While waiting.
Klein stood in front of a mirror, wearing a tailored white suit draped with the cloak of justice. His badge had also been replaced with one belonging to an Admiral of the Marines.
The bright golden epaulettes stood out, but even the armbands had been changed to black.
"Still as dashing as ever. Damn, I'm drop-dead handsome!" Klein smiled faintly.
Inside, he was still a little excited. "Admiral of the Marines. It came late, but it came."
"Back then, I never imagined it would happen. Just a dream. But after getting my cheat—"
"Everything came so fast: fame, power, strength... But without it..."
"It would've been a totally different life."
Klein narrowed his eyes slightly as his thoughts drifted. Maybe, in that version of his life, he'd still be struggling in the depths—dreams weren't even an option...
Back then, he was a total nobody, not even qualified to talk about dreams.
It was also those memories that reminded him: he was a transmigrator.
Knock knock knock—
A knock on the door.
A Marine soldier outside reported, "Admiral Klein, it's time."
Klein came back to himself, opened the door, and walked out of the stronghold's center with his hands in his pockets, brimming with spirit. Several Marine soldiers with solemn expressions escorted him like an honor guard toward Crescent Moon Bay Plaza.
Once he entered the plaza—
His eyes were immediately met with a sea of people. Countless Den Den Mushi flashed with bright white light and clicked rapidly.
In an instant, the whole bay fell silent.
All eyes locked onto him—fiery, admiring, envious, respectful...
Klein's expression turned solemn. With every step forward, his presence grew stronger, pressing down on the crowd until Marines nearby began to sweat unconsciously.
Hearts raced. Minds faltered. It was like standing on the edge of suffocation.
Those with sharp hearing might notice: their heartbeats were quickening.
Klein understood—this was a performance. A show of presence. A statement of power.
All eyes were on him. In the past, he might've felt pressure. Nervousness.
But now...
He was calm. His stride, like a dragon walking, a tiger pacing, carried him confidently up the grand platform.
Suddenly, a thought struck him:
"Perhaps... this grand promotion ceremony is a reminder too. That an Admiral isn't just a position—they're a beacon, a symbol, the idol of countless Marines."
"And more than that... they're the ones who must lead them to enforce justice!"
Even without looking around, he could still clearly see every face in the crowd.
In the anime, they were just 'extras'.
But now, standing here in person, they were living, breathing human beings.
Climbing the steps—
Below them, Kong had his hands clasped behind his back. They trembled slightly as his peripheral vision caught that familiar white suit... and the golden Admiral's epaulets.
His chest rose and fell. He took a deep breath.
"Klein... wait for me. In a few more years, I'll take the other Admiral seat."
"Someday in the future, I'll also be promoted to Admiral, under the eyes of the whole world!"
Step by step, it was as if Klein was walking to the top of the Marine pyramid.
He couldn't help but think of the War at the Summit, when Ace was brought to the execution platform.
"Roger was executed in Loguetown. Ace executed in Marineford... Cause and effect. Is this really the karma of Roger starting the Great Pirate Era?"
"But I'm different. I'm here to receive honor. Promotion. A raise. This is the good life!"
A completely different treatment.
It felt even better than being named MVP. Like ranking at the very top of the server leaderboard and receiving universal admiration.
Pure bliss.
Klein admitted it—he was a man with a little vanity. "This feeling… it's absolutely incredible. Better than being a first-tier celebrity!"
"There are millions of Marines. Countless islands across the seas..."
"Now, my name's really going to echo across the ocean."
The only downside?
His 'alt account' just evolved into his 'main'—just standing there, he probably gave pirates everywhere a heart attack.
Of course...
Klein also knew that being an Admiral was just the start. In this prenatal-level pirate world, with backward information flow, there were still plenty of cocky fools who wouldn't take him seriously.
Those kinds of idiots—who basically delivered themselves to him—he wouldn't mind at all.
Free loot? Yes, please!
As Klein reached the platform, murmurs began to rise through the crowd.
"He's so young!!"
"That's the new Marine Admiral 'Fool' Klein. That pressure… I feel like I'm suffocating..."
"Already an Admiral at his age? He's probably the youngest one in Marine history, right!?"
"Back then, I was still a Captain at that age..."
"This is amazing. With an Admiral around, those arrogant pirates are gonna get what's coming!"
"I wonder if Admiral Klein is recruiting. I'd love to transfer under his command..."
...
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Following Oharden's hand gesture, several cannons at the Crescent Moon Bay port fired ceremonial shots into the sky, exploding in brilliant bursts.
The thunderous sound of the salutes shook every Marine's eardrums.
"Bro..." Garp looked up at the familiar figure standing tall on the platform, his tiger-like eyes wide with disbelief. "You actually became a Marine Admiral…"
"Yeah... and who knows how many more years we'll have to fight just to catch up," Sengoku muttered, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.
Zephyr beamed, "No matter how long it takes, I'll keep trying. Klein always believed I'd become a 'hero'. I won't let him down!"
That bright optimism shook Sengoku slightly.
"Zephyr's not especially gifted, but he..."
"Maybe... I should've let go of my need to compete with Klein a long time ago."
And once he did...
A sudden sense of relief washed over him. The pressure he'd been placing on himself lifted.
Chasing someone who's always ahead of you—too exhausting.
And the gap only kept widening.
Sengoku reached out and placed a hand on Zephyr's shoulder with a smile. "I believe you'll become a 'hero' too."
"Eh—" Zephyr froze. He turned, shocked, to look at Sengoku's profile. "You... you said what now?"
For a second, he thought he'd misheard.
"Need me to repeat it?" Sengoku smiled. "I said—Zephyr will become a hero one day."
Zephyr stood there, dumbfounded, like he'd been struck by lightning—then his eyes welled up with tears.
"Sengoku... hearing that from you really means a lot!!"
"..." Sengoku's forehead twitched with a vein. He grumbled, "So it only counts when your dear big bro Klein says it?"
"I'm your bro too."
"No, no, of course not. I was just surprised." Zephyr grinned sheepishly, warmth blooming in his chest.
He turned away, glancing at Tsuru, whose elegant profile held a difficult-to-read expression.
Zephyr asked softly, "Tsuru, didn't you say… if Klein became a Vice Admiral or Admiral, then…"
"I know. But now that he's an Admiral… maybe my abilities just aren't enough to earn his approval."
That answer surprised Zephyr. Since when did Tsuru start doubting herself?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hey guys, unfortunately I have bad news.
As of now, the original Chinese fanfiction "卡普同期,首充送霸王色霸气?" has not been updated since Chapter 257, which was published in late September 2025. It's been over three months without any new content, and there has been no official statement from the author regarding the story's continuation, hiatus, or conclusion.
On Patreon I have already translated chapter 257.
At this point, I'm treating this novel as (temporarily on hiatus.) If the author resumes publishing, translations will continue as usual on Webnovel and on Patreon.
The locked chapters on Patreon will stay locked until the author resumes writing. I don't usually lock chapters or make paywalls but honestly if the author resumes writing I will have to fill those chapters back in for early access, which takes both time and effort.
Therefore these chapters are also temporarily locked.
I hope you understand.
Sorry for any inconvenient that this may have caused you.
Thank you for your continued support!
Please read my other projects in meanwhile.
(PS: If the author eventually drops this project all chapters will be released on one day.)