Marineford, the night was as black as ink.
The office of the new Admiral was located on the highest floor of the Marineford fortress, overlooking the entire brightly lit steel megacity. Kane did not turn on the lights. He sat casually behind the massive desk that represented the Marines' highest combat power, a top-tier cigar held between his fingertips, letting the crimson spark flicker in the darkness.
Outside the window, countless Marine soldiers were cheering fanatically. The shouts of "Calamity Admiral" were clearly audible even through the thick walls. Glory, power, status. Overnight, he had already stood at one of the pinnacles of this world. He simply exhaled a smoke ring calmly, the smoke dispersing before his eyes, blurring the lights outside that shone for him. His gaze remained fixed only on the blue light screen in front of him.
Host: Kane Position: Marine Headquarters Admiral Physique: 90 Abilities: Storm-Storm Fruit (Awakened), Rokushiki (Advanced), Armament Haki (Advanced), Observation Haki (Intermediate), Haoshoku (Advanced), Swordsmanship (Peak) Items: Zanpakutō tensa zangetsu, Senzu Bean x3, Okamoto 0.01 x4 boxes Discipline Points Balance: 1,389,500
One million, three hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred points.
Arresting the Pirate King, deceiving superiors and subordinates, plus promoting to Admiral and changing the world's structure—this wave of actions had directly turned him into a millionaire. Kane tossed a piece of senbei into his mouth, crunching on it.
Arresting Roger actually brought in such a massive fortune. This world really is a place where those who kill and burn wear golden belts, while those who build bridges and roads leave no remains.
Lamentations aside, his hand spent money without stopping for a moment. When you have money, you have to spend it; only by converting it into solid power is it the greatest respect for this ill-gotten wealth. Having seen big scenes, he was no longer that minor Marine who would feel heartache for half a day over spending a few tens of thousands of points.
System, first max out my Observation Haki.
His will had just been issued.
[Ding! Consumed 30,000 discipline points. Observation Haki level raised to: Advanced (Voice of All Things).] [Performing neuronal remodeling and sensory dimension elevation...]
There was no expected sharp pain, only a tingling sensation as if the cerebral cortex was being lightly brushed by countless feathers. A cool current of air seemed to surge from the depths of his soul, washing over his entire sea of consciousness. The next second, the world changed. The originally silent night suddenly became incredibly noisy.
This was not a sound heard by the ears. Instead, an essential wavelength crashed directly into his mind, forming a three-dimensional scroll constructed of countless voices. The groans of the desk's wood, speaking of the moisture from growing in a rainforest a hundred years ago; the whispers of the sea breeze outside the window, the joy generated by the friction between air currents and water molecules; and even further away, thousands of meters deep in the seabed, the ancient roars emitted by those massive Sea Kings in their dreams.
As long as Kane wished, he could hear the breathing of the entire island of Marineford.
So noisy.
Kane frowned, and with a thought, that complex flow of information was instantly blocked, leaving only precise perception within a five-kilometer radius. This sense of control from a God's perspective was intoxicating.
Next is the main event.
Kane stared at the value of Physique: 90 on the panel. Ninety points was already the limit for humans in this world, the domain of monsters. To take another step forward was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Let me see if this so-called human limit can actually be broken. System, max out Physique! Go all in!
[Ding! Consumed 280,000 discipline points. Physique raised to: 100 (Mortal Limit).]
BOOM—!!!
If the previous upgrade was like spring rain nourishing things, this time, it was like a volcano erupting directly inside his body!
Ugh, ah—!
Sharp pain struck, yet Kane let out a suppressed low chuckle, his laughter filled with madness and enjoyment. The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged, stretching the expensive Admiral uniform to the edge of tearing. Every cell was being torn apart and then reorganized with even more violent energy.
Bones were compressed to a density far exceeding alloy amidst their groans. Muscle fibers twisted, weaving into living steel cables that surpassed biological limits. The sound of his heartbeat was no longer a thump-thump, but a heavy roar like a god beating a drum!
Ten minutes later. When the final spasm that pierced his entire body subsided, Kane slowly stood up. Sweat had long since soaked his back, but at this moment, he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue, only an illusion of power overflowing to the point of explosion.
He threw a punch casually, without using any fruit abilities; the wind from the punch alone, brought by his physical strength, caused the air pressure in the entire office to drop sharply, and the window glass cracked with lines.
This body...
Kane looked down at his palms, which hadn't changed much but contained the power to destroy the world, and smiled. Now, even without using Haki, that bastard Garp's Fist of Love would probably just be an itch to me, right?
The more startling change was in Haki. After the container of his body was expanded, the total amount of Haki within him surged like a floodgate opening; the three types of Haki, which were already at the pinnacle, were now so thick it was practically unreasonable. Especially Haoshoku.
Under that extreme accumulation of quantity, a marvelous qualitative change occurred. With a thought from Kane, an invisible wave spread out. He could clearly feel that if there were a top-tier Observation Haki master now, like Katakuri, who dared to peer into the future before him... he would only need a single thought. He could use this violent Haoshoku to forcibly overwhelm the opponent's perception, turning their future into a patch of unknown darkness!
Observation Killer.
Kane grinned, revealing a row of forest-white teeth. What an unreasonable ability. He liked this lack of reason.
One hundred points in Physique, top-tier Voice of All Things, plus this Observation Killer...
Kane walked to the window, overlooking the island below that was still brightly lit and cheering for him. There wasn't the slightest self-awareness of being a hero in his eyes, only the coldness of an ambitious man inspecting his territory.
Current me, even without the Storm-Storm Fruit, should be able to pin Kaido or Whitebeard to the ground and beat them with just this body and Haki, right?
This strength was real. But Kane did not indulge in this illusory sense of invincibility for too long. He was a man who had seen the script. He knew that in the shadows of this world's history, there was still that old monster Imu who had lived for eight hundred years, and all sorts of ridiculous legends left by Joy Boy. Those were the true Gods.
Kane sat back behind the desk symbolizing the highest power and relit a cigar. Amidst the swirling smoke, his gaze became deep and greedy.
System. This isn't the end yet, is it? Tell me, can Haoshoku still be upgraded?
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion
