Now that another year has passed and the training has been finished, the testing period for Alex's marine recruits will take place. Remember the one where you have to pass 4 of the Rokushiki?
Well, there's also a theory part, and those who took additional things, like in Alex's and Tsuru's case, were obligated to pass the Sword trial as well.
Here is a quick rundown on each technique and the mastery test:
In order to get your pass for the Tekkai technique, you had to withstand the spear attacks of 10 Marine testers for 30 minutes.
To get the pass for the Shigan technique, you are required to pierce at least two moderately thick steel plates. A bonus for piercing more than two layers. For complete mastery, you pierce thick steel plates that are moving.
For one to receive the pass for the Soru technique, you have to run 1 kilometer in a few seconds. The maximum time for mastery is 10 seconds. The quicker, the better.
The Geppo mastery will be given out when the test taker can consistently perform a 1-minute aerial hover and do a controlled landing on various platforms from a certain altitude.
Kami-e mastery will be given if the soon-to-be marine can dodge dangerous objects from all angles while balancing on a slippery steel beam; the longer and fewer mistakes, the better.
Rankyaku mastery pass will be given when you can slice a bamboo at 75 meters while maintaining perfect form.
Alex himself was aware of the true final Rokushiki: the Rokuogan.
The user places both their fists right in front of the target to focus their physical strength to launch a devastating shock wave from their knuckles in a forward direction, causing severe internal injuries to the victim. The burst is reminiscent of that released by an Impact or Reject Dial, and it is capable of bypassing the defenses of a rubber human such as Monkey D. Luffy, who is highly resistant to blunt strikes under normal circumstances.
Anyway, let's get to the test day:
"Test, test... Wake the hell up, you shitty brats!!!"
That was Hakuji's gentle wake-up call to the recruits, whom he probably will never see again, being the Marine coach at Marine HQ.
Alex, Garp, Sen-chan, and Z, along with Tsuru, were the first ones to be there, actually before their master woke them up.
Alex initiated the conversation with a question.
"So, let's make a bet, yeah?"
Tsuru, always giddy to compete with the boys, nodded.
"Sure, hit us up, Mr. Knight."
Alex grinned slightly, his demeanor becoming more knightly as his progress in the system increased more and more by the day.
"Hihi, whoever gets the least passes buys dinner for all marines who pass today."
Garp, always ready to challenge him along with Tsuru and Z, replied almost immediately.
"Deal."
The other recruits finally showed up, and Hakuji led the charge into the grounds, followed by ten Men dressed in Marine uniforms., He was already looking like a demon from hell.
"Alright, brats. We will test you in a minimum of four techniques of your choosing. People who picked extra courses, like the advanced swordsmanship class, will have to take a test in their advanced courses. By the way, this test has a failing rate of over 66%."
"Alex, you're going first. Pick four more people to join you."
"Okidoki, Garp, Tsuru, Sen-chan, and Z, you're up, guys."
The mentioned recruits groaned in annoyance, but they did as told and came up to Alex. The rest began to whisper excitedly, and some were relieved since they weren't first.
Hakuji proceeded to ask which techniques they would be testing, to which he received one unanimous answer.
"All of them."
"Did you brats make a bet or something?"
"Yes."
"Figures. Move your asses to Tekkai testing, then."
At the Tekkai site, the Testers were ready, wooden spears at the ready.
"Alex, get your ass into the testing area."
Alex got in and went into a casual stance, activating Tekkai with a calm voice that echoed through the training ground.
"Tekkai."
Hakuji nodded and got the hit chart out. "Start the test!"
Alex just had to stand, and so he just remained in Tekkai while he maintained Tekkai for the needed 30 minutes.
"Do I get better grades for doing this for more than half an hour?"
"Nah."
"Alright then."
Alex stood through that, then Garp, Tsuru, Z, and Sengoku did it, but Sengoku failed by taking damage on the very last thrust, giving him one point less, making the tension grow for him, since while he did get it, the bet was about mastering them all, and in their books, a flaw was not complete mastery, meaning that in terms of their bet, he was last.
The remaining tests went by fairly quickly, so we will skip them and announce who lost... It was good ol' Sen-chan, so he will be broke as hell after this graduation dinner.
An interesting event, however, was the advanced swordsmanship test, Hakuji vs. Alex and Hakuji vs. Tsuru, 1v1 spars with real swords until first blood or disarming your opponent.
Hakuji beat Tsuru, but she did fairly well; her main focus was on strategy anyways.
As Alex stepped into the ring with Hakuji, the entirety of the marine recruits and even the Testers fell silent. Alex showed capabilities of a rear admiral, the best capabilities from a recruit in a century; not even Fleet Admiral Kong was that good when he was a recruit, being at the captain level when he graduated.
"Ready to lose, kiddo?"
"Nah, I'd win."
With that said, they lunged at each other, meeting halfway in a fiery exchange of a rapid mix of slashes and thrusts.
A secret Hakuji kept from the recruits was that he knew Haki and was at the master swordsman level, just a stage lower than the stage Mihawk can operate on, having the ability to cut through steel and produce a weak version of the flying slash technique.
Alex was a newbie, but his system allowed him to master these things on an instinctual level, so he didn't have to understand every aspect of swordsmanship by himself. Once a level was reached, he would know certain things about the blade.
Alex was at level 20, and he was no slouch either; he used a move he calls the Dragon Tail's Sword, where he slashes downward, only to then rapidly slash up, unleashing two deadly attacks.
He nicked the clothes of Hakuji, failing to draw first blood for now.
The battle ramped up in intensity when Hakuji started to use his scabbard in his offhand in order to parry more easily and create tougher situations to escape out of.
Getting a bit annoyed at the lack of progress, Alex enters a highly concentrated state of mind, so focused, in fact, that he didn't even notice the drool coming out of his mouth. Colors began to fade from his sight as he zeroed in on his sensei. No, wrong thought process; he was the enemy right now. If he fucked around, he would find out and lose, but he said he'd win.
Why? Why was he getting pushed back? What the fuck separates us from each other?
What did he need to understand? What was he lacking?
I won't fucking lose! There are people in the world that could destroy islands by breathing and shake the world with one ability, so I won't give up until I fucking become the strongest there is!!!
Alex's internal struggles and resolve were accompanied by a force, a force that was silent yet powerful. It exploded out of him; a dark, purplish aurora of energy burst out and knocked Hakuji into the nearby wall, while almost all of the recruits fell unconscious upon the very release of this aura. This very aura allowed Alex to dash in with a roar and land his move. He called it the heavenly three-stage thrust. An advanced version of normal three thrusts delivered at high speeds, these were flying slashes, his debut as a great swordsman, and as a Marine with a conqueror's Haki.
This ending shocked all present into a stunned silence; the only one who dared to speak up was Hakuji himself. he commended Alex, praising him.
"You did good, kiddo. You better become the strongest, or I'll fucking haunt you once I bite it, understood?"
Alex grinned. That's the Hakuji he knew.
"Sure thing, teach."
AN: I am deeply sorry for not posting; laziness is a b*tch when it kicks in.