Redfield's hand, holding the teacup, froze mid-air.
Vegapunk.
The weight of that name made this legendary pirate show genuine astonishment in front of Kane for the first time.
He slowly placed the teacup back on the saucer, the fine bone china emitting a faint, crisp sound.
"Kane."
"Hmm?"
"Are you serious?"
Red Count took off his straw hat, his perpetually composed face now showing a grave expression for the first time.
"Kidnapping the World Government's chief scientist—do you know what that means?"
Kane crossed his legs leisurely, took a sip of tea with ease, his posture relaxed as if listening to some trivial anecdote.
Redfield's gaze remained fixed intently on Kane's face.
"The level of protection the World Government provides him is equivalent to that of a Celestial Dragon."
"You are a Navy Admiral. You're instructing a great pirate to kidnap the World Government's most crucial asset."
"If this gets exposed, how do you think the Five Elders will deal with you?"
Only then did Kane set down his teacup.
"That's why I said it must leave no trace."
Redfield fell silent.
A few seconds later, he suddenly laughed.
There was no joy in that smile—it was purely an instinctive reaction to the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Having sailed the seas for over a decade, he had seen all kinds of madmen—Rocks was mad, Roger was mad, even Whitebeard had his moments of recklessness.
But this young man before him, wearing a Navy Uniform and preaching "Justice"—his madness was of an entirely different breed.
Those men were mad for freedom, for dreams, for family.
Kane was mad only after calculating the ledger.
"What's the reward?" Redfield asked. "For someone like Vegapunk, the moment I take him, the World Government's bounty will blanket the entire sea."
"I'm already tracking the lead on the fruit. Bring Vegapunk back, and I'll reduce your remaining sentence by two years."
"Three years."
"Two and a half."
"Deal."
Redfield agreed without hesitation, not even haggling further.
This made Kane look at him more closely.
Red Count was not one to willingly accept a loss.
"You want to get out for some fresh air," Kane stated bluntly.
Redfield did not deny it.
He picked up the gardening shears and snipped off an excess branch with a crisp sound, his movements as elegant as playing the piano.
"After two months of gardening, I'm starting to feel moldy."
Fine.
Kane silently adjusted the estimated success rate of this operation upward a few notches in his mind.
Cipher Pol Aigis Zero? So what?
Unless the Five Elders themselves showed up, no one could stop a Solitary Crimson who was going stir-crazy and at the peak of his power.
"The exact location—wait for my people to confirm. Ten days at the earliest."
"No rush." Redfield put his straw hat back on. "My roses will bloom in three days. I'll leave after they bloom."
Kane: "..."
For fuck's sake, get your priorities straight.
—
Seven days later.
Late at night.
A rapid Den Den Mushi ringtone jolted Kane awake from deep sleep.
Gion's arm still rested softly on his chest, her sleeping face serene.
Carefully, Kane moved her arm aside and reached over to pick up the Den Den Mushi.
"Speak."
"Master."
Xitus's voice came through, stripped of the daytime allure, leaving only the efficiency and sharpness unique to an information broker.
Kane threw on his coat and walked out to the balcony.
A cool sea breeze brushed against his face. The night sky over Punk Hazard was so clear that every star was visible.
"I've found it."
"Vegapunk's current location is what we internally call the 'Bank Restricted Zone.'"
Xitus spoke rapidly.
"It's an island erased from all nautical charts, located at the edge of the Calm Belt where the South Blue meets the Grand Line. Even a Permanent Compass can't point to it."
"Defensive forces?"
"A CP5 and a CP7 squad are permanently stationed on the periphery. The core area is directly overseen by a Cipher Pol Aigis Zero member with an unknown codename."
"The real trouble is the island's own defense system—designed by Vegapunk himself."
"My people couldn't infiltrate to learn the specifics, but we know that anyone who tried to force a landing left no wreckage behind."
Kane lit a cigarette.
"Coordinates."
Xitus recited a string of numbers. Kane memorized them without writing anything down.
"One more thing." Xitus's tone shifted subtly. "Regarding Vegapunk's recent situation—my informant sent back an unverified piece of news."
"Go on."
"Apparently... he's recently had a major falling out with the World Government."
Kane exhaled a plume of white smoke.
"The trigger was the Five Elders forcibly halting one of his research projects. The specific content is unknown, but my source says Vegapunk spent forty minutes on the phone, cursing out the Cipher Pol Aigis Zero liaison officer to his face."
Kane leaned against the railing, a faint, involuntary smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Excellent.
The world's greatest genius at odds with the World Government.
What was this? This was called perfect timing.
"Reliable intel?"
"Seventy percent."
"Enough. Good work."
Kane hung up and stood on the balcony for a while longer.
The plan in his mind rapidly adjusted—originally, he intended to have Red Count storm the place, kidnap Vegapunk, and then work on brainwashing him later.
But now the situation had changed.
The difficulty of poaching a top-tier employee who's just had a fight with his boss was on a completely different level than poaching one who was contentedly working for them.
Early the next morning, Kane appeared on Rouge's island.
Redfield was watering his rose, which had finally bloomed.
The flower was indeed beautiful, with layers of crimson petals that complemented his coat rather well.
Kane handed over the coordinates.
A slip of paper with just a string of numbers.
Redfield glanced at it, then burned the paper, leaving no trace.
"Bank Restricted Zone." Kane leaned against the banyan tree. "Edge of the Calm Belt in the South Blue, not on any charts. A Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agent is stationed on the island, with two CP squads on the periphery, plus a defense system designed by Vegapunk himself."
"So?"
"So you need to use your brain, not brute force." Kane looked at him. "If you cause a huge scene on that island, the whole world will know someone kidnapped Vegapunk, and the Five Elders will go berserk. It won't just be you who suffers—I'll be in trouble too."
Redfield set down the watering can and wiped his hands with a towel.
"You want me to infiltrate."
"Correct. Infiltrate, make contact with the target, extract him, and evacuate. No one can discover Vegapunk is missing during the entire operation."
Redfield donned his signature red coat, took off his straw hat, and replaced it with a low-key black top hat.
The flower-tending gardener vanished, replaced by the Solitary Crimson.
"Do you have any information on that CP0 agent?"
"No. Codename unknown, strength unknown."
"...How is that any different from having no information?"
"That's exactly why I'm sending you, old Red." Kane patted his shoulder. "If it were someone weaker, I wouldn't feel at ease."
"One more thing," Kane added. "Vegapunk has recently had a falling out with the World Government. If conditions allow, you could try—"
"Try what? Persuade him to come with me?" Redfield sneered. "I'm a pirate. I don't play politician games."
"No need to persuade. You just need to tell him one sentence."
"What sentence?"
Kane pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
Redfield unfolded it.
There was only one line on the paper:
—"What is the principle behind Pluton's power core? If you want the answer, go with this person."
The Red Count folded the paper back up and tucked it into his pocket.
"You're sure this sentence will work?"
"For a scientist—" Kane's expression was relaxed. "An unsolved mystery is more effective than a blade at the throat."
Redfield said nothing more. He turned and walked toward the coastline, the hem of his red coat billowing in the sea breeze.
After a dozen steps, he suddenly stopped.
"Kane."
"Hmm?"
"Don't let that rose of mine die."
Kane looked down at the red rose blooming vibrantly in the flower bed, then lifted his gaze to Redfield's receding figure.
"...I'm a Navy Admiral, not a gardener."
Only the sound of the waves answered him.
Redfield's figure disappeared at the edge of the coastline.
Kane stood by the flower bed for three seconds.
Then, he bent down and picked up the watering can on the ground.
Damn it.
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