The voices that had just been suppressed by Kane's killing intent surged once more.
In an instant, they drowned out Nefertari Cobra's voice.
Only because of Kane's presence did no one dare charge forward—for now.
"Well? I told you," Kane said lazily.
"They're not going to listen to you obediently."-
Cobra felt a bitter taste rise in his throat.
"…Then I'll have to trouble you to calm them down."
"Vice Admiral Kane, please… don't hurt them."
"They're just being deceived."
"…What a hassle."
"I'm counting on you!"
"Relax. I may love money—"
"But I'm still a Marine."
The next moment—
Kane's left hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
Since he had already returned to human form, he had no intention of transforming again.
But one thing shouldn't be forgotten—
Kane was still a master swordsman.
The demonic blade **Benizakura** seemed to sense his intent.
A chilling killing aura began to seep from it.
Kane took a deep breath—
Drew his blade—
Swung—
And sheathed it in one smooth motion.
The result—
Was utterly devastating.
A dark crimson slash tore across the ground—
Splitting the earth apart.---
It was no exaggeration to call it—
A world-shattering strike.
For the rebel army—
The impact was overwhelming.
Because that slash—
Had landed frighteningly close to them.
The massive fissure in the ground—
Resembled a devouring abyss.
It chilled them to the bone.
For a moment—
Everything fell silent.
Only the faint sound of sand—
Cascading into the abyss—
Echoed through the air.
Even Koza stood frozen in shock.
The Marine before them—
Was this powerful?
If even their leader reacted like this—
What about the rest?
"What the hell is this…?!"
"How are we supposed to fight that?!"
"Is that even human strength?!"
"Damn it! Why did I even join the army?!"
"Why are the Marines helping the king?!"
"Do they not see what's happening in this country?!"
Panic spread like wildfire through the rebel ranks.
The will to resist—
Faded.
Some even collapsed to their knees—
Despair filling their eyes
Kane nodded slightly, satisfied.
Thanks to his Devil Fruit—
His power had grown stronger again.
Even his slashes—
Had become more terrifying.
And in the first half of the Grand Line—
This level of strength—
Was more than enough to crush morale.
Cobra, standing beside him, also witnessed this power.
His confidence—
Rose.
"Looks like they've calmed down."
"Not bad."
But at that moment—
Koza snapped out of it.
Suppressing his fear—
He roared:
"What are you all afraid of?!"
"He's just one man!"
"And an old man at that!"
"Why did we gather here in the first place?!"
"Now that it's come to this—"
"Are we really going to submit to a country like this?!"
His voice carried across the dry desert wind—
Echoing through the entire base.
Everyone froze.
The fear in their eyes—
Was torn open by that roar.
Those who had fallen—
Slowly stood back up.
Light returned to their eyes.
His words—
Worked instantly.
"That's right! We're fighting for this country!"
"So what if we die?!"
"He's just an old man!"
"So what if he's a Marine?!"
"We're rebels already!"
he shouts rose again—
One after another.
Kane paused mid-motion as he lit a cigarette.
Cobra frowned.
"Koza! You've all been deceived!"
"Please, listen to me!"
"What's there to explain?!"
"I never thought you'd become like this!"
"You even brought the Marines to deal with us!"
"You've changed, Cobra!"
Koza's voice was filled with disappointment.
Cobra tried to speak—
But Kane stopped him.
Kane took a deep drag—
Exhaled a long plume of smoke.
"When a man gets old…"
"He still cares about his reputation."
"But judging by this situation…"
"Looks like I just got slapped in the face."
He continued calmly---
"There are some things in this world—"
"That can't be bridged by passion alone."
"Having ideals is good."
"But sometimes—"
"You need to know your limits."
"And blind passion born from deception—"
"Is the most pitiful thing of all."
"What the hell are you talking about, old Marine?!"
"Why are you helping a king like him?!"
"…You're right."
"Why am I even wasting my breath?"
Kane removed the cigar from his mouth
Flicked the ash—
Let it scatter in the wind.
Then—
He inhaled deeply.
His chest expanded—
Swelling rapidly.
A blazing light—
Gathered in his mouth.
Koza and the others felt it instantly—
A terrifying sense of danger.
"Charge!!"
Someone shouted.
That single cry—
Ignited everyone.
The entire rebel army surged forward like a tide.
Cobra's face changed drastically.
His voice—
Was completely drowned out.
Koza led the charge at the front.
Though doubts still lingered in his heart—
There was no turning back.
They could only capture the two of them first—
And figure things out later.
"Dragon's Roar!!"
The accumulated power—
Erupted instantly from Kane's mouth.
From a mere bucket-sized spark—
It expanded—
Into a massive pillar of flames—
Over five meters in diameter.
Kane's Marine coat fluttered wildly in the wind.
Beside him—
Cobra couldn't even open his eyes.
In an instant—
The roaring blast tore past the edge of the rebel forces.
The violent airflow—
Generated a terrifying storm—
Sweeping through their ranks.
Men were thrown off their feet—
Chaos erupted.
That overwhelming pressure—
Made their hearts stop for a moment.
The attack shot past them—
And struck the distant desert.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rang out.
The sky dimmed—
As a mushroom cloud rose.
Then—
A devastating shockwave spread outward.
Sand surged into the air—
Blotting out the sky.
As the sandstorm hit—
Kane transformed into a dragon once more--
Grabbing Cobra—
And ascending into the sky.
Cobra stared blankly—
At the massive crater in the distance.
It looked like hell itself.
The scorching heat—
Still lingered.
"…Are you even human?"
Cobra muttered blankly.
Kane frowned.
"The hell do you mean I'm not human?"
But soon-
Cobra's expression turned to worry.
"Don't worry."
"No one's dead."
Kane said plainly.
Though Cobra didn't know how he could tell—
He stil
l felt a bit relieved.
"Well?"
"They should be completely calm now."
Cobra: "..."
This method of "calming people down"—
Was truly… brutal.
Kane, however, wasn't surprised at all.
He had been charging that attack.
If he couldn't achieve this much-
That would be embarrassing.
After all—
Even Kaido could flatten a mountain with a single breath.
Wasn't this level—
Perfectly normal?
And besides—
He hadn't even used his full power.
After all—
That roar had been unleashed in human form.
But even so—
The result—
Was more than enough.
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