After retreating unscathed from the confrontation with Zephyr, Kane felt exceptionally refreshed.
He even felt that the standard grilled steak in the Marine cafeteria looked quite appealing tonight.
Inside the New Recruit cafeteria, the torrential rain outside did not affect the appetites of the young soldiers at all; the constant clatter of metal trays and silverware rose and fell throughout the hall.
On a single table in the far corner, empty plates were stacked higher than a person.
"Crunch, crunch."
Kuzan held a large bone in his hand, eating in a bold and heroic manner that lacked any sense of refinement.
Opposite him, Kane leisurely sliced a steak into perfect squares, his elegant movements looking completely at odds with the crude, noisy surroundings.
"Mm... Kane," Kuzan swallowed a massive mouthful of meat with some difficulty, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's, a clear and foolish light of gossip shining in his eyes. "Have you heard the news? That guy Sakazuki..."
"What happened to him?" Kane speared a piece of beef with his fork. "Did I break his brain, and he decided to retire back to his hometown in the North Blue to sell sweet potatoes?"
Kuzan rolled his eyes at the exaggeration.
"What are you thinking? That guy wanted to get out of bed as soon as he woke up this afternoon."
"The doctor would not let him leave, so with one hand on an IV drip, he used the other to lift the entire hospital bed while doing squats! He kept mumbling nonsense like 'Justice shall not fall' over and over."
Kuzan made an exaggerated lifting gesture, looking completely speechless. "The head nurse was scared to tears by him. Now they are rushing high-calorie liquid food into his room. I heard he wants to eat back every drop of the blood he spat out this morning."
Kane put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a clean napkin, and a look of deep, fake compassion appeared on his face.
"That's... truly moving."
He sighed and shook his head slowly. "As his dear friend, my heart breaks to hear that he's neglecting his health like this."
"What are you planning? Hey, Kane, I'm warning you." Kuzan lowered his voice, glancing around to ensure no instructors were listening. "If you go and provoke him again, Teacher Zephyr really will throw you into the sea to feed the fish."
"Nonsense." Kane stood up. "I'm going to offer some warmth. By the way, does the Logistics Department have any leftover flowers from decorating the venue?"
Kuzan was taken aback and instinctively replied, "I think so. A batch of white chrysanthemums was just delivered this morning for a memorial service for some old Vice Admiral at Headquarters who died of illness... Hey! Why are you asking about that?!"
Before he could finish the sentence, Kuzan's eyes widened, looking at Kane as if he were looking at the devil himself.
No way...
Could this person actually be thinking... "Great, I'll take those."
Kane snapped his fingers, his eyes looking clear and helpful. "White represents pure, flawless justice; chrysanthemums represent... uh, unyielding character. It's practically tailor-made for Sakazuki."
"Kuzan, do you want to come along? You can witness the rebirth of our comrade."
"No! Not even if you kill me!" Kuzan shook his head like a rattle. "I want to live for a few more years, thanks."
"What a pity."
Kane shrugged and turned toward the door, leaving the terrified Kuzan behind.
Headquarters Hospital, Intensive Care Unit.
The soundproofing in the private wing was good, but the sound of heavy impacts and labored, rhythmic breathing could still be heard from inside.
"998... 999... 1,000!"
"Boom!"
The massive metal hospital bed slammed onto the floor with a heavy thud, making the whole room shake.
Sakazuki was shirtless, his upper body covered in thick white bandages. Sweat slid down his tight muscle lines, soaking the gauze until it turned translucent.
An IV tube was still inserted into the back of one hand; the medicine bottle swayed violently with his movements, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.
"Damned blonde bastard..."
Sakazuki ground his teeth together, his fists cracking loudly. "Next time we meet, I'm going to smash that hypocritical face of yours! I'll embed you into the stone foundations of Marineford!"
Every squat, every tearing pain in his healing muscles, reminded him of the day's humiliation.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A soft knock sounded at the door.
"Get out! I don't need a nurse! Just leave the meat on the table!" Sakazuki roared without looking back.
"Oh my, Sakazuki, still so temperamental. Didn't the doctor tell you? This will affect the healing of your wounds."
The voice he dreamt of strangling drifted into the room softly.
Sakazuki whipped his head around.
At the ward door, Kane stood in a crisp Marine uniform, his signature gentle smile on his face.
Worst of all, the bastard was holding a large bouquet of flowers.
A bouquet of deathly white, oversized white chrysanthemums... the kind only seen at funerals or memorials.
