Pirate: I'm an admiral now, what's wrong with taking a little extra money?

Borsalino slowly shoved the mop onto the ground, leaning limply against it, showing absolutely no desire to lift a finger.

"Bang!"

Kane casually tossed the bucket in his hand and plopped down in the huge shadow behind the main gun turret.

He casually pulled two golden oranges from his pocket and tossed one to Borsalino.

"Next, let's cool off in the heat."

Borsalino caught it instinctively, feeling the orange peel still slightly cool. His eyes behind his sunglasses lit up for a moment, then he hesitated.

"Hey? Kane, Professor Zeff is in a really bad mood right now. If you slack off and get caught, you really could get thrown into the sea to feed the fish! That's really scary!"

"be lazy?"

Kane popped a segment of orange into his mouth, and juice spilled out.

He looked at Borsalino as if he were an alien.

"Borusalino, your ideology is seriously flawed."

"Oh? How so?" Borsalino became interested, leaned against the railing, casually crossed his long legs, and began to peel an orange.

“Think about it,” Kane mumbled, popping a segment of orange into his mouth. “What is the Navy’s duty? It’s to catch pirates and protect civilians, right?”

"That's right~"

"What if a group of vicious pirates suddenly appeared, like Shiki or Whitebeard?"

"And you, Borsalino, because you spent three hours scrubbing the deck under the scorching sun, your back ached and your strength was exhausted, causing you to be 0.1 seconds slower at the crucial moment, and you were killed by the opponent with a single blow..."

Kane paused, his expression suddenly turning extremely serious, and pointed at Borsalino's nose:

"Then you are a sinner to the Navy! You have not only let yourself down, but also the civilians who were waiting for you to save them!"

Borsalino's hand, holding the orange, froze in mid-air.

hiss……

It sounds a bit strange, but... it makes a lot of sense.

So that's why.

Kane spoke earnestly, then stuffed the half-peeled orange he had prepared into Borsalino's hand.

"We are sitting here eating oranges now to prepare for a fierce battle that may occur at any time, and we must conserve our energy."

"We are taking responsibility for the justice of the future!"

Kane held up a finger and waved it in front of Borsalino, saying solemnly:

"This isn't laziness, it's called—'ambiguous justice'! Finding the optimal solution between action and inaction—that's the justice of the wise!"

[Ding! "Wrong theories" have been instilled in the future general, successfully constructing a "closed loop of lazy logic," accelerating the formation of the future general's worldview.]

[Determining the level of subversion... A logical genius! Disciplinary violation value +800!]

That's it?

Kane was overjoyed inside, but on the surface he still maintained a look of concern for the country and its people.

Borsalino stared at the orange in his hand for a long time, the lewd smile on his lips gradually widening until it finally turned into a knowing smile, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

He plopped down next to Kane, mimicking Kane by stretching out his long legs and comfortably leaning against the gun emplacement.

"Kane, you're really scary~."

"I've learned a lot! I really like this kind of justice!"

He stuffed the orange into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly, clearly having completely succumbed:

"But... although that makes sense... we still need to wash the deck, right? If it's not clean, Professor Zephyr's temper really could make us throw us into the sea to feed the fish!"

"Who said we had to do it ourselves?"

Kane tilted his head slightly, looking at the seemingly cloudless blue sky above, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

The midday sun was still blinding, and seagulls were circling overhead.

However, in Kane's perception, which incorporated the original body's top-tier navigational talent, the surrounding air humidity had reached a critical point.

"System! Upgrade your navigation skills!"

[5000 Disciplinary Points Consumed! Skill Infusion in Progress...]

In an instant, the world in Kane's eyes changed.

The direction of the wind, the subtle changes in air humidity, the color of the bottom of the clouds in the distance... all the data converges in the brain into a precise weather map.

He sensed a damp, earthy smell in the sea breeze, a prelude to an impending downpour.

On the southeastern horizon, a barely perceptible black line was rapidly advancing, and the air pressure was plummeting.

"Borsalino, do you know how to make tea?" Kane suddenly asked.

"Oh? I know a little bit~ I quite enjoy tea in my spare time~"

Kane pointed to a shady corner on his nail clippers. "Did you bring a tea set?"

"what?"

“It’s okay if you didn’t bring it. There must be some in the captain’s cabin. Come with me.” Kane gave a meaningful smile.

Borsalino looked at Kane's confident back, then at the huge, messy deck, and hesitated for two seconds.

Immediately, a lewd yet expectant smile appeared on the old man's face—the excitement of finding a kindred spirit.

"That sounds interesting!"

Chapter 12: Salary in Place, Four Emperors Defeated! Kizaru, have you figured it out?

Outside the captain's cabin, the mahogany door was tightly shut.

This is Chief Instructor Zefa's private domain. Normally, apart from the orderly responsible for hygiene, no one dares to enter casually.

But at that moment, Kane was squatting by the door, holding a thin wire in his hand, his expression as focused as if he were defusing a bomb.

"Yay~ Kane, trespassing in the officers' lounge is a crime punishable by a lifetime of confinement!"

Borsalino leaned against the shadows of the corridor, his hands in his pockets.

Although he said "How scary!", his body language betrayed him as he took on the task of keeping watch, vigilantly scanning the stairwell.

“How can the affairs of scholars be called ‘daring’? Borsalino, watch your words.”

Kane didn't turn his head, his fingers deftly turning the wire, producing a faint friction sound in the keyhole.

"We are carrying out necessary logistical support."

"Click".

A slight snapping sound was heard as the latch popped open.

Kane smirked, put away his tools, and pushed open the door, his movements fluid and natural, as if he were returning to his own backyard.

If he hadn't joined the navy, this skill would have made him a master locksmith, no matter how skilled he was.

He skillfully pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk, rummaging through it while giving a lecture to the future general behind him:

“Think about it, Borsalino. We’re about to do strenuous physical labor under the scorching sun. What if we faint while washing the deck without replenishing our sugar and water?”

"If I faint, I will be unable to complete the mission; if I cannot complete the mission, I will have failed Professor Zephyr's expectations; not only that, but I will also have wasted the headquarters' precious medical resources."

Kane's fingers touched a cold, metallic object, and his eyes lit up.

"Instead of causing such serious consequences, it would be better to overdraft some of the officers' reserves in advance and convert them into motivation for labor."

[Ding! Unauthorized trespassing and theft of superior's personal property.]

[Disciplinary Value +300!]

Hearing the pleasant notification sound, Kane rummaged through the deepest part of the drawer and pulled out an exquisitely carved iron box and a package wrapped in gold paper.

"Wow, Professor Zefa really knows how to enjoy life. The 'Royal Snowfield Black Tea' specially supplied by Beihai, I heard the annual production is only a few dozen kilograms. And this..."

Kane took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy on his face. "Top-quality handmade cigars from St. Ting Island, wow, these are the kind of good stuff you can't buy even if you have money."

He stood up and unceremoniously tossed the priceless can of black tea to Borsalino at the door.

"Catch! Looks like our afternoon tea is sorted out."

Borsalino caught it instinctively, and when he looked down, his brown sunglasses instantly reflected light.

"Yay~ This is good stuff! I smelled this in Professor Zephyr's office last time... I tried to ask for a drink, and he scolded me!"

……

Ten minutes later, on the deck of the warship.

It should have been a scene of bustling activity and people sweating profusely at work.

However, at this moment, the style of the scene suddenly changed.

Kane removed the tarpaulin originally used to cover the cannons and transformed it into two tropical-style parasols.

Under the umbrella, two deck chairs taken from the soldiers' rest room were placed side by side in a very strategic spot, perfectly positioned in the only shady spot on the deck, where they could not only avoid the sun but also enjoy the sea breeze passing through the deck.

Between two reclining chairs sat a simple stove, with a copper kettle bubbling away, releasing a rich aroma of black tea mixed with a hint of milk (fresh milk borrowed from the kitchen). Next to it was a plate of rice crackers, the source of which was unknown.

Kane, wearing a pair of sunglasses he'd borrowed, was lounging in a deckchair, a priceless cigar between his fingers, his posture even more arrogant than that of a Celestial Dragon.

"call--"

He exhaled a smoke ring, watched it slowly dissipate in the sea breeze, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"This is what life is all about."

Kane stretched his leg comfortably and turned to look to the side.

"You can only work well if you're well-rested. Borsalino, how are you feeling?"

Borsalino, teacup in hand, slumped in his recliner. A serene expression now graced his face, which had previously held a lewd grin.

"Mmm~ That's awesome!"

He took a sip of hot tea, savoring the lingering sweetness of the premium black tea, and let out a sigh from the depths of his soul.