The cold wind howled across the frozen expanse of the ice field.
Kane and his group moved forward in a grand, strange procession.
There were no warships nearby and no supplies to be seen. There was only Kuzan, who stood at the front clearing a path through the waves.
"Ice Age!"
Kuzan pressed both of his hands onto the surface of the water. An immense, freezing chill erupted from his palms and spread wildly toward the deep waters of the New World.
A broad, flat path of frost was forcibly carved across the turbulent sea.
The soldiers of the G-5 Branch marched on foot along this icy bridge. They were accompanied by the severely injured Red Earl, all of them heading toward a future fortress on an island known as Punk Hazard.
The scene looked incredibly bleak, yet it possessed an undeniable magnificence.
"Kane, are you actually sure this is the right way?" Kuzan asked. He turned his head slightly while focusing on extending the ice path. "If we take a wrong turn, my stamina is going to run out eventually."
"Don't you worry. My sense of direction has always been top-notch," Kane replied. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a sea chart gripped in his hand. His gaze remained steady and unwavering.
He was joking, of course.
Punk Hazard was destined to be a central stage for some of the biggest events in the future. There was no way he would ever misremember its location.
The group continued their trek across the sea for an entire day.
Finally, a massive island covered in primitive jungle appeared in their sight. There was no trace of human life anywhere. Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
They had finally arrived.
This was going to be their new home.
This was the new site for the G-5 Branch: Punk Hazard.
At this point in time, the island was not yet the extreme wasteland of ice and fire created by the legendary battle between Aokiji and Akainu. It also wasn't a base for the twisted experiments of Caesar Clown.
Just as Kuzan had noted, it currently held nothing but wild jungles and a few strange beasts.
Over the next several days, the G-5 soldiers began the hard work of surviving in the wilderness of the desolate island. Fortunately, these men were all elites, so they managed to find food and shelter without starving. A week later, things changed.
Ten massive warships flying the flag of Marineford slowly approached the coastline and docked.
The supply fleet had arrived, and it was personally escorted by Fleet Admiral Kong himself.
"Quick, everyone! Get down on the ground! Can't you guys act like you're half-dead?"
The moment Kane saw the masts of the warships in the distance, he immediately went into director mode.
He moved through the camp, kicking a soldier in the rear who was trying to tidy up his uniform.
"Who told you to stand up? Give me that weak look! Act like you haven't eaten in days! Sakazuki, make that bandage on your arm look thicker! Even thicker than that!"
"Borsalino! Get on that stretcher and start groaning a bit!"
After a frantic scramble to set the stage, Fleet Admiral Kong stepped down the gangway. His heart was filled with grief as he looked upon what appeared to be hell on earth.
Hundreds of G-5 elite soldiers were sprawled across the muddy beach. Their clothes were ragged and torn. Some were groaning in pain, while others were desperately gnawing on pieces of tree bark.
Sakazuki was leaning against a large rock. His right arm was wrapped so heavily it looked like a giant rice dumpling. His face was pale, though that was actually because he had skipped breakfast to make Kane's act more convincing.
Meanwhile, Kane struggled forward. He used Zangetsu as a crutch, staggering with every single step. His eyes were bloodshot and red.
"Fleet Admiral..."
Kane's voice sounded hoarse and broken. Before he could even finish his sentence, tears began to stream down his face.
"You have finally come... The brothers... My brothers have suffered so much out here..."
Fleet Admiral Kong was a hard, iron-willed man. He had already seen the ruins of the old G-5 base where the terrain had been completely destroyed by battle. Seeing this miserable scene before him now broke his heart.
It was so tragic!
His brave soldiers, the very hope for the future of the Marines, were suffering in this terrible place.
"Kane!"
Kong strode down from the ship and pulled Kane into a tight hug. He patted the younger man's back with his large, powerful hands.
"You have truly suffered!"
Kane's acting reached its peak in that moment. He hugged Kong back, his voice trembling as if he were choking back sobs.
"Fleet Admiral! Now that you are here, we aren't suffering anymore! For the sake of justice, this sacrifice means nothing to us!"
The two of them put on a touching display of the bond between a commander and his subordinate. In the background, Sakazuki watched the performance with a deep frown.
Kong gave a grand wave of his hand. His soldiers immediately began carrying a hundred heavy chests down from the ships.
The lids were flipped open to reveal a dazzling sight. Golden Berries reflected the bright sunlight, creating a blinding glow.
"One hundred billion Berries! All in cash! I have also brought two years' worth of supplies!"
Fleet Admiral Kong held Kane's hand and spoke with deep emotion. "I know this money might be tight for rebuilding the entire G-5 Branch, but headquarters is also short on funds right now. Just make do with this for the time being. If it isn't enough, file another report!"
Kane looked at the hundred chests of money. His tears stopped instantly. His pale face suddenly regained its color, turning a visible shade of red.
"It is enough! It is more than enough! For justice, we would even eat grass if we had to!"
