Just a single ticket was not enough for what he had in store.
With a simple thought, more Haoshoku Haki surged from the body of Kane. It no longer radiated outward in a messy wave but began to pull back, forming an invisible, solid barrier of pure will directly on his skin.
Haoshoku Defense!
This was a divine technique that, according to the secret legends of the original story, only a monster like Rocks D. Xebec had ever truly mastered.
"Sakazuki..."
Kane turned around slowly. His calm gaze swept over the three future Admirals, who stood there looking completely dazed by the display of power.
"Punch me!"
"What?"
Sakazuki felt his brow furrow deeply. He honestly wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him.
"Stop wasting my time and cut the crap. Use your full strength and hit me."
Kane beckoned with a single finger. His expression was bored, practically begging the man to take a swing at him.
"Let me see just how much your so-called absolute justice is actually worth when things get real."
Boom!
Those words were like a spark in a powder keg, instantly igniting the fierce pride of Sakazuki.
"Arrogant brat!"
Sakazuki let out a low, guttural growl from deep in his throat. His right arm shifted instantly, transforming into roiling, bubbling magma as the scorching heat ignited the very air around them.
He did not hold back even a little bit.
Since this bastard was clearly looking for death, Sakazuki decided he would provide a very painful wake-up call.
"Great Eruption!"
The massive fist of magma shot forward like a literal volcanic explosion. It carried terrifying kinetic energy as it smashed through the air, heading directly toward the face of Kane.
Faced with a strike that could shatter a fortress, Kane simply stood there. He kept his hands tucked quietly in his pockets and did not move a muscle.
Thud!
The giant magma fist came to a screeching, violent halt exactly ten centimeters away from the face of Kane.
It was as if the attack had slammed into an invisible Wall of Sighs that refused to budge.
The terrifying shockwave from the impact vented wildly in every direction. It flipped the rocky ground up layer by layer like paper. Kuzan had to react quickly, creating a thick wall of ice just to block the aftershocks from hitting them.
At the very center of the explosion, the hair of Kane was not even slightly messy.
The magma, which was capable of melting solid steel in seconds, was firmly blocked by that invisible barrier. It could not advance even a single inch further.
"This... how is this even possible?!"
The pupils of Sakazuki constricted violently. His face was filled with pure disbelief.
His attacks possessed extreme penetration and legendary heat! How could they be completely stopped by something he could not even see?!
"This is the gap between us, Sakazuki."
The voice of Kane pierced through the settling dust. It was so calm and steady that it felt despair-inducing to those listening.
"At the table where the top powerhouses of the New World sit, Devil Fruit abilities are merely the utensils. But this power right here..."
He took a single step forward. A black and red airwave swept across the field like a tangible weight.
That sudden pressure even caused the elemental bodies of the three Logia monsters to become unstable and flicker.
"This is the only real entry ticket to the top."
A deathly silence fell over the training ground.
Strong.
He was so ridiculously strong that it felt suffocating just to stand near him.
Everyone had clearly graduated from the Marine training camp together at the same time. How did Kane secretly evolve into an entirely different species while they weren't looking?
This feeling of being left so far behind by a peer made these three arrogant geniuses feel an unprecedented sense of frustration and shame.
Kane keenly captured the change in their emotions. The corner of his mouth curled into a subtle arc.
This was a good opportunity.
If he did not pull a psychological move on them now, it would be a total waste of the 600,000 points he had spent.
"What? Are you feeling discouraged already?" He began to slowly pace back and forth in front of the three of them. "But the truth is... you really are just too weak right now."
"Sakazuki," the gaze of Kane first landed on the magma man, "your absolute justice cannot even touch the hem of my clothes. How can you talk about burning away all the evil in the world if you can't even hit me? Your justice needs real strength to support it. It can't just be a loud slogan you shout."
The fists of Sakazuki clenched until his knuckles cracked loudly. His teeth were gritted hard, but he did not say a single word in response.
