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

Zefa opened his mouth, looking at everything before him.

For a moment, this battle-hardened naval admiral was somewhat bewildered.

This is... a meteorological observation?

Did this kid accurately predict that there would be a massive rainstorm at this time?

And it's accurate to the second?

This level of nautical perception... even the veteran navigators at headquarters with decades of experience couldn't achieve that, right?! Is this some kind of mutated application of Observation Haki?

"What a... terrifying monster!"

Borsalino huddled under the umbrella, watching Kane's retreating figure, and for the first time, a genuine sense of awe rose within him for this classmate who was always spouting nonsense.

Kane poked half his head out from under the umbrella and shouted loudly at the drenched Zefa, a kind and innocent smile on his face:

"Professor Zephyr! Look! Now that the mission is successfully completed, can we go to the cafeteria for lunch?!"

"I heard they're having a special sea king sashimi tonight, it'll be gone if you go too late!"

Zefa took a deep breath, feeling a tightness in his chest.

He really wanted to punch that kid's smug face and twist it.

I really want to.

But... the task was indeed "completed." And it was done cleaner than any manual brushing could achieve.

This wisdom of utilizing the environment and leveraging existing advantages is often more important than brute force on the ever-changing battlefield.

This is a rare talent!

but……

Zefa looked down at the tea canister on the ground, overturned by the rain and with tea leaves spilled all over the floor, and his heart was bleeding.

That's my limited edition!!

"roll!!!"

Zefa squeezed out a single word through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse and trembling.

"Alright! Borsalino, run! If we're late, Kuzan will have taken all the meat!"

"I'm here~ Kane, wait for me~"

Watching the two of them run wildly towards the cafeteria in the rain, Zefa took off his wet sunglasses and threw them hard on the ground.

He wiped the rain off his face, looked at the gleaming new deck, feeling both angry and helpless. In the end, he even laughed in exasperation, a smile that carried a hint of barely perceptible relief.

"Kane... Hmph, what an unexpected brat!"

"However, stealing my tea... I'll settle this score with you properly later!"

Chapter 14: On the verge of death, I suddenly sat up in shock; the red dog was actually myself?

Kane felt exceptionally relieved to have escaped Zeffana unscathed.

I even felt that the grilled pork ribs in the cafeteria looked more attractive.

Inside the recruits' mess hall, the torrential rain outside did not affect the recruits' appetites at all, and the sound of plates clattering together rose and fell.

On a table in the corner, there was a pile of plates taller than a person.

"Click, click."

Kuzan was holding a thigh bone in his hand, eating with great gusto.

Across from him, Kane slowly and deliberately cut a steak, his elegant movements clashing with the rough surroundings.

“Ugh… Kane,” Kuzan swallowed a mouthful of meat with difficulty, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, his eyes gleaming with a clear, foolish gossip-like light, “Have you heard? That Sakazuki guy…”

"What happened to him?" Kane forked a piece of beef. "Did I damage his brain? Did he decide to retire and go back to his hometown in Beihai to sell sweet potatoes?"

Kuzan rolled his eyes.

"What are you thinking about? That guy just woke up this afternoon and he wanted to get out of bed."

"The doctor wouldn't allow it, so he did squats with one hand still attached to the IV drip and the other hand holding up the hospital bed! He kept muttering nonsense like 'Justice cannot be defeated'."

Kuzan made an exaggerated gesture, looking speechless: "The head nurse was so scared by his appearance that she cried. They're currently giving him extra high-calorie liquid food. I heard he's trying to eat back all the blood he vomited this morning."

Kane put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and a compassionate expression appeared on his face.

"This is truly...so touching."

He sighed and shook his head. "As his closest friend, it breaks my heart to hear that he doesn't take care of his health like this."

“What do you want to do? Hey, Kane, I’m warning you.” Kuzan lowered his voice and glanced around. “If you go and upset him again, Professor Zeff really will throw you into the sea to feed the fish.”

"Nonsense." Kane stood up. "I'm going to offer some help. By the way, doesn't the logistics department have a batch of leftover flowers from decorating the venue?"

