Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a hellish week had passed.
The sea breeze in Marineford still carried its salty, fishy scent, but the atmosphere in the elite training camp had undergone some subtle changes.
Kane's performance in daily physical training, Six Styles practice, and combat drills was nothing short of perfect.
In some subjects that purely tested strength and speed, he even showed signs of surpassing Sakazuki and the others.
When faced with the instructors' reprimands, he accepted them with humility, his attitude so sincere that no one could find any fault with it.
In the eyes of the new recruits, he was a reliable big brother—powerful and always willing to help.
In Zephyr's eyes, although the kid sometimes seemed a bit too "eager to show off," he had to admit that Kane was a rare talent.
However.
Only Kane himself knew how agonizing this week had been for him!
Late at night, in the Navy dormitory.
Kane lay sprawled on his hard bunk, staring at the blue screen only he could see, his face looking even more sour than if he had eaten a bitter melon.
[Ding! One minute late for training assembly. Violation Value +1.]
[Ding! Took an extra scoop of braised pork in the cafeteria. Violation Value +2.]
[Ding! Read an adult novel after lights out. Violation Value +2.]
[Current Violation Value: 642]
"Are you kidding me?!"
Kane irritably ruffled his blond hair, roaring inwardly.
"How the hell am I supposed to save up enough to draw the Rumble-Rumble Fruit at this rate? By the time Luffy sets sail, I'll still be saving up for Conqueror's Haki, won't I?!"
His current physique was at 55 points, and to increase it by just 1 more point, he needed a full 700 Violation Value!
Relying on these petty, sneaky tricks was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
"No, I have to pull off something big!"
Kane sat up, his eyes dark and intense as he stared out the window at the pitch-black night.
A plan began to take shape in Kane's mind.
If one person breaks the rules, they get confined to quarters and beaten up by Zephyr.
If it's more serious, they get discharged from the Navy and kicked out entirely.
But what if... I drag the Navy's future top combatants down with me?
As the saying goes, you can't punish everyone!
As long as I drag the future Navy Admirals and Fleet Admiral candidates into this,
by then, even if Fleet Admiral Kong himself shows up, what can he do when faced with these promising future pillars of the Navy?
Punish just me? That would make him look unfair, wouldn't it?
Punish everyone? Then what would become of the Navy's future?
This is a no-win situation!
Kane rubbed his hands together excitedly as he began looking for his first victim... no, his first partner.
Sakazuki? No, that guy is too single-minded. Getting him involved would be too difficult.
Borsalino? That old fox is too shrewd. My little tricks would probably just amuse him.
Well then, there's only one answer left.
Kane's gaze shifted to the bunk diagonally across from him, which was empty.
Kuzan.
The future "Aokiji," currently a hot-blooded fool.
He was like an uncut gem—just needing a little guidance from a "life mentor" like himself to shine... in a completely different way!
The training ground late at night was swept by howling sea winds.
"Hah! Hah!"
Kuzan, bare-chested, had sweat streaming down his well-defined muscles as he furiously pounded a sandbag.
"Not enough... I'm still not strong enough!"
"If I don't become stronger, how can I uphold the burning Justice?!"
At just over twenty years old, Kuzan's mind was filled with lines straight out of a hot-blooded manga protagonist.
Just then, an ice-cold sports drink was pressed against his cheek.
"Who's there?!"
Kuzan whirled around to see a face that appeared particularly saintly under the moonlight.
"Still training this late, Kuzan? You really are the most diligent among us."
Kane held two towels, his smile as warm as that of an older brother next door.
"Oh, it's you, Kane." Kuzan relaxed his tense nerves and took the drink, gulping down a large mouthful. "You're not asleep either?"
"I can't sleep."
Kane sighed, his originally sunny expression instantly switching to a profound, concerned-about-the-world mode.
He walked over and sat on the breakwater at the edge of the training ground, gazing toward the direction of the brilliantly lit Sabaody Archipelago (though it was completely invisible from there), his silhouette appearing utterly lonely.
