New World, Punk Hazard.
When that emergency extra edition of the newspaper scattered across the fortress like frozen snowflakes via the News Coos, the entire G-5 Branch went completely insane! The air was instantly filled with a roar that could be heard for miles.
Boss—!
It is the Boss! The Boss actually took down the Pirate King!
Wahahaha! Who dares to call our G-5 a den of common thugs after this? Who!
An old veteran with a jagged scar running across his face and bloodshot eyes slammed his hand of bad cards onto the wooden table with a resounding thud. He did not care about the game anymore.
Listen up, you pieces of trash!
He jumped onto the table, pointing a calloused finger at his own chest and roaring at the top of his lungs.
We are the subordinates of a global hero! Do you understand what kind of fucking prestige that carries for us?!
In the central plaza, hundreds of once-ferocious rogue soldiers were now throwing their newspapers high into the sky like excited children. Countless papers printed with Kane's "battle-damaged look" fluttered through the air, creating a scene that rivaled the grandest of world festivals.
They were shirtless, their muscular arms locked around each other as they wept unashamed tears of joy. Some even hoisted giant beer barrels over their heads, guzzling the liquid down directly as alcohol mixed with hot tears spilled all over the dusty ground. This was G-5's private carnival, celebrating the glorious victory of the only man they ever truly acknowledged as their leader.
Inside the Governor's Mansion.
Even through the thick, reinforced bulletproof glass, the mountain-shaking waves of sound from the celebration outside made one's heart tremble. Inside the quiet room sat a luxurious lineup of men capable of making the future order of the entire sea shudder.
How scary~
Borsalino held the newspaper up, his eyes behind his amber sunglasses wide as saucers. His signature crooked, lazy expression looked exceptionally genuine for once in his life.
Is this what Kane meant by going to the South Blue just to clear his head for a bit?
He arrested Roger all by himself... Yeesh~ the jaws of those old guys at Marine Headquarters are probably hitting the floor right about now, aren't they?
Sakazuki sat on the sofa, still wearing his red baseball cap even indoors. At this moment, the iron-blooded hardman who practiced "absolute justice" had fingers that trembled slightly as they held his cigar. He looked intensely at the photo in the paper—the image of Kane, covered in blood, leaning on his blade alone as Roger knelt before him in the dirt.
That intensity. That tragic heroism. That unwavering resolve to burn every last drop of blood for the sake of justice!
Phew...
Sakazuki exhaled a thick, grey cloud of smoke, his eyes actually reddening slightly as he spoke in a low, raspy voice:
That guy Kane... to carry out his justice... he actually pushed himself to such a terrifying extent.
He is a true soldier through and through.
Beside him, Kuzan took off his sleep mask and scratched his fluffy black curls. He was unusually alert, devoid of any of his typical sleepiness.
Arara... this has really stirred up a massive amount of trouble for everyone.
Kuzan let out a long, slow sigh, and though he spoke of trouble, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl into an amused smirk.
If he can even handle a monster like Roger, the threshold of our G-5 Branch is probably going to be trampled flat by Marine elites from all over the world wanting to join. Should I submit my retirement application early and live a leisurely life sleeping twenty hours a day?
And in a dark corner of the room.
A man in a blood-red noble's suit with a solitary, chilling aura was clutching a newspaper with trembling fingers. It was "the solitary red," Patrick Redfield. This legendary pirate, who had been tricked by Kane into becoming an "off-the-books thug," was currently experiencing a total mental breakdown.
Roger... actually lost?
That brat... he actually did it?
He did not want to believe it. That was Gol D. Roger! But the devastated, scorched landscape in the background of the photo, and the horrific, visible injuries on Kane's body, forced the Red Earl to believe what he saw.
I am finished... the Red Earl muttered to himself in the shadows. Did I board a ship that I can never get off?
If all this was true, it meant Kane's hidden strength was even more bottomless than he had imagined. Then this damn "fundraising officer" job—he would probably never be able to quit for the rest of his long life.
Just as everyone was lost in their own heavy thoughts, a sharp cry broke the silence of the room.
Big Brother Kane!!!
Gion gripped the newspaper tightly in her hands, her beautiful eyes already red and swollen from crying. She looked at the "bone-deep" wound shown on Kane's chest in the photo, and her heart ached so much she could hardly draw breath. That was her light! Her hero!
How could... how could he be allowed to bleed so much...
Gion suddenly lunged for the den den mushi sitting on the table, her trembling fingers dialing the number with frantic speed. It was Kane's private, direct line.
Buru buru buru... buru buru buru... the den den mushi rang for what felt like an eternity. With every ring of waiting, Gion's heart sank a little bit further into her chest.
Until—
Click.
The call finally connected. A faint, pained groan slowly drifted out of the speaker.
Is that... Gion?
...South Blue, Baterilla Island.
The sun was bright, and the sea breeze was gentle and warm. Kane was sprawled out comfortably on a beach chair, swirling a glass of top-tier red wine he had swiped from Roger's ship.
Where on his body was there even a hint of a real wound? Life Return had long since repaired those superficial, self-inflicted injuries until not even a tiny scar remained on his skin.
Roger was squatting under a nearby coconut tree, drawing frustrated circles in the sand. His entire being radiated a bleak aura of a man questioning his life choices. Hearing the den den mushi ring, Kane glanced at the caller ID—[G-5 · Little Bunny].
Ahem.
Kane instantly sat bolt upright and unhurriedly set down his wine glass on the sand. Best Actor Mode, activate! He took a deep, shaky breath and used local muscle control in his throat to make his voice sound raspy, thin, and dry. This one sound was painful just to hear.
