By the time he returned to Marine Headquarters, Marineford, it was already dusk the next day.
The setting sun was the color of blood, dyeing the massive "Justice" Fortress a murderous crimson.
Inside the Navy Port, the atmosphere was abnormally oppressive. The usual clamor of training drills had vanished, replaced by the sight of soldiers hurrying about with grave expressions.
The moment Kane stepped off the warship's gangway, countless gazes instantly focused on him.
There was concern, scrutiny, and also a certain schadenfreude from those belonging to other factions.
"Rear Admiral Kane is back!"
"To be taken away by CP0 and return completely unscathed? It's a miracle..."
"Shh! Don't speak carelessly!"
Kane ignored the surrounding whispers, adjusted his collar, and with a calm expression and steady steps, walked towards the headquarters building.
Only he knew that the real drama was just about to begin.
Spy on Kong and Sengoku?
What a joke!
Those old geezers from the Five Elders really think they can treat me like a dog?
An imperceptible smirk touched the corner of Kane's mouth as he walked straight to the Fleet Admiral Office on the top floor.
He didn't knock right away, but stood still for a moment.
He controlled his facial muscles, adjusted his breathing rate, and forced his tear glands to begin secreting a slight amount of fluid.
Three seconds later.
The arrogant and high-spirited "Son of the Storm" had vanished.
In his place was a returning wanderer, his steps heavy, his expression fraught with struggle, as if he carried a burden of ten thousand tons.
Thump, thump, thump.
The knocks on the door were dull and hesitant.
"Enter!"
Kong's signature, resonant voice came from within, but it was tinged with a hint of fatigue and irritation.
Kane pushed the door open and entered.
The spacious office was wreathed in smoke.
Not only was Fleet Admiral Kong present, but Admiral Sengoku and the Marine Hero Garp were there as well.
The three of them were frowning at a sea chart, clearly discussing the increasingly dire pirate situation in the New World.
Upon seeing Kane enter, all three of them paused simultaneously.
Sengoku pushed up his reflective glasses, his gaze as sharp as a knife, as if trying to see through Kane's very soul. "You're back? Those five old... ahem, the Elders, they didn't give you a hard time, did they?"
Garp, on the other hand, stood up boisterously, his eyes scanning Kane from head to toe. After confirming he wasn't missing any limbs, he snorted coldly, "Tch, I told you this kid's got a tough life. He won't die that easily."
Fleet Admiral Kong sat in the main seat, his hands clasped under his chin, his deep eyes locked firmly on Kane. His voice was as steady as a mountain.
"Kane, why did the Five Elders summon you, bypassing the chain of command?"
Kane did not answer immediately.
He reached back, slowly closed the door, and even deliberately locked it.
This action made the expressions of the three top figures in the room grow even more solemn.
He turned around and, one heavy step at a time, walked to Kong's desk.
His head was bowed low, his shoulders trembling slightly from some immense, suppressed emotion.
Slap!
A check was slammed heavily onto the desktop.
"Fleet Admiral! I have failed you!!!"
Kane's shout, three parts sob and seven parts tragic heroism, nearly made Garp, who was chewing on Rice Crackers, choke.
Sengoku and Kong were also stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Fleet Admiral Kong frowned at the thin piece of paper on the desk.
The next second, his pupils contracted violently.
"One... one billion Berries?!"
Sengoku also sucked in a cold breath and shot his head up to look at Kane. "Where did this money come from?!"
"It's from the Five Elders... the price for selling myself!"
Kane abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, with glistening tears threatening to fall from their corners.
"What?!" Sengoku's face changed drastically. "Speak clearly!"
Kane gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.
"I knew it was a treacherous banquet before I even went! The moment I met the Five Elders, they used their Conqueror's Haki to pressure me, asking me what 'Justice' was!"
"I understood right then and there. If I had acted like a true Marine, like a man with a backbone... I would absolutely not have been able to walk out of Mary Geoise today! I would have even implicated you, Fleet Admiral, and Admiral Sengoku!"
As Kane spoke, he clenched his fists.
"So... I... I..."
He closed his eyes, a look of extreme pain and self-loathing on his face.
"I had a flash of inspiration and disguised myself as a greedy, lecherous, bottom-feeding scoundrel who only recognizes money and not people!"
"I told those five old men: How much is Justice worth? As long as you pay, I'll be your most loyal dog! I'm willing to sell my soul, willing to do any dirty work for Berries!"
The office fell deathly silent.
Only Kane's grief-stricken and indignant voice echoed in the room.
"They believed me! Those high and mighty gods, they actually believed me!"
"They gave me this one billion as a down payment and even promised to let me take your position in the future..."
Kane pointed at the check on the desk, his body trembling violently.
"The price is... for me to spy on you! To spy on Admiral Sengoku! To report on Vice Admiral Garp's whereabouts at all times! To be a nail driven into the heart of the Navy!"
"Those bastards!!!"
BOOM!
Kong flew into a rage, slamming his palm down hard on the desk.
The solid mahogany desk instantly spiderwebbed with cracks, and the teacup shattered into pieces.
"This is too much! Simply too much!"
Kong's chest heaved violently. Although he had long known the Five Elders didn't trust the Navy, he never expected them to go this far, to directly bribe his subordinate to be a spy!
This was not just a slap in his face; it was a trampling of the Navy's dignity!
His dissatisfaction with the World Government reached its peak at this moment.
Kane lowered his head in "shame," his voice trembling.
"Fleet Admiral, the money is all here."
