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

That invisible pressure was enough to suffocate ordinary officers.

Kane calmly dusted off his coat, walked to the center of the room, snapped to attention, and saluted.

"Kane, a member of the first cohort of the Elite Training Camp, reporting for duty!"

How are you feeling?

Steelbone Sky, seated in the main seat, spoke first, his voice deep and resonant like a bell.

"Reporting to the Marshal! Apart from still feeling a bit nauseous and having a headache from overexerting my domineering aura, I feel great! I can go out and take down two more great pirates at any time!" Kane answered loudly. This half-serious, half-joking remark actually eased the serious atmosphere.

Zefa looked at his most prized disciple, his eyes filled with satisfaction, but he feigned sternness and snorted, "Stop talking nonsense! Do you know how much trouble you've caused this time? Intervening in the Royal-level battlefield without authorization, do you have a death wish?"

“Teacher Zefa, when a general is in the field, he may disobey some military orders.”

Kane lowered his hand, his eyes clear and sincere. "In that situation, if I hadn't intervened, and if the Golden Lion and Roger had escaped, the seas would have been in turmoil for the next twenty years. What do the lives of my subordinates matter when it comes to justice?"

His words were spoken with great righteousness and awe.

In reality, Kane was thinking: 'If I hadn't arrived sooner, who would I have gotten my 800,000 disciplinary points from?'

Marshal Kong nodded in satisfaction. He stood up, walked around the large desk, and held a black velvet box in his hand.

At that moment, Sengoku stopped pushing up his glasses, and Garp put down his senbei.

The atmosphere became solemn.

"Kane, your achievements have been verified by Headquarters and the World Government."

The Air Marshal walked up to Kane, his gaze intense: "Although you have only been in the military for a short time and have little experience, in this chaotic era, the Navy needs heroes and justice needs role models."

"At the suggestion of headquarters, and with the special approval of the Five Elders..."

Marshal Kong opened the box.

A golden epaulette lay quietly inside, bearing—a general's star!

"You are hereby appointed as Rear Admiral of the Navy Headquarters!"

A nineteen-year-old major general!

This is absolutely a record-breaking speed of advancement!

Kane stared at the star, his pupils contracting slightly.

coming!

It's not just about a rise in status, it's also about... unlocking privileges!

A major general means having independent warships, an independent guard, and... an independent operational funding account!

This means that he will have legal room to operate in the future, even if he uses public funds for lavish meals or even reports the pirate treasure he has captured in the media!

"What? Not satisfied?" Marshal Kong raised an eyebrow when he saw Kane looking dazed.

"No!"

Kane looked up abruptly, and at that moment, he channeled his inner Oscar winner.

His eyes were slightly red, and his lips trembled, as if overwhelmed by an immense sense of honor. He accepted the star with trembling hands, his voice choked with emotion yet resolute:

"Your subordinate is terrified! But your subordinate will never back down!"

"This star is not an honor, but a heavy responsibility! It is the testament of the blood and tears of the civilians who died tragically at the hands of pirates!"

"Your subordinate requests permission!"

Kane suddenly saluted again and roared:

"Please grant me the highest level of autonomy! I don't want to sit in the office drinking tea; I want to lead a team out to sea! To the most dangerous waters! To clean up the garbage that exists also for the sake of justice (points)!"

"it is good!"

The Air Marshal was deeply moved by this passionate declaration and waved his hand, "Granted! The headquarters will allocate you a brand-new warship, and you can choose the personnel! Funding..."

The air marshal paused, then said, "A special approval is granted for double!"

Kane brought his legs together, saluted again, and shouted loudly, his eyes already glistening with tears of "emotion".

"Your subordinates will be willing to sacrifice everything for justice, even their lives!"

Seeing his excited expression, the Air Marshal nodded in satisfaction: "Very good! Tomorrow, the headquarters will hold a formal awarding ceremony for you!"

Chapter 53 Awarding Ceremony: I'll drink this bowl of chicken soup, you can do as you please.

Marineford, Oris Square.

Today, the sun shines brightly, and the sea breeze is blowing thousands of flags of justice fluttering in the wind.

From above, the entire square was submerged in a pure white expanse of justice.

Tens of thousands of naval soldiers, dressed in crisp uniforms, stood solemnly in neat white formations, organized by warship and rank.

