Admiral Sengoku's warship was cleaving through the waves, heading toward the heart of Justice.
At the same time, countless news birds flapped their wings, scattering the latest newspapers across every sea route.
The moment countless pairs of eyes unfolded the papers, their pupils trembled with shock!
The front-page headline, bold and crimson, seemed ready to tear through the paper:
"BIG NEWS! The Edd War Concludes! The Flying Admiral Severely Wounded and Captured!!"
"A Navy Supernova Emerges! The Monster Who Commands Natural Disasters—"Son of the Storm" Kane!"
Accompanying it was an impactfully captured photograph.
Within a pitch-black Doomsday Storm, a young man in tattered Navy Uniform hovered in the air, one hand directing the storm, the other controlling massive waves.
Beneath his feet lay countless warship wreckage and a burning sea.
In the bottom right corner, a considerate close-up showed Shiki the Golden Lion with a ship's rudder embedded in his head, his face covered in blood and despair.
Morgans himself took up the pen, portraying Kane as a perfect hero—far-sighted, exceptionally courageous, and willing to risk his life to uphold Justice.
He had "single-handedly" charged into the battlefield, toying with the legendary great pirate, the Golden Lion.
Even Roger's awkward escape was attributed to the immense pressure brought by the "Son of the Storm.""
...
The New World, a certain sea.
On the massive whale ship, the Moby Dick, the atmosphere was as boisterous and lively as ever.
"Pops! Look at today's news!"
A young blond boy with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle waved a newspaper in his hand as he hurried across the deck.
"Gurararara... Is there any news more interesting than my sake?"
From the giant main seat, Edward Newgate's voice rumbled, making the deck vibrate.
He was at his peak, his physique mountain-like, holding a wine bowl the size of a bathtub, his vibrant golden hair cascading over his shoulders.
"It's about the Golden Lion! He's been captured by the Navy!" Marco handed over the newspaper.
"Oh?"
Whitebeard set down his wine bowl and took the thin sheet of paper.
When he saw the awkward photo of the Golden Lion, he paused for a moment before bursting into thunderous laughter.
"Gurarararara! That fool Shiki! I told him long ago that you can't conquer this sea with that scrap metal! To be reduced to this state by a Navy brat—how disgraceful!"
As he laughed, his gaze fell on the close-up of the "Son of the Storm" beside it.
"Kane... is it?"
Whitebeard murmured the name softly, his eyes briefly lingering on the newspaper's descriptions: "awakened Conqueror's Haki," "commands super storms."
He tilted his head back and took a large gulp of strong liquor, a bold curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
"That guy Garp... actually hid such an impressive brat!"
"Gurararara, this era is getting more and more interesting!"
...
The New World, a certain island filled with a sickly-sweet fragrance.
"Mamamamama! This is truly astonishing news!"
Charlotte Linlin was not yet as mountainous and bloated as she would be twenty years later. Though her frame remained massive, she still retained a wild, voluptuous fullness.
She sat upon a throne piled high with biscuits and candies, pinching the newspaper between two fingers as if it were a mere napkin.
Her eyes were locked on the photograph of Kane—his face, even smeared with blood, unable to conceal his striking handsomeness.
"That gaze... this destructive power... and Conqueror's Haki!"
Linlin extended her tongue, licking her crimson-painted lips.
"Mamamamama! Such excellent bloodlines! If only they could be merged with my family..."
She suddenly rose excitedly, her enormous body causing the entire palace to tremble.
"Perospero! Go! Find out everything about this 'Child of the Storm'!"
"I want him! I want him to become my husband! To bear me the strongest offspring! Mamamamama!"
...
On a certain unnamed deserted island, the Beasts Pirates were recuperating.
Kaido of the Beasts had not yet grown his iconic long beard, but he appeared much younger and far more volatile than in later years.
He held a gigantic gourd of liquor in his hand.
"Wahhh... That fool Shiki... actually got himself captured just like that..."
Kaido drank while weeping, tears and snot streaming down his face—a classic display of drunken hysterics.
"Talking about ruling the world... and then getting taken down by some Marine brat... How shameful! Hic!"
He slammed the newspaper onto the ground, and his kanabo, the Eight Prohibitions, crashed down beside him, gouging a deep crater into the island.