The white petals were still precariously falling off, and a large black bow had been thoughtfully tied in the middle.
The air in the room froze.
Sakazuki's face turned from red to green, green to purple, and finally as black as the bottom of a burnt pot.
"You..." Sakazuki pointed at the bouquet, his voice squeezing through his teeth with a tremor of pure rage, "You bastard... are you here to see me off to my grave?!"
"What are you talking about!"
Kane looked shocked as he strode into the ward and solemnly placed the white chrysanthemums in the vase by the bed.
"Sakazuki, you've disappointed me. How can your thoughts be so vulgar?"
Kane pointed at the flowers with an expression of deep grief. "I ran all over Headquarters to find these! Look at these pure white petals; they symbolize the untainted nature of justice. And this black ribbon symbolizes... uh, it symbolizes our determination to purge evil in the darkness!"
"In my hometown, only true warriors are qualified to enjoy these flowers when they lie down. I'm wishing that you, like this chrysanthemum, can stand proud in the autumn wind no matter the hardships... or sleep peacefully."
[Ding! Dealt a mental critical hit to the injured!]
[Discipline Points +200!]
Looking at the white chrysanthemums facing him, Sakazuki felt his blood pressure soar; the blood in the IV tube even started flowing backward into the bottle.
"I'll kill you!!"
He ripped the needle from his hand, ignoring his wounds reopening, and lunged at Kane like a wounded beast.
"Good! Such spirit!!!"
Kane moved forward instead of retreating, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
His body shifted slightly, his footsteps gliding eerily as he effortlessly dodged Sakazuki's rage-filled strike.
Then, he reached out and heavily patted Sakazuki's bandage-wrapped shoulder.
"Smack!"
The hit landed right on the fresh wound.
"Hiss!" Sakazuki hissed in pain, his movements stiffening instantly.
"Seems you're recovering well, enough to hit people." Kane withdrew his hand with a smile, stepping back to a safe distance. "However, your movements are still too slow, Sakazuki."
He raised a finger and wagged it gently in front of the man.
Sakazuki glared at Kane, his chest heaving. Despite his fury, he had to admit that in that moment, Kane's dodging maneuver was incredibly fast.
This bastard... just how strong is he really?
"What do you want to say?" Sakazuki asked coldly, suppressing his anger.
"I want to help you."
The smile on Kane's face faded, replaced by an expression of utmost sincerity.
"In seven days is the Elite Camp's end-of-month assessment. I heard that for this assessment, the top three will qualify for a Devil Fruit."
Sakazuki's pupils contracted slightly at the mention of the reward.
"I don't want my dear friend to fall behind because of injuries; I would be very lonely then."
Kane walked to the bed, picked up an apple from the side table, and took a bite without peeling it.
"So, I've decided to sacrifice my personal rest time. Starting tomorrow, I'll come here every day to give you one-on-one rehabilitation training."
"I will impart my combat techniques to you without reservation through practical application. Until I beat—oh no, until I've trained you well."
"Of course, if you're afraid of being beaten to tears, you can refuse. After all..." Kane glanced at the white chrysanthemums and shrugged, "you really are quite fragile right now."
It was pure reverse psychology.
But Sakazuki was susceptible to exactly that. His pride would never allow him to bow his head to anyone, especially this smooth-talking bastard.
"Hmph."
Sakazuki snorted coldly, leaned over to pick up the bloody needle from the floor, and expressionlessly reinserted it into his vein.
"I couldn't ask for more."
Sakazuki turned his back to Kane, his voice chilling.
"As long as you're not afraid of death, come ahead. Just don't come crying for mercy then."
"It's a deal!"
Kane swallowed his apple, a curl appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Excellent.
A durable mobile experience pack that refreshes daily and provides high emotional value—the binding was successful!
"Then get some good rest and eat more meat so you don't collapse from one punch tomorrow."
Kane waved his hand and walked out of the ward in high spirits, turning off the light for Sakazuki as he left.
"Goodnight, my dear friend."
As soon as he stepped out of the hospital gates, the smile in Kane's eyes deepened.
After this series of actions, he'd be raking in quite a bit again.
"System, check current discipline point balance."
With a thought, a pale blue light screen expanded on his retina.
[Current balance: 34,082 points.]
Kane looked at the number and nodded with satisfaction.
"Time to max out the remaining moves of the Rokushiki... After all, as an instructor, I need some new tricks to give the students a surprise."
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion