Navy Recruits!
"997… 998… 999…"
"1000!"
At the training grounds of the Marine 188th Branch Base, the air shimmered under the sweltering summer sun.
A young man stood firm, his body drenched in sweat, gripping a large tachi-style sword—nearly a size larger than a standard katana—and swung it down with steady rhythm.
"1000 swings complete," he muttered to himself, exhaling deeply.
This young man was Bai Yu, who, just one week prior, had mysteriously found himself transported into his favorite anime world—the world of One Piece.
When he had crash-landed into this strange sea-faring reality, fate played a wild card: Bai Yu landed directly in the middle of a Marine recruitment drive. Before he could even stand up straight, he was swept up by none other than the "Hero of the Marines" himself—Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp—who happened to be passing through.
Without warning, Bai Yu was enlisted and hauled off to the 188th Marine Branch, suddenly inducted into the rigorous training pipeline for new recruits.
[Ding! Sword swings completed: 1000. Rewards received: Rokushiki (Six Powers) Proficiency +10%, Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +10%]
Just then, a voice echoed in his mind.
"System panel," Bai Yu whispered, summoning it with practiced ease.
A translucent blue screen only visible to him lit up:
---
[Strongest Swordsman System]
Host: Bai Yu
Swordsmanship: Basic Swordsmanship (80%)
Movement: Rokushiki – Six Powers (80%)
Weapon: Beginner's Blade
Physique: Grade C
Additional Skills: None
---
After transmigrating, Bai Yu had been granted a classic cheat: a personal growth system.
Upon opening the beginner's gift package, he'd received the system-exclusive blade—a hefty, high-resistance sword for skill training.
The system's rule was simple: swing your sword, earn rewards.
But each swing had to be precise and standard, using the full weight of the specialized blade. Sloppy swings? No rewards.
On day one, Bai Yu earned Basic Swordsmanship.
On day two, 100 swings earned him enhanced physical stats.
By day three, a thousand swings netted him a portion of the Rokushiki techniques, the elite Marine combat style.
Now, a week in, Bai Yu was consistently hitting the 1,000 daily swing benchmark. On the system panel, both Swordsmanship and Rokushiki were sitting at 80% proficiency.
His physical grade, which influences strength, agility, and endurance, had climbed from D-rank to C-rank—on par with a Sergeant-level Marine. That kind of growth was unheard of in such a short time.
"If I keep this up, I'll master basic swordsmanship and the Six Powers in no time. My body's almost ready for a B-rank breakthrough too," Bai Yu muttered, dispelling the system screen with a flick.
Swing a sword, grow stronger. It was that simple.
"BAI YU!"
A loud roar shattered his focus.
"You brat, still swinging that sword here instead of attending training?!"
Boom!
Whoosh!
The ground trembled as a sharp gust of wind shot toward him. Bai Yu didn't need to look—he already knew who it was from the sheer pressure.
"Rokushiki—Soru!"
With a grunt, Bai Yu's feet tapped the ground dozens of times in a fraction of a second.
Bang! His figure blurred and vanished.
When he reappeared, he was fifty meters away.
BOOM!
Where he had just stood, the ground exploded with force, sending dirt and smoke flying.
From the smoke stepped out Garp—grinning like a madman, his fists still smoking from the impact.
It wasn't the first time this week the Vice Admiral had come charging at him like a warhead.
Garp had made it his personal mission to "train" Bai Yu through constant sneak attacks for skipping formal classes.
"You little punk! Still dodging my love taps?!" Garp shouted, cracking his knuckles.
"You crazy old man! Why don't you just let me train in peace?!" Bai Yu yelled back, not backing down.
Garp always wore a goofy grin, but Bai Yu had learned quickly—when it came to real fights, Garp didn't hold back. That punch? If it had connected, Bai Yu would be eating through a straw for weeks.
"How dare you talk back to me!" Garp's face flushed with fury.
BOOM!
He stomped the ground, reducing the cracked dirt to rubble as he launched forward like a cannonball.
"He's seriously trying to kill me!" Bai Yu cursed, eyes wide.
"Rokushiki—Geppo!"
Without hesitation, Bai Yu kicked off the air itself, rising into the sky with a series of rapid steps—Moonwalk, the aerial mobility technique of the Six Powers.
Thump, thump, thump!
He stayed aloft mid-air, legs pumping rhythmically to suspend himself.
But Garp wasn't done yet.
In a blur, the Vice Admiral launched upward with terrifying speed, closing the distance in seconds.
"No way... He's still coming?!"
Garp caught up in mid-air, fist clenched, muscles coiled like steel cables.
"HRAAH!" With a deep grunt, he threw a fist powered purely by physical strength—no Haki, no tricks.
Just raw force.
"Come on then!" Bai Yu growled.
He gripped his sword with both hands, channeling every ounce of strength into his arms, bracing for the clash.
SWOOSH!
His blade descended in a full-body arc, humming as it sliced through the air.
CLANG!
Steel met fist in mid-air.
A burst of sparks exploded from the collision, the sound echoing like a cannon shot.
Bai Yu's full-force swing bounced harmlessly off Garp's bare knuckle, launching Bai Yu backwards through the air like a ragdoll.
And Garp's fist? It kept coming.