In the G-5 command room, Gion's tears instantly burst forth again: Waaaah! Big Brother Kane! It is me! It is Gion! How are you? Are you okay?! Please tell me you are okay!
Me? Heh...
Kane looked up at the perfect blue sky and fluffy white clouds, but his voice remained incredibly desolate and weak.
I am still alive... barely.
I have only got twelve broken ribs, more than half of my lungs were shattered by the pressure of Roger's Haoshoku, and my heart... it probably just stopped for about three seconds during the clash.
But it is fine. For the sake of justice, I can still hold on.
Pfft—!
Eavesdropping nearby, Roger almost spat out a mouthful of old blood in shock. You fucking broke twelve ribs and you are still sitting here tasting expensive red wine?! Your heart stopped for three seconds and you are still here talking this absolute nonsense?!
Kane glared fiercely at Roger, signaling him to shut his mouth, then continued to pant "weakly" into the receiver:
Gion, please do not cry... a soldier's blood is meant to be shed for the sake of justice. As long as I can catch a man like Roger, and as long as I can save a few innocent lives on this sea... what do my petty injuries really matter?
Uwaaaaah!!!
From the other end came Gion's heart-wrenching wails and the distinct sound of a blade being unsheathed: Big Brother Kane! You must hold on! I am bringing the entire medical team right now!! I will cut down anyone who dares to try and stop me!!
Hearing the young girl's total breakdown on the other side, Kane nodded with internal satisfaction. Excellent, more discipline points are about to be credited to my account. The system would definitely reward this kind of behavior of deceiving a pure-hearted girl's feelings for his own gain.
Cough, cough... Gion, let Sakazuki and the others take the phone for a moment.
Kane said "with great difficulty."
After a flurry of chaotic footsteps, Sakazuki's heavy, serious voice came through the snail: Kane, it is Sakazuki. How... are you really doing?
Kane's tone suddenly shifted; though he still sounded weak, it gained a few traces of cold ruthlessness.
Listen to me, my situation is very bad. Although I have used Life Return to forcibly lock down my injuries, my actual combat power is currently less than ten percent of what it usually is.
To prevent any of Roger's remnants from trying to counterattack, or in case someone from the World Government wants to swoop in and try to steal the credit for this arrest...
At this point, Kane's voice suddenly became stern and commanding.
The three of you, take the fastest warship in the fleet and get here immediately! Bring our justice back home! Remember! Anyone who tries to intercept you, whether they are CP agents or the dogs of the Celestial Dragons, you sink them for me!
This is our G-5's funding for the next ten years, and... cough, cough, also my necessary medical expenses!
Sakazuki's hand tightened around the receiver until the plastic creaked. Even at a time like this, this bastard is still thinking about funding... but why does it sound so reassuring coming from him?
Understood.
Sakazuki took a deep breath, a fighting spirit as hot as molten magma boiling in his eyes.
Rest easy, Kane. No one can snatch away the glory that belongs to you!
Beside him, Borsalino adjusted his yellow sunglasses, a dangerous smile curling his lips: Since it is Kane's "medical expenses," we certainly cannot let others touch it~ I would be quite troubled if our hard-earned funds were intercepted~
Kuzan stood up, a blast of cold air instantly dropping the room's temperature to the freezing point: Arara, then let us head out. It just so happens that I want to see the expression of the legendary Pirate King for myself right now as well.
The three of them locked eyes in the center of the room. Without any further nonsense, at this moment, the future highest combat powers of the Navy reached an unprecedented level of understanding.
Click.
The call ended.
Kane casually tossed the receiver back onto the sand, picked up his wine glass again, and took a comfortable, long sip.
Tsk, this batch of subordinates is so incredibly easy to lead.
He looked at the system prompts constantly popping up on his retina:
[Ding! Through your superb acting skills, you have deceived the pure feelings of your subordinates and incited conflict between G-5 and the World Government.] [Discipline points +100!]
[Ding! Your "playing the victim" behavior has caused the favorability of the important character "Gion" to exceed the critical threshold, transforming into a morbid obsession, judged as "distorting others' values".] [Discipline points +50!]
Comfortable.
Kane stretched his arms, then turned to look at Roger, who had an expression on his face like he was suffering from chronic constipation.
Mr. Roger, please do not look at me with that look you would give a devil from hell.
Roger looked up, his gaze complex to the extreme. Looking at this young man, this extreme contrast between his public hero persona and his private greed, and this method of playing with people's hearts in the palm of his hand—it made even Roger, a Pirate King who had seen all kinds of storms, feel waves of palpitations.
You guy... Roger's voice was raspy, You are even crazier than Rocks was.
Rocks' madness was written clearly on his face; it was the kind of domineering ambition that wanted to swallow the entire world whole. But the man before him named Kane—his madness was hidden perfectly beneath a mask of "justice," a deeper, more bottomless terror that could toy with the entire world like a game of chess.
You flatter me. Kane waved his hand dismissively.
Let us get back to real business.
Kane set down his wine glass and leaned forward slightly, a smile as warm as a spring breeze on his face, but his words made Roger's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Regarding the ownership of the treasure currently on your ship, the Oro Jackson.
After all, Kane pointed solemnly at his perfectly intact chest, his tone sounding sorrowful, I did break twelve ribs to get you here...
Collecting some mental distress fees, battle damage repair fees, lost wages, and site destruction fees... all of this is very reasonable, right?
Roger: "..."
Roger suddenly felt that all the bad things he had done in the past were as pure and innocent as an infant's actions. He even began to feel a little bit of genuine sympathy for the World Government. Encountering a monster with zero loyalty to "justice," their future days would likely never know peace again.
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