After Zephyr's assistant helped the two boys through the admissions process, the next step was the pre-screening for new students.
The test was simple: you had to fight with the instructor to assess the level of preparation of the future student.
Leonardo, who had been trained by old Curry since childhood, was a man of the system. Although his father was not considered strong, Leonardo, as a traveler between worlds and the owner of the system, could not be weak. At sixteen, he was already significantly superior to his peers. Years of training and the incredible vitality that the small tree in his mind gave him made him a real training machine. Even old Curry was amazed by his endurance. In his years, having the rank of vice admiral, he could not understand what the secret was. It remained only to assume that with the improvement of living conditions and a balanced diet, each new generation became stronger than the previous one.
Of the six styles of the Marine Dojo, Leonardo only mastered "Shaving" and "Storm Strike" under the tutelage of old Curry. Curry was also proficient in "Moonwalk" as he was a master of the sword. "Iron Body", "Finger Gun" and "Paper Art" were only theoretically known to him as he was not an expert in them. The six styles of the Marine Dojo do not require everyone to learn everything. It all depends on preference. For example, someone prefers hand-to-hand combat, so he learns "Iron Body", "Finger Gun" and "Paper Art". If you have the strength, you can also master "Shaving", but most people simply do not have the experience to become a master in all six styles.
Of course, there are exceptions like Garp and Zephyr. They are masters of physical strength, but even they could not have reached the rank of admiral without mastering all the styles. But old Curry, being a master of the sword, devoted most of his life to kendo. For him, "Finger Gun" and "Storm Strike" were redundant, and he did not have time to learn the other styles. It was enough to master "Shaving" and "Moonwalk". After training "Tempering" and "Observation", "Iron Body" and "Paper Art" also became unnecessary.
Although Leonardo used a sword like the old Curry, his skill had not yet reached the level of cutting steel. He could not increase his damage by reciting poetry, as a certain famous green-haired fighter did. However, "Storm Strike" gave him an additional attack method. And "Moonwalk" was something he planned to master later.
Even without a sword, he could easily defeat the captain-instructor. But as the old saying goes, it's not about fighting and killing, it's about surviving. And there's no point in embarrassing the instructor in front of everyone.
Leonardo noticed how a few unknown students easily defeated one of the instructors, and the other instructors immediately began to dislike them. Most likely, these guys will now be "putting a spoke in the wheel" until graduation. Standing out too much was not part of his modest development plans.
During the fight with the captain-instructor, Leonardo tried to look surprised and even a little scared. He skillfully dodged the blows, pretending that he was barely in time. It was a kind of protracted fight in which he showed that he was barely coping.
- This student, be careful, ha!
- What?!
- Ugh, uh... how close...
Leonardo looked at the captain-instructor with surprise. He pretended to be amazed by the force of his blows, which literally tore the air. When the instructor's fist was already centimeters from his face, Leonardo gracefully dodged, taking a step back and dropping to one knee, as if he could barely stand on his feet. At the same time, he muttered something under his breath, trying to make sure the instructor heard his words.
To be honest, he was not an actor in his past life. Acting is hard work. After today, he will never complain about those who earn millions by acting in films.
- Haha, this student has good reflexes, let's do it again, ha!
Perhaps because he had been humiliated by his previous students, the instructor finally met a student who was almost on his level. Leonardo looked stronger, but not too much, and his surprised expression flattered the instructor. The captain looked at the boy with approval, already imagining how he would add an extra portion to his lunch.
- ...Eh! As expected from Brother Curry's son...
Zephyr, who had been watching the battle from afar, was not at all impressed by Leonardo's outplay. Looking at his older brother's son, who had fought Sato a hundred times already, Zephyr just shook his head. In his eyes, this guy could have beaten Sato a hundred different ways without even going two rounds. But instead, he was playing the weakling, allowing Sato to hit him from five different directions.
"Hey, Instructor Zephyr, are you saying that Vice Admiral Curry's son isn't showing his true strength?" asked the assistant standing next to Zephyr, looking closely at the battlefield, but still not understanding what was going on.
- Brother Curry often said: there are three important things in life - love, the stage, and decency. In this regard, no one in the entire fleet can compare with him. Curry's strength is much greater than it seems. He did not defeat Sato right away not because he can't, but because he does not want to humiliate him in front of everyone. After all, Sato is an instructor at the academy, and little Curry is still a student. He will live and study here for the next two years... Look how happy Sato is playing with him.
Z wasn't entirely sure how strong this guy was, but the kid who had trained with his brother since childhood couldn't possibly lose to even the heavily injured Sato. This guy had completely inherited his father's character - he was too dexterous and knew how to get along