Chapter 13: Power and Speed

Upon seeing Qin Ge's willingness to accept the test, Colonel Dief nodded in satisfaction. Although the test hadn't started yet, Qin Ge's calm demeanor had already revealed some information.

Soon, Colonel Dief personally took Qin Ge to the training ground inside the base. It was daytime, and many naval soldiers were engaged in training.

Although curious about Colonel Dief bringing a young boy with him, under the strict military rules, no one dared to approach. They could only secretly glance at them during their training.

"The test I have for you is not very complicated. It's just to assess your strength and speed. Of course, if you have any special abilities, you can also demonstrate them!" After reaching a place with various training equipment, Colonel Dief turned around and looked at Qin Ge intently.

Qin Ge stopped and understood what the Colonel meant after hearing his words. In this world, strength was not limited to physical power alone; there were also Devil Fruit abilities.

The Colonel's mention of special abilities most likely referred to Devil Fruit's powers. After all, Qin Ge appeared too young, and if he possessed great strength, it was most likely due to a unique Devil Fruit ability.

However, Colonel Dief was overthinking it. Qin Ge didn't possess any Devil Fruit abilities and naturally wouldn't demonstrate any special powers.

"How does this test for strength and speed work?" Qin Ge looked directly at the Colonel.

"For strength, let's use this barbell test. Lift the maximum weight you can handle with all your strength!" Colonel Dief explained.

Qin Ge nodded and went straight ahead. He took a thick and bare barbell rod and began loading it with heavy barbell plates on both sides.

At first, Colonel Dief remained calm, but when he saw the barbell plates Qin Ge chose, his calmness wavered.

"Allen, you must have picked the wrong ones. Those barbell plates are specially made. Although they look similar in size, each one weighs a hundred kilograms. You've loaded two on each side, and with the weight of the barbell rod, it's already over four hundred kilograms!" Colonel Dief couldn't help but speak up.

Qin Ge glanced at him indifferently and casually said, "Didn't you ask me to lift the maximum weight I can handle? I'm just following your instructions!"

As he spoke, Qin Ge added two more barbell plates, each weighing fifty kilograms, to both sides of the barbell rod, instantly exceeding a thousand kilograms.

Colonel Dief, seeing Qin Ge not only unfazed but also adding another hundred kilograms, widened his eyes and became uncertain, filled with surprise.

Lifting a barbell weighing over a thousand kilograms is no joke. Within the entire Marine branch, perhaps only he could lift it. Even if he wanted to lift a barbell weighing over a thousand kilograms himself, it would not be easy.

Qin Ge's actions not only shocked Colonel Dief but also left the Marine soldiers who glanced over at the square in astonishment.

"What is this young boy doing? He can't possibly be trying to lift that barbell!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I just saw him load five hundred kilograms of weight plates onto the barbell. Do you think a child can lift such weight?"

"I think so too. I guess this child must be a relative of Colonel Dief. The Colonel probably wants to show off his strength in front of this child!"

Soldiers whispered and discussed among themselves, but at this moment, even the experienced veterans responsible for training had no intention to intervene. They were all curious and watching the scene nearby.

After the barbell exceeded a thousand kilograms, Qin Ge stopped. Without hesitation, right in front of Colonel Dief, he reached out with his young right hand and firmly grasped the center of the barbell.

Seeing this scene, Colonel Dief's eyes widened. What was he planning? He couldn't possibly want to lift that barbell weighing over a thousand kilograms with just one hand.

As it turned out, Colonel Dief was not mistaken. After gripping the barbell with one hand, Qin Ge slightly bent his knees. Accompanied by a low shout, he suddenly exerted force.

Seemingly from a frail and young body, a terrifying power burst forth. Qin Ge's body, concealed beneath his clothes, rapidly swelled with tightly-knit muscles. With just one hand, he slowly lifted the heavily burdened barbell off the ground.

Due to the excessive weight on both sides of the barbell, even though the barbell was made of a special material, it still bent noticeably under pressure.

However, precisely because of this, it highlighted an immensely impactful display of strength, leaving the soldiers who witnessed it not far away unconsciously gaping with mouths wide open, astonished.

From lifting the heavy barbell to raising it above his head with one hand took no more than a couple of seconds. At the same time, Qin Ge looked at Colonel Dief, who had a dumbfounded expression.

"Is this enough?" Qin Ge shouted toward him.

"Yes, yes, that's enough!" Colonel Dief snapped out of his daze and quickly nodded.

Qin Ge nodded as well. Still relying on the strength of his arm, he gently placed the heavy barbell back on the ground, and even upon contact with the ground, it made minimal noise. It was evident that he had excellent control over his strength.

"Allen, it seems I underestimated you. You are even more outstanding than I imagined. With the power you have shown, you already qualify for my recommendation to the headquarters!" Colonel Dief exclaimed in astonishment.

Qin Ge waved his hand, indicating that the Colonel was exaggerating. Then he said, "How about testing speed next?"

Colonel Dief was somewhat excited and said, "Very simple. We'll use the hundred-meter sprint. Just sprint at your fastest speed!"

Although Colonel Dief had already decided to recommend Qin Ge based on the display of strength alone, he was also extremely eager to see Qin Ge's performance in other aspects.

After learning the testing method, Qin Ge arrived at the training square's running track, and Colonel Dief brought a stopwatch, ready to time Qin Ge.

Bang!

At the moment the test began, a fierce sound rang out as the cement track beneath Qin Ge's feet was shattered, leaving dense cracks. Qin Ge, like an agile cheetah, disappeared from the starting point in the blink of an eye. Sprinting at high speed, each step effortlessly covered several meters, as if he were a black lightning bolt quickly racing past the finish line of the hundred meters.