At 17 years old, Tsuru was already nearly two meters tall. With those golden body proportions, her legs alone had to be over 1.2 meters—and that's not even accounting for manga exaggeration.
All length, no shortcoming.
Even the Pirate Empress Hancock stood at just 191 centimeters, about ten centimeters shorter than young Tsuru.
From the sound and gust alone, Klein could tell just how explosive and powerful that kick was.
He twisted his body to evade, effortlessly countering with his blade. The two of them exchanged blow after blow—over a dozen strikes within moments.
Tsuru, always on the defensive, was smart enough to realize that Klein was still holding back.
"Even when I find an opening, he either dodges or shrugs it off like it's nothing."
"His swordsmanship is airtight—there's not a single flaw in his defense."
She'd watched Klein duel with other cadets plenty of times before.
From how he performed, she thought she could've beaten him easily in just a few moves.
Until the monthly exam came, and she finally realized—he'd been holding back all along.
Now, in this new assessment, he'd clearly surpassed her—and Tsuru couldn't figure it out. Even Sengoku and Garp, the two most talented cadets, hadn't made such a huge leap in power.
How the hell did Klein do it?
She couldn't help but suspect that Klein had been hiding his true strength this whole time.
So when he proposed a sparring match for 50,000 Beli, and everyone else turned him down, she accepted.
And once they started...
She quickly realized—Klein was strong. Even after an all-out flurry of attacks, he still wore that relaxed, carefree expression like it was just a walk in the park.
Then she heard the voices of the watching cadets from the sidelines:
"Tsuru's amazing—she's totally dominating Klein!!"
"With attacks that fierce and that fast, there's no way Klein can hold out!"
"·····" Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Tsuru felt her blood rush to her face. She blushed furiously and thought, 'Are these idiots seriously not seeing that Klein isn't even going all out?'
'And what—is he really planning to stay on the defensive the whole time?'
She kept pressing the attack, arms and legs moving in tandem, her strikes slicing through the air with roaring wind.
Klein stayed in defense, occasionally forced to give ground, step by step.
Garp and Sengoku exchanged glances. Both knew—Klein was stronger than Tsuru.
Garp scratched his nose. "Ponytail guy's just putting on a show. It's obvious he doesn't want anyone to know how strong he really is."
"Klein... how did he improve so fast?" Sengoku frowned, deep in thought.
It didn't make sense.
Was he really a genius among geniuses??
After hundreds of blows, Klein finally took the win—just one move ahead of a panting, exhausted Tsuru.
His wooden sword stopped mere centimeters from her throat.
"You win." Tsuru stomped her foot in frustration and turned away.
Behind her, Klein's voice rang out:"Tsuru, remember! Next time's free, but if you want tips, that'll cost extra!"
"Money, money, money... all you ever think about is money." Tsuru was in a foul mood from losing, especially since Klein had clearly been holding back the whole time.
And now he wanted to turn her into his personal cash cow? Outrageous!
Why did their generation have to include someone like Klein!?
If Klein had heard her, he probably would've protested:"I was doing you a favor! If I beat you in a few moves, wouldn't that have been even more embarrassing?"
"Besides, sparring's meant to help us improve. I was giving you room to go all out..."
Klein returned his wooden sword to its rack, then turned to the other cadets."Any of you can spar with me. Just bring your money."
The cadets' expressions soured. One of them stepped forward and complained,"Klein, we're all in the same year. Charging that much for a spar? Who'd want to fight you!?"
"It's expensive for a reason," Klein said earnestly. "A proper spar can boost your strength. Still, 50,000 Beli per match is a bit steep for most people."
"So how about this—membership cards! 100,000 Beli gets you four matches a month. One million Beli gets you a seasonal card—spar with me anytime within three months."
"And for 5 million Beli, you get a yearly package: unlimited sparring, coaching, and one-on-one training. Call me anytime—I guarantee satisfaction!"
"Think about it. I'm ranked third in our entire class. My swordsmanship's top-tier, and my hand-to-hand's not bad either. I'm the ideal sparring partner, and..."
"For seasonal and yearly members, I'll also offer personalized coaching..."
"Money comes and goes, but you only get one life. Pirates and criminals out there are brutal monsters—your strength is what keeps you alive..."
He threw in a bunch of extra perks and tried pitching it like a proper salesman.
Hearing all that made the cadets look even grimmer—but a few of them actually bought a monthly or seasonal pass.
Nobody bought the yearly one.
At least, none of the spectators did.
Still, those few sales earned Klein over 2 million Beli in one go.
Finally, he had the funds to fight a war with some cash in his pocket!
Was Klein thrilled? You bet he was.
On the way back, Sengoku gave him a strange look."What's Klein even trying to do? The academy doesn't charge for courses or training, yet he's obsessed with making money here..."
"Never seen anyone love money that much."
Most cadets were all about getting stronger and upholding justice—but Klein?Everything was about Beli.
Truth be told, Sengoku was a little interested in that yearly pass—but 5 million Beli was way out of his budget.
"I'll stick with sparring with Garp. He doesn't charge a thing, and he's a great partner."
Getting free training from Garp really was the best.
As for Klein?Sengoku could only sigh: no way he could afford that luxury.
Even cold water pouring from the shower couldn't extinguish Klein's burning excitement.
He dove into his mental space."Golden Training Substitute, Grandpa's here to collect!!"
Being rich felt different.
Golden Substitute: 1,288,888 Beli.
It was an item Klein had been eyeing for over a month. Now he finally had the money to grab it!
[Recharge Successful!][Current Balance: 1,125,258 Beli]
More than half his in-game bank was gone. Klein was used to it—but still reminded himself,"Don't get too excited. There's definitely more stuff I'll need to pay for later."
"This one million Beli looks like a lot, but it's barely enough for half a month's worth of discounted bundles."
"Back to the grind tomorrow!"
With the Golden Training Substitute in hand, his base EXP instantly multiplied fivefold, jumping from 20 points to 100—not even counting bonus effects.
With those included?He'd gained several times the original amount!
That 1,288,888 Beli?Absolutely worth it!!
A massive... upgrade!
So then—who really got the better deal?