Isekai in Hajime no Ippo with Gaolang’s Template

November 13 – Early MorningThe sun had barely begun to rise over the Las Vegas Strip, but inside the penthouse, activity was already buzzing.

Aoki and Kimura were already dressed up, standing near the entrance. Kimura wore a bright beach shirt with floral patterns and matching beach pants, while Aoki had almost the exact same outfit.

Takamura, however, was dressed completely differently. He sported a brown jacket over a black shirt and black pants, looking a little more refined—at least by his usual standards.

Meanwhile, Ippo was still fast asleep, buried under the soft covers of his hotel bed, completely unaware of the commotion around him.

Now fully dressed, Alex adjusted his black tracksuit and stepped forward. Coach Kamogawa, also ready, wore a similar tracksuit, though his had "KAMOGAWA GYM" written in bold letters on the back. In contrast, Alex's tracksuit sported the Nike logo on his upper chest—a reminder of his newly signed sponsorship deal.

As Alex took in the sight of Aoki and Kimura's questionable fashion choices, his brows furrowed.

"Are you three going to the beach?" he asked, pointing at their outfits.

Aoki quickly shook his head and pointed at Kimura. "No, just the two of us."

Alex then turned his gaze toward Takamura, who was standing off to the side with his hands in his pockets, smirking.

"And what about you?" Alex questioned.

Takamura grinned and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open to reveal a thick stack of cash. He flashed it around before declaring proudly:

"Of course, I'm going to the casino! Time to have some fun!"

His confident grin widened as he imagined his future winnings.

Coach Kamogawa sighed, rubbing his temple in frustration. "Never mind those guys," he muttered. "We need to go. Yagi and Shinoda already rented a whole gym for us here in Las Vegas so you can train until fight day."

Alex nodded in understanding. "No worries, Coach."

Then a thought crossed his mind. "What about Ippo?" he asked.

Coach Kamogawa gestured toward the nightstand. "I left a note there for him, along with an extra key, in case he wants to explore the city later."

Alex nodded again. "Alright, then."

With that settled, they all headed toward the elevator.

As they descended, Coach Kamogawa glanced at Aoki and Kimura.

"You three… do you have money for a cab in case you get lost on the way to the beach?"

Aoki scoffed and confidently reached into his pocket, pulling out his frog wallet. He flipped it open, revealing multiple $20 bills stacked inside. "Don't worry, Coach. We're covered."

Kimura grinned as well. "Yeah, we're prepared. We even exchanged the currency before we got here."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "So that's what you two were doing while we were at the airport."

Takamura nodded, smirking.

The elevator doors opened into the hotel lobby.

Aoki, Kimura, and Takamura immediately flagged down a cab and hopped in, ready to begin their respective adventures.

Meanwhile, Alex and Coach Kamogawa stepped outside, where a black Ford SUV was already waiting for them.

Their ride had arrived.

The SUV cruised through the Las Vegas streets, passing towering casinos and neon-lit billboards before finally pulling up outside a large, modern boxing gym.

The Golden Gloves Boxing Gym.

As Alex and Coach Kamogawa stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by an impressive sight.

The gym was vast and pristine, with neatly arranged equipment—state-of-the-art heavy bags, double-end bags, and a full row of speed bags lined up against the wall. Several well-maintained rings sat in the center, while the flooring was a polished combination of rubber mats and wooden planks.

Alex took a slow, approving look around.

"You know, we should copy this layout and put it in our gym," he suggested.

Coach Kamogawa scoffed and shook his head. "Kid, we don't have that kind of budget yet."

He glanced around, rubbing his fingers together as if he could already feel the money slipping away.

"Even with the gym earning close to a million now because of you, a place like this would cost millions just to set up. The space alone…" Kamogawa sighed, patting his empty pocketdramatically.

Just then, Coach Yagi walked over, smiling.

"You're here," Yagi said. "Coach Shinoda and I already prepared the place and tidied it up for your training."

Alex nodded in appreciation. "Yeah, it looks amazing."

From the side, Coach Shinoda entered the conversation. "After your training, Yagi-san arranged for an ESPN reporter to interview you."

Alex blinked. "An ESPN interview?"

He tilted his head slightly. "Who's the reporter? Maybe I know him."

Coach Yagi adjusted his glasses. "You've probably heard of him—Chris Mortensen. He was ESPN's first hired insider reporter, and he's got an impressive track record. He's won 18 awards in journalism, including the National Headliner Award for Investigative Reporting in 1978."

Alex's eyes widened slightly.

He recognized that name.

—Wait… isn't that guy a legendary reporter?—

The thought lingered in his mind as he exhaled slowly.

This just got interesting.

Alex stood in the gym, warming up for his training session. He started with some light stretching, loosening up his muscles before transitioning into skipping rope, his feet tapping the floor in a rhythmic dance. The rope flicked through the air at a steady pace, each jump executed with precision.

After about five minutes, Coach Kamogawa approached, wearing hand pads and a body protector, signaling the start of their pad work.