Kuzan paused, then subconsciously replied, "I think so. A batch of white chrysanthemums just arrived this morning, supposedly for a memorial service for a retired lieutenant general who passed away from illness at headquarters... Hey! Why are you asking about this?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Kuzan's eyes widened suddenly, staring at Kane as if he were looking at a devil.

No way?

Could this person be...?

"Great, I'll take that one."

Kane snapped his fingers, his eyes clear. "White represents pure and flawless justice; chrysanthemums represent... well, unwavering character. This is practically tailor-made for Sakazuki."

"Kuzan, do you want to come with us? To witness the rebirth of our comrade."

"No way! I'd rather die than go!" Kuzan shook his head like a rattle-drum. "I want to live for another two years."

That's a real shame.

Kane shrugged and turned to walk towards the door.

……

Main hospital, special care ward.

The soundproofing here is very good, but you can still hear the sounds of heavy objects hitting each other and heavy breathing coming from inside.

"Nine hundred and ninety-eight...nine hundred and ninety-nine...one thousand!"

"boom!"

The huge metal hospital bed was slammed onto the floor, shaking the entire room.

Sakazuki was shirtless, his body wrapped in bandages, sweat dripping down his taut muscles and soaking through the gauze.

An IV tube was still inserted in the back of his hand, and the medicine bottle shook violently with his movements, as if it might explode at any moment.

"That damn blond bastard..."

Sakazuki gritted his teeth, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked. "Next time we meet, I'll smash that hypocritical face of yours to pieces! I'll embed you in the foundations of Marineford!"

Every squat, every tearing pain in his muscles, reminded him of the humiliation he had suffered during the day.

"Dong dong dong."

A knock came at the door.

"Get out! We don't need nurses! Leave the meat!" Sakazuki roared without turning his head.

"Oh dear, Sakazuki, you're still so hot-tempered. Didn't the doctor tell you? It will affect wound healing."

The voice that he dreamed of strangling drifted in.

Sakassky suddenly turned around.

At the door of the ward, Kane stood in a crisp navy uniform, his face bearing his signature gentle smile.

The worst part is that this bastard was holding a bouquet of flowers.

A bunch of pale, stark white... large white chrysanthemums, the kind that only appear at funerals.

The white petals were still trembling as they fell, with a black bow tied in the middle in a very "thoughtful" way.

The air condensed.

Sakazuki's face turned from red to green, then from green to purple, and finally as black as the bottom of a pot.

“You…” Sakazuki pointed at the bouquet of flowers, his voice trembling as he forced it out through clenched teeth, “You bastard… are you here to see me off to my death?!”

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Kane looked shocked, strode into the ward, and solemnly placed the bouquet of white chrysanthemums in the vase by the bedside.

"Sakazuki, you have disappointed me greatly. How could your thoughts be so vulgar?"

Kane pointed to the bouquet with a pained expression: "I searched the entire headquarters to find these flowers! Look at these pure white petals, symbolizing the immaculate purity of justice; these black ribbons, symbolizing... uh, symbolizing our determination to eradicate evil in the darkness!"

"In my hometown, only true warriors are qualified to enjoy this flower when they are 'lying down'. I am wishing you, like this chrysanthemum, that no matter how much wind and rain you experience, you can stand proudly in the autumn wind... or sleep peacefully."

[Ding! Inflict a psychological blow on the wounded!]

[Disciplinary Value +200!]

Sakazuki looked at the bouquet of white chrysanthemums facing him and felt his blood pressure spike, as if the blood in his IV drip was flowing backward.

"I'll kill you—!!"

He ripped the needle out of his hand, ignoring the reopening of his wound, and pounced on Kane like a wounded beast.

"Great! Very energetic!!!"

Kane advanced instead of retreating, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He shifted his body slightly to the side, his feet sliding erratically, effortlessly dodging Sakazuki's furious attack.

Then he reached out and patted Sakazuki hard on his bandaged shoulder.

"Snapped!"

The blow landed squarely on the wound.

"Hiss—!" Sakazuki gasped in pain, his movements freezing.

"Looks like you've recovered well; you can even fight back now." Kane smiled and withdrew his hand, taking two steps back to create a safe distance. "However, you're still too slow, Sakazuki."