Klein's handsome face was filled with seriousness as he righteously declared,"Instructor!"
"I believe it's necessary to implement a reward system for the trainees—to spark their sense of competition and passion!"
"Through incentives and penalties, we can encourage them to train harder and more diligently!"
"Hmm…" The instructor furrowed his brows, beginning to seriously consider Klein's proposal.
Rewards certainly could be a strong motivator.
Looking at Klein, the instructor seemed unaware that he was now negotiating with a student."Klein, what kind of reward do you think would be appropriate? Let's hear it."
Money!
Of course, money!
But Klein didn't dare say it outright. He was afraid the instructor would give him a solid bop on the head."I think a point system would work well. Points could be equivalent to merits—but with some differences..."
"I think points could be exchanged for extra class hours with mentors, hands-on pirate capture training missions, personal guidance from Marine officers, advanced combat courses, training room rentals… merit scholarships for top students, and… even be convertible into Berries."
He laid out his suggestion, subtly slipping in the money part so it wouldn't seem too obvious.
Klein had no choice—he had his own reasons.
As his in-game character leveled up, more features and gameplay options unlocked, and the number of things requiring microtransactions exploded. The money he needed was only going up.
While many trainees at the academy had money, most were still teenagers with little control over their own funds.
Sooner or later, they'd all end up like Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr—completely milked dry and drowning in debt.
Right now…
Klein desperately hoped the next class of trainees would arrive soon, so he'd have new suckers to fleece.
That would at least keep him going for a while.
Who's the richest in the Marines?
It had to be the World Government's funding!
Milking the Marines for Berries? Easy money—no need to worry about being broke.
After listening to Klein's suggestion, the instructor clapped his hands."Klein, that's a very constructive idea. I'll seriously consider it and submit it to the higher-ups. Hopefully, it'll be approved soon."
"You..."
"You can go rest for now."
"Yes, Instructor. I'll take my leave then." Klein turned and left, silently hoping his proposal would be approved soon.
A new source of income would ease his financial stress.
He couldn't keep this up!
He didn't know how the other pay-to-win whales were hanging in there, but he was about to go under!
This game was just a money burner!
Dormitory.
After the "Iron Triangle" returned from extra training, Sengoku brought up the private talk between the instructor and Klein."Klein, did the instructor tell you to… stop profiting off the other trainees?"
Garp and Zephyr both turned their eyes to Klein.
"No, on the contrary—the instructor gave his full support!" Klein grinned, flashing his bright silver teeth with obvious glee.
"!!!"
"!!!"
Garp looked stunned, his donut suddenly tasting like nothing."Ponytail guy, the instructor supports you??"
"How'd you convince him??"
Zephyr couldn't believe it either. The instructor didn't scold Klein—instead, he backed him?
He had to be hearing things.
Klein smirked."Come on, I'm a kind, righteous, selfless student who only thinks of others. I've racked my brain trying to help our class grow stronger!!"
???
Everyone's faces were full of question marks.
You?
Thinking of others??
You didn't even want to give us a discount—every time we asked, you made us sign IOUs just for a massage...
And you charge for training sessions!
You even sold tickets to spar with Tsuru??
You might fool others, but don't think you can fool us!!
Seeing the disbelief on their faces, Klein didn't bother explaining."Whoever wants a massage, sign the IOU!"
"..."
As soon as the words fell, the air in the dorm suddenly grew cold—an ominous aura sent chills down his spine.
"5K only. Not even a hundred thousand Berries in total. You can pay it back just by catching a pirate with a decent bounty—what's there to worry about?"
Klein placed a blank IOU and pen on the table, along with the essential red ink. Garp was the first to pick it up and filled it in.
[IOU]Debtor Name: Monkey D. Garp.Due to purchasing a massage from Klein and being unable to pay at the time, hereby acknowledges debt.Amount borrowed (in words): Five thousand Berries. (In numbers): 5000 Berries…
Garp pressed his thumbprint into the red ink and stamped the IOU in one smooth motion—a routine honed from writing dozens of these.
Then he lay on the bed, baring his broad back to Klein."Ponytail guy—hit me!"
As soon as Klein started the massage, Garp couldn't hold back a look of pure bliss.
"Mmm—"
"That's the spot!!"
"This is the technique!!!"
"I feel like my soul's floating! My whole body's melting!!"
In that moment, 5K Berries felt worth every coin.
Soon after, Sengoku and Zephyr also filled out their IOUs. Klein collected them all carefully and stored them in a box.
These…
These were money, baby!!
Half a month later, the day finally arrived—a day worth celebrating for Klein.
Half a month ago...
Klein's proposal was approved, and today, the instructor officially announced the launch of the Point System for this class of trainees!
The top 100 students in every assessment would receive points. Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat instructors would also nominate ten outstanding students each month for bonus points.
Of course...
There were also missions, practical combat assessments, and more that would yield points.
And the ways to spend points?
Almost exactly what Klein had proposed. They could even influence one's future career path in the Marines.
Another major success!
At the end-of-month assessment, Klein showed tremendous improvement—the gap between him and Garp and Sengoku was shrinking fast.
This made the two who were grinding through insane training hours more and more uneasy.
Why???
Garp scratched his head in frustration."Ponytail guy! What the hell are you doing to improve so fast every time???"
"It doesn't make sense... Klein doesn't even train one-tenth as much as me and Garp," Sengoku said with a deep frown.
He felt like his head was about to explode. He and Garp trained late into the night most days—
And still couldn't outpace Klein…
Where was the justice?
Where was the logic?
How was this fair???
They couldn't figure it out.
Couldn't comprehend!!
At this rate, Klein was bound to surpass them soon.
Klein gave a mysterious smile."Wanna know? Got any money?"
"Pay for a yearly pass and I'll tell you."
He opened his mouth, and out came money talk again—infuriating Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr, who all owed him a hefty sum.
And the yearly pass?
Five million Berries!!
Absolute robbery. Selling themselves wouldn't be enough.
"No cash? Then stop digging for my secrets. I'm just a legend!" Klein waved them off."I'm busy. Don't get in the way of my money-making…"