"I, Kane, may be a bit of a bastard usually, always trying to gain some small advantage, but I was born a man of the Navy, and I will die a ghost of the Navy!"
"To make me betray my superiors, betray my comrades... I can't do it!"
"But if I didn't take this money, if I didn't pretend to agree with them... I was afraid I would never have the chance to return to this sea of Justice, never have the chance to serve you again..."
As he spoke of these emotional parts, Kane's voice choked up several times, almost breaking into sobs.
With acting skills like these, even an Oscar-winning actor would have to bow down to him.
Kong looked at the young Rear Admiral before him.
Nineteen years old, full of vigor, a time when he should be enjoying his glory.
Yet, for the sake of the Navy's overall situation, to prevent the higher-ups from tearing all pretenses apart, he had to, all by himself, in the center of world power, don the mask of a "greedy scoundrel," enduring inner torment and self-reproach.
He was even willing to tarnish his own reputation!
What kind of grievance was this? What kind of loyalty?!
This was the true... soul of the Navy!
The anger in Kong's eyes quietly dissipated, replaced by deep emotion and guilt.
He walked around the desk, came to stand before Kane, and clapped him heavily on the shoulder.
"Good child... you've been wronged."
Kong's voice was hoarse, filled with pity.
Beside them, Sengoku took off his glasses, rubbed the corners of his stinging eyes, and sighed deeply. "Kane, your quick-wittedness and forbearance... I am humbled. You have shouldered this infamy for the sake of the Navy."
"Wahahaha! Good kid!"
Garp rushed over directly, slung an arm around Kane's neck, and vigorously ruffled his hair, laughing loudly. "What's there to be afraid of! As long as we know you're a good man, that's all that matters! That stinking money from those old coots, you'd be a fool not to take it!"
"But..."
Kane looked at Kong with a "bewildered" expression. "Fleet Admiral, this money... it must be handed over to the public funds! I don't want a single Berry! I want to use it for our fallen brothers!"
"Nonsense!"
Fleet Admiral Kong's face turned stern, yet his tone held an unprecedented level of affection.
He picked up the one-billion-Berry check from the desk, forcibly stuffed it back into the pocket of Kane's jacket, and even carefully patted it to make sure it was secure.
"Kane, you listen to me."
Kong said with a straight face, his tone serious and earnest.
"Since it's an act, you must play the part completely! If this money suddenly appears in the Navy's public accounts, the Five Elders will immediately know you're deceiving them!"
"At that point, not only will your life be in danger, but the Navy will also be put in a passive position."
Sengoku nodded from the side, his voice heavy. "The Fleet Admiral is right. This is a hot potato that can only rot in your hands."
"Therefore..." Kong paused, his eyes holding an unquestionable indulgence, "this money, you keep it for yourself! Consider it your operational fund, or compensation for your mental distress!"
"Whether you use it for drinking, for improving your strength, or even for having a good time in the Pleasure Quarter... as long as your heart is still with the Navy, how you spend this money is your decision! That's an order!"
Kane was completely stunned.
What the fuck?
Isn't the script going a little too smoothly?
I was originally just planning to legitimately pocket ninety percent and leave ten percent as a token gesture.
But you, old man, are telling me to take it all?
And you're so moved, so forcefully insisting that I take it?
Is this the legendary "embezzlement by imperial decree"?
"Fleet Admiral..." Kane's eyes welled with tears, his lips trembling. "This... how can I accept this? This is one billion! It's enough to build several top-class warships!"
"Take it!" Kong roared, leaving no room for argument. "What? Are you trying to disobey an order? This is for the mission!"
"SIR!!!"
Kane snapped to attention, gave a salute so standard it was flawless, and roared, his voice making the windowpanes buzz.
"For Justice! For the Navy!"
"I, Kane, am willing to bear the infamy of a 'mega-corrupt official'! Even if it means eternal damnation, I will not hesitate! With tears in my eyes, I accept this money!"
"Good! This is a true pillar of the Navy!" Sengoku nodded in approval.
"Come drink at my place tonight! Bring out all those good bottles of yours!" Garp laughed, slapping Kane on the back.
The office was filled with a tragic, passionate, and moving atmosphere of a loving father and a filial son.
...
Two hours later.
Kane, having walked out of the headquarters building, stood in the cold night wind.
The tragic, grief-stricken expression from before was gone.
He reached out, touched the still-warm check in his breast pocket, and the corners of his mouth lifted bit by bit, eventually forming a wicked grin.
'To the Five Elders, I'm a greedy, obedient lapdog.'
'To Fleet Admiral Kong, I'm a loyal subject who endures humiliation for the greater good.'
'I'm playing both sides, taking from both sides, and both sides have to coax me and even praise me for a job well done.'
Kane hummed an unknown tune, his mood euphoric.
'Now this is what you call the house winning it all.'
'One billion Berries... tsk tsk, that tea Borsalino wants, the limited-edition bicycle Kuzan wants, and those cigars that uptight Sakazuki likes...'
'It's about time I started building my own team.'
Just then, the cold, mechanical voice in his mind rang out like the music of the heavens.
[Ding! Detected that the host has deceived the world's highest authority, deceived the supreme commander of the Navy, and instigated conflict between the Navy and the World Government's high command, exacerbating internal contradictions.]
[This behavior is extremely subversive and its impact is extremely far-reaching!]
[Comprehensive evaluation, calculating reward...]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained Violation Value: 150,000 points!]
[Current Violation Value balance: 552,700 points!]
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