Everyone stood frozen, as if turned to statues, their shocked expressions etched onto their faces.
They couldn't snap out of it for a long time.
"Gulp—" Sengoku swallowed hard, his eyes wide with disbelief. "He… he really did it. He actually… actually beat Vice Admiral Kong!?"
Everyone had doubted him. He was just a Marine recruit with only a year of training.
And yet...
He won!
A miracle!
Garp was dumbfounded too, then burst into loud laughter. "Hahahaha—Klein is a hundred times stronger than us! Now that's someone worthy of being my big bro!!"
"Not just anyone can be called Garp's big brother!"
He was utterly convinced. Klein had defeated even Vice Admiral Kong—what a monster!
He himself was about the same age—just turning 19—and he probably wouldn't survive a single exchange against Klein now.
"Hehe—" Zephyr's eyes were shining with admiration. "He's my big bro too!!"
Puffing out his chest proudly, he shouted to everyone nearby, "Klein is my brother! I'm his little brother Zephyr—Zephyr Z, the future hero!"
The result had completely blindsided everyone. Only Tsuru had suspected it might happen, but…
She never imagined that Klein would win purely by relying on his own terrifying strength, right in front of everyone...
And defeat Kong!
It was unbelievable!
"The brilliance he radiates is so dazzling I can't even open my eyes—" Tsuru's beautiful eyes trembled in shock. "With a Marine this gifted… the rest might be overshadowed…"
She thought of two promising recruits: Garp and Sengoku. They'd been the center of attention when they joined the academy.
But now that Klein had risen, their brilliance was slowly fading under his.
If anyone was to blame… it was Klein, for being too much of a genius. Too much of a monster.
Meanwhile...
Instructor Carter looked both pleased and pained, his smile uglier than a sob. "Even Kong lost to him. And the guy's only been studying Haki for a few months. This is inhuman!"
"That little bastard is so sneaky!!"
Thinking about the 200 million Berries he'd lost to Klein, Carter felt a tightness in his chest.
That was his retirement money!
Damn it all!
Two hundred million! Do you know how many deluxe 'footbaths' that could've paid for!? Damn, damn, damn!
My poor money!
"Just a few months, huh…" Oharden clicked his tongue, still visibly shaken. "That kid's only been here a year, and he's already beaten Steel Bone Kong. What's next!?"
"Wait…"
He stroked his white beard and stared at Klein with gleaming eyes. "This kid's growing faster than Kong ever did. Should I… make him my successor?"
"Training one is training one. Training two is still training one more. Not much difference, right? As long as I can retire early—anything goes!"
"At least I'll have something to look forward to!"
Oharden was clearly in a good mood now.
But Rampaging Bear looked miserable. "I was gonna make this kid pay me back, have him join my command…"
"Now it's all ruined!"
Lost the bride and the troops.
"..." Oharden cast him a sideways glance and stabbed the dagger in deeper. "You call that a plan?"
It was just a brain-dead impulse, and you're trying to sound all noble about it?
All your IQ is stuffed into your biceps!
Rampaging Bear's face darkened. "It's not my fault Klein's talent is just… absurd. He's like the ancestor of all super monsters!"
Oharden nodded in agreement, and Instructor Carter stepped forward to announce:
"Klein has passed the assessment and is officially the first recruit in history to graduate early!"
His booming voice echoed across the entire academy square.
Everyone snapped back to reality.
"Shit!! I lost everything down to my underwear!!"
"Klein's a real snake, hiding that insane power just to cash in on our bets—ahhh, damn you, rising sun!"
"Klein is too strong… strong to the point of despair! In just a few years, he'll probably be a Marine Admiral, the top combat force!"
"Wait—doesn't that mean we can brag about being in the same class as a future Admiral!?"
"Yeah, yeah! I even enrolled in Klein's training program! That makes me his student, technically!"
"Tch! Shameless! You all bet on Kong! ...Hey, is it still possible to sign up for his course?"
"Yo, yo—Klein said we should follow him after graduation. That training course was totally worth it!"
"Klein's this strong—if we stick with him, we're bound to go places!"
"Don't know about future, but the money looks real good!"
"He said he'd lead us to greatness, to a new golden era!! I don't know about you guys, but I believe him now!"
"······"
Many students were flushed with excitement. With the strength and talent Klein just demonstrated, wasn't becoming a Marine Admiral practically guaranteed?
Those who hadn't enrolled in his program were now filled with bitter regret.
Had they known he was this powerful, with such a bright future ahead, they'd have signed up in a heartbeat!
What was a bit of money compared to that!?
Many students instantly converted into Klein's die-hard fans.
Of course...
Plenty more were won over on the spot.
At that moment, Klein was walking like he was floating on air, beaming with delight.
'Hahaha—'
'A few million Berries in one go. This is the fast track to riches! The training course… yeah, that was my first round of startup capital.'
'WOOHOO—'
'I graduated smoothly!!'
Just then, Fleet Admiral Oharden, Instructor Carter, and Admiral Rampaging Bear approached. Klein immediately adjusted his expression, saluted smartly, and greeted them.
"Wahahaha—" Rampaging Bear looked down at the not-even-2-meter-tall Klein. "You, kid. You may not look muscular, but the strength packed in that little body is top-tier!"
"You're strong!"
Damn right. I've got Indestructible Body and Diamond Bones, top-tier double talents.
And right now, I'm "Imu's Dad★★", two stars!
Long gone are the days of cannon-fodder-level talents and stats!
Instructor Carter, meanwhile, had a complicated look on his face. He clearly remembered giving Klein a "B" for talent back then.
But looking at him now? He'd clearly judged wrong.
This wasn't "B" tier.
This was "SSS" tier talent and potential!!
He cursed inwardly: 'Klein, you little rat. You even tricked your own teacher. You greedy bastard!'
'I lost 200 million! 200 million Berries!!'
Still, he forced a smile onto his face and said, "Klein, your strength really shocked everyone."
"You'll definitely become famous across the seas. Don't forget your teacher's hard work!"
"Of course I won't forget, sir. You did support your student with a whopping 200 million Berries. How could I forget that!?" Klein grinned widely.
If not for that 200 million, he might not have had enough funds to grab all the rewards from the 'New Year Event'.
And he wouldn't have grown this strong. He might have even lost today.
So of course he had to be thankful!
He looked at Carter like he was a sweet old man handing out red envelopes—what's not to love?
In Klein's eyes, Instructor Carter looked especially kind and adorable. Like a cute old baby!
But his words felt like a stab to Carter's heart.
After all, people don't share the same joys and sorrows.
Carter felt a lump in his throat, stuck between laughing and crying. His jaw tightened as he growled through clenched teeth:
"Klein… damn it, you really are a monster among monsters!"
Something about the phrasing made Klein uncomfortable—he suddenly remembered a familiar line from an old TV drama.
So he leaned into it, grinning shamelessly, "Then how about a little more support from you, sir? After all, I'm your star pupil!"
"High risk, high return, right?"