Over the next three days, a strange rumor spread through Marine Headquarters at Marineford.
It was said that whenever night fell, strange noises that made people blush would emanate from the office of the newly promoted Rear Admiral Kane.
First came heavy impact sounds, followed by a young woman's exhausted panting, and finally mixed with a man's stern low shouts.
"Lower your waist further!"
"Harder! How can such weak strength possibly satisfy me?"
"Is this your limit already, Gion?"
Marines on night patrol would pass by that lit window and exchange knowing smiles before tacitly quickening their steps to distance themselves.
"That's sword training! That's hellish special training, don't you understand?!"
In the first cafeteria, Tokikake slammed the table and roared at a group of whispering colleagues, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
He had been crouching under the building every night these past few days like a creep, firmly believing that was Gion sweating through her efforts to become stronger! That was the necessary training on the path of the strong!
As for the person involved, Gion was indeed experiencing both pain and joy.
In the spacious office, the air was filled with the faint scent of sweat and hormones.
Gion lay completely collapsed on the leather sofa, her training clothes soaked through with fragrant sweat, tightly outlining her breathtaking, graceful curves.
Her chest heaved violently, her eyes were unfocused, and she didn't want to move even a finger.
At her feet lay a standard-issue Marine saber that had become notched and even broken at the tip.
"I can't... Rear Admiral Kane... I really... can't go on..."
These past few days of "close guidance" had rapidly advanced her understanding of swordsmanship, but the physical exertion was also terrifyingly intense.
"Giving up already?"
Kane sat calmly behind the redwood desk, leisurely sipping a cup of black tea, his gaze sweeping over Gion's undulating curves.
Tsk, truly exceptional.
The hands-on teaching these past few days had indeed provided an unparalleled feel.
He set down his teacup, his eyes falling on Gion's battered saber, his brow slightly furrowed.
Not just because the sword was damaged, but because he realized that if this woman couldn't continue the high-intensity "special training" due to lacking a good blade, wouldn't he be losing many nights of entertainment?
More importantly, Kane glanced at his own waist.
The pitch-black "Tensa, Zangetsu" still hung there bare, without a sheath.
Although the System Space was convenient, as a Great Swordsman, he couldn't possibly draw his sword each time as if pulling it from his crotch—completely lacking in style.
"It seems I need to visit the logistics department."
Kane set down his teacup, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes.
...
Marine Headquarters, Logistics and Equipment Department.
This was the most lucrative place in all of Marineford, with massive steel warehouse complexes resembling a maze, the air thick with the mixed scents of gun oil, anti-rust paint, and aged wooden crates.
The manager of Elite Warehouse No. 3 was a captain named Charlie, a lean and shrewd old hand.
His uniform unbuttoned, he lounged with a cheap cigar in his mouth and legs crossed while reading a newspaper. Only when he spotted the glaring golden star on Kane's shoulder did he rise, offering a sloppy salute.
"Rear Admiral Kane, what brings you to this dump?"
"A sheath for my saber."
Kane's reply was curt, but his eyes had already swept like radar over the mountainous stacks of wooden crates deep inside the warehouse.
"A sheath? Easy!" Old Charlie grinned, pointing to a row of standard-issue sheaths on the counter. "Standard officer issue—white lacquer with gold patterns, stamped with 'Justice' in bold characters. Looks impressive when you carry it!"
Kane glanced at them, his lip twitching uncontrollably.
Vulgar.
If the Tensa, Zangetsu had a spirit, it would probably commit suicide on the spot if forced into such a gaudy thing.
"Too ugly."
Kane didn't mince words. "My saber has a temper. It doesn't like flashy things. I'll choose my own."
"Choose your own?" Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Rear Admiral, everything in this warehouse is logged. Even a sheath requires paperwork to take—"
"Oh?" Kane smiled, stepping forward. His tall frame cast an intimidating shadow. "Are you saying that I, a rear admiral, need approval from a mere captain to pick a suitable sheath for my own saber?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Charlie broke into a sweat but kept his smile plastered on. "Rules are rules…"
Kane didn't respond. Instead, he strode directly into the dustiest section of the warehouse, sifting through piles of junk.
The assortment was bewildering: gold cutlasses studded with fake gems, cursed daggers with sinister engravings, even rusted iron rods.
"Tsk. This generation of pirates has terrible taste."
Just as Kane was about to lose patience, his gaze caught on something peeking out from beneath a rotting wooden shelf in the corner.