"The Storm Fruit? Sounds pretty impressive..."
Kaido's sobbing abruptly ceased.
With bleary, drunken eyes, he picked up the newspaper and stared at Kane's photo. His expression gradually shifted from sorrow to a destructive, brutal intensity.
"If he can defeat Shiki... does that mean he can kill me too?"
"Urororororo!"
Kaido suddenly roared at the sky, his drunkenness instantly transforming into fighting spirit.
"Good! Excellent! You Marine brat! Once I've firmly established myself in Wano, you're next! I'll come find you for a real fight!"
"I hope... you can kill me! Urororororo!!!"
...
The entire world was in upheaval.
From Marine branches across the four seas to pirates in the New World, everyone remembered the name "Kane."
Overnight, he had risen from an unknown rookie to a Marine supernova powerful enough to shake the very foundations of the seas.
And at the center of the storm, Kane lay in the special care ward of Sengoku's warship, enjoying the privileges befitting a "hero."
"Mr. Kane! Here's the iced orange juice you asked for—I added honey just for you!"
"Lord Kane! Could I have your autograph? Right here on my uniform! My younger sister absolutely idolizes you!"
"Brother Kane! Does your wound still hurt? If you don't mind, I could stay on duty tonight—I'm really good at massages..."
Facing this crowd of starry-eyed young nurses and Marines, Kane wore his usual, trademark gentle smile, perfectly replicating the heroic image from the newspapers.
"You're all too kind. I was only doing my part for Justice."
"Of course, I'll sign—just don't mind my poor handwriting."
"There's no need to trouble yourselves with staying on duty. Everyone must be tired—please, go get some rest. I'll be fine on my own."
He responded gently to each person, his humble, courteous, and considerate demeanor instantly moving his little admirers to tears.
Until the last little nurse, blushing, reluctantly closed the cabin door.
Click.
The lock snapped shut.
The "holy light" on Kane's face vanished instantly.
Casually picking up the newspaper, he looked at the front-page photo that portrayed him as righteous and glorious, then curled his lip.
"Tsk, that damn bird Morgans, couldn't he come up with a more cultured headline? 'Son of the Storm'? Sounds like a fan salesman."
Though he complained, inwardly he was already overjoyed.
With this newspaper and his reputation spreading, he would become synonymous with "hero" in the Marines.
This change in status meant he could access higher levels, move to more lucrative departments, and even openly... embezzle a bit.
After all, who would suspect an upright "Marine Hero" of pocketing a few hundred million Berries for personal gain? Everyone would just think the superior must have his own profound reasons!
However, empty fame was secondary.
The smile on Kane's lips faded, and his eyes grew clear.
He subconsciously touched his chest, which still ached faintly.
Though he had won, he knew better than anyone that it had been the absolute limit.
Especially when he tried to control the super storm to clash head-on with "Divine Departure."
His body was instantly drained, every cell screaming in exhaustion—a feeling worse than death.
If he had even ten percent more stamina at that moment, he wouldn't have passed out like a dead fish for two whole days.
"Indeed, whether in my past life or this one, being a 'quick man' has no future."
Kane curled his lip again, a flicker of resentment toward his "own shortcomings" flashing in his eyes.
Look at Kaido, look at Big Mom, and then look at Garp, who was acting as if nothing had just happened. These real monsters all had health bars as thick as city walls, fighting for ten days and nights without breaking a sweat.
Even Golden Lion, with a rudder stuck in his head, could still cause trouble for another twenty years—that kind of vitality was simply unreasonable.
In contrast, he was spent after one ultimate move and had to rely on lying around to recover his energy.
This didn't fit his grand blueprint of "manipulating the world from behind the scenes."
Only by being tough, enduring, and turning into an unkillable, inexhaustible tank could he calmly dance between Justice and evil, harvesting Violation Value.
Kane's eyes grew resolute. With a thought, a blue panel instantly unfolded before him.
A pale blue light screen spread out.
His gaze locked onto the most fundamental yet crucial attribute.
[Basic Enhancement] — [Physique].
A comprehensive attribute encompassing vitality, recovery, endurance, resistance to damage, and total Haki capacity.
"System."
Kane roared inwardly, with the extravagance of a spendthrift.
"Level me up!"
"Target: Physique! First, pour in... two hundred thousand!!"
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