Just the ticket wasn't enough.
With a single thought, Kane unleashed more Conqueror's Haki from within. Instead of projecting it outward, he condensed it over his body's surface, forming an invisible barrier of will.
[Conqueror's Haki Defense]!
A divine technique that only the legendary Rocks had ever demonstrated in the original story!
"Sakazuki..."
Kane turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three future Admirals who were completely stunned.
"Punch me!"
"What?"
Sakazuki furrowed his brow, doubting his own hearing.
"Less talk. Use your full strength."
Kane curled his finger in a beckoning gesture, his expression practically begging for a beating.
"Let me see exactly how much weight your so-called Absolute Justice carries."
Boom!
Those words precisely detonated Sakazuki's pride.
"Arrogant bastard!"
Sakazuki growled from deep in his throat, his right arm instantly transforming into surging magma. The scorching heat ignited the surrounding air.
He held nothing back.
If this fool wanted to die, he'd gladly wake him up!
"Great Eruption!"
A massive magma fist erupted like a volcano, carrying terrifying destructive force straight toward Kane's face.
Facing this world-shattering attack, Kane simply stood there calmly, hands in his pockets.
Thud——!!!!
The colossal magma fist came to an abrupt halt just ten centimeters from Kane's face.
As if it had crashed into an invisible wall of sighs.
The terrifying shockwave erupted violently in all directions, tearing up layers of rock beneath their feet. Kuzan had to create thick ice walls to block the residual impact.
At the epicenter of the explosion, not a single strand of Kane's hair was out of place.
The magma capable of melting steel was completely blocked by that invisible barrier, unable to advance even a millimeter.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Sakazuki's pupils contracted violently, his face filled with disbelief.
His attack possessed extreme penetrative power and high temperature! How could it be completely blocked by something invisible?!
"This is the difference, Sakazuki."
Kane's voice cut through the dust, so calm it was despairing.
"At the dining table of the New World's top fighters, Devil Fruit abilities are merely utensils, while this..."
He took a step forward, black and red waves of energy sweeping across the area like physical substance.
The pressure was so intense it even made the elemental bodies of the three Logia Type monsters unstable.
"This... is the only admission ticket."
Dead silence.
Strong.
Absurdly strong. Strong enough to make one suffocate!
They had all graduated from the same training camp together, so how had he secretly evolved into another species?
This feeling of being left far behind by a peer created an unprecedented sense of defeat in these three proud geniuses.
Kane keenly sensed the change in their emotions, a hint of a smile curving at the corners of his mouth.
Sharply captured the changes in their emotions, the corners of the mouth curved into a slight arc.
He keenly detected the change in their emotions, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
Perfect opportunity.
It would be a waste of these 600,000 points if he didn't take advantage of this moment for some psychological manipulation.
"What's wrong? Feeling discouraged?" He slowly paced before the three of them. "But... you really are too weak."
"Sakazuki," Kane's gaze first fell upon the magma man. "Your 'Absolute Justice' can't even touch the hem of my clothes, so how can you talk about burning away all the world's sins? Your Justice needs power to support it, not just be an empty slogan."
Sakazuki's fists clenched until his knuckles cracked, his jaw tight, not uttering a word.
"Kuzan." Kane then looked toward the lazy man.
"Ara ara... What do you want to say?" Kuzan scratched his head, trying to mask the shock in his heart with his usual languid tone.
"Enough with the 'ara ara'." Kane cut him off bluntly. "Lazy Justice? The premise is having the strength to make the world tolerate your laziness. Without the power to flip the chessboard, you're just a piece to be moved around at will—you don't even have the right to lie flat."
Kuzan's smile froze on his face.
Finally, Borsalino.
"And you, flashy man. Speed is weight? Don't make me laugh."
Kane sneered.
"In the face of top-tier fighters' 'Future Sight' and 'Conqueror's Haki,' your proud speed is a joke. They predict your predictions, and with one strike, you won't even have time to activate your Elementalization."
Borsalino adjusted his sunglasses, the lenses reflecting light, obscuring his expression.
Kane's words were a triple critical hit.
Each strike avoided vital points, yet pierced straight to the heart.
But what he said was the truth.
The gap between them and Kane had grown to a despairing degree.
"I don't care what kind of Justice you uphold in your hearts."
Kane's voice turned cold.
"On these seas, weakness is the original sin."
"The weak don't even have the right to choose how they die!"
He stepped before the three, his Conqueror's Haki surging once more, making their breaths heavy.
"But I'll give you a choice."
"Starting tomorrow, this island will be your hellish training ground."
"Since your Devil Fruit abilities have hit a bottleneck, you'll train in physical combat and Haki! Train until you die!"
"See those three mountains?" Kane pointed into the distance.
"You have only one goal." He raised a finger, his eyes blazing with fervor. "Without using your Devil Fruit abilities, relying only on Haki and physical combat, level those three mountains for me!"
"Either drain every last drop of your potential on this island, become true monsters, and keep up with my pace."
He paused, scanning the three, enunciating each word clearly:
"Or, go back to headquarters now and remain your comfortable officers."
"The choice is yours."
With that, Kane turned and left.
In his wake, the three were left with shifting expressions, their hearts roiling with tumultuous waves.
A long silence passed.
"Ha..." Kuzan let out a long breath of white air, the fire rekindling in his perpetually drowsy eyes.
"To be... completely looked down upon."
"Yee~ What a terrifying man~" Borsalino's lips curled back into a grin, though this time it carried a dangerous edge. "Seems if we don't show some real skill, we'll really be treated as trash~"
Only Sakazuki remained silent.
He simply walked silently toward the tallest peak deep on the island, his eyes filled with unprecedented resolve.
Watching this scene, Kane, who had turned to leave, could no longer hold back the smile at the corner of his lips.
Demolishing these three mountains with a construction crew would cost at least five billion in blasting and labor fees.
Now, it's free.
And the efficiency is definitely higher than any construction team.
He found a shady spot to lie down, casually pulled out a cup of fruit juice, and leisurely watched the trio's direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three figures charged toward the three mountains like mad dogs.
Listening to the distant rumbling, Kane contentedly took a sip of his juice.
[Ding! Detected host maliciously exploiting future Navy Admirals as free labor!]
[Verdict: Even capitalists would weep! Extremely unscrupulous!]
[Violation Value obtained: 10,000 points!]