Klein's words struck a nerve in more than a few hearts.
Especially for those with kids—like Instructor Carter and Rampaging Bear Lincoln.
"I… I'm broke!!" Rampaging Bear Lincoln's face crumpled.
Most of his money went into fitness supplements. Add in four "beautiful as flowers" daughters…
What savings could he possibly have?
Instructor Carter tried to play the emotional card. "Klein, my boy, I'm your teacher! Can't you cut me a deal?!"
"12% off. That's the best I can do!" Klein replied, pretending to struggle with the decision.
Why didn't these people get the value of a scroll?
If this were some xianxia fantasy world…
This stuff would be flying off the shelves!!
What self-respecting second-gen cultivator left home without some ancestral life-saving talisman or trump card?
If you didn't have any, it just meant your family or sect lacked true heritage!
"…Fine. I'll take one." Instructor Carter grit his teeth and braced himself like he was ripping off a limb.
"Wait."
Fleet Admiral Oharden suddenly barked, raising a hand to stop Carter. "Klein, that 'S-Rank Ninjutsu: Divine Departre' scroll of yours—Kong saw it, sure. But the rest of us haven't. How powerful is it really…?"
"Yeah! Klein, I didn't see it myself," Carter added, narrowing his eyes. "But what if it's a fake? You can't sell something like this without showing the goods first!"
The surrounding Marine officers chimed in one after another.
"He's right! We've seen your strength, Klein, no question. But scroll-based ninjutsu? That's new to us. Give us a demo!"
"We're all curious about that sword technique that could seriously injure Golden Lion Shiki with a single blow!"
"If it's really that powerful, buying one for self-defense sounds worth it."
"I've heard Klein's swordsmanship isn't inferior to his martial arts. Some even say it surpasses it! But we didn't get to see it during the last fight!"
"Three years ago, he was hailed as the best swordsman in the Marines. Now that three years have passed, we want to see how far he's come!"
"······"
In a flash, all eyes were back on Klein. Dozens of gazes locked onto him, burning with anticipation.
He knew it was a provocation. But…
There was no harm in showing off a little. Letting them witness the effect of the scroll firsthand might help boost sales.
And Klein wasn't worried about oversaturation. He was the sole seller, and the high price tag made sure only a select few could afford it.
A faint smirk lifted the corner of his lips. "Let's not use the 'S-Rank Ninjutsu: Divine Departure'—too much Haki might make you all faint. Instead, I'll show you a simple flying slash. Just a regular ol' cut!"
As he spoke, he pulled a scroll from his coat.
On it, written clearly: 'C-Rank Ninjutsu: Just a Normal Slash.'
"C-Rank Ninjutsu?" Lincoln leaned in with wide eyes. "Don't think I don't know my ABCs. This C-rank stuff is, like…"
He started counting on his fingers. "Three levels below S!"
Oh, great.
He was actually doing elementary-school finger math now.
"Klein! Don't you dare try to scam me with this C-rank crap!" Carter snapped, face darkening.
But Oharden shook his head. "Don't underestimate Klein's so-called 'normal' attacks. Three years ago, that flying slash of his… I still remember it like it was yesterday."
When he unleashed it, it stunned everyone.
"That slash… was deadly sharp," Kong added succinctly. In his mind…
Damn it, the memories were creeping in again.
He could feel it.
It was getting harder to stay calm. Especially after witnessing Klein's duel with Lincoln firsthand—he was teetering on the edge of obsession.
Every time someone mentioned Klein, those vivid memories would come rushing back, disturbing his focus.
Lincoln, impatient as ever, smacked Klein's shoulder. "C'mon, show us already! I want to see if your so-called 'normal' strike is the real deal!"
"Relax. You're gonna love it," Klein replied with a confident smile, cool as ever.
He walked straight to the bow of the ship, took a light leap, and landed atop the dome of a shattered cannon.
Tossing the scroll high into the air, it unfurled with a sharp snap. Mid-flight, the scroll expanded dozens of times in size.
Ancient-looking, mysterious symbols spread across its surface.
Klein had copied Daoist talisman techniques when designing it—true scribble-sorcery. While not technically precise, it was more than enough to fool the average person.
Everyone who saw it thought the same thing: 'This looks legit!'
Hands behind his back, Klein declared loudly, "Watch closely. With one slash—I can cut the sea!"
"And someday… I'll slice open the gates of heaven!"
He stood tall, as if bearing the weight of the world.
Onboard every ship nearby, the Marines stared up at the scroll, not daring to blink.
The scroll flared to life, emitting a blinding green glow. In that instant, the entire sea was bathed in emerald light.
The water shimmered like pure jade—translucent, gleaming, surreal.
Like a never-ending meadow of green.
A fabulous shade of 'Forgiveness Green.'
Shiiing!!
A brilliant beam of green burst from the scroll—hundreds of meters long, razor-sharp and condensed.
A flying slash, terrifyingly real, appeared in mid-air.
Gasps echoed across the fleet.
The flying slash tore through the sky—and struck the sea.
Before everyone's stunned eyes, the ocean split in two. Left and right, the waters parted violently, forming two massive curtains of cascading seawater.
The sea itself seemed to scream:
"I've been cleaved!!"
The spectacle hit everyone like a punch to the face.
"Damn it! This little brat's messing with us! You call that a C-rank ninjutsu? A normal slash?!" Lincoln's forehead bulged with veins. "Bastard!!"
"That swordsmanship… that's peak mastery, isn't it!?" Carter was sweating as he stared at Klein's back. "If this is a normal attack, I don't even want to imagine what his serious or full-power strikes look like!"
"No way I'm buying this 'normal slash' story. That brat Klein's conning us again! I won't fall for it this time!!"
He'd been fooled by Klein before—too many times. This time, no matter what, he wouldn't believe him.
A flying slash that split the ocean—and he says it's just a regular attack?
Who's dumb enough to believe that?
What, do we look blind to you???
Kong's pupils quivered in their sockets as he muttered: "In all the Marines… only Klein has reached this point—body arts, swordsmanship, Haki, and Devil Fruit mastery all at such terrifying levels."
"He's too complete."
Quietly, he clenched his fists, loosened them… clenched again.
Again.
And again.
It was obvious—his state of mind was unraveling.