For the next three days, a strange rumor circulated throughout Marineford. It was whispered that whenever night fell, sounds that made people blush would emanate from the office of the newly promoted Rear Admiral Kane.
First, there were heavy thudding sounds, followed by the gasping breaths of an exhausted girl, and finally, a man's stern, low shouts.
"Sink your hips lower!"
"Put some effort into it! How can this weak, soft force satisfy me?"
"Is this your limit, Gion!"
When the patrolling Marine Soldiers passed the window with the light on, they would flash an "I understand" smile, then tacitly quicken their pace and walk far away.
"That's sword practice! That's hellish special training, got it?!"
In the First Cafeteria, Kakei, sporting heavy dark circles under his eyes, slammed his hand on the table and roared at a group of whispering colleagues. For the past few nights, he had been squatting downstairs like a pervert, eavesdropping. He firmly believed that Gion was sweating profusely to become stronger! It was the necessary tempering on the path of a powerful warrior!
As for the person involved, Gion was indeed both pained and happy. In the spacious office, the air was filled with a faint scent of sweat and hormones. Gion was completely sprawled on the leather sofa, her training uniform soaked with fragrant sweat, tightly outlining her breathtakingly graceful curves. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes unfocused, and she didn't want to move even a single finger. At her feet lay a standard Marine service cutlass that was already dull and even had a section broken off.
"I can't anymore... Rear Admiral Kane... I really... can't..."
These few days of personal instruction had allowed her understanding of the way of the sword to advance by leaps and bounds, but the physical exhaustion was also terrifying.
"Already calling it quits?"
Kane sat comfortably behind the mahogany desk, leisurely sipping a cup of black tea, his gaze sweeping over Gion's undulating curves. Tsk, truly top-tier. The hands-on teaching over the past few days certainly provided an excellent feel. He put down his teacup, his gaze falling upon Gion's tattered cutlass, and frowned slightly.
It wasn't just because the sword was broken; it was because he realized that if this person couldn't continue the high-intensity special training due to the lack of a good sword, wouldn't he lose a lot of evening entertainment? More importantly, Kane looked down at his own waist. The pitch-black tensa zangetsu was still hanging bare, without a scabbard. Although the System Space was convenient, as a dignified Great Swordsman, he couldn't pull his sword out as if he were retrieving it from his crotch every time; it lacked any pretense of style.
"It looks like I need to make a trip to the Logistics Department."
Kane set down his teacup, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes.
Marineford, Logistics Equipment Department.
This was the most lucrative area in all of Marineford. The massive steel warehouses were like a maze, and the air was thick with the mixed scent of gun oil, anti-rust paint, and aged wooden crates. The administrator of Elite Warehouse No. 3 was a Captain named Charlie, a scrawny old hand. His uniform buttons were undone, he was chewing on a cheap cigar, and he was reading a newspaper with his legs crossed, until he saw the dazzling gold star on Kane's shoulder, at which point he stood up and gave a rather sloppy salute.
"Rear Admiral Kane, what brings you to my humble little place?"
"Get me a scabbard for my sword."
Kane was concise, but his gaze was already sweeping like radar over the mountain of wooden crates deep inside the warehouse.
"A scabbard? Easy!" Old Charlie grinned, pointing to a row of standard scabbards on the counter. "Flag Officer standard issue: white lacquer, gold pattern, and the large word 'Justice' printed on it—it gives you tons of prestige when you take it out!"
Kane glanced at it, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. Utterly tacky. If tensa zangetsu had a Sword Spirit, it would probably commit suicide instantly if inserted into something like this.
"Too ugly."
Kane commented bluntly, "My sword has a bit of a temper and doesn't like flashy things. I'll choose myself."
"Choose yourself?" Old Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Rear Admiral Kane, everything in the warehouse is registered. Even if it's just a scabbard, taking it requires following procedure..."
"Oh?" Kane smiled. He took a step forward, his tall figure bringing intense pressure. "Are you suggesting that I, a Rear Admiral, need multiple levels of approval from a Lieutenant Officer just to pick a suitable scabbard for my sword?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Sweat beaded on Old Charlie's forehead, but he kept smiling. "Rules are rules, after all..."
Kane didn't speak again, simply walking straight into the dustiest area and rummaging through the piles of junk. The items here were varied: golden scimitars studded with fake gems, daggers with cursed patterns, and even rusty iron rods.
"Tsk, the taste of this generation of pirates is really poor."
