The air inside the Room of Authority froze for a full ten seconds.
The expressions on the faces of the Gorosei were, to put it mildly, quite a sight. The golden-haired giant, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, had his mouth twitch as he forced back the intimidating words he had previously prepared. The bald swordsman, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, also silently released his grip on the hilt of the First Generation Kitetsu. His eyes remained closed, but his tightly furrowed brows showed that his heart was far from calm.
"Heh... Hehehehe..."
A low, raspy laugh suddenly came from Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Finance, who had long white curly hair and wore a flat cap. The laughter grew louder, eventually carrying a hint of genuine amusement.
"Interesting. What an interesting young man." Saint Warcury tapped the floor lightly with his cane. The killing intent in his eyes quietly receded, replaced by a playful look one might give to a rare pet. "That old stubborn Kong and that bookworm Sengoku actually managed to raise such an... 'oddity'."
The bald elder holding the First Generation Kitetsu, Saint Nusjuro, curled his lips into a sarcastic arc. "For promotion and wealth? To make us happy, you would dare to pluck Kong's hair? Kane, do you even know what you are saying? This is extreme disrespect toward the current Fleet Admiral."
"Respect?" Kane snapped his head up, the flames of ambition flickering in his eyes as he spoke with intense passion!
"My Lords! Even the Fleet Admiral is nothing more than a butler guarding the house for you! What I respect is not a person, but 'power'! It is the supreme 'order'! Whoever gives me power, whoever lets me get rich—that person is my real father! Fleet Admiral Kong cannot give me these things. He only tells me to catch pirates and go to my death, and he even docks my bonuses! But the Lords of the Gorosei are different..."
Kane swallowed hard, his gaze fixed intently in the direction of the massive safe behind Saint Warcury. His display of unrefined greed was practically flawless. "Just a little something leaking through your fingers would be enough to feed me for ten lifetimes!"
"Hahahaha!"
This time, all five elders in the Room of Authority laughed. It was a laugh of mockery, but also one of satisfaction. They were not afraid of greedy subordinates; they were afraid of subordinates who had no desires! Why was Zephyr so difficult to handle? Because he had principles. Why was Garp so difficult? Because he was incorruptible. But the young man before them, despite his extraordinary talent and great strength, was a complete materialist, a scoundrel, and an opportunist! As long as such a person was fed well, they would be the sharpest of fangs and the most obedient of dogs.
"Very well." Saint Warcury restrained his laughter and spoke in a patronizing tone. "It seems you are much smarter than we imagined. Compared to those fools whose heads are filled with hot-blooded justice, we indeed prefer dealing with smart people. Kane, we will give you an opportunity."
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture, casually picked up a document from the desk and tossed it onto the floor in front of Kane. "This is the approval for 'Special Oversight Authority'. From today on, in addition to being a Rear Admiral of Marineford, you are also an intelligence officer directly under us. We need you to keep an eye on those disobedient people within the Marines for us. Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr... if anyone makes a move, report directly to us, bypassing the chain of command. In return..."
As he spoke, he took a check from his robes and threw it toward Kane. "Here is 1,000,000,000 Beri. This is your operational budget for the year, and also a reward for your 'loyalty'. If it is not enough, you can apply for more. As long as your performance satisfies us, the position of Fleet Admiral is not out of reach."
"One billion... all mine? I do not have to hand it over? And I have a chance... to become Fleet Admiral?" Kane's voice trembled with wild, unchecked joy.
"As long as you do your job well, this is merely pocket money." Saint Jaygarcia Saturn looked at him with disdain, the last shred of doubt in his heart vanishing. This kind of greedy display could not be faked. This kid was truly, deeply greedy.
"Thank you, Lords of the Gorosei!" Kane snatched up the document, his hands shaking with excitement. He even brought it to his lips and gave the paper a hard kiss! "I, Kane, will head back right now and keep a death grip on Marineford!"
"Good." Saint Nusjuro stood up. "Remember what you said today. What we can give you, we can also take back at any time."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Kane hurriedly tucked away the document and stood up, but his expression suddenly became somewhat conflicted, as if he were hesitating to speak.
"Is there something else?" Saint Nusjuro frowned.
"Um... my Lords." A look of difficulty appeared on Kane's face as his eyes flickered toward the main entrance. "My Lords, I have no problem showing my loyalty, but... it seems some people do not really want me getting close to you."
"What do you mean?" Saint Saturn's brow furrowed.
Kane pointed outside the door, his face full of resentment. "A storm suddenly kicked up at sea earlier, making the ship toss and turn. As a Marine, I remained at my post. But these two officers not only failed to protect the flag symbolizing the dignity of the World Government, they leaned over the railing and vomited like crazy, making a complete spectacle of themselves! I could overlook that, but I also seemed to hear them complaining, saying things like 'Why do the Gorosei have to summon us in this season' and 'I really do not want to do this crappy job'..."
