Normal attack: 2-stars. Level: 9.
Plus Armament Haki at level 8.
Klein wanted to see if that was enough to slice open the 'three-masted ghost ship' in front of him with a single slash.
No enemies?
Then create a hypothetical one!
"He's going to…" Shakky's pupils shrank.
Gloriosa's expression shifted, disbelief in her voice.
"He's going to cut through this entire island?"
What kind of joke was this?
Was he insane?
Even just the visible tip of this fog-covered iceberg was several times larger than their entire warship.
And the whole ship? It was practically the size of a small island.
He seriously wanted to cut a path through it with a sword?
Shakky and Gloriosa exchanged glances, both seeing the same astonishment reflected in the other's eyes.
Shakky shook her head, took a deep drag on her cigarette, and locked her sharp eyes on Klein's back.
She murmured, "Maybe… maybe he's just trying to train his swordsmanship? We're overthinking it."
"Sword training?" Gloriosa's eyes lit up. "I am curious about his sword skills."
After all, the blade at Klein's waist was Amenonuhoko, and that's no ordinary katana.
Anyone with half an eye for swords could tell it was extraordinary.
But Klein had never drawn it. Not once.
His swordsmanship? To them…
Was a total mystery.
And now, in his hand was a blade even more impressive than Amenonuhoko.
On deck, Os held his breath, sweat from training evaporating from his skin.
"Mr. Klein…"
His eyes sparkled.
"So heavy…" Klein muttered inwardly as he gripped Yoru.
"Black Blade Yoru paired with a normal attack… that completes the synergy, doesn't it?"
"And with the cross-shaped blade too, guess I really am a knock off version of Mihawk now?"
His deep eyes stared forward, sharp gleam flashing through them.
He slowly raised his arm, building up strength from within.
His aura surged higher and higher.
In everyone's eyes, Klein's upright figure on the deck seemed to swell in size—like a towering mountain standing tall before them.
Gloriosa and Shakky's gazes shifted, pupils dilating involuntarily, reflecting nothing but Klein's white-cloaked silhouette—completely overtaking their vision.
"Hey——"
Klein smirked and shouted confidently:
"Eyes open, everyone!"
"This slash is gonna look damn cool!"
A wave of cheers erupted on the deck.
"Lord Klein, let us witness your swordsmanship!"
"They say at the Marine Academy, you were top in swordsmanship too!"
"..."
Klein raised Yoru, gaze sharp as a blade. He brought his arm down in a crushing arc—the edge of the black blade cleaving the air.
Zing——
The air before him rippled like water.
Suddenly, a massive wave of cyan sword energy erupted forth.
Far larger than back in the Marine Academy.
Hundreds of meters long, the flying slash tore through the sea in a straight line, heading straight for the massive ship.
BOOM——
The instant it struck the ship, thunderous explosions rang out.
Everything in its path was ripped apart like paper!
The sea split in two, waves rolling violently to either side.
The massive ship—like an island in itself—began to split right down the middle under that single normal attack.
Like butter meeting a hot blade, it peeled apart with almost comical ease.
It slowly divided, each half drifting sideways, the colossal impact sending tsunamis toward the farthest horizon.
"N-N-NANI!?"
Os's eyes literally popped out of their sockets, tongue wobbling like ripples.
"The ocean… split open!"
The Marines on deck dropped their jaws to the floor, utterly stunned.
Gloriosa's pupils dilated, the cyan glow of the slash reflected in her wide eyes.
She froze on the spot.
"This is… real?!" Shakky's eyes bulged like a thunder-struck frog. Her mouth hung open.
The cigarette between her lips fell, its ash trailing lazily through the air.
Plop—
It hit the floor, bouncing like a dried gourd.
Inside Gloriosa's chest, a monstrous tsunami rose, crashing against her heart again and again.
"One slash… just one slash… to split an island?"
Her knees nearly buckled.
She bit her lip hard.
