Got it!
So I'm just a live demo for the instructor to teach the students!
And while we're at it… let him flex a bit too!
Klein instantly understood his role. He clenched his fists, muscles bulging, veins popping.
"Frenzied Fist Barrage!"
His fists flew in rapid succession, hammering through the air with powerful gusts, like a raging storm crashing down on the instructor.
Faced with such a flurry of punches, the instructor's body moved like a piece of paper, twisting at eerie angles—
Not a single blow landed.
"This is Kami-e—the art of freely and lightly controlling the body to dodge enemy attacks!" the instructor explained casually, a relaxed smile on his lips. "Klein is already the strongest among you trainees. Yet his every strike was effortlessly avoided. That's the power of Kami-e!"
"A high-level evasive technique!"
Damn, what a showoff!
Go on, flex!
Klein knew full well that even if he gave it his all, he wouldn't be able to touch the hem of the instructor's uniform.
The instructor was definitely a master of both types of Haki and had fully mastered Rokushiki.
"Klein, that's enough," the instructor called out, and Klein withdrew his fists.
The trainees below already had stars in their eyes, eagerly awaiting the instructor's lesson on Kami-e!
Once Klein returned to his spot, the instructor began breaking down the technique.
He also warned them, "Many of you still don't meet the physical requirements, so let me remind you—never stop training your bodies!"
"A powerful physique is the foundation of everything!"
He didn't want the less talented or weaker students to focus solely on Rokushiki at the expense of building a solid physical foundation.
As the instructor demonstrated and explained, the trainees began their own attempts.
Then Klein's voice rang out again. "Instructor, I've got it!"
You just showed off—now it's my turn, right?
Instantly.
Silence fell over the crowd.
All eyes turned to Klein—shocked, skeptical, disbelieving.
Tch—
What are you all staring at?
Never seen a handsome guy before?
Klein was already used to being the center of attention. He said calmly, "Kami-e? Isn't it just a matter of having hands?"
"..."
"..."
That line made every trainee's eyes burn with fury. Their fists clenched until they cracked.
So annoying!
So damn annoying!!
Was Klein the king of humblebrags or what?
"Ahem—" The instructor cleared his throat, calming the crowd. He walked up to Klein, eyes scanning him repeatedly.
Is this for real?
You learned it already?
Do you realize how damaging this is to everyone's self-esteem?
The instructor couldn't help but remember how it had taken him years to master all six forms of Rokushiki…
But Klein?
A few hours each time?
Is he even human?
"Klein, show me," the instructor said, tightening his fist—big as a boulder. He wasn't going to wait for Klein's answer.
His punch came roaring in.
If you didn't learn it, this one'll send your teeth flying!
The next second—
Klein's body bent like a leaf in the wind, contorting in a way that defied reason, effortlessly dodging the punch.
Everyone watching…
Their pupils dilated in disbelief.
You really learned it!?
"..." Garp¹'s face turned grim. Just last night, he'd been talking big about sparring with Klein.
And now the guy had mastered Kami-e?
Sparring?
Spar with your grandma!?
Garp looked at Sengoku². "Hey, Afro, isn't this Klein guy basically a demon?"
"This guy..." Sengoku's face darkened. "Klein's totally nuts. He picks up Rokushiki like it's nothing!"
"What kind of talent is that???"
The trainees were also in an uproar.
"How is this fair? I haven't even learned Tekkai yet, and this guy already mastered Kami-e!?"
"How are we supposed to live like this?"
"We're all trainees—why is the gap so massive!?"
"Even geniuses have limits, right?"
"Why… WHY in this vast, vast ocean… did I have to meet such an unreasonable monster!?"
"Are we even learning the same Rokushiki!?"
"Can't we just expel Klein!? Being around him is just depressing!"
"..."
They were crushed!
Utterly demoralized!
It was more painful than death—especially for Garp and Sengoku, who used to be way ahead of Klein.
Now…
They could only stare at his back, that widening gap unbearable.
The instructor was on the verge of losing it. With this kind of progress, how was he supposed to keep teaching Klein?
But at the same time, he was thrilled. "Hahaha—Excellent! Excellent!"
"The Marines need talent like you!"
"A genius!"
He placed a firm hand on Klein's shoulder, his tone sincere and full of expectation. "Klein, I believe in you. When you become a Marine Admiral someday, your old instructor expects a drink—no, a full-on party with you!"
"Oh, and take this—another bonus. Not 10 points, but 50!"
"That's the end of today's lesson!"
50 points?
50,000 Berries?
The instructor actually went big for once! What a legend!
That 50,000 Berries was like getting a small blood refill.
Klein was delighted. "Being a genius is great. Genius comes with perks!!"
He knew that in any world, genius came with privileges.
In this world, strength was everything.
With power came the right to say "no" to anything.
Once the instructor left—
Klein jumped right back into marketing mode. "Life-saving technique! Don't regret it later! Rokushiki Kami-e—dodge every hit!"
"Want to learn? Sign up for Klein's training class now!"
"Right now we've got friendship pricing—once I get stronger, even money won't get you in!"
"..."
"It's not just Tekkai and Kami-e. I'll teach all the Rokushiki eventually. More content, no extra charge!"
"Don't miss out!"
"Early learners enjoy it—late learners get beat up!"
The trainees who had already enrolled were ecstatic. They had already paid, and now they'd get Kami-e too—with the rest of Rokushiki promised in the future. The value of their tuition just kept rising.
Many on the scene were tempted. Some gritted their teeth and took action.
Klein continued promoting, "I know some of you don't have much money, or your spending money is limited."
"No problem…"
"Starting today, top student points—and even valuable items—can be used to pay tuition!"
The students came from all walks—some from branch offices, some pushed into the program by their Marine dads.
Most were in their teens, and unless their families had Marine officers, they didn't have much money.
Even kids from decent homes didn't have much to spend at that age.
So, based on Tsuru³'s suggestion, Klein added the option of "valuable items" as tuition.
Immediately, some students took him up on it.