Lynch felt as if he had been hit by a cannonball, sent flying into the air. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but he was laughing heartily because the system's voice sounded again.
[Congratulations, host, for completing the task. Moon Walk (Peak) reward is being issued...]
A flood of information about the Moon Walk technique poured into his mind, as if he had truly mastered it over a decade.
His leg muscles swelled visibly at an astonishing speed.
On the ground, Tina's pretty face turned crimson. She continuously wiped her alluring lips with her delicate hands, gritting her teeth as she glared at Lynch in mid-air.
That was her first kiss!
She had planned to save it for her future husband.
Yet, it was stolen by a stranger.
At that moment, Tina's beautiful eyes were blazing with fury, and she even felt like killing Lynch.
Driven by intense anger, the teachings of Instructor Zefa suddenly clicked in her mind.
"Whoosh~"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Tina used the Moon Walk to soar into the sky, quickly closing in on Lynch.
Witnessing this, Zefa's stern gaze softened with a hint of surprise.
He hadn't expected one of his students this year to be a genius.
Mastering the Moon Walk after just one explanation was something he had seen only a handful of times in his sixteen years of teaching.
Among them were the current Three Admirals: Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji.
"This Miss Tina is even more of a genius than rumored."
As Tina drew closer, Lynch broke out in a cold sweat.
Judging by her expression, if he were caught, he'd be in serious trouble—ending up in the emergency room would be the least of his worries.
"I absolutely cannot let her catch me!"
Lynch had already internalized the Moon Walk, swiftly stepping on air to widen the distance between them.
"This kid also learned the Moon Walk?!" Zefa's surprise grew even more.
He had initially thought Lynch was just average, but it seemed he had misjudged him.
"Wait, there's something off about that kid's Moon Walk!" Zefa's admiring expression turned serious, his sharp eyes like a hawk's.
Whether it was the force, the angle of stepping on air, or other techniques, Lynch's Moon Walk far surpassed Tina's.
As a seasoned instructor and former Marine Admiral, Zefa's insight was unparalleled. He could grasp the whole picture from a single detail.
Zefa even suspected that the vice admirals at headquarters, in terms of Moon Walk mastery, were at best on par with this kid, not superior.
That was terrifying.
Which vice admiral hadn't risen through decades of battle? Their mastery of the Six Powers was already flawless—how could a mere recruit compare?
Even Borsalino's performance of the Moon Walk in the elite camp paled in comparison to this man.
Could it be that Lynch had already been practicing the Moon Walk for over a decade before joining the Marines?
This thought was quickly dismissed by Zefa.
Impossible! Not to mention the physical strength required to practice the Moon Walk.
Even if Lynch somehow knew the training methods, the Six Powers were a Marine secret.
To prevent traitors from infiltrating the Marines' future pillars, Zefa knew everything about these recruits.
If he remembered correctly, Lynch was just an orphan working on a ranch before joining the Marines.
Thus, there was only one conclusion!
That kid was a genius, a buried genius!
With unparalleled talent for the Six Powers!
Zefa's expression turned fervent. He had a premonition that another monster on par with the Three Admirals would emerge from his students.
"Hey, stop chasing me, you'll never catch me."
In mid-air, Tina pursued Lynch, one chasing and the other fleeing. Unaware onlookers might have mistaken it for a husband-chasing scene.
If they ignored Tina's tightly clenched silver teeth, that is.
"If you're so capable, stand still! Running away like this—what kind of man are you?!" Tina fumed.
"Stand still? Are you stupid or am I? Stand still and let you kill me?" Lynch turned back, giving Tina a disdainful look.
"You...!" Tina's ample chest heaved with anger.
The soldiers on the ground were already stunned.
They could understand Tina mastering the Moon Walk, but... wasn't Lynch just an ordinary guy with no talent in either martial or sword arts?
Yet, the "mediocre" ordinary guy had now mastered the Moon Walk.
What did that make them? Useless?
"Enough, stop it!" Zefa's voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Instructor Zefa."
Hearing Zefa's words, Lynch obediently descended from the sky, bowing respectfully.
Tina also landed, her anger unabated as she pointed at Lynch and complained, "Instructor Zefa, but this guy..."
Zefa raised his right hand, signaling Tina to calm down.
"Settle your issues after class. I don't care, but don't disrupt the others' training."
Though reluctant, Tina had no choice but to temporarily let go of this scoundrel.
She glared at Lynch, then returned to the ranks without saying a word, despite the concerned looks from others.
Lynch shot Zefa a grateful glance.
No matter what, he had temporarily avoided a beating.
Lynch was confident that with enough time to complete more tasks, he would fear no threats.
"Next, we'll continue explaining the techniques of the Moon Walk..."
The rest of the time passed with Zefa's lecture.
As the sun set, evening arrived.
"Today's lesson ends here. Lynch, Smoker, Tina, stay behind."
"Yes, Instructor Zefa."
"Goodbye, Instructor Zefa."
"See you tomorrow, Instructor Zefa."
After everyone left, Zefa kept only the three of them and said, "Tonight at six, meet me behind Training Ground 3 in the forest."
"Yes, Instructor Zefa."
Obeying orders was a Marine's duty, and none of them asked why, readily agreeing.
"You're all doing well, don't disappoint me." With that, Zefa left.
Sensing a sharp gaze from the side, Lynch, fearing a beating, followed Zefa.
"What, you planning to follow me home for dinner?" After walking a distance, Zefa turned back, his large hand patting Lynch's shoulder.
"Hehe, Instructor Zefa, uh... thanks." Lynch awkwardly chuckled.
"You actually know embarrassment? Kissing a girl in public—I don't know what to say about you." Zefa said, exasperated.
These days, young people's methods of pursuing partners were becoming increasingly baffling.
First, there was Rear Admiral Chaton, sending a love letter every day and confessing to Rear Admiral Momo every other day, even if he got beaten, scolded, or rejected—he was still so... persistent.
Now, an even bolder one had appeared, making Zefa wonder if he was falling behind the times.
Lynch felt he had no choice—who could resist the system's rewards? Not to mention kissing Tina; even if it meant kissing Smoker, he... well, never mind.