Everything else had been progressing well for Ren—except for Conqueror's Haki.
Even after awakening it, he had no clue how to strengthen or train it.
Neither Zephyr nor Garp had any knowledge of Conqueror's Haki, so they couldn't teach him. He had no choice but to explore on his own.
Still, it didn't seem too useful. As Garp once said, "I don't have Conqueror's Haki, and I've still surpassed even Yonko-level power."
Left with no guidance, Ren simply continued to nourish his Haki with sword intent. It worked to some extent—his aura was now enough to intimidate ordinary people.
Even fierce beasts froze under the pressure of his presence.
"Brats, today is your graduation exam. Six years of hard work come down to this—today is the day to show your true strength. Give it your all. Don't leave behind any regrets in your life."
As the head instructor, Zephyr personally presided over the graduation ceremony.
But when an old man appeared to the side, the Marine trainees' energy surged to its peak.
Because that man was none other than the legendary Marine hero—Vice Admiral Garp!
As Ren's teacher, Garp had made a rare appearance for this year's graduation.
Garp's prestige in the Marines was still unmatched—even Zephyr, as commanding as he was, didn't carry the same weight.
"Wow, everyone's super fired up! I rarely get to attend a graduation like this."
Garp took a bite of his donut, eyes squinting into delighted slits.
"Hmph! Since when did you care about the academy's affairs? If Ren weren't here, you probably wouldn't have shown up at all."
Zephyr gave Garp a look full of contempt.
The Marine Academy's graduation wasn't about marching in formation—it was a live combat test in the dueling arena.
Trainees would face opponents selected from Marine Headquarters.
As long as they defeated their assigned opponent, they'd be granted a rank equal to that opponent's.
This world ran on strength. In the original story, even conscripts recruited globally could become Admirals—like Fujitora, who was appointed directly for his power.
For Zephyr's students, Marine HQ had prepared accordingly.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had personally selected the examiners for the graduation—officers ranging from Ensign to Vice Admiral, with a heavy presence of Lieutenant Colonels and full Colonels.
All examiners operated under code names and wore masks for anonymity.
Ren stood calmly in the crowd. By now, he had grown to 2.3 meters tall.
Even the tall Ain and Tsuru only reached his chest.
Graduation was definitely exciting. But what really thrilled Ren… was the fact that he could finally end his celibate lifestyle.
Ain had promised—once the graduation exam was over, they could finally "do it."
"Hey, hey, look at boss's face. That sleazy smile can't mean anything good."
Simba and the others, who had been with Ren for six years, could instantly read his expression.
"Tch. How would I know? You should go ask him yourself! Ugh, who should I pick as my opponent this time?"
Clark was hoping to perform well—he wanted to bring honor to his family.
But he was torn between challenging a Major or a Lieutenant Colonel.
Most of their class had similar strength—at least strong enough to qualify as Majors.
Ain, Bins, and a few others were strong enough to realistically challenge even full Colonels.
The Marine HQ examiners were no slouches either.
Most notable among them were Vice Admiral Tsuru, Vice Admiral Garp, and even Admirals Aokiji and Kizaru.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself was present to observe the exams.
This showed just how much importance HQ placed on this graduating class.
After all, this was the year of the monster—Ren, the one who had slain a Warlord-level foe before even graduating.
Not even the World Government could suppress that news.
Ren's genius was already known throughout the world, and countless eyes were watching his every move.
Meanwhile, in the examiner ranks stood Vice Admiral Chaton (Brown Pig).
He looked gloomily at the group of cadets ahead.
Turning to his fellow Vice Admiral Onigumo , he grumbled, "Are these trainees really that strong? Even Garp came out for this. Is that Ren kid really such a big deal?"
Onigumo didn't answer. He just pointed toward the stands. "Look there—Momousagi-senpai showed up too."
"Where? Where?"
Chaton's face lit up lecherously as he scanned the crowd.
Sure enough, he quickly spotted the elegant, peerless beauty standing out from the audience.
But Tsuru didn't hear his calls—her eyes were locked entirely on Ren.
They even exchanged a warm, intimate glance.
"Who's that punk?"
As if some sixth sense of a romantic rival had kicked in, Chaton's eyes immediately locked onto the man who had just exchanged a look with his beloved Tsuru.
"That's Ren—this year's super rookie. One of the primary targets of evaluation."
"Ugh… please don't let him pick me as his opponent…"
Chaton's face darkened.
He'd expected to be dealing with weaklings—but instead, he was facing this walking disaster.
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