In the clearing, looking at the grinning Goku before him, Lansa pursed his lips and gazed up at the sky.
Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for despair; it's better to just focus on your own progress.
Compared to this little monster, he really was nothing at all.
But then again, why should he bother comparing himself to a monster?
His mental threshold had been pushed so high by Goku's previous shock that he remained quite calm this time.
He even took a moment to look around at the stunned expressions of the muscular men, thinking to himself:
'This is nothing. If I told you this kid learned three of the Six Powers just by looking at them once, you'd all faint from the shock.'
'Besides, it's clear this little monster's strength hasn't reached its limit yet. You're already stunned by just this?'
At that thought, he pulled a 'kind' smile and pointed to a pile of neglected metal cubes on the other side of the clearing. "Goku, let's go over there. These rocks are too light for you; they won't reveal your true strength."
Goku followed his finger and nodded. "Alright."
...
"Hey, get over to Training Ground No. 5! There's a kid with insane strength trying to move those metal blocks!"
"Metal blocks? Aren't those only for officers at the rank of Major or higher? I heard some are so heavy even they can't move them. Why would a kid try that?"
"You don't know? Apparently, the little guy already pushed the biggest boulder there, so he's moving on to the metal blocks."
"Pushed the boulders? Good grief, where did this kid come from?"
"No idea, but someone saw him arrive with Vice Admiral Garp. Some say he's the Vice Admiral's grandson, though I don't know if that's true."
"Garp's grandson? I definitely have to see this!"
Before anyone knew it, word of Goku attempting to move the metal blocks at Training Ground No. 5 had spread, drawing the interest of many idle Marines who flocked to see for themselves.
Soon, the training ground was packed with spectators, all whispering and pointing at Goku as he warmed up in front of the metal blocks.
"That's the kid? He's tiny!"
"Exactly. This is ridiculous. How could a child that small move those things? Who's spreading these rumors?"
"Hey! Don't knock it until you see it. I was right here earlier and saw him push the biggest rock with my own eyes."
"For real?!"
"Would I lie? Everyone here saw it!"
As the crowd gossiped, Lansa didn't try to clear them out. Instead, he crossed his arms and held his head high, thinking:
'Just you wait! The more you doubt him now, the more your jaws will drop later!'
Somewhere along the line, he had transitioned from someone who enjoyed showing off himself to someone who enjoyed watching Goku show off.
Whenever he saw others stunned by Goku's extraordinary feats, he felt a surge of vicarious satisfaction, as if he were recouping the shock he had previously suffered at the boy's hands.
Finally, Goku finished his warm-up. He walked up to the smallest metal block, clenched his fists, and said seriously, "Here I go!"
Lansa had told him that although this block was the smallest, it weighed a full fifty tons—significantly heavier than the boulder he had pushed earlier.
That was why he had warmed up, ensuring his body could unleash its full power.
"He's starting! He's starting! I've got to see if he's actually as good as they say."
"Hmph, I still don't believe it. If he moves that, I'll eat the block right here!"
"Hey, watch it. Didn't you see that guy over there chewing on a rock? He lost a bet too. You can chew a rock, but if you bite that metal, you'll lose every tooth in your head."
"You!! Hmph!!"
The man who had made the bold claim turned beet-red and sputtered, but ultimately didn't dare double down on his wager.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Goku took a deep breath and placed his palms against the metal block.
He gathered his full strength and pushed forward with a mighty shout. "Haaah!!"
Screeeech!!
A harsh, grating sound filled everyone's ears—the sound of metal grinding against the ground.
Every eye followed the block's movement, and every jaw hit the floor.
"He—He really did it!!"
"My god! Am I seeing this right? A child pushed that massive thing?!"
"Quick, pinch me! I must be dreaming!"
The crowd erupted like boiling water. Some rubbed their eyes in disbelief, others shouted excitedly to their friends, and a few skeptics even ran onto the field to try and push the block themselves to verify its weight, only to find in despair that it was indeed genuine.
As the star of the show, Goku ignored the commotion. He looked at the block he had moved with a puzzled expression. "Huh? Why does it still feel lighter than the rock I used to push?"
Lansa, standing nearby, overheard the mutter and his eyes lit up.
'Lighter? That means he can push even more!'
Reveling in the shocked faces around him, Lansa felt a thrill of excitement, his body practically trembling with anticipation.
He quickly urged, "Goku, if that's too light, try a bigger one!"
Goku gave a simple nod. "Okay!"
He moved to the next size up and placed his hands on it.
The noisy crowd fell silent instantly.
After a few seconds, someone asked weakly, "He... he couldn't possibly move an even heavier one, could he?"
No one answered. They just stared at Goku, waiting for the answer.
Under their collective gaze, Goku braced himself once more and gave the block a powerful shove!
Screeeech!!
The familiar grating sound echoed again. Without a doubt, Goku had moved the larger block!
"He did it again?!"
"Wait! What's he doing? Is he going for an even heavier one?"
Before the crowd could finish being shocked, Goku had already moved to the next size up and pushed it forward.
Screeeech!!
This block was moved just as successfully.
But Goku didn't stop. He moved to yet another, larger block, putting his whole body into the effort.
Then he stopped, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked at the next block, which was considerably larger, and muttered to himself, "I don't think I can move that one yet."
While pushing the current block, he realized the weight was very close to the boulder he used to train with, so he suspected the next jump in size would be beyond him.
He walked up to it, face turning red as he gave it everything he had, only to find it wouldn't budge an inch.
Giving up on that one, he looked up at the numbers stamped on the metal blocks.
"300 tons?"
Then he looked back at the one he had managed to move.
"150 tons?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess my current strength is somewhere between those two."
Regardless of his internal monologue, the surrounding Marines were frozen like statues.
To put it plainly, they were numb. Truly and utterly numb.
How could a child's strength reach such a level?
They had lived for decades—had they spent all those years living as failures compared to this?
Seeing the crowd standing there like stone carvings, Lansa's sense of satisfaction reached its peak.
'Ah! Look at those beautiful expressions!'
'So satisfying! Truly satisfying!!'
——