A black object, partially exposed.
Kane reached down, pulled it out, and gently blew off the thick layer of dust.
His impatience vanished instantly, replaced by a satisfied smile.
It was a sheath carved entirely from an unknown, pitch-black ebony wood, cool and heavy to the touch.
Best of all, winding across the dark surface were irregular, deep crimson streaks—like dried blood—exuding a restrained, dangerous, and sinister beauty.
"Almost tailor-made for Zangetsu."
Kane drew the Tensa, Zangetsu in a reverse grip and slid it gently into the sheath.
Click.
A crisp, satisfying sound echoed.
A perfect fit!
The black hilt, linked to its chain, paired with the black-and-crimson streaked sheath, made the entire blade feel unified. Its overwhelming sharpness was perfectly contained, transforming into a deep, solemn lethality.
"Excellent taste, Rear Admiral!" Charlie scurried over, beaming. "The color scheme—understated yet luxurious. Clearly a divine weapon!"
Kane fastened the saber at his waist, but his eyes drifted past Charlie, settling on a long wooden box buried under several crates of cannonballs at the warehouse's deepest recess.
His Observation Haki had long sensed it—a presence there, faint but unyieldingly sharp.
"That... Rear Admiral, those are seized items awaiting approval, you can't..."
Kane ignored him, walked over, and with one hand lifted the heavy ammunition crate, retrieving the dusty wooden box inside.
The moment he opened the lid, a flash of pink-gold light gleamed in the dim warehouse.
Inside the box lay a long greatsword.
The scabbard was an ornate gold lacquer, adorned with exquisite pink cherry blossom patterns, and the tsuba was shaped like a rare four-leaf clover.
Near the sheath's opening, several ancient Chinese characters were engraved—[Kumbhira].
One of the Great Grade Blade Twenty-One Works!
The exclusive saber of the Admiral candidate "Momousagi" from the original story!
"This sword..." Old Charlie's expression changed, "Oh, I remember now. This was a trophy Vice Admiral Garp brought back from the New World a few years ago. Because the color is too... girly, no one wanted to use it, so it's been lying here ever since."
"No one wanted to use it?"
Kane smiled, a meaningful grin.
He snapped the lid shut with a "click" and then very naturally tucked the box under his arm.
"I'll take it, then."
Old Charlie rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "Well... according to regulations, even for flag officers, taking a named weapon requires going through procedures, filling out forms, and reporting to Admiral Sengoku for approval..."
"Too much trouble."
Kane shook his head, then pulled a thick envelope from his pocket.
He discreetly slipped the envelope into Old Charlie's open pocket and even helped button it up.
"The weather's been dry lately, and I see our logistics brothers have been working hard. Consider this money for everyone to have some tea."
Kane's voice was gentle and sincere, his eyes filled with "consideration for subordinates."
Old Charlie felt a weight in his chest, the thickness making his heart race. He subtly gauged the heft, and the wrinkles on his face instantly blossomed into a bright, chrysanthemum-like smile.
"Oh, Rear Admiral, you're too kind! So considerate of your subordinates, truly a model for us all!"
Old Charlie quickly glanced around and lowered his voice. "Since it's tea money... feel free to take anything you fancy from this warehouse. As for this sword... have I seen it? Probably not. Maybe the rats took it."
"Right, the rats in this warehouse are quite large indeed."
Kane patted Old Charlie on the shoulder, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.
[Ding! Detected host bribing a Navy colleague and embezzling public property.]
[Violation Value obtained: 1,200 points!]
Listening to the pleasant system notification, Kane was in high spirits. Clutching the legendary named sword, he strode out of the warehouse with an unapologetic swagger.
...
That evening.
After another round of blush-inducing "close guidance," Gion straightened her disheveled collar, her face flushed as she prepared to leave.
Watching the girl's graceful retreating figure, Kane lightly tapped the table with his fingers, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
'Leaving already?'
At first, he had only approached it with a perfunctory mindset of "since the system counts this as harassment, might as farm some points."
But he had to admit, over these three days, he had developed a taste for it.
Watching this usually heroic and spirited future Admiral candidate, who would one day shake the seas, go from stiff resistance in his arms to blushing and panting, even actively striking various embarrassing poses to accommodate his "teaching"...
This stark contrast, along with the sense of conquest from slowly tainting the unattainable flower with his own colors, brought Kane, this "old sea king," a long-lost sense of pleasure.
'It would be such a waste to treat her merely as a point-grinding machine.'
