The night was deep, but the darkness could not dispel the burning excitement in Rear Admiral Kane's heart.
Returning to the luxury apartment provided to officers of his rank, Kane locked the door firmly behind him. He poured himself a glass of fine red wine and slumped onto the sofa. Looking at the long string of numbers appearing on his retina, his grin almost reached his ears. Without the slightest hesitation, his consciousness sank directly into the system.
"System, how many discipline points does it take to advance Haoshoku to Infusion?"
[Ding! Detected that the host's current Haoshoku is at the Intermediate · Deterrence stage. To advance to the high-level application Haoshoku Infusion, you need to consume discipline points: 600,000.]
"600,000? System, before when Haoshoku was at the basic level, it cost a million! Why is it cheaper to advance to the top-tier Infusion now? You weren't trying to scam me before, were you?" Kane could not help but ask, feeling suspicious of the price drop.
The system's mechanical voice sounded immediately, explaining the logic without any emotion:
[Ding! Haoshoku Awakening belongs to the endowment of destiny.]
[That is a qualitative change from nothing to something, a fate-defying act that grants the host a talent they did not originally possess; therefore, its value is extremely high.]
[On the other hand, Haoshoku Infusion belongs to the development of technique.]
[That is a quantitative change from one to two, an extension and application of moves based on an existing foundation. Buying Life and buying Technique are fundamentally different; naturally, the pricing is different.]
"I see..." Kane rubbed his chin, accepting this explanation. "Fine, I will grant you that logic."
However, before he could be happy for long, the system's next prompt was like a bucket of cold water poured over him.
[Ding! Detected that the host has not yet mastered the high-level application of Armament Haki, Ryuo (Internal Destruction). Haoshoku Infusion requires this as a foundation and must be upgraded first.]
[Upgrading Ryuo requires consuming discipline points: 300,000. Confirm?]
"..." Kane's eye twitched as he unleashed a silent torrent of abuse at the system. "Confirm! Max out my Armament Haki for me!"
[Instilling Armament Haki · Ryuo related techniques and muscle memory for you...]
Boom—!
As the system prompt finished, a massive and warm current instantly poured in from the top of his head. There was no pain, but rather a profound sense of fullness from being filled with ultimate power. Kane closed his eyes, his consciousness pulled into a void dojo, where countless insights about the flow of Haki flashed by like a slideshow.
From the initial explorations of the Wano Country samurai to how top powerhouses like Sengoku and Garp used it... the experiences, insights, failures, and successes of countless masters were forcibly branded into his soul at this moment, becoming his own instinct. His body trembled slightly. Every inch of muscle and every bone was reconstructing its understanding of Haki under the impact of this flood of information.
Kane suddenly opened his eyes and slowly raised his right hand. With a single thought.
Buzz...
A layer of transparent energy, almost invisible to the naked eye and resembling flowing ripples of water, slowly flowed around his palm. Kane's gaze fell on a special alloy dummy used for testing strength in the corner of the room. That was testing equipment provided by the headquarters for commissioned officers, with a hardness comparable to solid steel.
He stood up and walked slowly to the dummy. He did not build up power or strike an exaggerated pose. He just lightly raised his palm and, from a short distance, pressed it toward the dummy's chest.
"Ryuo."
Pfft.
A dull but extremely penetrating light sound echoed. The alloy dummy did not budge, and its surface appeared perfectly intact. But the next second, a clear palm print suddenly bulged out from its back!
Immediately after— Crack! Crack! Boom!
The entire dummy exploded from within, countless metal fragments flying out and scattering across the floor. This was a destructive force that completely disintegrated the target from the inside out!
"Whew..." Looking at the mess on the floor, Kane clenched his fist with satisfaction.
The feeling of power in his hand, enough to control everything, made him feel a bit intoxicated. Now, looking across this sea, he feared no one except for the few monsters standing at the very peak of the world. Even if he faced Roger or Whitebeard, he would have the strength to fight. Even if he could not win, if he was determined to leave, no one could keep him there.
He had the power. Next was to get more money and farm more points.
Kane sat back on the sofa, took a sip of red wine, and his gaze gradually became deep. The double agent act, though performed flawlessly, had one fatal flaw. And that was the Gorosei's side. Those five old guys were shrewd spirits who had lived for an unknown number of years. He could fool them once or twice, but he could not keep fooling them forever.
If he always stayed at Marineford and only provided trivial intel like "Vice Admiral Garp stole Fleet Admiral Sengoku's senbei again today" every day, they would definitely become suspicious within three months. Once they felt he had lost his utility value or was playing them... the consequences were not something he wanted to see.
He had to leave the cage of Marineford, where all eyes were on him. He needed to go to a place far from the central authority where the Gorosei would think he was being sidelined, and where he could freely amass wealth and frantically farm points.
