Marineford, Marine Headquarters Port.
The port was exceptionally noisy today. Thousands of Marine soldiers were gathered at the shore, pointing and whispering; even the old shipwrights from the repair yard had their jaws drop in shock.
The warship that had just docked had the barnacles on its hull washed completely clean. Above the waterline, the paint had all peeled off, revealing the charred black metallic sheen of metal subjected to extreme high-temperature friction.
The main mast showed a strange backward curvature, as if it had endured an unimaginable sense of backward thrust.
But compared to this ravaged warship, what made everyone present hold their breath was the unloading operation currently underway.
Gold bars, jewelry, antiques, bundles of cash... the visual impact was so strong that many young Marine soldiers who hadn't seen much of the world felt their legs go weak on the spot.
"Careful! That's a pure gold candlestick! Chipping off even a bit of the finish is enough to cost you a year's salary!"
Warrant Officer Kane stood on the gangplank like a miser, directing a group of elite headquarters personnel who were being used as coolies.
The three surrounding escort ships guarded Kane's flagship like bodyguards, and on the shore, two Vice Admirals had even been unprecedentedly dispatched to lead the security detail.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had captured some legendary Great Pirate.
Several Logistics Department field officers responsible for receiving the cargo watched the mountains of gold bars, jewelry, and bundles of cash, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.
"This... this amount isn't quite right, is it?"
A Brigadier General responsible for registration swallowed hard, his pen trembling. "W-Warrant Officer Kane, according to the report, wasn't this a simple deterrence mission? These hundred-plus crates... no matter how you look at it, it seems like you've looted a kingdom's treasury! Is this... is this compliant?"
"Shh—"
Kane stepped down the gangplank and intimately put an arm around the officer's shoulder. He lowered his voice, a smile on his face that was as refreshing as a spring breeze yet heart-stoppingly terrifying.
"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want, Colonel."
Kane pointed at the crates with an expression of righteous indignation: "How is this looting? This is the Germa Kingdom, moved by the integrity of our Navy, voluntarily donating sponsorship fees for the cause of justice. This is the redemption of their souls!"
The Colonel looked at Kane's sincere gaze, then at the nearby crates that were frozen into ice sculptures—clear evidence of 'forced transport'—and silently swallowed his saliva.
Redemption of their souls, my foot!
...Half an hour later.
Top floor of the Headquarters Fortress, Fleet Admiral's office.
Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the transport scene downstairs, the air here was frozen and suffocating.
Fleet Admiral Kong sat behind his massive desk. He didn't immediately erupt over the Germa complaint, but instead stared fixedly at the four people in front of him with a gaze used for scrutinizing monsters.
Zephyr sat on the sofa, clutching his throbbing temples. Beside him, Admiral Sengoku was frantically wiping his glasses, seemingly trying to hide the shock in his eyes.
Garp, on the other hand, was crunching on senbei while glancing back and forth between Kane and Kong with the look of someone enjoying a good show.
"Two documents."
Fleet Admiral Kong held up two fingers, his rough knuckles tapping the desk with a dull thud.
"First, the logbook. From the North Blue to headquarters, a normal warship requires ten days at full speed. You took less than 40 hours."
Kong suddenly looked up, his gaze like lightning. "The port reports multiple fractures in the warship's keel, as if it were pushed across the sea by some monstrous force. Can anyone explain this?"
"Second!"
Kong directly grabbed a document stamped with the World Government's 'Urgent' red seal and slammed it onto the desk.
Bang!
The loud noise caused Borsalino, who was trimming his nails, to flinch.
"A personal call from the Gorosei! King Judge of Germa complains that a certain Marine unit used a mission as a pretext to commit acts of pirate plunder! Not only did they commit extortion, they also blew up the palace foundations, and even... pried up the floor tiles of the treasury!"
Kong's roar made the window glass hum, and spit almost flew into Kane's face.
"Kane! You were the commander of this operation. Give me an explanation!"
Faced with the thunderous wrath of the Marine Supreme Commander, Kane didn't show the slightest panic.
He took a step forward, stood at attention, and saluted. His movements were so standard that no fault could be found.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! Regarding the warship's speed, I can explain!"
The corners of Kane's mouth curled slightly as he slowly raised his right hand, palm up.
Buzz—!
Without warning, a cyan airflow suddenly erupted inside the office.
The documents and books that had been sitting quietly on the surrounding shelves were instantly blown about, rustling loudly. The complaint letter on Fleet Admiral Kong's desk was swept directly into the air.
Although Kane deliberately controlled the power, everyone present was among the top powerhouses of this world.
Kong, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp's pupils contracted simultaneously.
They clearly perceived the terror contained within that power—it wasn't a simple airflow, but a natural disaster force compressed to the extreme, even carrying a hint of thunderous destructive aura!
In the center of Kane's palm, it was as if he were holding a miniature eye of a typhoon.
"Logia?!"