"They even said that even if I gain your favor, it is useless because I have offended CP0. They said all my future intelligence will be faked, and they will mess with me however they want!"
As soon as he said this, the two CP0 agents kneeling at the door snapped their heads up, their eyes widening behind their masks. "You are lying!" one of them shrieked in terror.
Inside the Room of Authority, the temperature dropped sharply. The faces of the Gorosei instantly darkened. They could tolerate the defiance of the Marine top brass, but they would never tolerate the slightest sign of disloyalty from their own dogs.
Boom!
An aura of extreme terror erupted instantly, causing the expensive carpet in the hall to crack inch by inch. The Gorosei, of course, would not fully believe Kane's side of the story. But it was a fact that those two CP0 agents had appeared at the Holy Land with disheveled clothes and covered in filth, shaming the Government. Furthermore, CP0 had indeed been getting a bit too arrogant lately, overstepping their bounds. Regardless of the truth, using this opportunity to discipline the CP department while simultaneously appeasing this newly recruited dog was a worthwhile trade.
"Hmph." Saint Saturn let out a cold snort that was bone-chilling. "Two useless dogs who cannot even stay steady on a ship; keeping them is just a waste of food."
Saint Nusjuro stroked his sword hilt without even lifting his eyelids. "Kane, since you discovered them, these two traitors shall be left for you to handle."
At those words, a bloodthirsty light erupted in Kane's eyes. This was exactly what he had been waiting for! "As you command! I guarantee you will be satisfied!"
Kane stood up abruptly, turned around, and strode toward the door.
"Kane! What do you think you are do—" Before the man could finish, Kane's figure had already turned into an afterimage!
Shave!
His speed was so extreme that the two CP0 agents' Observation Haki could only capture a blurry outline! They were horrified, but by the time they tried to react, it was too late.
"Finger Pistol!"
Kane's index finger was as hard as iron, coated in a layer of pitch-black Armament Haki, cutting through the air with a shrill whistle!
Puchi! Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!
Almost simultaneously, his finger moved like a sewing machine needle in a storm, frantically stabbing into the four limbs and joints of the two CP0 agents! Blood sprayed everywhere!
"Aaaahhh!!!" Shrill screams echoed through the quiet corridor.
The two who had just been the supreme shields of the Celestial Dragons were now like puppets with their strings cut, slumped limply on the ground. Their limbs were twisted at bizarre angles, and blood gurgled from their wounds. They were crippled. The martial arts they were so proud of had been completely destroyed by Kane using the most basic of the Rokushiki in a display of absolute dominance.
Kane looked down at the two twitching figures on the ground, his face devoid of expression. He slowly raised his foot and lightly stepped on the face of the CP0 agent who had vomited earlier, grinding his heel.
'I told you, I am a man who understands the rules better than anyone. Besides, if I let you two idiots out alive and you go around saying Rear Admiral Kane is a greedy scoundrel, wouldn't my painstakingly crafted righteous persona collapse? Only the dead can keep secrets.'
[Ding! Detected that the host has framed colleagues and committed a public assault with cruel methods!]
[Congratulations to the host! Obtained discipline points: 5,000 points!]
[Current discipline points balance: 402,700 points!]
"Guards." Saint Nusjuro spoke flatly. The doors opened, and several guards from the Holy Knights clad in black armor walked in. "Dispose of those two CP0 members." The old man's tone was as casual as if he were telling them to throw away two bags of trash. "Tell the CP Chief to keep his dogs on a leash. If this happens again, he is out of a job too."
"Yes!" The guards took the order and left.
"Are you satisfied?" Saint Warcury looked at Kane.
"Satisfied! Extremely satisfied!" Kane's face was instantly covered in a fawning smile. "With such great favor from my Lords, I, Kane, am willing to work myself to the bone! I will head back to the headquarters now and find out exactly what color underwear Fleet Admiral Kong is wearing today for you!"
This crude and blunt metaphor made even the old men twitch their lips. "We do not need to know that," Saint Nusjuro said coldly. "We only want useful intelligence. Go, and do not disappoint us."
"Yes!"
Kane took the document and backed out of the hall with bows and scrapes... and as the heavy doors slowly closed, they sealed off the oppressive air of the Room of Authority. Exiting Pangaea Castle, he was bathed in sunlight once again.
Kane stopped in his tracks, pulled a clean white handkerchief from his robes, and slowly wiped the blood from his hands. He adjusted his slightly crooked tie, turned back, and took a deep look at the towering building of authority that reached into the clouds. The humility and fawning on his face vanished without a trace in an instant. In its place was a look of unfathomable mockery and a heart-stopping arrogance.
"A bunch of self-righteous fools."
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