Outside the Chief Instructor's cabin, the mahogany door stood tightly shut.
This was Zephyr's private domain. On normal days, no one dared enter casually except for the cleaning orderly.
Yet here was Kane, crouched before the door, holding a thin piece of wire with the intense focus of someone defusing a bomb.
"Yee~ Kane-boy, breaking into an officer's private quarters is a offense that could land you moldering in the brig~"
Borsalino leaned against the corridor's shadows, hands in his pockets.
Though his words murmured "so scary," his body honestly took up lookout duty, eyes sharply scanning the stairwell.
"A scholar's affairs can hardly be called 'breaking,' Borsalino. Mind your language."
Kane didn't turn his head, his fingers deftly twisting the wire, producing faint scraping sounds in the keyhole.
"We're merely conducting necessary logistical resupply."
Click.
A soft, crisp sound echoed as the lock bolt retracted.
A smirk tugged at Kane's lips as he stowed his tools and pushed the door open, his movements fluid and natural, as if stepping into his own backyard.
If he weren't in the Navy, this skill could have made him a master locksmith.
He smoothly pulled open the bottom drawer of the desk, rummaging through it while lecturing the future Admiral behind him:
"Think about it, Borsalino. We're about to engage in intense physical labor under the blazing sun. If we don't replenish some sugar and hydration, what if we faint while scrubbing the deck?"
"If we faint, we can't complete our tasks; failing our tasks means disappointing Instructor Zephyr. Not only that, but we'd also waste the Navy's precious medical resources."
Kane's fingers brushed against a cool metal object, and his eyes lit up.
"Rather than causing such severe consequences, it's better to borrow a bit from the instructor's reserves in advance, converting it into motivation for our labor."
[Ding! Illegal entry and theft of an officer's personal supplies.]
[Violation Value +300!]
Listening to the delightful notification, Kane pulled out an intricately carved metal box from the back of the drawer, along with a package wrapped in gold foil.
"Whoa, Instructor Zephyr knows how to live. 'Royal Snowfield Black Tea,' specially supplied from the North Blue. I heard the annual yield is only a few dozen pounds. And this..."
Kane took a deep breath, his face showing rapture. "Top-grade handmade cigars from Sandora Island. Tsk tsk, these are treasures money can't easily buy."
He stood up and unceremoniously tossed the priceless tin of tea to Borsalino at the door.
"Catch! Looks like we've got our afternoon tea sorted."
Borsalino caught it reflexively, glanced down, and his yellow-tinted sunglasses instantly reflected the light.
"Yee~ Now this is the good stuff. I caught a whiff of this last time in Zephyr's office... When I tried to beg a cup, the instructor chewed me out~"
...
Ten minutes later, on the warship's deck.
What should have been a scene of sweaty, vigorous labor had taken a sudden turn.
The waterproof tarp originally used to cover the cannons was taken down by Kane and repurposed into two rather tropical-looking parasols.
Beneath the parasols, two lounge chairs "borrowed" from the soldiers' rest area were placed side by side. Their positioning was meticulously chosen, situated in the only shaded spot on the deck. Not only were they shielded from the sun, but they also enjoyed the sea breeze blowing through.
Between the two chairs stood a simple small stove. A copper kettle on top bubbled away, its steam carrying the rich aroma of black tea mingled with a hint of milk (fresh milk "borrowed" from the kitchen). A plate of rice crackers, its origin unknown, sat nearby.
Kane, wearing a pair of "borrowed" sunglasses, was sunk deep into his lounge chair. He held that expensive cigar between his fingers, his posture even more audacious than that of a Celestial Dragon.
"Phew—"
He exhaled a smoke ring, watching it slowly dissipate in the sea breeze, and let out a sigh of contentment.
"Now this is living."
Kane gave his leg a comfortable shake and turned his head to the side.
"Only with proper rest can one work properly. Borsalino, how are you feeling?"
Borsalino held a teacup, utterly slumped in his lounge chair. His face, usually wearing a lecherous grin, now bore a serene expression.
"Mmm~ Subarashii (Wonderful)~"
He took a slurping sip of the hot tea, savoring the lingering sweetness of the premium black tea, and let out a sigh from the depths of his soul.
"This mellow flavor, paired with this cool sea breeze... it's truly soothing for both body and mind~ Kane-kun, you're a genius~"
"Naturally."
Kane picked up a rice cracker, took a loud "crunch" bite, and his expression turned serious.
"Borsalino, you must understand, the salary the World Government pays us only buys our time, not our lives."
"Since they're buying time, as long as we are present at our posts during working hours, we have fulfilled the contract. As for risking our lives?"
Kane scoffed, flicked the ash from his cigar, and his gaze grew profound and sharp:
"That's a separate price!"
Boom!
A thunderclap seemed to go off in Borsalino's mind.
His sunglasses slid down a bit, revealing his signature dead-fish eyes, now wide open as if a door to a New World had been flung open.
"A separate... price?"
"Exactly!"
Kane pressed his advantage, continuing to pour in this "toxic workplace wisdom" from another dimension.
"A few hundred Berries a month, why would you risk your life for that? That's something for the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral to worry about. We just need to uphold a level of Justice that matches our pay grade."
"If the pay is right, Roger gets smited; if the pay's not enough, preserving health is a treasure!"
Borsalino was completely stunned.
The teacup halted at his lips. The steam from the tea fogged up his sunglasses, blurring his vision.
Before, when he slacked off, he'd feel a twinge of guilt, wondering if he was being too passive, if he was betraying the word "Justice" on his back.
Until today.
Kane's words, though they sounded treasonous, upon careful thought...
This was practically the damn truth!
"Sou desu ne~ (I see)~"
Borsalino nodded slowly. The curve of his mouth gradually widened, finally forming an extremely lecherous yet utterly joyful smile.
It was the smile of someone who had found their direction in life.
"Kane-kun, you're a true philosopher~ This old man has seen the light~"
He raised his teacup and clinked it against Kane's, producing a crisp sound.
[Ding! Deeply distorted the worldview of the future Admiral, successfully implanted the core ideology of "slacking off"!]
[Verdict: Highly subversive! This action will result in the future navy losing one passionate Admiral and gaining one clock-punching machine!]
[Violation Value +2000!]