Zephyr stood up abruptly, his short purple hair blown back by the wind. He stared intently at Kane, his expression incredibly vivid.
Just half a month ago, it was this same kid who had arrogantly shouted 'Only Haki reigns supreme' and rejected all fruits.
And now... what was with this violent aura?
"Kane..." Zephyr's voice was a bit dry, even carrying a hint of gritted teeth, "You brat... did you eat a Devil Fruit after all? What about your path of Haki? What about not taking shortcuts?!"
"I've been wronged, Teacher."
Kane clenched his fingers.
Whoosh.
The roomful of gale-force winds vanished instantly. That effortless control once again made the hearts of the big shots skip a beat.
"While I was using the restroom on a deserted island in the North Blue, I suddenly felt a bit hungry. I casually picked a cyan fruit from a nearby tree, and who knew that as soon as I ate it..." Kane spread his hands innocently. "To report Germa's 'kind act' to the Fleet Admiral as quickly as possible, I had no choice but to borrow a bit of wind power to speed up the warship slightly."
"Puhahahaha!" Garp burst out laughing. "Hungry while using the restroom, so you ate a Devil Fruit? Only a fool would believe that reason, hahahaha!"
Fleet Admiral Kong's face was covered in dark lines, but as he stared at Kane, the anger he had built up dissipated by more than half the moment he saw this power.
As a commander, he knew all too well what this meant.
If Kane was previously just a physical technique genius and a troublemaker, then now, possessing a top-tier Logia fruit, he was a true 'candidate for the Navy's future highest combat power'!
"Good... very good." Kong took a deep breath, forcing back the words 'Do you take me for an idiot?'. "Since it was to rush back, damaging a warship is within reason. But that doesn't explain the second document!"
Kong pointed at the complaint letter on the desk, his tone rising again, his eyes sharp:
"As a Marine, looting a member nation's treasury? Kane, do you know where the face of Justice will be if this gets out?! How am I supposed to explain this to the World Government?!"
"Fleet Admiral! I've been framed!"
"This is entirely Judge's slander! It's a smear against Justice!"
Kane suddenly let out a grief-stricken wail, as if he had suffered a great injustice, his Oscar-level acting skills instantly coming online.
"Oh?" Fleet Admiral Kong sneered. "Then where did this 15,000,000,000 come from? Did it fall from the sky?"
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral!"
Kane spoke with an air of righteousness, "At that time, when we recounted the numerous blood-soaked crimes committed by Germa 66 in the North Blue, King Judge wept bitterly! He said he had been blinded by greed and cried out that he wanted to donate these ill-gotten gains to the Navy to atone for his sins!"
"We originally refused! But King Judge was too enthusiastic. He said if we didn't accept it, we were looking down on him! To maintain the face of a World Government member nation, we could only tearfully act as porters!"
After speaking, Kane turned his head and looked intently at Sakazuki beside him.
"Warrant Officer Sakazuki, you were also present. You are the most principled person. Tell the Fleet Admiral, is that how it was?"
Whoosh!
Everyone's gaze focused on Sakazuki.
Sakazuki's whole body stiffened.
He had never told a lie in his life. At this moment, his face turned red with the effort, his mind flashing to the buried 50,000,000,000 'Justice Reserve Fund,' and then he looked at Fleet Admiral Kong's face, which looked ready to eat someone.
A long time passed.
Sakazuki took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes beneath the brim of his cap.
"...Yes."
Sakazuki's voice was hoarse yet exceptionally firm. "That money... was indeed voluntarily donated by Judge. He... was crying very sadly at the time. I believe that rejecting a heart seeking to do good is not the way of Justice."
Pfft—!
Sengoku, who was drinking tea, sprayed it out directly, looking at him in disbelief.
Even you, the thick-browed and big-eyed Sakazuki, have defected?!
Kane was ecstatic in his heart. He immediately struck while the iron was hot and looked at the other two.
"Borsalino?"
"Yeah~ it was indeed a very moving scene~" Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses, his tone swaying. "King Judge insisted that we empty it out; we couldn't even stop him. Such terrifying enthusiasm~"
"Kuzan?"
"Ah... that..." Aokiji scratched his fluffy hair and let out a yawn. "Anyway, the money's been brought back. We can't exactly send it back, right? That would be too much trouble."
Fleet Admiral Kong looked at these four 'future pillars' who were now completely in cahoots, so angry that the veins on his forehead were throbbing.
But he wasn't stupid.
This 15,000,000,000 in hard cash sitting at the port was a piece of meat that the chronically underfunded Marine Headquarters could not refuse.
"Then what about the 65,000,000,000?" Kong took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly. "Judge said in his report that he lost 65,000,000,000. But you only brought back 15,000,000,000. Where is the remaining 50,000,000,000?"
The key point had arrived.
An imperceptible curve hooked the corner of Kane's mouth.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral, the remaining money was lost due to a 'shipwreck'."
