Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Bright sunlight spilled over the massive Seagull Flag, and the sea breeze carried a briny scent that brushed against their faces.
Yamato walked unsteadily along the wide bluestone road, her steps uneven.
The girl looked around at everything with wide-eyed curiosity. Whenever she spotted soldiers in uniform on patrol, she would excitedly wave the solid wooden club in her hand.
"Lord Kane! The buildings here are so tall! They're even bigger than the castle on Onigashima!"
Yamato jogged a couple of steps, her small hand clutching the hem of Kane's pristine white Justice Coat, afraid of being left behind.
"Keep up, don't get lost."
Kane walked with his hands in his pockets, his pace unhurried, a freshly lit premium cigar dangling from his mouth.
"And put that club away. Don't act like some country bumpkin who's never seen the world."
The two passed through the heavily guarded square and headed straight for the top floor of the fortress.
Along the way, officers in the corridors snapped to attention and saluted upon seeing Kane, then cast uncertain, questioning glances at the strange girl with dragon horns.
Some wanted to ask, but upon meeting the calm, unreadable gaze of the "Calamity" Admiral, they instantly swallowed their words.
BANG—!!!
The solid wooden door of the top-floor Fleet Admiral Office was kicked open.
The thick mahogany door slammed against the wall with a tremendous crash, shaking dust loose from the ceiling.
Kong was hunched over, reviewing a report about military budget overruns. Startled by the commotion, his hand jerked, and the tip of his fountain pen tore right through the desktop with a sharp rip.
He didn't even need to look up.
In all of Marineford, the only ones who dared to kick his door like this were that bastard Garp and this little brat standing before him—whom he both loved and hated!
"Kane! You damn brat, I'll dock your entire allowance sooner or later! Stop picking up Garp's bad habits! This is the third door you've broken!"
Fleet Admiral Kong roared, his broad chest heaving violently, veins bulging on his forehead.
Facing the Fleet Admiral's impotent rage, Kane ignored the shouting entirely.
He casually pulled over the leather sofa opposite and sat down.
His combat boots promptly came to rest on the expensive mahogany coffee table.
A thick puff of smoke drifted leisurely from his lips.
"Mission accomplished, Fleet Admiral Kong."
"I rushed back from so far away, haven't even had a sip of tea, and you're already fussing over a broken door?"
Kong's chest heaved, his graying beard trembling, but he forcibly suppressed his skyrocketing blood pressure and asked in a low voice,
"How did things go in Wano Country? Did you capture Kozuki Oden?"
"Captured."
Kane's reply was dead serious.
"That guy really was a tough nut. To defend his so-called 'way of the samurai,' he insisted on drawing his sword against me. For the honor of the Navy, I was forced to carry out a 'just' act of self-defense."
Kane spread his hands, a perfectly measured look of regret appearing on his face.
"Unfortunately, I hit him a little too hard and accidentally damaged his cerebellum and central nervous system."
"Now that so-called hero of Wano Country has been reduced to a babbling idiot who only knows how to strip off his clothes and dance in mud puddles all day."
"As for the ancient script in his mind... he can forget about ever retrieving it in this lifetime."
Hearing this, Fleet Admiral Kong's tense muscles visibly relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as the secret of the Poneglyphs rotted away in his stomach, this was the best possible outcome for the World Government and the Navy!
"Well done! Though the methods were a bit rough, you've finally completely eradicated this hidden threat!"
Fleet Admiral Kong nodded in satisfaction, his tone full of praise.
"As expected of you, Kane."
"But..."
Kong's gaze shifted downward, past the mountain of stacked documents, and finally noticed the little girl standing beside the coffee table, curiously staring at the huge Seagull Flag on the wall.
The girl had a pair of distinctive red horns and was looking around with her bright, large eyes, exuding a wild aura from head to toe.
"Who is this kid?" Kong frowned.
The Marine Headquarters Fortress was an absolute military zone, strictly prohibiting family members from wandering around freely.
Kane flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
"Oh, don't you always complain that our Navy lacks fresh blood and that our high-level combat power is in a generational gap?"
"I happened to bring back a top-tier genius for you."
Kong looked at Yamato suspiciously. "A top-tier genius? Who are her family members? Is she an orphan of some Navy officer?"
"Not exactly."
Kane took a puff of his cigar, slowly exhaled the smoke, and then said in a matter-of-fact tone:
"She's Kaido's daughter."