Kane patted his chest with a righteous expression. At the same time, he gave a subtle wink to Gion, who was standing behind him.
Gion could barely hide her sense of shame. She quickly directed the soldiers to move the chests of money away as fast as possible. She was worried the Fleet Admiral might change his mind at any second.
Once they had seen off a deeply moved Fleet Admiral Kong, Kane's expression changed instantly. He turned to face Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki.
"You three, head out right now," Kane commanded.
"Take this money and visit every nearby island. Go to the affiliated nations and even the black markets. Hire the best craftsmen you can find at the highest possible prices. I want as many as you can get!"
"Tell them that if they come to G-5, their salary will be triple what they get anywhere else. On top of that, we provide food, lodging, and total safety!"
The three of them looked at each other and nodded. This was the kind of work they were used to.
"What about me?"
Gion had been following Kane closely. she looked up at him, her small face filled with expectation.
"You?" Kane smiled and rubbed her head. "You are in charge of guarding the base and making sure the construction stays on schedule."
"Oh..." Gion felt a little disappointed, but she obediently agreed to the task.
"Then what about you, Brother Kane?"
"Me?"
Kane turned his gaze toward the north, looking in the direction of the North Blue.
"I am going to go fetch some of my own private savings."
One hundred billion Berries might be enough to build a standard Marine base.
But Kane didn't want to build a simple base.
He wanted to build a fortress of war that would make the World Government tremble with fear!
Half a month later, the recruitment of craftsmen had gone surprisingly well.
With the promise of a triple salary and some "friendly" encouragement from three future Admirals, almost all the top craftsmen from the first half of the New World had been gathered together.
They were transported to Punk Hazard by warship. When they saw the desolate island covered only in rocks and trees, they were all completely stunned.
"Sir Marine, are you sure you want us to build a base here?" an old, white-haired craftsman asked while trembling.
"This place has no wind and no magnetic fields. Even a Log Pose can't point here. It is basically a natural prison!"
"He's right. Just transporting the materials here is going to be a massive problem!"
The craftsmen began to mutter among themselves. They all believed that this project was impossible and unreliable.
Just then, Kane returned.
He arrived on a medium-sized warship with about a dozen soldiers, returning from his trip to the North Blue.
He ordered his men to unload massive chests filled with even more Berries and gold.
Then, right in front of all the gathered craftsmen, he threw them open.
The sight of that small mountain of money silenced every single doubt in the crowd.
A series of loud gulps could be heard.
The eyes of every craftsman were glued to the treasure.
Most of them had never seen that much money in their entire lives.
"Listen up, everyone!"
Kane jumped onto the top of one of the money chests. He looked down at the thousands of workers below him. His voice was loud and clear, ringing out like a bell.
"I know what you are worried about. You're wondering why we chose such a godforsaken, isolated island."
"Well, I am going to give you the answer right now!"
He unfolded a massive blueprint. It was a design for a future base that he had drawn himself.
The drawing showed a fierce, majestic fortress made of steel. It was a design full of violent beauty.
"What you are looking at isn't just an island!"
Kane tapped his finger heavily on the center of the blueprint.
"It is the future!"
"We are going to build the strongest, most advanced, and greatest maritime fortress in the world right here!"
"It will have a defense system that surpasses even Marineford! Its cannons will be able to reach every corner of this sea! Its walls will be made of a special alloy mixed with Sea Stone powder, making them completely indestructible!"
"This place will become the ultimate fortress guarding the entrance to the New World! Any pirate or any enemy who wants to enter these waters will have to ask if the G-5 artillery allows it!"
"You aren't going to be just ordinary craftsmen anymore!"
"You are the builders of a great miracle! Your names will live forever alongside this fortress!"
Kane's voice was incredibly persuasive and bold.
The blueprint he described was too grand and too shocking for them to ignore.
All of the craftsmen felt their blood begin to boil with excitement. Their breathing became fast and shallow.
Building a fortress that was better than Marineford?
It was a crazy idea, but it was a glorious feat to be part of.
"And I, Kane, the Base Commander of G-5, give you my promise!"
"As long as you give me your absolute best, that triple salary I mentioned is just the beginning!"
"There will be bonuses, benefits, and I will even handle the relocation of your families. I will take care of everything!"
"I have only one requirement for you!"
Kane's gaze swept across the crowd, looking at every person there.
"Turn this blueprint into a reality as fast as you possibly can!"
"Money is not a problem here!"
"Now tell me, do you have the confidence to do it?!"
"YES!!!"
Thousands of craftsmen roared back in unison. Their voices were so loud they seemed to shake the heavens.
[Ding! System has detected that the host has delivered an extremely inflammatory speech, openly made false promises, and is attempting to establish a private armed fortress independent of the Marine system!]
[This behavior severely shakes the organizational discipline of the Marines and is extremely disruptive!]
[Discipline points +80,000!]
When he heard the system notification, the smile on Kane's face grew even wider.
This was good.
The infrastructure madman mode was now officially activated!
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