Boom—
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves!!
When Oharden announced the news, more than ten thousand Marines were collectively stunned.
The reporters, on the other hand, snapped out of their shock in an instant and furiously scribbled away with their feather pens.
Big news!
Of course, there were a few journalists who remained frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.
In the plaza—
Garp's eyeballs nearly popped out of his sockets as his jaw dropped.
"The one getting promoted to Marine Admiral is my brother!?"
"Before I've even graduated, my brother's already become an Admiral!?"
What the— !@##$$%%^^&···
This…
This was too sudden. He was having a hard time accepting it!!
Garp's massive heart pounded wildly—thump-thump-thump—like it was about to leap out of his throat.
"..."
Garp's outburst left Sengoku's face a mess of emotions.
That comment—too sharp!!
Sengoku's pupils widened.
"That… that was way too fast. Couldn't he have waited ten years or so?"
"I've been working hard these past three years, so why does it feel like the gap's only grown wider!?"
How was he supposed to deal with this?
Wearing his Marine Academy uniform, he stood there watching his classmate Klein, in front of tens of thousands of Marines, be promoted to Marine Admiral.
That feeling… that mood...
He was numb!
Sengoku reached up to touch the brim of his officer cap, his heart tangled in a storm of emotions.
"What kind of sick joke is this? How'd you climb all the way to Admiral so easily!?"
"Admiral… That's the ultimate dream and goal that so many strive for!!"
His heart felt like it was about to crack. No matter how mentally strong he thought he was, in this moment, he felt fragile.
Sengoku didn't mind Klein living well. The guy was strong and rich—definitely not living a hard life.
But returning after just three years and already becoming an Admiral?
Was that fair?
The man was hurting!
People experience joy and sorrow differently.
Zephyr raised his arms and shouted with glee:
"This is amazing!! My brother became a Marine Admiral!!"
"I knew it. I always knew he'd become an Admiral. And one day..."
"One day, I, Zephyr, will become a Marine Admiral too!!"
So loud.
Sengoku felt the noise crash over him like waves. His tone was drenched in defeat:
"Zephyr, if you want to become an Admiral, how many years do you think it'll take? By then, what kind of position will Klein hold?"
"Eh—"
Zephyr froze, then mulled it over seriously.
"You're… probably right..."
He didn't know how many years of effort it would take to become an Admiral—maybe he wouldn't ever make it.
But still...
Klein had already become one at such a young age. What kind of heights would he reach in the future?
A big smile blossomed on Zephyr's face:
"The future's still far off. What matters now is that my brother became an Admiral, and that's something to celebrate!"
"Besides, he's our examiner. Big Bro Klein will definitely go easy on me."
"...."
Sengoku's face darkened.
Way to bring up the most awkward part.
Same class.
One's already an Admiral and going to be their examiner.
Just imagining Klein standing in front of them, lecturing them with that smug face…
Sengoku wanted to dig a hole and bury himself alive.
Then Garp snapped out of it.
"Right! Big Bro's our examiner this year! He's already an Admiral, and the gap between us is massive..."
"How's he gonna grade us!?"
He rubbed the top of his head.
That spiky sensation—
It reminded him of the spot that often received the "Fist of Love."
"No idea... but I have a feeling if Klein personally gets involved, we're all getting our asses kicked."
Sengoku's face wore the expression of someone who'd lost the will to live.
Let it all burn!
Same class.
They hadn't even graduated, and Klein was already a Marine Admiral.
Sengoku couldn't take it.
Total collapse!
Three years ago, he knew the gap was wide.
But back then, he could at least breathe in his exhaust fumes.
Now?
Split apart.
He couldn't even breathe the exhaust anymore.
At the side, Tsuru's pupils spun like a crazed compass.
"It really is him. Becoming Admiral in just three years..."
"That's several years faster than I estimated!"
She had thought—with Klein's talent—it'd take about five to ten years to become an Admiral.
But now...
Three years!
So fast, she didn't even have time to graduate.
Tsuru glanced at the boiling sea of cadets around her and sighed internally:
"This guy's seriously a demon lord..."
The entire Crescent Bay Port was ablaze with excitement.
"Klein!? The guy who opened a bathhouse on campus and had a statue made? The one who beat Kong three years ago!?"
"No way! He was just a cadet three years ago, and now he's a Marine Admiral? How'd he pull that off?"
"Klein—the Marine hailed as the greatest genius in history. Sure, he's a genius, but this is ridiculous—he's already an Admiral!?"
"So jealous. If only I could be the one becoming an Admiral…"
"······"
At the edge of the plaza—
Kaido sat on Loki's shoulder, taking in the entire scene from above.
"Wow—so many Marines! If they got into a massive fight with pirates, that'd be so thrilling!"
Kaido's eyes lit up, fists clenched.
His homeland, the Kingdom of Vodka, was a war-torn country.
It seemed like the very essence of war was carved into his bones.
Loki grinned wide:
"Following Ohyaji, we'll never run out of battles. Not to mention Gloriosa and Shakky—there'll always be fools trying to steal them."
"I've done plenty of fighting these past three years."
With the blood of the ancient giants flowing through his veins, Loki was also a born warrior.
His bones craved combat!
That's why he and Kaido got along so well—two peas in a pod.
Pissing in the same pot.
And standing beside Loki were several Marine Vice Admirals of the giant race.
Upon learning Loki's identity, they regarded him with deep respect—unlike those from Elbaf, who treated him as a "cursed prince."
Now, for once, Loki felt what it was like to be seen as something other than a walking curse.
"Whew—"
Shakky's delicate hand trembled slightly as she held her cigarette.
"What a grand occasion. Over ten thousand Marines, so many newspaper agencies... I wouldn't be surprised if news of Klein-sama's promotion spreads across the world in a matter of days."
She looked at the reporters, noting how many of them were scribbling furiously into their notebooks.
Their focused expressions, beads of sweat on their foreheads—it was as if they were fighting their own intense battle.
"Heehee—"
Linlin blinked her big round eyes, glancing around with joy. Everything looked so fresh and exciting. She murmured dreamily:
"When I marry Klein in the future, our wedding has to be even more grand than this."
Her eyes sparkled with mischief:
"Maybe we should invite some unique races—like Fishmen, or Minks... That would really spice things up!"
"..."
Newgate was speechless. He muttered to himself:
"Linlin really loves Big Bro Klein. Most of the time, she's thinking about marriage or having kids."
A true, full-on romantic.
Gloriosa reached out to calm her agitated pet snake.
So many powerful auras nearby had left the creature visibly nervous.
"It's no wonder—it's a Marine Admiral after all. Counting Klein, there are only two of them in the entire organization right now."
"That's the highest honor in the Marines!"
"I'm sure Klein-sama's heart is racing too."