Over the past three years, due to the overwhelming beauty of Gloriosa and Shakky, the G-14 base had been frequently attacked by pirates.
Newgate personally took the lead in battles, eliminating many pirates. All the loot he received was, of course, sent back to his hometown—Sphinx Island, which was now in far better shape than before.
No more chaos like the old days!
"We're going to Marineford, right?" Linlin's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Then we'll finally get to meet the so-called 'Marine Three Chibis' that Klein keeps talking about?"
Klein smiled and set down his knife and fork. "That's right. Not only will we meet them—this time, Instructor Carter assigned me to be the examiner for their final test."
"I'm planning to include you three as part of the exam."
His gaze fell, one by one, on Loki, Linlin, and Newgate.
These three against the so-called 'Marine Three Chibis' of the old era—should be enough to give them a little shock.
Klein couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Sengoku and Garp are one thing, but please, my dear big bro Zephyr—don't let this break you..."
Upon hearing the announcement—
Loki, Newgate, and Linlin were visibly excited. The three of them sparred constantly.
They'd clashed countless times—knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses inside out.
Now, the prospect of fresh sparring partners? Of course they were thrilled!
"I've long wanted to feel what Sengoku and Garp's fists are like!" Newgate said excitedly.
Klein gave him a look. That iconic mustache still hadn't come in.
He was only seventeen. In another ten years or so, that crescent moon-shaped mustache should finally sprout.
Still...
Normal people start with black facial hair. This guy was growing white hair while still a teen. What a weirdo.
"I look the biggest and most imposing," Loki declared with supreme confidence. "They'll definitely pick me as their first opponent."
"Size doesn't equal strength!" Newgate retorted.
"Heehee—" Linlin stuffed her mouth with food, eyes squinting as she smiled. "No need to argue. I'm the strongest~"
Neither Loki nor Newgate could refute that. Both turned their heads away.
Linlin was a natural-born monster, and under Klein's guidance, she could already gain the upper hand even without relying on a Devil Fruit.
And if she actually used those colorful Homies—which were nearly enough to complete the entire elemental periodic table—
Loki and Newgate were no match at all.
Klein waved a hand. "Finish up, everyone. Pack your things. We're heading out—to Marineford!"
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
The sun was bright, the sea breeze mild, the Marine Academy enjoying eternal spring.
Instructor Carter walked onto the training grounds with his hands clasped behind his back, striding like a dragon, eyes scanning over Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru.
Among this batch of cadets, the strongest was undoubtedly Klein, who had already graduated.
Next came Sengoku and Garp.
Their progress over these three years had been remarkable—enough to make Carter beam with pride.
His heart bloomed with joy: "My teaching achievements are absolutely unmatched in Marine history!"
"I ask you—WHO ELSE?!"
The strongest instructor in history—that's me, Carter!
"Instructor Carter looks radiant today... Could something great have happened?"
Whispers stirred among the cadets.
Sengoku leaned toward Garp and said, "It's probably about the final assessment this year."
"The exam? Piece of cake! That won't be a problem for us!" Garp grinned wide. "Right now, we're scarily strong. I can't wait to graduate and start catching pirates!"
Sengoku nodded. There wasn't much point staying at the academy any longer. They'd both made significant gains in the past three years.
He'd long wanted to set sail and chase down pirates. "I don't want Klein to leave me in the dust. That guy's already a Vice Admiral..."
He reached up to adjust the Marine cap on his head, full of mixed feelings.
Every time he heard news of Klein taking down pirates, the pressure in his heart grew heavier.
"Silence!"
Instructor Carter barked sharply, his gaze sweeping over the trainees like a blade. "I have an announcement: the examiner for this year's final assessment has been decided!"
"It is... Vice Admiral Moretti Klein!"
"Surprised?"
"Shocked?"
"Happy?"
The triple soul-crushing combo landed, and the cadets' faces turned darker than the night. At this point, you could toss them into the shadows and never find them again.
The training field fell silent.
Only the soft wind stirred, and the sand rustled faintly underfoot.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Carter asked with faux innocence, immediately drawing a barrage of resentful, fiery glares.
He had successfully pissed everyone off.
"Klein was in our class! And now you're making him our examiner? That's just a slap in the face!"
"Damn it! Klein got promoted too fast! Having him assess cadets from the same year—what a blow!!"
"This is humiliating! We haven't even graduated yet, and he's already a Vice Admiral..."
"Sure, becoming an Admiral is out of reach—but Vice Admiral is our dream! And Klein got there so easily! Meanwhile, we're still students—and you make him our examiner? That's just cruel!"
"God!! Seeing Klein is going to kill me inside!"
"Why is he so talented when we're all from the same class?!"
"..."
The cadets were boiling with frustration. Even Garp and Sengoku looked grim.
They had been looking forward to reuniting with Klein—but not like this. Not with him returning as the examiner.
'What terrible sin did we commit to deserve this punishment?'
'How could you do this to us?!'
Sengoku stared blankly up at the sky, expression lifeless. "Forget passing. Just seeing Klein again means we're going to get wrecked..."
"Instructor Carter is really..."
"Unforgivable!!"
"We walked right into his trap—this sucks!!"
There was no way they were going to win. How the exam would be conducted—and how badly they'd be beaten—was now entirely up to Klein.
"My head itches..." Garp muttered with a dark face, scratching his scalp. "If he doesn't hold back, one punch from big bro and my head might explode."
"It just feels weird... having big bro as the examiner."
By contrast, Zephyr looked excited—so much so that his fists were trembling. "Yes!! Big bro's coming back! When he sees how much I've improved, he's gonna be so proud!"
Ever since Klein had arranged for them to share a dorm room, a massive butterfly effect had begun.
Although Zephyr wasn't quite as strong as Garp or Sengoku, his constant grinding and effort had placed him near the top of their class.
He had even begun to grasp the basics of the Demonic Flame Kick.
Sengoku sat there, emotionally crushed.