Kane said with a straight face, "Furthermore, to save Germa's face as a World Government member nation and to appease the wrath of the Gorosei, I have an immature suggestion."
"Speak."
"The amount of seized funds we report to the World Government shall be set at—5,000,000,000 Beri."
The office fell into a deathly silence instantly.
Only the wall clock was 'ticking, ticking' away.
Even Garp stopped chewing and leaned his head over with great interest.
Kane's expression was calm, his voice not loud, but every word was piercing, challenging the very bottom line of Marine regulations:
"This 5,000,000,000 will be handed over to the Holy Land Mary Geoise as 'Heavenly Gold' or 'Special Tax' back-payments from Germa. I think when the Gorosei see the money, they won't care too much about Judge's complaints."
"As for the remaining 10,000,000,000 or so..."
Kane paused, his gaze sweeping over all the big shots present, finally resting on Fleet Admiral Kong's slightly worn-out desk.
"This 10,000,000,000 does not need to enter the World Government's accounts."
"It will be classified as 'Undisclosed Losses' of the Headquarters and transferred directly to the Logistics Department. It will be used to update the Navy's dilapidated warships, increase the pensions for fallen soldiers, and... improve the meals for the officers and soldiers of the Headquarters."
"Fleet Admiral, our Justice is priceless, but the soldiers who practice that Justice need to eat."
Once these words were spoken, it was a total checkmate.
Fleet Admiral Kong fell silent.
Zephyr fell silent.
Sengoku looked at Kane, the admiration in his eyes almost impossible to hide.
Too dark.
This kid is really too dark.
Not only did he dare to rob, he even dared to teach the Fleet Admiral how to cook the books, and even wanted to pull the entire Marine high command into sharing the loot!
But it had to be said... this sounded so damn good to the ears!
If they reported it truthfully, at least more than half of this 15,000,000,000 would be snatched away by the greedy officials of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, leaving very little for the Navy.
But according to Kane's plan, 5,000,000,000 would shut the mouths of those above, and 10,000,000,000 would stay with the Navy for real.
Who could refuse?
Whoever refused would be picking a fight with the stomachs of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the entire army!
The silence in the office lasted for a full minute.
Finally.
Fleet Admiral Kong let out a long breath, picked up his pen again, and signed a top-secret document. His movements were smooth and flowing, as if he had practiced them countless times.
"As for the complaint from Judge... Sengoku, you handle it."
Kong's voice was low, carrying an unquestionable authority: "Reply to the World Government: due to an irresistible storm at sea, most of the illicit funds fell into the deep sea and cannot be recovered. After enduring great hardships, the Navy recovered only 5,000,000,000 Beri, all of which has been handed over."
"As for Germa's losses..."
Kong looked up and gave Kane a deep look, "Since it was a shipwreck, it was the will of heaven. Dismissed."
"Puhahaha! I knew you couldn't bear to let go of that money!"
Garp finally couldn't help but laugh loudly, slapping the sofa so hard it boomed, tears coming out from laughing. "Kane kid! Well done! I've been annoyed with those people above for a long time!! Since this 10,000,000,000 is staying, can my donut budget also be increased?"
"Get out! Garp!"
Kong glared at Garp, then straightened his face, regaining his authority as Fleet Admiral as he looked at the four of them.
"Although... you brought back important 'materials,' you ignored military discipline and used atrocious methods!"
"Causing such a big commotion in the North Blue and even nearly causing a diplomatic dispute—if I don't punish you, I can't explain it to the whole army!!"
Kong suddenly slammed the desk. "Kane, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan!"
"Present!"
"I sentence you all to half a month of solitary confinement! And six months' salary will be deducted!"
"Reflect well on what 'Justice' is in the confinement room! Especially you, Kane—write me a 100,000 word self-reflection! Don't you dare come out if you're missing even a single punctuation mark!"
"Yes!"
The four of them saluted in unison and turned to leave, their steps as light as if they were going on vacation... West Blue, Germa Kingdom.
Still lying on his sickbed, Judge tremblingly received the final verdict document sent by the World Government's CP0.
He opened it with great hope, thinking he would see news of the Navy being severely punished and the huge sum of money being recovered.
However, there was only a cold paragraph on the document:
[Upon investigation, the 60,000,000,000 loss stated by your country cannot be verified due to an irresistible storm at sea. The Navy's operation complied with the 'Justice Execution Regulations,' and 5,000,000,000 Beri in illicit funds were recovered and handed over.]
[In view of this, these 5,000,000,000 Beri will be directly credited against your country's Heavenly Gold for the next three years. All other unreasonable requests are dismissed.]
"F... 5,000,000,000?"
Judge stared at the number, his eyes glazing over.
That was 65,000,000,000!
How did it end up becoming 5,000,000,000 credited against the Heavenly Gold?
What about the remaining 60,000,000,000?
"Pfft—!!"
Judge, who had just recovered a bit from his injuries, once again sprayed a bolt of blood toward the sky, his eyes rolling back as he fainted once more.
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