Just as Kane was about to lose patience, his gaze was suddenly drawn to something beneath a rotten wooden shelf in the corner. It was a section of a black object exposed to view. Kane reached out and pulled it out, gently blowing away the thick layer of dust on it. His initial impatience instantly vanished, replaced by a satisfied smile.
It was a scabbard made entirely of unknown black sinkwood, cold and heavy to the touch. Best of all, several irregular dark red stripes snaked across the pitch-black body of the scabbard, resembling dried blood, exuding a suppressed, dangerous, and sinister beauty.
"It's practically tailor-made for zanpakuto."
Kane drew tensa zangetsu with a backhand motion and gently guided it toward the scabbard opening.
"Click."
A crisp, pleasant clicking sound rang out. A perfect fit! The black hilt, connected by a chain, paired with this black and red striped scabbard, made the entire sword instantly become one cohesive unit. Its soaring sharpness was perfectly contained, transforming instead into a deep, chilling aura.
"Excellent taste, Rear Admiral!" Old Charlie sidled over, his face wreathed in smiles. "This color scheme is luxurious yet understated; you can tell it's a divine weapon at a glance!"
Kane hung the sword at his waist, but his gaze went past Old Charlie, landing on a long, rectangular wooden box deep inside the warehouse, crushed under several boxes of cannonballs. His Observation Haki had long since sensed a sharp energy there, not intense, but extremely tenacious.
"Uh... Rear Admiral, that area holds seized items awaiting approval, you can't..."
Kane ignored him, walked over, and single-handedly flipped open the heavy box of cannonballs, retrieving the dust-covered wooden box. The moment the lid was opened, a flash of pink-gold light swept through the dim warehouse. A slender Katana lay quietly inside the box. The scabbard was a magnificent gold lacquer color, adorned with exquisite pink cherry blossom patterns, and the Tsuba was shaped like a rare four-leaf clover. At the mouth of the scabbard, several ancient Chinese characters were engraved—konpira.
One of the 21 great grade swords! The signature sword of the Admiral Candidate "Momousagi" in the original work!
"This sword..." Old Charlie's expression changed. "Oh, I remember now. Vice Admiral Garp brought this back as spoils of war from the New World a few years ago. Because the color was too girly, no one wanted to use it, so it's just been left here."
"No one wanted to use it?"
Kane smiled, a meaningful look in his eyes. He closed the lid with a 'snap', then very naturally tucked the box under his armpit.
"Then I'll take it."
Old Charlie rubbed his hands awkwardly: "Well... according to regulations, even though you are a Flag Officer, taking a named weapon still requires following a procedure, filling out a form, and reporting it to Fleet Admiral Sengoku for approval..."
"Too troublesome."
Kane shook his head, then pulled a thick envelope from his coat. He subtly slipped the envelope into Old Charlie's open pocket, and even helped him fasten the button.
"The weather has been dry lately, and I see the Brothers in the Logistics Department working hard. Consider this money my treat for everyone to have some tea."
Kane's voice was gentle and sincere, his eyes full of sympathy for subordinates. Old Charlie felt his chest sink, and the thickness made his heart pound. He subtly weighed the contents, and the wrinkles on his face instantly crinkled into a radiant chrysanthemum smile.
"Oh, Rear Admiral, you are too kind! Showing concern for your subordinates—you truly are a role model for us!"
Old Charlie quickly glanced left and right, lowering his voice: "Since it's tea money... feel free to take whatever junk in this warehouse catches your eye. As for this sword... did I see this sword? No, right? It must have been carried off by a mouse."
"Indeed, the mice in this warehouse are quite large."
Kane patted Old Charlie's shoulder. The two exchanged a knowing smile, everything understood without words.
[Ding! Detected that the Host has bribed a Marine Colleague and embezzled public property.]
[Gained discipline points: 1200 points!]
Listening to the pleasant System notification sound, Kane was in high spirits. Clasping the legendary sword, he strode out of the warehouse with a swagger.
That night.
After another round of heart-pounding personal instruction, Gion straightened her messy collar and, blushing, prepared to leave. Watching the girl's graceful silhouette, Kane lightly tapped the desk with his fingers, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Leaving already?
Initially, he had merely adopted a perfunctory attitude of "since the System judges this as harassment, I might as well rack up some points." But he had to admit that after these three days, he had developed a taste for it. Watching this Admiral Candidate, who was usually heroic and spirited and would one day shake the seas, transition from initial stiff resistance in his arms to later blushing, gasping, and even proactively adopting various embarrassing positions to accommodate his teaching... this immense contrast, and the sense of conquest from slowly coloring this high-mountain flower with his own hue, brought Kane, this Old Sea King, a long-lost pleasure.