"Kuzan."
"Arara... what do you want to say to me?" Kuzan scratched his head. He tried to use his usual lazy, relaxed tone to hide the massive shock he felt inside.
"Stop with the arara nonsense," Kane interrupted him bluntly. "Lazy Justice? You can only afford to be lazy if you have the strength for the world to tolerate your attitude. Without the power to flip the entire chessboard, you are just a pawn being moved around at the will of others. You don't even have the right to lie flat and rest."
The lazy smile of Kuzan froze right on his face.
Finally, Kane turned his attention to Borsalino.
"And you, Glint-Glint Man. You think speed is weight? Don't make me laugh."
Kane let out a cold sneer.
"In front of a top powerhouse who has Future Sight and Haoshoku, your prideful speed is nothing but a joke. They will predict your every move before you make it. When the club comes swinging down, you won't even have enough time to activate your elementalization to survive."
Borsalino adjusted his yellow sunglasses. The lenses reflected the light, completely obscuring his eyes and his expression.
The words of Kane were like a triple critical hit to their egos.
Every verbal strike carefully avoided their vital organs but pierced straight into their hearts.
But the worst part was that they knew he was telling the truth.
The gap between them and Kane had already reached a level that felt impossible to climb.
"I don't really care what kind of justice you choose to uphold in your hearts."
The voice of Kane turned ice cold.
"On this sea, being weak is the original sin."
"The weak do not even get the right to choose how they die!"
He walked right up to the three of them. That heavy Haoshoku pressure rose once more, making their breathing feel labored and heavy.
"But I am going to give you a choice right now."
"Starting tomorrow, this entire island will become your hellish training ground."
"Since your Devil Fruit abilities have clearly hit a bottleneck, then you will train your Taijutsu and Haki for me! You will train until you feel like you are going to die!"
"Do you see those three mountains over there?" Kane pointed his finger toward the distant peaks.
"You have only one goal." He held up a single finger, his eyes looking a bit fanatical. "Without using any of your Devil Fruit abilities, you will use only Haki and Taijutsu to level those three mountains to the ground for me!"
"You can either squeeze out every last drop of your potential on this island, become true monsters, and keep up with my pace."
He paused for a second. He looked around at the three of them and spoke each word clearly:
"Or you can get the hell back to Marine Headquarters right now and be comfortable Commissioned Officers who do paperwork."
"How you choose to spend your time is entirely up to you."
Having said his piece, Kane turned his back on them and walked away.
On that spot, only the three of them remained. Their expressions shifted constantly as stormy waves of emotion surged in their hearts.
A long time passed in silence.
"Hah..." Kuzan finally exhaled a long breath of white mist. The fire of ambition was relit in his usually drowsy eyes.
"We have really... been completely looked down upon this time."
"Ye~ such a scary man he is~" The mouth of Borsalino curled open again. However, there was a sharp hint of danger hidden in that smile. "It seems that if I don't show some of my real skill, I will really be treated like a piece of trash~"
Only Sakazuki remained completely silent.
He simply began to walk toward the tallest peak deep within the center of the island. His eyes were filled with a level of determination he had never felt before.
Watching this scene from a distance, the departing Kane could no longer hold back the wide smile on his face.
If he had hired a professional engineering team to level those three mountains, it would have cost him at least 500,000,000 Beri in blasting supplies and labor fees.
But now, it was going to be done for free.
And the efficiency of these three would definitely be higher than any engineering team in the world.
He found a nice, shady spot under a tree to lie down. He pulled out a cold cup of juice and leisurely watched the direction where the three had gone.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three figures charged toward the three mountains like mad dogs.
Listening to the distant rumbling of rock and earth, Kane took a delightful sip of his juice.
[Ding! Detected the Host maliciously exploiting Future Admirals as free labor!]
[Judgment: Even a capitalist would weep at this sight! Extremely unscrupulous behavior!]
[Obtained discipline points: 10,000!]
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