Chapter 90 The Deal

It had been a month since Naomichi Yamadajoined Kamogawa Gym. While he was still just a beginner, he was slowly getting used to the rigorous training. In that time, Alex Makunouchi's training hadn't slowed down at all.

Right now, he was in the ring, moving gracefully from side to side, his footwork crisp and efficient. Every pivot, every shift of weight was deliberate, refined through endless drills. Coach Kamogawastood outside the ring, watching carefully with his arms crossed.

"Alex," the old coach finally spoke.

Without stopping his movement, Alex responded. "Yeah?"

Kamogawa exhaled through his nose, his expression firm. "We can't find anyone willing to fight you."

Alex's feet didn't even stutter. Instead, he simply changed direction, continuing his drill with an unbothered look on his face.

"Can I challenge the rankings now, Coach?" he asked casually, moving smoothly across the ring.

Kamogawa frowned slightly, deep in thought.

"Maybe…" he muttered, stroking his chin.

Just then, the gym door burst open.

"Coach!!"

Everyone turned to see Assistant Coach Yagi, panting heavily as he held a large 1991-model phone in his hand. His glasses were slightly fogged from running.

"What is it, Yagi?" Kamogawa asked.

Yagi took a second to catch his breath before straightening up. "We just got a call from Nakadai-san."

At the mention of the Nakadai Gym, several members of the gym perked up. Alex, Ippo, Aoki, Kimura, and Naomichi all stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward the conversation.

Yagi took a deep breath and continued, his tone now more composed. "Nakadai-san wants to set up a spar."

The gym was silent for a moment. Then, Kamogawa, as if knowing the reaction this would cause, paused before delivering the next part.

"Date Eiji specifically requested to borrow Ippo Makunouchi."

The silence in the gym was immediately shattered.

Aoki let out a loud whistle. "Wow, Ippo! You're pretty famous now! Even the Featherweight Champion wants to borrow you."

Kimura laughed, nudging Ippo's side. "Guess you caught his attention, huh? You should be honored!"

Ippo, however, looked more nervous than excited.The idea of sparring with Date Eiji, the undisputed Featherweight Champion of Japan, was both thrilling and terrifying.

Before Ippo could react, Alex casually raised his hand.

"Coach, what about me? Can I fight Eiji instead?"

Kamogawa immediately put a hand over his face and sighed.

"I knew it. I knew you were going to say that," he muttered.

Alex scratched the back of his head, giving a half-smile. "I mean, why not?"

Kamogawa lowered his hand and gave him a firm look. "Because I know you. I know exactly what you're thinking, and I know exactly how it would go down if I sent you there."

Alex blinked. "What do you mean?"

Kamogawa shook his head. "This wouldn't be a simple sparring session. You'd turn it into a real fight. And if you did that, things would get messy—very messy."

Alex held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I was just joking."

Kamogawa sighed again, but deep down, he knew Alex wasn't joking at all.

Everyone in the gym knew it, too.

After the conversation in the gym, Ippo and Coach Kamogawa departed for Nakadai Gym, where Eiji Date awaited. Meanwhile, Alex and Yagi had their own business to take care of.

Alex had already showered and changed into a fresh outfit before leaving the gym. He wore a black short-sleeved Nike t-shirt, fitted jeans, and white sneakers—an effortless yet sharp look for the day ahead.

The two stepped out of Kamogawa Gym and into Yagi's car, a modest but reliable sedan that had been through countless trips to matches, meetings, and sponsor negotiations. As they pulled onto the main road, Yagi adjusted his glasses and glanced at Alex.

"You seem pretty relaxed, considering no one in Japan wants to fight you right now," Yagi remarked with a chuckle.

Alex smirked slightly, leaning back in his seat. "I don't really care. If they don't want to fight me, I'll just force someone to step up."

Yagi sighed. "You make it sound so easy."

"It is," Alex replied confidently.

The drive to Nike Japan's headquarters wasn't long, and soon, they arrived at a sleek, modern office building with the iconic Nike swoosh logodisplayed prominently near the entrance.

The receptionist, a well-dressed woman with a professional demeanor, greeted them as they entered.

"Welcome, Makunouchi-san, Yagi-san. The manager is expecting you."

They were quickly led into a spacious conference room, where a Nike Japan executive and a few other staff members were waiting. A large screen displayed Alex's name, the words "Official Sponsorship Agreement," and a digital mock-up of the custom shoe design Alex had submitted.

As they sat down, the executive nodded toward Yagi, who pulled a folder from his bag and handed it over.

"This is the final version of the design," Yagi said.

The Nike manager flipped through the pages before stopping at the key design—a high-cut, all-black boxing shoe with sleek, modern lines, optimized for both stability and movement.

The executive studied the design, then nodded approvingly.

"I like it," he said. "It fits your style—clean, aggressive, and built for dominance."

Alex grinned. "Exactly what I was going for."

The executive leaned forward. "Now, regarding the branding. We think the shoe should have a name that represents your legacy. Do you have any ideas?"

Alex had already thought about this long before. He casually leaned back in his chair and said,

"Makunouchi Dynasty."

The executive paused for a moment, repeating the name under his breath before nodding in approval.

"I like it," he said. "Makunouchi Dynasty… it has a strong, historic feel. It gives the impression of a lasting legacy, not just a one-time success."

Alex's grin widened. "That's the point."

With that, the deal was finalized. Alex would receive 7% of every shoe sale for life, a significant long-term deal that would ensure continuous income even outside of boxing.

After the final signatures were placed on the contract, the Nike staff congratulated Alex on officially launching his own shoe line.

As they left the Nike office, Yagi shook his head in amazement.

"A brand deal like that, and you're only 18…" Yagi muttered. "At this rate, you'll be set for life before you even reach your prime."

Alex just smirked. "I'm only getting started."

After wrapping up at Nike, Alex and Yagi drove straight to a television studio where Alex had an interview scheduled.

As they arrived, Alex was quickly guided into a dressing room to make any last-minute adjustments before stepping onto the set. A few minutes later, he was seated across from a well-dressed host, bright lights shining down on them.

The host faced the camera with a professional yet excited smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a special guest with us—the Japanese Lightweight Champion, Alex Makunouchi!"

The camera panned to Alex, who sat comfortably, his usual confident aura present.

The host turned to him. "Alex-san, welcome. How are you feeling today?"

Alex smiled slightly. "I'm doing great. Just signed a deal before coming here, so it's been a productive day."

The host raised an eyebrow. "A deal? That sounds interesting. We'll get back to that in a second. First, I have to ask—do you have your next opponent lined up yet?"

Alex exhaled through his nose and smirked.

"Sadly, no one in Japan wants to challenge me for my belt anymore."

The host let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "You've been so dominant that they're afraid to risk it all, huh?"

Alex only shrugged, still grinning. "Not my fault."

The host chuckled again before returning to the previous topic. "Now, about that deal you mentioned earlier—can you tell us what it is?"

Alex casually lifted his index finger and pressed it to his lips.

"It's a secret… for now."

With a playful smirk, he leaned back in his chair.

The host, amused by Alex's confidence, laughed.

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see!"