The manga SWOT follows Manabizaki Kyou, a brilliant but eccentric transfer student whose sole dream is to enter Tokyo University and eventually work for NASA. He enrolls at Momiji Public High School, believing it to be a prestigious academic institution, only to discover it has become completely overrun with violent delinquents from various merged schools. The campus is now a chaotic battleground where gangs fight for control over the "Choujou," the school's absolute sovereign position that grants the holder immense influence and even connections to the underworld.

Despite his frail, bookish appearance and obsessive study habits, Manabizaki possesses overwhelming fighting prowess, which he unleashes without hesitation on anyone who disrupts his study time or calls him stupid. His fighting style is unique, relying on running probability simulations in his head to predict and counter his opponents' moves. He soon acquires allies including Iwashida Touji, a weak and cowardly boy known as "Coward" who becomes his loyal disciple, and Hasuno Nene, a legendary delinquent girl with a fearsome reputation who secretly dreams of becoming a kindergarten teacher. A subtle romantic tension develops between Manabizaki and Hasuno, much to his confusion as he experiences unfamiliar emotions for the first time.

The manga progresses through Manabizaki's systematic defeat of rival gangs, starting with the Bat gang led by Koumori Chikage, who attacks Manabizaki for helping the traitorous Hasuno. He then faces the Manji gang under Oono Mitsuji, who boasts a "Million-ton Meteor Fist" technique, only to be outmatched by Manabizaki's "Hundred-Million-ton Meteor Fist." The most significant arc involves the Naraku gang led by Toudou, whose friend was killed in pursuit of the Choujou. After a brutal battle where Manabizaki accidentally unleashes a secret technique called "Satetsu," he defeats Toudou and forms an alliance with him. Other notable characters include Yami Kura, a fighting maniac who wields a wooden sword and claims he only feels alive during combat, and Hasuno's former classmate Sakiku, who resents her for teaching her how to fight and subsequently ruining her ordinary life.

The series was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump across three volumes totaling 20 chapters before being cancelled due to low readership rankings. The ending arrives abruptly, forcing the narrative to conclude without fully exploring its premise. While the manga establishes the core trio's dynamic and resolves several gang conflicts, the cancellation prevents deeper exploration of the Choujou concept or the romantic subplot. The final chapter, "Again Somewhere," attempts to provide closure for the characters as they look toward their futures. A one-shot version was originally published in 2009 that established the basic concept, with the serialized version beginning shortly thereafter. The complete series is available in Japanese from Shueisha and in English from publishers including Viz Media under the title "Swot."