"Standard push-ups. Keep going until you drop."
At the instructor's command, every trainee dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups.
Push-ups were the most basic form of training, and Klein had been doing them daily since he was a kid—one-handed push-ups, handstand push-ups… you name it.
Each trainee counted out loud while the instructor walked among them, watching closely.
At first—
Everyone easily hit the hundreds without breaking a sweat. But after thousands, sweat began pouring down. Arms started to burn, and a few trainees with weaker endurance had their arms shaking like butterfly wings.
"Skinny mutts!"
Hearing the sound of trainees collapsing all around him, Klein couldn't help but think of that internet meme from his past life: 'Skinny mutt, can you even do it?'
Thousands of push-ups might've been god-tier in his previous life.
But in the world of One Piece…
Child's play!
Out of the corner of his eye, Klein glanced at Garp—this guy was built like a beast. He was hammering out push-ups by the thousands and wasn't even sweating.
Meanwhile…
Sweat was already beading on Klein's forehead. His whole body was heating up.
He knew his absolute limit in one go was around ten thousand push-ups.
And among the other trainees, that was only considered slightly below average. By the time Klein collapsed on the ground drenched in sweat, hours had already passed.
Watching the others still going strong, he could only scream internally: 'These guys ain't even human!'
Among them, he spotted that striking figure. His gaze softened in resignation. Thankfully, he knew that girl would grow up to be the Navy's Chief Strategist, Tsuru. Otherwise, his confidence would've been utterly crushed.
Looking around at the other trainees who'd already tapped out, Klein noticed how defeated they looked—some stunned, some brooding, others in utter disbelief.
Many of them were considered "geniuses" back in their respective seas. Outstanding future Marines. The cream of the crop.
But now, at Marine HQ, they realized that compared to true monsters, their "talent" barely even registered.
"The difference between people can sometimes feel wider than the gap between a man and a dog," Klein muttered, truly feeling the cruel weight of natural talent.
Of course, he still believed in effort.
'No point comparing myself to freaks like them,' Klein thought cheerfully. 'I'll just go to a branch, become a colonel, marry seven or eight wives, and dominate the place. Hah!'
'Maid outfits, cat girl suits, dark-and-light duo cosplay… they're all getting scheduled in.'
Meanwhile, the instructor jotted down his evaluation:
[Klein — Age: 18 | Physical Ability: C+ | Willpower: B | Potential: Tentative B-]
Ranks went from S, A, B, C, D, all the way down to F.
By the time the count hit 100,000 push-ups, most of the trainees had already collapsed. Only a rare few were still pushing forward.
Hours passed unnoticed.
Even Klein was among the crowd now, wearing a dazed expression alongside the others. 'Holy crap, these guys are insane. Are they even human anymore?'
Hours later, 14-year-old Zephyr finally fell.
Only Garp and Sengoku remained.
Tens of thousands... No—hundreds of thousands of push-ups.
These guys were built different.
The two were now in full-on showdown mode.
Garp laughed broadly. "Hahaha! Hey! You're running outta juice, aren't you, twinkle-toes?"
"Shut it. I'm not losing to a loudmouth like you," Sengoku growled, eyebrows twitching at the taunt.
He ignored the rest of Garp's trash talk. Seeing that Sengoku wasn't biting, Garp decided to conserve energy as well.
This was now a pure contest of stamina.
The instructor watching from the side could barely contain his excitement: 'Didn't expect this batch to have such monsters. Especially Garp and Sengoku—these two could rival seasoned officers. With the right training, they'll be exceptional.'
What a lucky haul!
[Garp — Age: 18 | Physical Ability: S+ | Willpower: S+ | Potential: S…]
[Sengoku — Age: 19 | Physical Ability: S+ | Willpower: S+ | Potential: S…]
As the sun set and night drew near, Garp and Sengoku were still going at it. The other trainees watched, completely numb.
Same species. Same species! So why the hell was the gap so wide?
Klein had no intention of competing with monsters like that. Thankfully, the instructor called it.
"That's enough. Both of you performed exceptionally. It's getting late—everyone, go get your dinner from the mess hall. Rest early tonight."
"Starting tomorrow, we begin specialized physical training."
"And a few other courses."
"..."
At the instructor's words, Garp and Sengoku reluctantly stood. Garp raised his chin. "Hey! Fro-man! Once we get into combat drills, I'm definitely knocking you out. You're the only one here worthy of being Garp's rival!"
He flexed his fist, which looked like it could crush a cannonball.
At the nickname "Fro-man," Sengoku's brow twitched. He snapped, "Garp! I have a name. It's Sengoku! No one calls me Fro-man!"
"Hahahaha!" Garp roared with laughter. "Your hairstyle's way too iconic. If you don't want me to call you Fro-man, then prove your strength and make me shut up."
Seeing that Garp wasn't listening at all, Sengoku's face darkened. "What kind of lunatic even gets into the academy?!"
"..."
Watching the two bicker, Klein couldn't help but chuckle. 'Yeah… this is how men bond. Even geniuses get drawn toward one another.'
To put it plainly:
Rich kids hang out in rich-kid circles.
So how do I break into that circle and build rapport? That way I'll have better chances at being a base colonel in the future.
As he ate dinner in the mess hall, Klein chewed thoughtfully.
If you want to bond with a guy…
Share a dorm, crawl under fire together, split loot, or… hire women together.
"Yeah, not happening," he muttered. "Sengoku and Garp? These guys have zero interest in women, I can tell just by looking."
"But me? I'm all man."
So...
"I need to get us in the same dorm."
Klein scarfed down his food and got to work behind the scenes.
In the end, he managed to get himself, Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr assigned to the same room.
Perfect.
Click—click—
"Hey! What the hell are you eating?" Garp had just walked into the dorm and caught sight of Klein munching on something crunchy.
"Donuts," Klein said, sitting on the bed with a smile. "You're Garp, right? Wanna try one?"
"They're really good."
Klein spoke gently. The training plan—no, the bonding operation—was underway.
Garp, naturally curious, chuckled and walked over. He took the offered bag without hesitation. "Uh… your name was Klem?"
"..."
"It's Klein."
"Alright then, I'm calling you Prettyboy."
???
Klein internally cursed: 'I'm starting to suspect you and Luffy were raised by the same lunatic.'