"Kuzan, I've been pondering a question."
"What question?" The straightforward Kuzan immediately followed and sat beside him.
Kane turned his head, his azure eyes locking with Kuzan's: "Why are we training so desperately?"
"Of course, for Justice!" Kuzan answered without hesitation. "To capture pirates and protect civilians!"
"A perfect answer."
Kane smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"But, Kuzan, have you ever seen real civilians? Do you understand their true suffering?"
Kuzan was stunned: "Well..."
"We're staying in Marineford. This is heaven, an ivory tower. Everything we eat, wear, and use is provided by the World Government—the best of the best."
Kane stood up, his voice gradually growing passionate, carrying the persuasiveness of a motivational speaker.
"The textbooks say Justice means eliminating pirates. But they don't tell us why civilians become pirates in the first place!"
"Nor do they tell us what kind of degrading struggles people endure in the corners where sunlight doesn't reach!"
"If you've never witnessed darkness, how can you appreciate the value of light?"
"If you've never wallowed in the mire, how can you claim the right to pull others out of it?!"
This series of questions completely overwhelmed the young Kuzan.
His mouth hung open, feeling as if his soul had undergone an unprecedented baptism.
Right...
He shouted about Justice every day, but he'd never even seen the true "suffering of the people." Wasn't that hypocrisy?!
"Kane..." Kuzan's expression changed, filled with a thirst for truth. "Then what should I do?"
He's hooked!
Kane nearly laughed like a pig internally, but on the surface, he reached out and firmly placed a hand on Kuzan's shoulder, his gaze as resolute as iron.
"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."
"Tonight, I'll take you to a place."
"A place that's the abyss of desire, the testing ground of humanity, and where you can see the world's true nature most clearly!"
"Only by withstanding the trials there can your Justice mature from 'boyhood' to 'manhood'!"
Kuzan was so fired up by the words that he clenched his fists. "You mean... we're leaving the base?"
"This is a necessary sacrifice!" Kane declared with righteous fervor. "For the sake of true Justice in our hearts, what does it matter if we break a few outdated rules?!"
"Teacher Zephyr would surely understand our intentions if he knew!" (Kane's inner thoughts: He'd break your legs.)
After an intense internal struggle (lasting about 0.5 seconds), the naive Kuzan finally nodded with determined eyes.
"You're right, Kane! My Justice has been too superficial! Take me with you! I want to see the real world!"
Success!
Future Navy Admiral successfully recruited!
[Ding! Detected host's extremely malicious act of instigation!]
[Target: Kuzan (Future Navy Admiral).]
[Behavior: Luring naive colleague to the "Pleasure District" under the name of "Justice".]
[Violation Value +100!]
Listening to the system's pleasant notification tone, Kane felt every pore in his body relax.
"Good brother!"
Kane threw an arm around Kuzan's neck, lowered his voice, and revealed a strange smile that "all men understand" (Kuzan mistook it for a smile of revolutionary camaraderie).
"Go change into civilian clothes. Meet me at Warehouse No. 3 in the logistics area in ten minutes."
"That's the least defended spot on the entire island. We'll climb out from there and take a smuggling ship to Sabaody Archipelago."
"Tonight, your big brother will take you to experience... no, to observe the people's conditions!"
Kuzan nodded heavily, his eyes shining with the light of devotion to Justice. "Yes! Observing the people's conditions!"
Watching Kuzan scamper off to change clothes, Kane stood in the shadows and finally couldn't hold back a low "hehehe" chuckle.
"Kuzan, oh Kuzan, don't blame me."
"Those big sisters in the Pleasure District are very good at 'educating' people."
"After this night, your Violation Value... no, your life experience will definitely become very rich."
Kane straightened his collar, glanced at the pre-loaded reward notification on his system panel, and walked contentedly into the darkness.
Justice?
Of course we must uphold it.
But before that, let me exchange your innocence for some attribute points!