Early the next morning, before dawn had broken.
"BANG——!!!"
With a tremendous crash, the door to Sakazuki's hospital room met its end, the entire panel slamming tragically onto the floor and stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Good morning! Sakazuki!"
Kane stood silhouetted against the morning light in the doorway, holding a baguette he'd snagged from the cafeteria, his face radiating a warmth that felt like spring breeze.
"Time for rehabilitation training! As your personal trainer, I won't allow you to laze in bed!"
In the hospital bed, Sakazuki—who had been in light sleep—snapped his eyes open, a vein throbbing violently at his temple. He stared at the pitiful door on the floor, then at Kane.
"Kane... it's only 5:30!!!"
"The plan for the day lies in the morning—how can the pursuit of Justice be bound by time?" Kane took a bite of the baguette, its texture hard as iron. "Come on, let's see how much you've recovered since last night!"
Before the words faded, Kane's figure vanished into thin air.
Shave!
The next instant, the wind howled as the rock-hard baguette shot straight toward Sakazuki's forehead!
"You bastard... don't get too cocky!!"
Sakazuki was, after all, a monster-level rookie. Though injured, his reflexes remained terrifying.
With a roar, he pushed off the bed with one hand, his body spinning through the air as his powerful right leg swept forward with a fierce side kick, meeting the attack head-on.
"BOOM!"
And from that moment on, Sakazuki's week of hell began.
...
Third day of special training.
The hospital room was already in complete disarray, the walls riddled with holes as if they'd been shelled.
"Huff... huff..."
Sakazuki leaned against the corner, gasping for breath, sweat mingling with blood from reopened wounds staining his bandages. His eyes burned with ferocity, fixed unwaveringly on the man standing in the center of the room, whose clothes remained perfectly unruffled.
He didn't understand.
He had already learned Shave and could match his speed.
But no matter how he attacked, no matter how much power he put behind his fists, just before impact, Kane would always drift away like a sheet of paper, evading seamlessly with the flow of his punches.
"Too rigid, Sakazuki."
Kane stood with his hands in his pockets, his body swaying lightly with the air currents as if weightless.
"Your fists are full of rage, but no technique."
"Shut up! Take this!" Sakazuki's eyes burned crimson as he unleashed a torrent of punches, sealing off every possible escape route.
"Paper Art: Falling Leaves."
Kane's gaze remained indifferent as his body twisted and folded at impossible angles. Every one of Sakazuki's fists brushed past his skin without so much as grazing a single hair.
Then, Kane extended a single finger, gently pressing it against Sakazuki's completely unguarded abdomen.
"Finger pistol."
Thump!
What seemed like a light touch erupted with the force to pierce steel plate upon contact.
"Guh—!"
Sakazuki's eyes bulged as his body curled forward like a shrimp, stomach acid forced up and out of his mouth. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor.
"Huff... huff..."
"Why..."
He lifted his head, the ferocity in his eyes now tinged with confusion.
"Why have you improved so fast? I'm giving it my all every day... even thinking about how to defeat you in my sleep..."
"Because of conviction, Sakazuki."
Kane walked to the window, his back to the sunlight, bathed in a holy radiance.
He was at it again.
"Your Justice is too heavy, too rigid."
"But I'm different." Kane turned around, revealing that spring-like smile of his. "I grew stronger to protect everyone's smiles. This relaxed, joyful, love-filled mindset is the true source of power!"
At the doorway, Borsalino was happily munching on sunflower seeds.
Hearing this, his eyes lit up behind his sunglasses, and he couldn't resist commenting to Kuzan beside him: "Yee~ Kane-boy is really profound, isn't he~"
Kuzan's mouth twitched as he watched Sakazuki in the hospital room, beaten into questioning his life. He shuddered: "Are you an idiot? Sakazuki's about to be broken by him!"
Meanwhile, Sakazuki stared blankly at Kane, actually contemplating those words.
Could it be... that I really am too rigid?
[Ding! Successfully confused the future Fleet Admiral into self-doubt, causing logical confusion!]
[Violation Value +600!]
Sixth day of special training.
Kane sat comfortably on an intact chair, looking at Sakazuki who was too exhausted to even lift a finger. He nodded in satisfaction.
While racking up points these past few days had been satisfying, the spending was flowing like water. To maintain this "overpowering" persona, Kane had poured almost all his earned points into the bottomless pit of Six Styles.
Still, seeing Sakazuki's life-questioning expression made it all worth it to Kane.
This wasn't just about strengthening himself - it was about taming the future Fleet Admiral!
In terms of raw power, he now completely overwhelmed Sakazuki, who hadn't yet eaten the Magma Fruit!
"Alright, special training is over."
Kane stood up, straightening his already perfect tie.
"The assessment is tomorrow. Sakazuki, while you've been getting beaten up these past days, your damage resistance has definitely improved significantly."
Sakazuki lay face down on the floor, fingers digging into the floor cracks. He didn't refute it because he could feel it - despite the excruciating pain, a rebounding power was surging within him after being pushed to the absolute limit.
This bastard... though his words were venomous and his strikes ruthless, he was genuinely helping him grow stronger.
"Kane..." Sakazuki's voice was hoarse, "In tomorrow's assessment... I'll defeat you fair and square."
"Oh?" Kane paused at the doorway, looking back with a meaningful smile. "Defeat me?"
"Do you know what the top three in tomorrow's assessment will receive as rewards?"
Sakazuki looked up.
Kane raised three fingers.
"Three top-tier Logia Type Devil Fruits specially approved by the World Government, treasured by Marine Headquarters."
"Magma, Ice, and Glint."
Boom!
These words didn't just stun Sakazuki - even Kuzan and Borsalino outside the door were shocked.
Those were... tickets to the most supreme power on the seas!
"Three fruits, three slots."
Kane looked at the three future Admirals, the curve of his lips growing increasingly wild - the excitement of a hunter spotting his prey.
"Want that fruit called 'the strongest'? Then climb upward with everything you've got."
"Because I've got my eyes on one too."
With that, Kane left laughing uproariously, leaving behind three monsters whose eyes were gradually igniting with blazing fighting spirit.
[Ding! Revealed core secrets, triggering cutthroat competition mentality among the three future Admirals!]
[Disruption Level Extremely High! Violation Value +1000!]
[Remaining Violation Value: 3000 points.]
In the corridor, Kane listened to the system's continuous notifications, feeling secretly pleased.
"Heh, I'm not interested in the Magma Fruit," Kane calculated inwardly. "But if I intercept the fruit that should have been yours... hehe."
At this thought, Kane couldn't help but hum a cheerful tune.
Tomorrow's major exam was destined to be spectacular.
It was time to let all of Marineford witness what true Justice meant!