period was Military Discipline and Training Theory. He wasn't paying attention, lost in thought. "I'm about to master Breath of All Things... How much should I raise the sword class fees to?"
Previously, each class cost 5,000 Berries, and it had decent results.
With over a dozen cadets, he was raking in tens of thousands daily.
"Keep the base class price the same... then add one-on-one lessons, sparring sessions, private tutoring, personal cultivation tracks..."
"Call it the 'Deluxe Package!'"
"Right, I should also add a trial lesson—first-time students pay only 500 Berries."
"I'll need business cards. And flyers!"
Klein recalled all those TikTok course-hawkers from his previous life. He planned to use their tricks on this crowd of cadets.
Scratch scratch scratch—
He jotted everything down in his notebook. When class ended, he shut it with a snap.
A sticker on the cover read: "Make Money Handbook."
A constant reminder to hustle and bring in more cash.
He arrived at the closed training chamber—walls of reinforced steel, packed with every kind of equipment. It made high-end gyms look primitive.
The space was massive—easily the size of a football field. Such was the privilege of the elite class.
No more roasting under the sun on the parade grounds.
Fifty elite cadets stood in formation.
Up front, the instructor crossed his arms. "First of all, congratulations. Your overall scores placed you in the top fifty of this session's cadets. You've officially joined the elite class."
"But don't get complacent. If any of you fall out of the top fifty in next month's exam, you'll lose all elite privileges until you climb your way back."
"Some of you already have physiques comparable to superhumans. It's time you learned more advanced combat techniques."
Klein's ears perked up. His anticipation surged. "Here it comes—the Rokushiki techniques."
So far, his in-game character had unlocked Tekkai, Kami-e, and Shigan—the latter just within the last two weeks.
He still hadn't learned the remaining three techniques.
But what excited him most was that once the instructor formally taught Rokushiki, he could finally use them in public without holding back.
Even better...
"Hehehehehe—now I can officially open a 'Rokushiki Training Course.' This is a gold mine! No way I'm missing this chance!!"
Just as Klein expected, the instructor continued: "The advanced combat system I'm about to teach is known as Rokushiki, consisting of..."
"First, we'll begin with Tekkai training!"
The first technique taught was Tekkai—an art that trains full-body muscle control, laying the foundation for mastering the other styles later.
The instructor wasted no time demonstrating. He pulled out a pistol.
"A true warrior must possess a monstrous body and life force!"
"At sea, strength of body is the strength that counts most!"
He confidently aimed the barrel at his own temple, barely inches away.
The cadets around him tensed up in unison. Several instinctively held their breath in fear.
And then—
Bang!
The gun fired.
"Tekkai!"
The bullet slammed into his temple—but the sound it made was like metal striking metal. The round clattered to the floor.
Every cadet stared in stunned silence—jaw-dropped and speechless.