Dormitory.
That night, Garp and Sengoku skipped their extra training and returned to the dorm much earlier than usual.
Crunch—crunch—
Garp munched happily on some crispy, golden senbei."If only I had money... I'd bet everything on Kong to win too."
"At least I'd make a bit and pay off some of my debts."
Sengoku shot Garp a look, brow furrowed."You really think Klein is that dumb? That he'd make this bet knowing he'd lose?"
"Huh?" Garp scratched his head."You think Klein could actually win?"
He shook his head hard—like a bobblehead.
"Impossible!" he declared with conviction."Even if he's my bro, he's no match for Kong!"
Sengoku nodded. No matter how you sliced it, Kong was a Vice Admiral of Marine HQ, and a well-known one at that.
His reputation was soaked in titles like genius and powerhouse, and his track record capturing pirates was nothing short of stellar.
He was a true heavyweight.
Klein... sure, he was strong—but compared to a Vice Admiral? That gap was astronomical.
"Hehe—tomorrow we'll finally get to watch Klein get smacked around. That'll be satisfying as hell!" Sengoku chuckled. He hadn't forgotten how Klein had once forced him to call him big bro.
That grudge? Still festering.
Creak—
The dorm room door opened.
Klein stepped in, grinning."My foolish onii-chan~, I heard every word you just said."
"..." Sengoku's face went dark.
Why'd Klein have to show up right then? And catch that part?
Damn it all—
Klein marched right up to Sengoku."Oi, a man keeps his promises. How about calling me 'big bro' again for old times' sake?"
Swoosh—
Sengoku's blood pressure spiked. Face flushed red, he grit his teeth."...Big bro."
"I told you that'd ruin your teeth, but do you listen? Nope. Sigh—" Klein shook his head and flopped onto his bed.
Beside him, Garp instinctively handed over a fresh pack of senbei."Bro, if you lose tomorrow, you're gonna go bankrupt!"
He didn't know the exact numbers, but rumor had it half the student body was betting on Kong. That sum? Not small.
"At least you care about me. I haven't spent these past few months teaching you 'Iron Fist' for nothing," Klein said warmly.
Garp looked a little awkward.
Zephyr, who'd entered the dorm with Klein, took off his shirt, revealing his ripped frame."Bro... what are you thinking?"
"You know you're gonna lose, right?"
Crunch—
Klein swallowed his senbei and smiled, handsome and confident."You don't know if you'll win until you fight."
"We've both got a head and two shoulders. I refuse to believe I've got zero chance."
He'd done everything he could—three SSS-tier talents, a stack of boosted skills.
If he couldn't win? Then Kong was just a freak of nature.
Of course...
He didn't blame Zephyr or Garp for doubting him.
He was just a cadet. Barely a year into Marine Academy.
Kong, meanwhile, had long since graduated—fighting pirates across the sea, earning his promotions through sheer merit until he reached Vice Admiral.
Just one step below Admiral. His strength? Undeniable.
To most, the gap between Klein and Kong was as vast as a canyon.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr all rolled their eyes.Where was Klein getting all this confidence?
Was this arrogance?
Messing with them was one thing... but messing with Kong?
"Klein's been hyped up lately... 'Marine Academy's greatest genius ever'... all those interviews..."
"Maybe it's gone to his head?" Sengoku frowned, starting to enjoy this a little."Confidence turning into arrogance isn't a good thing. Can't wait to see him get wrecked tomorrow."
"That'll be satisfying."
Klein didn't bother arguing. He finished his senbei, skipped gaming, took a nice shower, and went to bed early.
The next day.
Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting golden beams across the floor.
Fleet Admiral Oharden glanced at the time and set aside his pin-up magazine."A good show today. I should go watch."
One was Kong, his personally chosen successor for Fleet Admiral.
The other—young prodigy Klein, with the aura of a king, who'd mastered Rokushiki faster than anyone in history.
A future Admiral candidate.
"This match will help Klein recognize his limits—and give Kong a legitimate victory and recognition. It'll help keep Klein in check down the line."
Oharden stood up, adjusted his outrageously flashy pink suit, threw on his Justice cloak, and strode out of the office.
Marine Academy – Front Gate.
Looking out at the crowd of students, Marines, and officers, Zephyr was crumbling under pressure.
His voice even shook."Bro... we're really charging everyone for tickets?"
He looked at all the Marines wearing Justice cloaks—even a few Vice Admirals with big names.
A massive hand clapped him on the shoulder."Don't worry. Even if Admirals or the Fleet Admiral show up... those ticket fees?"
"We're charging them too!"
Zephyr's face instantly fell."Easy for you to say... I'm the one collecting the money!"
Once again, Klein had shoved the 'ticket salesman' role onto him.
"What, scared by a crowd like this? And you call yourself a future hero?" Klein grinned, knowing exactly how to push Zephyr's buttons.
Sure enough—
The moment he heard that, Zephyr straightened up and puffed out his chest."You're right, bro! A real hero doesn't get scared, no matter the situation!"
"Now that's my little bro." Klein patted him on the shoulder like he'd just bestowed the Medal of Honor.
After all, he hadn't spent a whole year bunking with them for nothing.
He'd long since mastered how to handle his three roommates.
It was—
Second nature!
"I'm heading in. You've got this." Klein slipped away.
He jogged into an empty training room and started warming up.
"King's Fist—activate!"
Charging up!
Like a boxer, he bounced on the balls of his feet, staying loose, fists firing out rapid jabs into the air—
As if there were a sandbag hanging in front of him.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Every punch seemed to pierce the air, leaving behind a sharp crack.
His mind sharpened, will focused.
Everything else faded away.
Steam started rising from his body, hissing softly as it curled around him like mist.
In that moment, one thought dominated his heart:
"Defeat Kong!"
'I've got a reason I can't lose!'
If he failed this trial, he'd be completely bankrupt—with mountains of debt on his back.
Unacceptable!
Money is my lifeblood!!
No one's taking it from me—not even Budha!
Whoosh—whoosh—
His fists kept tearing through the air, the steam thickening, white fog now shrouding the entire room.
Like a steamy hot spring.
Back at the gate—
PUA'd into submission, Zephyr did his job like a model employee.
Taking cash, yelling at the line, waving people through."10,000 per person! Form a line! No cutting, or no ticket!"
He wiped the sweat off his brow.
He hadn't expected this many people.
A thousand?
No.
He felt like it was several thousand—maybe more!
And his admiration for Klein only grew.'Bro really knows how to make money... Just the gate fees today must be worth tens of millions!'
If he could earn that kind of money... maybe Klein would teach him 'Iron Fist' personally.
In the distance—
Rampaging Bear, a Vice Admiral, stood watching the massive line with his four daughters.
He laughed heartily."WAHAHAHA—"
"Who would've thought Klein's graduation trial would attract this much attention? It's been a long time since Marineford was this lively!"