Kane stroked his chin, his gaze gradually deepening, brimming with aggression.
'Top-tier figure, exceptional talent, and most importantly... that look of almost overflowing admiration when she gazes at me.'
If such an obedient and useful top-tier tool were to be given to someone else, or if she grew wings and flew away in the future, he would truly feel heartache.
Thinking this, a gentle yet dangerous curve lifted the corner of Kane's lips.
"Wait."
He called out to her.
Gion turned back in confusion, only to see Kane take out the long wooden box from under the desk and slowly walk up to her.
"Rear Admiral Kane?"
"Open it and see."
Gion was taken aback for a moment, then complied and opened the wooden box.
The next second, her eyes were fixed, unable to look away.
It was the instinctive thrill a swordsman feels upon seeing a peerless blade. The exquisite cherry blossom patterns, the perfect curvature of the blade—it all seemed to call out to her.
"This... what is this?" Her hand trembled as she reached out, grasped the hilt, and gently drew it out.
Clang—!
A clear, phoenix-like ring of the blade echoed through the office.
The cold gleam illuminated Gion's stunned, beautiful face.
"Great Grade Blade Twenty-One Works, Kumbhira."
Kane's calm voice rang out, carrying an undeniable certainty.
"I've been observing you these past few days. Ordinary blades have limited your potential. Only this sword is worthy of your talent."
"A Great Grade Blade?!"
Gion was so startled she nearly dropped it. This was a priceless treasure, something money couldn't buy!
"No! This is too precious! I can't accept it!" Gion flustered, trying to return the sword. "Rear Admiral Kane, you must have gone through great difficulty to obtain this..."
"Take it."
Kane interrupted her, stepping forward and gently pressing his large hand over hers as she tried to return the blade.
The distance between them instantly closed. Kane's deep gaze locked onto Gion's eyes, and he could even catch the faint scent of her shower gel.
His expression shifted instantly. The originally teasing look in his eyes now turned deep and solemn, as if he were gazing upon the most precious treasure of his life.
"Actually, this isn't just a sword. It's also a family heirloom passed down through my family."
"Huh?" Gion froze.
Kane's voice grew low and magnetic, as if recounting an ancient secret.
"According to our ancestral teachings, Kumbhira chooses its own master. It awaits someone who can resonate with my soul, someone who truly understands the meaning of 'Justice.'"
He reached out with his other hand, gently smoothing the stray hair by her ear, his fingertips brushing against her flushed cheek.
"Gion, watching you wield your sword these past few days, seeing you grit your teeth in my arms time and again to grow stronger... I could feel it cheering. The one it has been waiting for is you."
"So, for you, even if it means defying the family rule that 'this blade can only be given to the partner who will spend a lifetime with me,' I would do so without hesitation."
Boom!!!
Gion's mind went completely blank with a buzzing sound.
A family heirloom... soul resonance... a partner to spend a lifetime with...?!
These words exploded in her mind like a nuclear bomb, shattering her reason into fragments that turned into a sky full of pink bubbles.
So... in Rear Admiral Kane's heart, am I... such a special existence?
He not only taught me without reservation, but even... even gave me the most important family heirloom...
Could this be... a disguised proposal?!
Looking at the man before her who was willing to break ancestral traditions, Gion's eyes instantly reddened, and scalding tears uncontrollably burst forth.
"Brother Kane!!"
Unable to restrain the surging emotions in her heart any longer, she threw herself into Kane's arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist, crying like a rain-soaked pear blossom.
"I swear! As long as I live, this sword will remain with me! I will never betray your feelings! Neither this sword, nor... nor you!"
Kane naturally wrapped his arms around the trembling girl's shoulders, holding her tightly against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head, and gently stroking her long hair.
From an angle Gion couldn't see, the deep affection on Kane's face faded, leaving only a triumphant smile.
[Ding! Fabricated false family history, successfully completed deep emotional binding with elite Navy officer Gion.]
[Achievement unlocked: A Lie for a Lifetime.]
[Ding! Established a long-term "unspoken rule" relationship, initiating continuous Violation Value income. Violation Value +100 points daily.]
Listening to the beautiful chime of the system and feeling the unwavering devotion of the girl in his arms, Kane was in high spirits.
A conveniently acquired sword, exchanged for a future Admiral candidate as a wife, plus a stable daily income.
More importantly, on the long Navy journey ahead, whether in the office or on the battlefield, he would never be lonely again.
This deal was an absolute win.