Kane's finger lightly tapped the table, his gaze falling on the world map on the wall. Finally, his finger crossed the Red Line and pressed heavily on a small red dot at the entrance of the New World.
The G-5 Branch.
The Marine's first branch in the New World. That place was the mandatory path for the vast majority of pirate elites entering the New World, and it was also the branch recognized by the Marines as the most lawless, full of scoundrels. For righteous Marines, it was hell.
But for Kane, who possessed the Scumbag Justice System... that place was simply a discipline points holy land paved with gold!
The next morning. The door to the Fleet Admiral's office was knocked on again.
"Enter!" Kong's voice was as deep as ever, but clearly carried a hint of fatigue. Clearly, Kane's "loyal and brave" performance last night had moved him so much he suffered from insomnia. Sengoku and Garp were also there. As the three big shots saw Kane enter, their gazes instantly softened.
"Kane, how did you sleep?" Kong put down his documents, a kind smile forced onto his face.
"Reporting to Fleet Admiral! I slept very well!" Kane stood at attention and saluted, then a look of resolution appeared on his face. "Fleet Admiral! Admiral Sengoku! I have a bold request!"
"Oh? Speak." Kong nodded. "As long as it is not too excessive, I will approve it."
Kane took a deep breath, his voice pained but firm. "I request... to be transferred to the New World, G-5 Branch!"
"What?!"
"Pfft—!"
Sengoku, who was drinking tea, spat it out and stared at Kane with wide eyes: "Nonsense! That is a place for exiling officers who have made mistakes! You have a limitless future, why go there?"
"Pwahahaha! Kid, are you still dreaming?" Garp laughed while picking his nose. "The bastards there are more like pirates than actual pirates! I cannot even be bothered to look at them whenever I pass by!"
Kong's brow was even more furrowed: "Is it because of the Gorosei? If you are worried about them giving you trouble, I can still protect you here at headquarters, but if you go to G-5..."
"It is precisely because of the Gorosei!" Kane suddenly interrupted the Fleet Admiral. "Fleet Admiral! The Gorosei already have their eyes on me! If I transfer to G-5, in their eyes, it is a signal of being sidelined and exiled! This will make them feel more at ease with me and better protect you, Fleet Admiral, from being implicated by me!"
"That is the first reason!" Kane paused, his tone suddenly becoming impassioned, a flame of justice burning in his eyes. "Secondly, and most importantly! G-5 Branch is a disgrace to our Marines! It is a stain on Justice! It is practically blackening our coat of justice! I, Kane, as a Marine officer, cannot just sit by and watch! I request to go to G-5! I want to use my own strength to clean up the atmosphere there! I want to forge those pieces of trash back into a sharp blade! I want to transform that landfill into a true steel fortress, becoming the first edge our Marines thrust into the heart of the New World!"
His words were powerful and resonant. The office fell into a dead silence once again. Fleet Admiral Kong looked at the young man before him, his deep eyes filled with extremely complex emotions. Moved, gratified, and... deep guilt.
Look at what noble sentiment this was! For the sake of the Marine's overall situation, he was willing to bear the infamy of a greedy petty man. Now, he was even volunteering to take over a mess that even Kong himself found a headache! This was the true spirit of sacrifice! This was the future of the Marines! This was the incarnation of justice!
"Good..." Kong's lips trembled, and he finally squeezed out a single word. He stepped forward, his hands pressing heavily on Kane's shoulders, tears faintly glinting in his tiger-like eyes. "Kane, the Marines... owe you too much. I approve your application!"
Kong's voice was resolute. "As of today, you are appointed as the Base Commander of G-5 Branch! You have the highest command and personnel appointment rights for that branch! I will give you the highest level of resource allocation!"
Kane stood at attention and gave an incredibly standard military salute, his voice hoarse with excitement. "Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Meanwhile. Holy Land Mary Geoise, Room of Authority. A CP0 agent knelt on one knee, reporting the newly received intelligence.
"...Rear Admiral Kane has been transferred to G-5 Branch, by the direct order of Fleet Admiral Kong."
"G-5?" Saint Nusjuro, holding the First Generation Kitetsu, slowly opened his eyes.
A playful smile curled on the lips of the blonde giant Saint Ju Peter: "The New World, huh... It seems he has been sidelined."
"That is fine too." Saint Warcury, the Warrior God of Finance, lightly tapped the floor with his cane. "A pawn hungry for power is only more valuable after suffering grievances. Our control in the New World is insufficient; let him build his own power on the chaotic front line to seize greater interests for us."
"Pass down the order for the CP department to fully cooperate with his actions. Whatever achievements he needs, we will manufacture them for him." Saint Nusjuro sheathed his blade, settling the matter. "We need this nail to gain a firm foothold in the New World as quickly as possible."
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