Meanwhile, Alex finished wrapping his hands, securing the tape tightly around his knuckles and wrists before slipping on his gloves.

Kamogawa, his arms crossed, observed Alex and then spoke in his usual gruff tone.

"Today, and for the rest of the week, we're focusing on pad work and preparing your body to relax before the fight," he instructed.

Alex nodded, showing no sign of resistance. He knew the importance of tapering before a big match—his body needed to stay sharp but not overworked.

The session began.

Alex drilled his body shots, adjusting his footwork, refining his precision.

Each punch landed crisply on the mitts, his movements fluid and efficient. Kamogawa called out combinations, and Alex executed them flawlessly—hooks to the body, quick step-ins, sharp counters.

The pad session lasted about thirty minutes, and by the end, Alex was barely sweating. His stamina and conditioning were at their peak.

Kamogawa lowered his mitts and looked at Alex with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Kid… is it weird that you don't feel any pressure at all?" the old coach asked suddenly. "You even skipped Ippo's birthday and your own birthdaybecause of this fight. I know for a fact that you two celebrate together on November 23rd, but now you're letting it go for this match. Doesn't that bother you?"

Alex sat on the ring apron, rubbing the back of his head.

"It feels kind of weird, yeah…" he admitted. "But it's a necessary sacrifice. I can always adjust and celebrate on November 25th—that's my actual birthday anyway. Ippo would understand."

From the side, Coach Shinoda had been listening quietly. He crossed his arms and spoke up.

"You and Ippo… You two really are like brothers, huh?"

Alex nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I consider him my brother. Always have."

As they were talking, Assistant Coach Yagientered the gym, carrying a clipboard.

"Alex," Yagi called out. "Looks like the ESPN interview has been moved up. Chris Mortensen is already here."

Alex blinked in surprise. "Already?"

"Yeah, he just arrived," Yagi confirmed.

Alex quickly stood up. "Wait—let me change first."

Kamogawa smirked and handed him a fresh set of clothes—a simple Nike t-shirt, black sports shorts, and Nike sandal slippers.

After changing, Alex walked back into the gym, where Coach Kamogawa was now greeting a familiar face.

Chris Mortensen, the well-known ESPN sports journalist, was seated across from Kamogawa, shaking hands with him.

Alex entered the room, and Chris stood up with a welcoming smile.

"Alex," Chris greeted, extending a hand.

Alex shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you."

Behind him, a cameraman—John Frederick—gave a small wave as he adjusted the camera.

Chris smiled. "We're already live on ESPN. I'm here today to interview the rising star of Japan, the Japanese Lightweight Champion, who's about to make his world debut in Las Vegas. His name is—"

Alex smoothly introduced himself.

"I'm Alex Makunouchi," he said, then added with a smirk, "also known as 'The Great.'"

Chris chuckled. "I'm surprised you speak English so well. I even learned a bit of Japanese just in case we had trouble communicating."

Alex smiled. "I had to learn. I knew that if I wanted to fight on the world stage, I needed to bridge the language barrier."

They both sat down as the interview officially began.

Chris leaned forward slightly. "So, Alex, how's your experience in Las Vegas so far?"

Alex exhaled. "It's been good, to be honest. But we just arrived last night, so I haven't had time to explore the city yet."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't know that! I assumed you'd been here for at least a week."

Alex shrugged. "No worries."

Chris shifted gears. "Now, Alex, you're a star in Japan, but this is your first world-level fight. You're facing an undefeated prospect, someone touted as the next big champion—Sharmba Mitchell. Isn't it too soon?"

He hesitated for a moment before clarifying, "No disrespect, but the Japanese boxing scene is different from the world stage. Do you think you're ready?"

Alex leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharpening.

"I'm confident in my skill," he stated. "And honestly? I don't believe Sharmba Mitchell is near my level. I'm going to prove it to everyone on November 23rd."

Chris looked genuinely surprised by Alex's bold statement.

He smirked and asked, "Where does your confidence come from?"

Alex didn't hesitate.

"My confidence comes from my hard work, my family, my teammates, and my coaches."

Chris nodded, then asked a heavier question.

"Many people are saying you've got the weight of a nation on your shoulders. Doesn't that pressure affect you at all?"

Alex's expression didn't waver.

Instead, he leaned back slightly and smirked.

"People say I have the weight of a nation on my shoulders?" he repeated.

Then, without hesitation, he added:

"Throw a few more nations on—because I don't feel that weight."

Chris's eyes widened slightly at the sheer confidence radiating from Alex.

But Alex wasn't done.

He looked directly into the camera, his voice steady.

"I have given every single thing—every ounce of my life—to this craft. To perfecting my craft. And I continue to do so."

His smirk faded slightly as he continued.

"And in the process, I have lost my mind to regular society.

"To people who wake up at 9 AM and clock out at 5 PM—they look at me and say I've lost my mind.

"But me?"

Alex's eyes locked onto the camera.

"I have found it."