"A human… how can a human be this strong!?"
He wasn't even that much older than her…
Such monstrous strength—it was despair incarnate!
…But that despair lasted only two and a half seconds.
Gloriosa's gaze suddenly burned with light.
"That slash… was awesome!!"
"Strength like that—anyone who meets him is destined to lose!"
Thump-thump——thump-thump——
Her heart began racing involuntarily, as if some strange emotion had awakened within.
"Yeah——" Shakky lit another cigarette, watching Klein's back as his coat of justice fluttered in the wind.
He wasn't even that tall.
But right now, he seemed larger than the sky.
"Phew——I didn't expect Klein's swordsmanship to be this terrifying. Across the entire sea… I doubt there are many who can match it."
So this is what it meant…
The gap between them wasn't just a little.
It was like the glow of a firefly compared to the brilliance of the full moon.
Meanwhile, a series of system messages chimed in Klein's mind:
[Loyalty +5]
[Loyalty +5]
[····]
[Affection +5]
[Affection +5]
[Affection +10]
[Affection +3]
[····]
And finally, a special message appeared:
[Host has successfully sliced through a ship — Achievement Points +10]
[Title Progress: "Ship-Slicing Hero" 1/100]
"Ship-Slicing Hero?"
Klein hadn't expected slicing a ship to trigger an achievement.
In the original series, the one with this title was T-Bone, who debuted during the Water 7 arc.
Back then, he was just a Marine Captain.
Two years later, he'd become a Vice Admiral.
But…
In Klein's heart, the real Ship-Slicing Hero of the One Piece world?
It had to be—Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman.
His first appearance?
He cut Don Krieg's entire fleet in half with a single slash.
Even in the movie, he did it again.
Looking at the bisected ship before him, Klein sheathed Yoru. The black blade seemed to emit a faint, reluctant hum.
He knew: even a Supreme Grade Blade had its own pride—and hunger.
He comforted it silently:
'Don't worry. Next time we meet a strong swordsman, I'll let them feel your power.'
Turning back to the deck, Klein grinned.
"Hey, boys, quit standing there slack-jawed. Set sail! I'm itching to reach the New World already——"
His voice snapped everyone out of their daze.
Os gulped hard.
"So… just to reach the New World faster…"
"Mr. Klein cut an island in half?!"
Unbelievable—but utterly mind-blowing!
Klein turned to Shakky.
"Shakky, catch. You hold onto this blade for me."
With a flick of his hand, Yoru spun through the air toward Shakky, who caught it midair.
"So heavy…"
Yoru was no ordinary sword. Under the sunlight, the gems on its hilt sparkled, radiating an unmatched elegance.
"This sword… isn't it one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades?"
She figured she was probably right.
Klein, meanwhile, had already returned to his workshop—to make Scrolls!
"I'll need to stock up on materials again at the Sabaody Archipelago. Might stay a few more days there. Hunt some pirates for cash."
"Hahahaha——"
Pirates were great.
They were basically walking ATMs.
If only Pirate Hunter Zoro were stationed in the Sabaody Archipelago instead of East Blue—
Even with his terrible sense of direction, he'd still run into pirates just by wandering around.
There's a reason for the saying: shallow waters breed a lot of turtles.
Using the materials in his office, Klein quickly crafted a simple version of a scroll.
"Perfect…"
"Let's start with a ninjutsu—'S: King's Fist'!"
He didn't care how ninjutsu ranks worked in Naruto.
Here, the scroll's power level? He decided that himself!
Technically, a better-fitting name might be Charged Power Fist… but that just sounded lame.
He slapped the finished scroll onto the wall.
Okay!
Charging up begins!
In his room, Klein began charging power like a Super Saiyan.
He bounced lightly on his toes, loosening up his body, throwing jab after jab that pierced the air.
As the warm-up progressed, his skin turned red, white steam rising from his entire body—
He looked like a giant lobster fresh out of the pot.