As a Marine, Kong believed the most important thing was Justice—fulfilling one's duty as a Marine, not being obsessed with money...
Could someone like that resist the temptation and corruption of wealth if they became a Marine officer in the future?
Klein was only eighteen. At that age, as a genius student of the Marine Academy, he should be focused on building strength, not chasing money!
When the chance came, Kong was determined to ask Klein directly—What is your justice?
With that thought, he followed Instructor Carter into the battle room.
There were over a hundred cadets in the battle room.
So many cadets had chosen to spend money on tickets to watch the match, partly because Klein had become something of a sensation at the Marine Academy.
His looks played a part too.
Combined with all the hype beforehand, many people were eager to see if Garp could finally take down Klein and reclaim his dignity.
"Klein-nii is unbeatable!"
"Klein-nii will win!"
"Klein-nii will win!"
"Protect the best Klein-nii!!"
The four 'Flowers of the Marines' held colorful pom-poms in both hands, dancing and cheering like sideline cheerleaders.
What flowers, you ask?
Weird ones, of course!
Far from the style of cute girl cheer squads, the Marine Academy's Four Flowers looked more like contestants in a men's bodybuilding contest.
Klein wore an awkward expression—he didn't have social anxiety, but they were about to give him one.
"A muscle-bound cheer squad? Really?!"
"Have some decency!!"
Right now, a certain image popped into his head: one of the officers from the Donquixote Family…
That guy had a squad of bikini-clad bombshells cheering for him, every single one of them a top-tier hottie.
There were barely any female students in the Marine Academy to begin with—how did they even find these Four Heavenly Kings!?
At this moment, Garp looked around and noticed he didn't have any cheerleaders of his own. Turning to Sengoku, his tiger-like eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Afro-head, Klein's got cheerleaders—cheer for me, would ya?!"
Sengoku genuinely thought he'd misheard. You want me to be your cheerleader?
Feeling all the cadets' eyes on him, Sengoku's face flushed with heat. He gritted his teeth and snapped,
"You bastard Garp! In your dreams!!"
Then he turned his head away, ignoring Garp entirely.
Garp cracked his knuckles and rotated his neck, joints popping with a loud ka-ka-ka.
He looked full of confidence, his eyes slightly aggressive as he shouted,
"Hey—" Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⁂𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Ponytail boy, if you're ready, hurry up and fight me already. My fists are starving!"
He'd been holding back for nearly a month—he couldn't wait to release it all through battle, through fists.
Klein didn't back down from Garp's provocation.
"Hey—Garp, you bastard! Don't tell me you already forgot your last beating?"
"Your first defeat… came at my hands."
"You'll remember that loss for the rest of your life!"
He wasn't planning to trash-talk, but hey—he had to make money. Gotta build some hype.
Just like in boxing matches from his previous life—fighters always had pre-match antics to stir the crowd, spark tension, boost attention…
It was all marketing!
Then came the real brawl inside the Octagon—bloody, brutal, and loud.
Everyone looking forward to a proper K.O. moment!
Klein turned toward the door and called out:
"Zephyr, that should be everyone. Shut the door."
Zephyr immediately closed the door and, with visible shame, followed Klein's earlier instructions—strapping snacks all over himself.
"1,000 Beli per bag!"
Every pair of eyes turned toward him.
In an instant, Zephyr felt like all the blood in his body reversed course and rushed to his head.
His face turned bright red.
But—but he already owed Klein hundreds of thousands of Beli. Aaaaagh—
Why did I ever agree to this!?
At first, he thought selling snacks was no big deal—but when everyone stared at him...
How could this be so socially humiliating!?
Just as he was about to bolt, Klein cleared his throat.
"Ahem—ahem. Everyone, feel free to enjoy some snacks while watching the match!"
"Of course, there's also beer!"
"But don't go overboard!!"
"You've worked hard all day. Time to relax and enjoy yourselves. Who knows? Maybe you'll even level up from it."
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat. If he could earn a little more, he would.
His finances were under serious pressure!
Those special gift bundles were over a hundred thousand Beli each, and now there were "special events" and more pay-to-win features.
Spending 200,000–300,000 Beli a day—it was killing him!
"Klein, you… you're shameless!!"
"Donuts are free in the cafeteria! And you're selling them for 1K Beli, you scumbag!!"
"What is this, slam poetry?! You a poet now!?"
"This guy will do anything for money!"
Amid the shouting, one voice rang out above the rest.
He picked his nose and called out,
"Zephyr, save me a bag. No—five!"
He really loved donuts. One reason? They were packed with sugar—great for replenishing energy.
Klein ignored the insults and mockery, replying coolly,
"Donuts are delicious. And there's also sunflower seeds, peanuts, the works."
"Pair those with ice-cold beer and a thrilling sparring match—now that's true enjoyment!"
With Klein acting as the lightning rod, Zephyr's embarrassment eased slightly. Some cadets even started lining up to buy.
The instructor's lips twitched as he cursed inwardly:
"Klein, you little devil… You already made 10 million Beli off me, and now you're fleecing the cadets too..."
"Just how much money does this guy need to be satisfied!?"
In just a few months, Klein had earned tens of millions of Beli—basically a little rich boy now.
Yet he still wouldn't let go of these scraps!
"Instructor Carter, are you really going to let Klein get away with this...?" Kong, being a righteous man, couldn't help but speak up. He saw the Marine Academy as a sacred place.
Everyone came here to train hard, get stronger, and chase a brighter future—to become great Marines.
Now it all felt defiled.
Carter shook his head.
"Everyone's willing participants. Besides, don't be fooled by how obsessed Klein seems with money."
"This guy's incredibly responsible when it comes to teaching others. Under his guidance, many cadets have made great progress."
He nudged Kong with his elbow.
"Look, plenty of cadets are buying. The snacks are almost sold out already."
Kong looked again—and sure enough, some cadets had purchased bags. Judging by their size, the portions seemed pretty decent too.
Meanwhile, Garp was already getting impatient. He bared his teeth and shouted,
"Hey hey—Ponytail boy, you done yet!? I've been warming up forever over here!"