Directly in front of the square, a white platform symbolizing honor and power rises from the ground.

On the high platform, the lineup was so luxurious that it would make any pirate tremble with fear.

Seated in the center position is the current Admiral of the Navy, known as "Steel Bones".

On the left, a "wise general" from the Warring States period sits upright with a solemn expression.

On the right, Vice Admiral Garp, the "Naval Hero," is sitting with his legs crossed, but miraculously, he's not eating senbei (rice crackers) today.

Further to the flank, Chief of Staff Tsuru, Chief Instructor Zephyr, and other key personnel from headquarters were all present.

Such a luxurious lineup, all for one person.

A murmur of barely suppressed discussion rippled through the crowd. Every young marine's face was etched with fervor and adoration.

On the high platform, Garp picked his nose and said to Sengoku next to him with a bored expression, "Hey Sengoku, why make such a big fuss? It's just a promotion, why not just give him the epaulets in his office?"

Sengoku's eye twitched, and he lowered his voice to scold, "What do you know! This is setting an example! Kane's achievements must be celebrated with the highest level of ceremony to demonstrate the Navy's resolve, deter pirates, and inspire these young soldiers!"

"Tch, troublesome." Garp scoffed and said no more.

As the solemn military music began, the entire venue fell silent instantly.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a tall and slender figure slowly appeared at the end of the red carpet.

Kane.

He changed into a brand-new white major general's uniform, draped with the Justice Coat symbolizing his rank. On the collar, the golden star of his general reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.

He wasn't wearing a military cap, his blond hair was slightly disheveled by the sea breeze, and his handsome face was full of a gentle and humble smile.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, each step steady and powerful.

'Hurry up, hurry up...'

Kane wore a perfect business smile on his face, but in his mind he was ranting and raving.

'My 300,000+ disciplinary points are waiting for me to use! A lottery! A lucky draw! Which one isn't more interesting than sunbathing here?'

"The Air Force Marshal is really something, insisting on a live broadcast for the entire army... Damn, pretending to be a hero is exhausting, his face is almost frozen from smiling."

'What should I say when I go up there? Maybe "I have a dream"? No, that's too cliché. I'll just copy a couple of righteous platitudes; these hot-blooded fools are the easiest to fool anyway.'

He muttered to himself as he walked straight up to the platform, stood before the Air Marshal, and gave an impeccable military salute.

"Kane!"

The air marshal stood up and personally adjusted the star on his collar, his voice echoing throughout Marineford via Den Den Mushi.

"Your achievements need no further elaboration! The capture of Golden Lion was achieved with your life and courage; it is the glory of the Navy and a victory for the world!"

"Today, on behalf of the World Government and the Navy Headquarters, I bestow this honor upon you!"

"From this moment on, you are Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters—'Son of the Storm' Kane!"

Marshal Kong's voice was loud and clear, like a bell, and full of power.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

"Major General Kane!!"

"Major General Kane!!"

Countless marines raised their arms and shouted, their voices shaking the heavens.

Kane turned around and faced the young, innocent, energetic, and adoring faces below the stage, which in his eyes automatically transformed into walking "experience packs" and "leeks" (victims of exploitation).

Wow, there are so many people.

Kane remained completely unmoved.

He reached out and gently pressed down.

With this simple movement, the cheers that were loud enough to lift the roof off miraculously subsided within a few seconds.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the newly crowned legendary hero to speak.

Kane cleared his throat, his eyes becoming deep and sincere.

"Gentlemen."

Kane's voice was amplified through the Den Den Mushi, spreading throughout Marineford and even reaching naval branches around the world via video Den Den Mushi.

Someone asked me, "What is justice?"

He paused, then reached out and touched the brand-new major general badge on his chest.

"Is it this golden medal?"

"Is it this white military uniform?"

"Or is it a feat of defeating a legendary pirate like Shiki?"

The audience fell silent, everyone holding their breath as they listened.

No, none of those are true.

Kane shook his head, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying a penetrating power that struck straight to the soul.

"This sea is too dark. Pirates are like locusts that can't be killed off. Evil grows like weeds. Our efforts are meaningless. Many people are afraid, cold, and retreat."

"Some even say that there is corruption within the World Government, that our justice is not pure, and that justice is just a plaything in the hands of the strong!"