"Her name is Yamato."
"Genuine direct lineage, biological."
Snap.
The pen in Fleet Admiral Kong's hand was directly snapped in two, ink spraying all over the desk.
A deathly silence fell over the office, lasting a full five seconds.
The next moment, a roar loud enough to lift the roof echoed over Marineford.
"Say that again?! Whose daughter?!!"
Kong's massive body shot up, the mahogany desk groaning under the strain, his eyes bulging as if about to pop out of their sockets.
"Kaido's daughter, Fleet Admiral. Are your ears failing you?" Kane dug at his ear.
"Kane!!! Have you lost your damn mind!!"
Kong completely lost it, pointing at Kane's nose and roaring.
"You brought that madman Kaido's daughter! Into the heart of the Navy?!"
"Do you believe that tomorrow Kaido will go insane and lead the entire Beast Pirates to attack Marineford?!"
"He won't come."
Kane unceremoniously cut off Kong's roar, his tone flat yet carrying a heart-stopping force.
"When I ran into him in Wano Country, I gave him a beating."
"Cut off one of his dragon horns."
"And... gave him a little taste of 'Navy-style shock and awe.'"
"I estimate that for the next ten years, he'll have nightmares just hearing my name in his sleep."
Kong's roar abruptly stopped.
He reached for the teacup on the desk, his hand freezing mid-air, his eyes filled with absurdity and stupefaction.
"You... drove Kaido off?"
"Of course. If he didn't run, was he going to stay there and invite me to a feast?"
Kane leaned forward, crossing his hands under his chin.
"Fleet Admiral, take a look at this girl. Use your Observation Haki to properly sense the life force within her."
Kong instinctively released his Observation Haki, sweeping over Yamato's body, and his pupils abruptly contracted.
Such terrifying life energy!
At such a young age, her vitality is actually stronger than some adult officers at headquarters!
"Can you feel it?"
"Not only that, she has also eaten an extremely rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. This kind of talent is a hundred thousand miles better than those misfits you just recruited!"
Kane's tone became earnest, putting on the appearance of a loyal minister completely devoted to the Navy's future.
"So what if she has pirate blood? Does that mean a criminal's child must be a criminal?"
"Is the 'Justice' you always talk about so narrow-minded?"
"We'll take her back to headquarters, give her the most proper Navy education from childhood, and wash away those pirate habits. In the future, she will be the sharpest blade we thrust into the pirates' hearts!"
Kong's eyelids twitched wildly as he rapidly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
Every word Kane said hit his weak spot.
The Navy truly lacked top-tier combat power. If they could mold Kaido's daughter into a Navy Admiral, it would be a great achievement!
But reason told him this was just too damn absurd!
"Are you sure... this kid wants to be a Navy? Doesn't she hate you for beating up her father?" Kong stared at Yamato, still finding it unbelievable.
Kane snapped his fingers and patted Yamato's head. "Come on, little calf, tell Fleet Admiral Kong your stance."
Yamato immediately stood straight, clenched her fists, her little face flushed red, shouting with all her might:
"Stupid old man deserved to get beaten up! He's just a fool who only knows how to fight!"
"Lord Kane said it! Justice will prevail! I'm already a Navy!"
"In the future, I'm going to be the woman who becomes a Navy Admiral!!!"
Fleet Admiral Kong's mouth hung open, his mind completely blank, utterly bewildered.
What the hell kind of gem is this?!
What kind of brainwashing did this bastard Kane give this girl in Wano Country?!
"See, Fleet Admiral."
Kane spread his hands, wearing a look of "see how far-sighted I am."
"What a promising seedling, a righteous warrior with proper roots."
Fleet Admiral Kong rubbed his throbbing temples and slumped weakly back into his chair.
He knew he had been led astray by Kane again, but he just couldn't find a reason to refute him.
Finally, Kong slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth as he made the decision:
"Hand her over to Zephyr! If that guy thinks he can't teach her, or if she shows any signs of betrayal, immediately send her to Impel Down!"
"Deal."
Kane stood up, satisfied, brushing off his coat.
"Let's go, Yamato. I'll take you to meet your future teacher."
He took Yamato's small hand and turned toward the door.
"Believe me, Instructor Zephyr will 'really, really like' you, this special new recruit."
Thinking of that rigid, strict Zephyr who deeply despised pirates, Kane couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.
.
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