BOOM!
The deafening impact echoed throughout the entire fortress.
Seawater surged high into the air before crashing down like torrential rain, snapping everyone back to their senses as they struggled to remain standing against the violent winds.
Their eyes were fixed on the Gates of Justice, which had been blasted wide open...
...using Chaton’s body as the battering ram.
Everyone had seen plenty of ways to open those gates.
But this?
This was a first.
Then they turned toward Lucas.
After unleashing that devastating attack, he still stood exactly where he had been from the beginning.
He hadn’t moved so much as a finger.
At that moment, every veteran Marine who had secretly questioned the strength of the newly appointed Admiral found those doubts completely erased.
Someone who had fought this entire battle...
...without ever truly lifting a hand—
How could such a person possibly be weak?
Especially when Chaton, an Admiral Candidate, had been punched clean through the Gates of Justice and embedded into a massive hole in the fortress wall beyond.
He hadn’t moved since.
Everyone instinctively looked back at Lucas.
They desperately wanted to know what he would do next.
But the moment they looked at him...
The overwhelming pressure that had filled the plaza vanished like a passing hurricane.
Lucas casually pulled out another roujiamo, tossed one toward Garp, and took another sip of strong baijiu.
"Garp, you meant what you said earlier, right?"
"I’m holding you to it."
"Don’t forget to help me apply for some performance bonuses."
"My income hasn’t been keeping up with my expenses lately."
"Oh, right."
"I just thought of a great new project."
"I think we could partner with Grandpa Zephyr’s Marine Recruit Academy."
"I’ve even come up with a name."
He grinned.
"The Admiral Training Program."
"An Admiral personally supervises your sparring."
"Complete one hundred days of training and you’ll graduate fully certified."
"Guaranteed to become a king..."
He paused.
"...No, I mean guaranteed to produce top-tier fighters."
"It’s a large-scale project."
"The fees aren’t even expensive."
"For every participant who signs up, I get a salary increase."
"If the results are good, I receive performance bonuses."
"If everyone passes their evaluations, I earn a project commission."
"So..."
Lucas looked at Garp expectantly.
"Garp, do you think Sengoku will invest in this project?"
Garp’s mind went completely blank.
Suddenly...
The roujiamo in his hand felt surprisingly heavy.
What kind of ridiculous project is this?
Why does this sound like the pitch of a scam artist?
Chaton had just been punched halfway across the fortress.
Nobody even knew whether he was alive.
Who in their right mind would volunteer to have Lucas as their sparring partner now?
"Oh, right."
Lucas looked around at everyone.
"Anyone interested in signing up?"
There was a reason he had suddenly started pitching this "major project."
Just moments ago, being forced to work overtime had pushed him into Overtime Mode, instantly maxing out his resentment.
Under normal working hours, the system estimated his combat power at one hundred percent.
But once he was forced into overtime and entered the Salaryman’s Resentment Domain...
His strength doubled.
Two hundred percent.
According to the system, the longer he remained working overtime...
The stronger he would become.
As for the upper limit...
That depended entirely on the salary and performance bonuses accumulated within the system.
The cost, however...
Was steep.
One million Berries per minute.
Lucas suddenly realized something.
He was poor.
He had worked diligently every single day for an entire month...
Yet he couldn’t even afford five minutes of overtime.
For a man...
No matter the reason...
Lasting only five minutes was an unforgivable flaw.
Fortunately...
This first forced overtime session had been free.
Otherwise...
With his current financial situation...
The system would’ve drained him dry the moment he started fighting.
Still...
Knowing that forced overtime dramatically increased his strength...
There was no way Lucas would let such an opportunity go to waste.
Hence...
The Admiral Training Program.
Unfortunately...
As his gaze swept across the crowd...
Everyone instinctively averted their eyes.
Even Chaton, after transforming into an Ancient Zoan Kong Gorilla, had been turned into a living battering ram with a single punch.
Who would gamble their life just to become Lucas’s sparring partner?
Besides...
Moments ago, everyone had been wondering how Lucas intended to deal with Chaton.
No one expected him to immediately start soliciting investors afterward.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
Gion stepped forward first, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"I thought Admiral Kizaru would arrive first."
"But this entire incident happened because Vice Admiral Chaton acted too impulsively."
"If he hadn’t insisted on challenging Admiral Lucas..."
"This embarrassing spectacle never would’ve happened."
"Hahaha!"
Garp laughed heartily, grateful for the opportunity to change the subject.
"You’re right, Gion."
"This brat skipped the normal promotion process and became an Admiral directly."
"It’s only natural for people to doubt him."
"As for Chaton..."
He glanced sideways.
"Most of this happened because of you."
"He was just trying to impress the girl he likes."
"Now that they’ve had their fight, everything should be settled."
"Besides..."
"Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits are famous for their durability."
"His Kong Gorilla form is especially tough."
"That punch wasn’t enough to seriously injure him."
"Don’t forget."
"He’s an Admiral Candidate."
"If he couldn’t even take one punch..."
"He’d be too embarrassed to call himself one."
Garp’s laughter echoed across the plaza.
Hina and the others finally breathed sighs of relief.
The last thing they wanted was for Lucas to be punished over this incident.
Meanwhile...
Inside the breached Gates of Justice...
Chaton remained embedded in the shattered fortress wall.
The muscles in his face twitched involuntarily.
Every inch of his body throbbed with pain.
Even moving a finger sent waves of agony through him.
That punch...
Had shattered three of his ribs.
If it weren’t for the astonishing recovery of an Ancient Zoan—and the incredible durability of his Kong Gorilla form—
He was convinced he would’ve suffered life-threatening injuries.
Yet in Garp’s mouth...
It sounded like nothing at all.
This counts as "fine"?
Recalling both times he’d been blasted away...
Lucas’s abilities had exceeded his expectations over and over again.
From beginning to end...
The young Admiral had barely lifted a hand.
With strength and techniques like those...
He was already fully comparable to the other three Admirals.
And that bizarre fighting style only made him seem even more unfathomable.
Thud.
Suppressing the pain, Chaton pulled himself free from the wall and landed on the plaza behind the Gates of Justice.
His Devil Fruit transformation gradually faded.
Aside from being covered in dust and looking somewhat disheveled...
He remained remarkably composed.
After taking a moment to steady his breathing...
He leaped several times before returning to Garp’s side.
Then he stood at attention and gave Lucas a crisp military salute.
"Admiral Lucas."
"I, Chaton, admit defeat wholeheartedly."
"I acted rashly earlier."
"I hope you won’t take offense."
"If punishment is warranted..."
"I’ll accept it."
He then turned toward Garp with a wry smile.
"Vice Admiral Garp..."
"Please put in a few good words for me."
"Don’t let Admiral Lucas hold this against me."
"Hahaha!"
Garp laughed as he repeatedly patted Chaton on the shoulder.
"You’re underestimating the kid."
"Apart from his obsession with working hours..."
"He doesn’t hold grudges over little things."
"But since you’re sincere about apologizing..."
"I’ve got less work to do."
"I already promised him I’d ask Sengoku to approve some overtime pay."
"And there was some big project too..."
"You should go ask Sengoku whether he’s willing to invest."
"If he agrees..."
"I’m sure this brat will even treat you to a roujiamo."
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