Still poisoned pretty badly!
Tekkai was already on Klein's personal "blacklist" of skills.
Whoever used it was asking for trouble!
One bad experience was enough—there would never be a second.
The worst part? With six techniques in Rokushiki, the odds of drawing it randomly were annoyingly high.
Just thinking about the probability…
Then thinking about Okama Kenpo jumping four levels in a row… it made his teeth itch with frustration.
Damn game devs!
Better hope I don't run into you in person, or you'll find out why the flower—no, why flowers bloom so red!
Next!
[Skill Upgrade Successful: Demonic Flame Kick LV.3 → LV.4]
The last one!
[Skill Upgrade Successful: Basic Attack LV.3 → LV.4]
"Oh!?" Klein felt a little comforted. "Good thing the last card didn't level up some garbage skill, or I really wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!"
His last double-first-recharge bonus was now completely spent.
Six hundred million Berries in recharge credits—wiped out in just a few months!
Damn!
"Why do I suddenly feel kind of heartbroken!?" Klein looked at the empty balance with a sour expression. "Three hundred million in cash… how many times could I have gone to Pleasure Street with that?"
"How big a manor could I have bought? How many maids?!"
But when he thought about how all that money had been used to increase his own strength, he decided—no matter how much, it was worth spending!
Worth it!
With enough strength, he could make it all back in the future.
Thankfully…
The new year would refresh the "double first recharge" bonus.
Klein decided to wait a few days. It felt like his luck was all used up for now.
After a short breather…
A torrent of knowledge about various skill usage techniques, training memories, and battle scenarios flooded straight into his mind.
It was like a vice prying his skull open and shoving everything inside by force.
"Hiss—"
"Ow!!!" Klein clutched his head with both hands, his face twisting in pain, cold sweat pouring down.
Too many skills upgraded at once meant too much memory to absorb, and it was agony.
"Damn game! No warning, no prep—this is killing your grandpa here!"
At that moment, he looked exactly like Sun Wukong having the Tight-Fillet Curse chanted at him.
Klein gritted his teeth so hard they creaked, but thankfully, the pain began to fade soon after the memories finished forcing their way in.
He sat blankly on his bed, eyes vacant, and only after several minutes did he recover.
"Whew—" Klein let out a long breath. "Damn, I think next time I won't stockpile ten random skill upgrade scrolls at once!"
That pain was truly lethal!
Still, the gains were tremendous. Useful skills like Tekkai, Demonic Flame Kick, and Basic Attack had all gotten stronger, boosting his combat power considerably.
With his "Diamond Body" talent, Klein now felt he could take on ten opponents—
Ten of his former self!
No problem.
He flexed his arm slightly, muscles swelling into sharply defined lines of perfection.
His pale skin concealed hardness surpassing even steel.
Power surged beneath the muscle—once released, it would burst forth like a raging flood.
His eyes gleamed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Such strength… it's intoxicating. One punch, and even a head made of steel would burst like a watermelon!"
And as he tensed… a pillar rose instantly.
A true steel spear!
It was just that this spear had yet to see battle, yet to taste blood.
"Once I graduate, I'll take you to slaughter across the seas!"
"Kyakyakyakya—"
What man isn't lustful? If he isn't, he's a saint!
Even the Great Buddha at Leshan would have to give up his seat for you!
The next day.
In the training room, Klein was alone. Facing an iron training post, he murmured, "To truly keep my strength, I still need real combat."
"I wonder if Instructor Carter will arrange an actual battle for the graduation exam?"
He knew that decades later, when Zephyr was an instructor, he would take students out to hunt pirates.
And then…
Disaster struck!
His students were nearly wiped out, only a few survivors left, and even his own arm was cut off!
"Practical exams are dangerous—" Klein pouted. "But I still have to go to sea. Only after graduating can I earn real money."
"At the academy…"
"This little money really isn't enough!"
Just last night, he'd spent over a hundred million in less than half an hour.
Money flowed away like water from an open dam—gone in an instant.
Too hard!
Life is tough, and the little pig sighs!
Tears dampened his rice as he swore to earn billions upon billions!!
Adjusting his mindset, Klein's deep black eyes locked on the iron post before him.
He extended his index finger. The entire finger turned from flesh to glossy black metal, reflecting a cold light.
"Shigan: Half-Finger Shakes the Heavens!"
The name, of course, came from "Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger." Without Zoro's naming talent, why not just shamelessly copy it?
The formula was right there—if you don't use it, who's to blame?
Pssh!
His finger, charged with piercing force, cut through the air like a high-speed bullet.
It left a deep hole in the iron post.
"With level 3 Armament Haki plus level 5 Shigan, I can poke a hole through steel—let alone human bones or other weak points."
Klein was very satisfied with the power of this strike.
He remembered…
In the anime, Rayleigh had blocked "Little Horse Bro's" kick with just one finger—and it looked awesome.
Naturally, Klein had to practice his "finger" more. That way, he could show off in the future—
And also poke things.
Two birds with one stone!
"With Armament Haki, the power is on a whole other level. Haki is great, I've got to keep training it!"
"Shigan alone can't reach this strength!"
Klein moved on to test his other upgraded skills—various techniques from Rokushiki, Tekkai, Demonic Flame Kick.
As for King's Fist and Basic Attack, they were hard to practice in the training room.
One punch or slash and the place would be wrecked.
Fun, sure—but then you'd have to pay for it!!
"Only in real combat can I truly test my strength. I'm actually looking forward to the graduation exam now."
But before that, he still had to do interviews with the press.
Just like a sports post-match press conference.
When Instructor Carter brought Klein out, the camera-eyed Den Den Mushi in the reporters' hands flashed with white light.
Click—click—
Click—click—
As soon as they sat down, a reporter couldn't wait to ask: "Instructor Carter, why do you believe this student, Klein, is the most talented in Marine school history?"
"He doesn't look particularly tall or imposing, and his aura isn't that intimidating."
Klein still wasn't used to this feeling of being interviewed.
Not bad, though.
Oh—and that reporter lady over there was easy on the eyes.
But…
Was this reporter questioning him?
"Ahem—" Instructor Carter cleared his throat tactically. "As everyone knows, Rokushiki is an extremely powerful and difficult set of techniques. Klein learned it in the fastest time in Marine school history!"
"In this year's class, he is undoubtedly the number one in combat power!"
Beside him, Klein kept his face calm, heart steady.
Instructor, I like this talk—keep it coming.
Another reporter stood and asked, "Could you demonstrate Rokushiki for us?"
"No." Carter and Klein refused in unison.
A reporter turned to Klein. "Klein, what is your justice?"
"Happy Justice!" Klein looked at the reporter, doing his best to maintain a good, polite posture.
Gotta look good in the pictures—don't end up like the "News Coo" or World Economic News photos.
Like the one of Usopp, bloodied and unconscious, that ended up on his wanted poster.
Klein gave a faint smile—not enough to make all women swoon, but enough to put little hearts in the eyes of some reporter ladies. "Happy Justice means—I make myself happy first. After I'm done being happy, I'll make everyone else happy…"
If I'm not happy, then nobody gets to be happy!
Tired? Then let's just destroy everything!
The publicity stunt was soon over, and reporters spread the news of Klein being the most talented student in Marine school history.
New World.
Rumble—
Rumble—
Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, blinding white light followed by deafening booms.
Seeing this weather, a hat-wearing, short, gnome-like swordsman burst out laughing. "Kukukuku—"
"Linlin, hurry and use the souls we've collected to create a powerful Homie!"