To only treat her as a point-farming machine would be a terrible waste. Kane rubbed his chin, his gaze gradually deepening and becoming aggressive. Top-tier figure, exceptional talent, and most importantly... those eyes filled with almost overflowing adoration when she looks at me.
If such an obedient and useful, top-quality Tool were given to someone else, or if she grew wings and flew away later, he would feel heartache. Thinking of this, the corner of Kane's mouth curved into a gentle yet dangerous arc.
"Wait."
Kane called out to her. Gion turned back in confusion, only to see Kane retrieve the long wooden box from under the desk and slowly walk towards her.
"Rear Admiral Kane?"
"Open it and take a look."
Gion paused, then opened the wooden box as instructed. The next second, her eyes couldn't look away. It was the instinctive thrill of a Swordsman seeing a peerless blade. The exquisite cherry blossom patterns and the perfect curvature of the blade seemed to be calling out to her.
"This... what is this?" She reached out with a trembling hand, gripped the hilt, and gently drew the sword.
Clang—!
A clear, resonant clang, like the cry of a phoenix, echoed in the office. The cold light illuminated Gion's stunned, beautiful face.
"One of the 21 great grade swords, konpira."
Kane's voice rang out calmly, carrying an undeniable certainty. "I've been observing you these past few days. Ordinary swords have already limited your potential. Only this blade is worthy of your talent."
"A Great Grade Sword?!"
Gion was so startled she almost dropped it. This was an invaluable treasure, priceless on the market!
"No! This is too precious! I can't accept it!" Gion frantically tried to put the sword back. "Rear Admiral Kane, you must have gone through great lengths to..."
"Take it."
Kane interrupted her, stepped forward, and gently pressed his large hand onto her hand, which was attempting to return the sword. The distance between them instantly closed. Kane's deep gaze locked onto Gion's eyes, and he could even smell the fresh scent of her shower gel.
His expression instantly shifted. The look that had originally held three parts mockery now became deep and solemn, as if he were gazing upon the most precious treasure of his life.
"Actually, this isn't just a sword; it is also my family's heirloom."
"Huh?" Gion was stunned.
Kane's voice became low and magnetic, as if recounting an ancient secret. "The ancestral motto says that konpira chooses its own master. It has been waiting for someone who can resonate with my soul and truly understand the meaning of 'Justice'."
He extended his other hand and gently smoothed the stray hair near Gion's ear, his fingertip brushing her burning cheek.
"Gion, watching you practice your sword these past few days, seeing you grit your teeth and persist in my arms time and again to become stronger... I can feel it cheering. The person it's been waiting for is you."
"Therefore, for you, I am willing to disregard even the family motto that states, 'This blade may only be given to the partner with whom I will spend my life.'"
Boom!!!
Gion's mind went "buzz" and completely blanked out. Heirloom... soul resonance... partner for life...?!
These words exploded in her mind like a nuclear bomb, shattering her rationality and turning into a sky full of pink bubbles. So... in Rear Admiral Kane's heart, am I... such a special existence? Not only did he teach me without reservation, but he even... even gave me the family's most important token... Is this... a veiled marriage proposal?!
Looking at the man before her who was willing to break ancestral rules, Gion's eyes instantly turned red, and hot tears streamed out uncontrollably.
"Brother Kane!!"
She could no longer control the surging emotions in her heart. She suddenly threw herself into Kane's arms, clinging tightly to his waist, weeping profusely. "I swear! As long as the sword is here, I am here! I will absolutely not let down your feelings! Whether it's this sword, or... or you!"
Kane took the opportunity to wrap his arms around the girl's trembling shoulders, holding her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, and gently stroking her long hair. From the angle Gion couldn't see, the affectionate look on Kane's face faded, leaving only a smile of successful deception.
[Ding! Fabricated false family history, successfully achieved deep emotional binding with Elite Marine Gion.]
[Achievement unlocked: A Lie for Life.]
[Ding! Established a long-term "under-the-table" relationship, activated continuous discipline points income. discipline points +100/day.]
Listening to the wonderful System notification sound and feeling the girl's unwavering devotion in his arms, Kane was in excellent spirits. A pilfered sword exchanged for a future Admiral Candidate as a wife, plus stable welfare income every day. More importantly, on the long Marine path ahead, whether in the office or on the battlefield, he would no longer be lonely.
This deal is a massive profit.
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