After leaving the Germa fleet by about ten nautical miles, the warship did not return at full speed. Instead, it quietly sailed into a reef-filled area shrouded in thick fog, where it dropped anchor and stopped.
Inside the captain's quarters, the curtains were drawn tightly, allowing only a few dim rays of light to filter through.
The originally spacious room now seemed incredibly cramped. Not because of the number of people, but because of the amount of money.
"Clang—!"
Kane threw open the last chest, and a blinding golden light instantly illuminated the faces of the four men.
A dozen or so chests were stacked into a small mountain. Gleaming Berries, fist-sized rubies, and several heavy gold bars exuded an intoxicating aroma.
"One hundred million, two hundred million... five hundred million... Hehehe..."
Kane squatted by the pile of money, his hands counting the cash as fast as a bill counter, the righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor of a Marine long gone from his face.
Borsalino tossed a gold bar in his hand, his eyes behind his sunglasses crinkling into a smile, his sleazy disposition on full display.
"Yeees~ Little Kane, you're so capable~ With so much money, the bonus should be quite substantial after we hand it over~"
"Bonus? Borsalino, you're thinking too small."
Kane stuffed bundles of cash into his system space (while appearing to stuff them into a sack).
"This is all money that Germa extorted from common people. It's ill-gotten gains! We need to keep it safe and slowly search for the original owners. Before we find them, it's only natural that we manage it on their behalf, using it to enhance our strength and better combat evil!"
Kuzan, sprawled on the sofa, rolled his eyes and pulled his sleep mask down over them. "Ah... moving money is so tiring. It doesn't feel any different from being a pirate. Kane, if Teacher Zephyr found out we did this, would he break our legs?"
"Shh! Kuzan, watch your wording."
Kane immediately corrected him with a serious expression. "Pirates rob for extravagance and selfish desires. We 'confiscate' funds for world peace. How can they be the same?"
Only Sakazuki sat alone in a shadowy corner, his cap pulled low, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.
Although he believed in Absolute Justice, this kind of blatant extortion still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Kane."
Sakazuki spoke in a deep, slightly hoarse voice.
"The mission was only to resolve the Germa disturbance. Taking money to let him go violates military discipline. Since that man is a menace, why not just kill him? Holding this money... I feel disgusted."
The room fell silent in an instant.
Borsalino whistled and looked at the ceiling, while Kuzan also lifted his sleep mask slightly, secretly observing the situation.
Hearing this, Kane stopped packing the money, slowly turned around, and the greed on his face vanished in an instant.
"Sakazuki, do you think I want this money?"
Kane pointed at the treasure on the floor with indifference, as if it were a pile of garbage.
"Killing one Judge is easy, but what happens after he dies? Germa's technology remains, and the Vinsmoke Family remains. With this huge sum of money, a new ambitious person will soon use it to create more killing machines!"
"Germa's foundation has never been a single person, but this nation-rivalling wealth, the financial chain that supports their war machine!"
Kane walked over to Sakazuki and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"War is a money-burning machine. Without money, Germa can't produce clones, repair their warships, or buy cannonballs. They'll have no choice but to stay home and farm."
"By taking their money, we are actually saving the civilians who would have died under Germa's cannon fire!"
"This is called—drawing firewood from under the pot!"
Sakazuki was stunned.
He looked into Kane's "limpid" eyes, his mind racing.
No money = no weapons = no war = peace.
I take money = enemy becomes weaker = Justice is served.
Therefore, the more money I take = the more thoroughly Justice is executed.
This logic... was damnably sound!
The gloom in Sakazuki's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a dawning admiration, and even a hint of shame. He had actually misunderstood Kane's good intentions!
"I see..." Sakazuki took a deep breath, his eyes under the brim of his cap shining with a determined light. "Kane, you see farther than I do. I was being shallow."
"I'm glad you understand," Kane nodded in gratification.
[Ding! Detected a major shift in the Justice philosophy of important character "Sakazuki"!]
[High degree of subversion. Violation Value +5000!]
"But..." Kane's tone shifted, his expression turning serious again, even carrying a hint of killing intent. "This is far from enough."
He stood up straight, walked back to the table, and slapped the "Germa Royal Palace Structure Chart" he had swiped from Judge onto it.
"Did you all think our mission this time was just to extort some money and be done with it?"
The other three were taken aback.
"Isn't it?" Kuzan scratched his head. "Doesn't the report just say to make Germa behave?"
"That's the surface mission!" Kane said with a pained expression. "You still haven't seen the true nature of the matter!"
He pointed in the direction of the retreating Germa fleet, his voice filled with righteous passion.
"I know people like Vinsmoke Judge all too well. Although he just submitted, he's definitely at home cursing us right now, maybe even vowing revenge! He will absolutely not let this go!"
"Besides, with Germa's three-hundred-year foundation, how could they possibly have only a mere billion in cash?"
"As soon as we leave the North Blue, they'll use their remaining immense wealth to make a comeback, and they might even exploit the people of the North Blue more ruthlessly to cover their losses!"
"Therefore, to solve the problem at its root, we must..." Kane paused, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"Completely cut off their source of war funding! Leave them without enough money to even buy a screw!"
Upon hearing this, Sakazuki shot to his feet, his body steaming with heat. "Only by completely destroying their foundation can we prevent evil from breeding again!"
"Yeees~ That sounds quite reasonable~" Borsalino pushed up his sunglasses. As long as there was a benefit, he didn't care.
Only Kuzan looked at Kane with suspicion. "Cut off their funding? What do you plan to do? We can't stay in the North Blue forever, can we? That's too troublesome."
"Of course not." Kane waved his hand dismissively and declared with righteous indignation, "I propose! Tonight, we launch a surprise counterattack! We'll strike at their heart, infiltrate Germa's main base, and... confiscate all of their remaining war funds!"
"Their main base?" Kuzan poked his head out from the pile of money. "Hey, hey, are you guys serious? That's the royal palace of a member nation. If we get caught..."
"What royal palace? That's a den of evil!"
Kane declared righteously, "We are going to purify evil! Besides, if I don't take it, this money will turn into bullets fired at civilians! Kuzan, do you want to see innocent children die horribly?"
Kuzan shrank back. "Of course not..."
"That's right!"
Kane snapped his fingers, pulled a red pen from his pocket, and drew a large 'X' over the "Treasury" on the map.
"Listen up. Tonight's operation codename: 'Zero Dollar Purchase'."
"We're going to let Germa know that Justice not only arrives late, but it also makes off with their wallet."