As night fell over Marineford, the usual bustle of the headquarters gradually quieted down into a low hum.
Inside Rear Admiral Kane's private office, the lights were dimmed. Only a single warm yellow desk lamp remained lit, casting long, flickering shadows against the walls.
Kane had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his Marine uniform, looking relaxed and loose. He leaned lazily against the expensive leather sofa, slowly swirling a glass of top-tier red wine from the North Blue. The deep crimson liquid coated the sides of the glass, leaving an ambiguous curve behind as it settled.
He was waiting for someone.
Knock, knock, knock.
A gentle, almost timid knocking sound echoed through the quiet room.
"Come in," Kane said.
The door was pushed open just wide enough for a slender, graceful figure to slip inside. She immediately turned and locked the door behind her.
Gion's usually heroic and beautiful face was currently filled with anxiety and deep unease. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been fighting back tears for hours.
"Brother Kane..."
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "Outside... everyone is talking. They are saying that you have offended the Gorosei and that you are being exiled to the G-5 Branch as punishment. Is it true?"
Over the past two days, rumors regarding the "Fall of the Marine Supernova" and "Rear Admiral Kane Leaving the Capital in Tears" had spread through every corridor of the headquarters like wildfire.
Naturally, Kane himself had played a major part in fueling these specific rumors.
He knew that the script of a tragic, misunderstood hero always reaped the best results and harvested the most sympathy.
Gion was clearly affected by the lies. In her heart, Kane was an invincible hero and the future light of the entire Marine organization. She couldn't stand the thought of him being cast out to such a chaotic and lawless frontier.
Kane set down his wine glass on the side table and beckoned to her. He wore a gentle smile that could melt away any unease.
"Silly girl, come here."
Gion obeyed instantly, walking over to him like a kitten waiting for its owner's comfort.
"Don't listen to the nonsense people are whispering outside," Kane said. He reached out, took her hand, and pulled her down to sit on his lap. "To me, this isn't an exile. It is just a change of scenery to better uphold justice."
He didn't feel the need to explain his grand plan any further. Instead, his gaze shifted downward to the Konpira blade resting at Gion's waist.
"Let me see if you have been slacking on your 'homework' these past few days."
The familiar, suggestive line caused a deep blush to instantly rise on Gion's cheeks.
She obediently closed her eyes and tilted her head up toward him.
[Ding! Detected that the host is using his position to impose workplace unspoken rules, verbal induction, and physical contact on a female subordinate!]
[Judgment: Although this is a consensual interaction, it seriously tarnishes the serious superior-subordinate relationship within the Marine!]
[Discipline points +20... +15... +30...]
'Mute notification sounds,' Kane muttered in his heart.
He then lowered his head and kissed those trembling lips.
After an hour-long session of "late-night teaching," Kane's discipline points account had increased by over 3,000 points.
The tenderness on his face finally faded, replaced by a practiced seriousness tinged with a hint of heaviness and reluctance.
"I will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning."
These words hit Gion like a bucket of ice water, instantly waking her from her sweet, romantic reverie.
Her eyes reddened again, and fresh tears began to well up.
"Then... then I will go with you!"
Gion grabbed Kane's sleeve tightly, her gaze becoming incredibly firm.
"I am your adjutant! You were the one who gave me this blade! Where the blade is, I am; where you are, I am!"
"But it is very dangerous there, Gion. G-5 is full of heinous pirates, and even the Marine colleagues there are nothing but scum."
"With Brother Kane there, I am not afraid of anything!"
Seeing the girl's expression—looking ready to die for him, as if she were about to elope—Kane was secretly overjoyed.
If I leave you here, wouldn't my point-farming machine stop production? Besides, how could I leave the joy of raising a future Admiral halfway finished?
"Silly girl."
Kane acted "moved," pulling her tightly into his arms.
"Since you are so persistent... then go pack your bags. Get some good rest tonight; tomorrow we will be at sea for a very long time."
Holding the soft and fragrant future Momousagi in his arms, Kane sighed from the bottom of his heart.
This is the life...
The next morning.
Marineford Pier 1.
The cold sea breeze howled across the stone docks, and white seagulls circled high overhead.
A brand-new, special-issue warship was quietly docked in the harbor. It was even larger and more heavily armed than a typical Vice Admiral's flagship.
The figurehead was a giant seagull with outspread wings, appearing to bathe in a violent storm. The ship's lines were cold, hard, and filled with a visible sense of oppression.
This was the flagship specifically approved for Kane by Fleet Admiral Kong—the Storm.
At this time, although the pier was crowded with thousands of Marines, the area was terrifyingly quiet.
The Marines who had come to see them off automatically formed a wide semicircle at the edge of the pier. No one dared to approach the small core area near the ship.
The reason was simple: the aura of the three people standing at the foot of the gangway was truly terrifying.
"How scary~ Is this really Kane's new warship?"
Borsalino was wearing his signature yellow and white striped suit, his Coat of Justice draped over his shoulders. He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the massive ship.
Although he said the word "scary," the expression behind his yellow sunglasses was completely relaxed. He even looked bored, occasionally kicking a small pebble on the ground with the toe of his shoe.
Beside him, Kuzan leaned listlessly against a massive iron bollard.
He was carelessly tossing around a few small ice balls he had condensed from the moisture in the air. Every time he caught one, it made a sharp, tooth-aching freezing sound.
"Ara ara... this is way too slow." Kuzan gave a huge yawn, his eyes full of resentment. "If we don't leave soon, that limited-edition bicycle I just got will probably start to rust..."
The person the crowd dared not approach the most was the man in the dark red suit.
Sakazuki.
He had lowered the brim of his hat and stood with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He looked like a living, breathing volcano that was seconds away from an eruption.
"Too slow." Sakazuki glanced at the watch on his wrist, his voice thick with suppressed anger. "That bastard is making all of us wait for him? Is this how he plans to lead?"
"Don't be in such a hurry, Sakazuki," Borsalino said slowly. "Brother Kane is the protagonist of this little drama, and the protagonist always makes a grand entrance last~"
Just as the words left his mouth.
Tack, tack, tack.
The rhythmic sound of polished leather boots clicking against the stone ground came from the end of the passage.
The surrounding crowd of Marines instantly parted to create a wide, unobstructed path.
Kane had arrived.
He wore a large Coat of Justice over a well-tailored, pure black suit. He had left the collar open to reveal his collarbone.
A thick cigar was clamped between his teeth, and his hands were tucked casually into his pockets.
His pace wasn't particularly fast, but every step he took seemed to tread directly on the hearts of everyone watching.
By himself, his flamboyant and arrogant aura completely suppressed the combined presence of the three Logia monsters waiting on the pier.
Half a step behind him walked Gion, her hand resting firmly on the hilt of Konpira.
She looked heroic and valiant, her eyes watching Kane's back with undisguised admiration and the cold determination of someone following their leader to the death.
"Sorry for the wait."
Kane walked right up to Sakazuki and exhaled a thick, intentional cloud of white smoke, blowing it directly into the magma man's face.
There was no hint of a real apology on his face. Instead, he wore a smug, punchable smirk.
"After all, I had to spend some time packing the best tea leaves I found in Fleet Admiral Kong's office. It took a little longer than expected."
The veins on Sakazuki's forehead throbbed violently. A wisp of black smoke rose from his clenched fist, but he ultimately let out a cold snort and held back his temper.
"Board the ship!"
Kane didn't waste any more words. With a sharp wave of his hand, he was the first to step onto the gangway.
The sea breeze whipped wildly around him, making the Coat of Justice behind him flap loudly like a banner.
Gion followed closely behind him.
Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan glanced at each other. Their lips curled into slight, knowing smiles before they followed suit, taking their positions behind Kane.
Four Logia users.
One potential Great Swordsman.
This was likely the most luxurious, extravagant, and completely unreasonable Rear Admiral squad in the entire history of the Marines.
"Men! Hoist the sails!"
Kane's voice rose high above the howling sea breeze and the deep blast of the ship's whistle.
"Destination—G-5 Branch!"
"Let those death-seeking scumbags in the New World feel exactly what the f*ck Justice means!"
The Storm's whistle let out one last, long blast as it slowly departed the harbor.
This day.
Sea Circle Calendar 1495.
The prototype squad of what would later be known as the "Worst Generation Marines" officially stepped onto the stage of history under Kane's leadership.
The nightmare belonging to the New World had only just begun.
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