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

Sengoku's expression changed slightly. He was about to say something when Tsuru, the Vice Admiral beside him, pressed down on the back of his hand.

"Don't rush, let him continue." A glint of light flashed in He's eyes.

Kane stepped forward, gripping the edge of the podium tightly with both hands, as if he were suppressing the burning fire in his chest.

"They might be right! But is that a reason for us to give up?"

"Do not!!"

"I don't want to drift along in this indifferent world!"

I hope—

He took a deep breath and roared out a declaration that would be recorded in naval history.

"We can use our own hands to create a truly just era!"

"I hope that all the young people in our navy can shake off their apathy and strive for improvement! Don't listen to those who have given up on themselves!"

"Those who can do things should do them, and those who can speak out should speak out!"

"Give off whatever warmth or light you have!"

"Even a firefly can shine a little light in the darkness, without waiting for a torch!"

"And then there were no torches—"

May we be the only light!

"For justice!!!"

After saying the last four words, he pounded his chest and gave another solemn military salute.

Quiet.

The entire Marineford was plunged into a deathly silence.

Whether it was the marshals and generals on the stage or the tens of thousands of marines below, everyone was stunned into a blank mind by these words.

Get rid of the cold air...

Become that one and only light...

What a sublime awareness! What a fervent soul!

"Waaaaah..."

I don't know who it was, but the first person to burst into tears.

Immediately afterwards, the suppressed emotions erupted.

Countless young marines had red eyes and were filled with tears. They felt their blood boiling at that moment, and they couldn't wait to rush into the New World and fight the pirates to the death.

"Roar--!!"

"Major General Kane!!"

"Justice! Justice!!"

In the queue below, Borsalino's sunglasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose, and he smirked, "Is this what it means to be a cultured person? Why do I have this urge to go work overtime?"

"That's pretty exciting." Kuzan scratched his head, his eyes, which had been drowsy, now brightened. "Get rid of the air conditioning... let's go upstairs."

Sakazuki pulled his hat down, and no one could see the curve of his lips, but the muscles in his arms, which were crossed over his chest, were tense, clearly indicating that he was not at peace.

On the high platform.

Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, who is known for his composure, couldn't help but show a relieved smile: "He has a high level of ideological awareness and is a good prospect. If he is properly trained, he may really be able to change the atmosphere of the navy in the future."

Sengoku adjusted his glasses, revealing bloodshot eyes behind the lenses. Looking at Kane's tall, upright figure, he seemed to see the future hope of the navy.

'What...what a brilliant heart of justice!'

Zefa was moved to tears. He clenched his fists tightly, looking at his most outstanding student, his heart filled with unparalleled pride.

Only Garp remained oblivious, picking his nose and asking Sengoku beside him in a daze, "Hey, Sengoku, what did he say? Why are all these kids crying? Did Kane say something really nasty that made them cry?"

"Get lost!!" Sengoku punched Garp on the head, leaving a large bump.

At that moment, Kane, at the center of the storm, was bowing his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if moved by his own words.

Actually...

[Ding! Delivered a world-class speech, successfully fooling the entire army! Perfectly crafted the persona of "the light of justice"!]

The speech resonated subtly with this world "order," triggering a significant shift in the thinking of many young naval personnel!

[Influence Rating: MAX!]

[Disruptiveness Level Rating: Ideological Imprint Level!]

[Congratulations, host! You have gained 150,000 disciplinary points!]

[Current disciplinary points balance: 490,200!]

Holy crap!

Kane's mind was screaming wildly.

"Just by talking, he earned 150,000?! That's faster than fighting to the death!"

He looked at the group of "leeks" below the stage, crying their eyes out and worshipping him like gods, and then looked at the balance in the system panel.

Kane was instantly overwhelmed with an unprecedented surge of emotion.

These navy guys are so cute!

Chapter 54 Tea Pig Splits! This Damn Charm Has Nowhere to Go?

Even after the ceremony ended, the crowd lingered, reluctant to leave.

Kane's words, "May we be the only light," became the motto of all young marines almost instantly.

Especially in the formation of new recruits, the atmosphere was as lively as a festival.

"That's...that's amazing..."

A tall, beautiful young woman stood in the crowd, clutching her military cap tightly in her hand, her eyes almost forming hearts as she stared intently at Kane's figure.

She was wearing an ill-fitting recruit uniform, but it couldn't hide the astonishing proportions of her incredibly long legs.

Her long, black hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her pink lips were slightly parted, clearly still not recovered from that soul-stirring speech.

Gion.

A future Navy Admiral candidate, codenamed "Momohasa".

Right now, she's just a passionate young woman who has just graduated from a kendo dojo and joined the Navy with a dream of justice.

Looking at Zhang Yingjun's handsome face, his upright posture, and his powerful speech... everything perfectly captured the girl's fantasies about the word "hero".

This gave her "justice" a concrete form.

“How could there be… such a perfect man…” Gion’s cheeks flushed as she murmured unconsciously, “That spirit, that determination to burn himself for justice… is this the light I… must follow?”

"Pshaw, what's so great about it?"

A foul-smelling voice drifted out from the side.

Gion frowned and turned to look.

The speaker was a man whose appearance... how to describe it, very "sloppy".

With arched eyebrows, squinty eyes, and wearing a top hat that looked rather sleazy, he was picking his nose with a disgruntled expression.

Additional calculation.

Another future general candidate, codenamed "Tea Pig".

Of course, right now he's just a guy among the new recruits who relies on his brute strength and thinks too highly of himself.

When Jiaji saw his beloved goddess looking at another man with such a lovesick expression, he felt a pang of jealousy rising in his throat.

He had been pursuing Gion for quite some time, but each time he was ruthlessly rejected.

Now look what's happened.

This guy named Kane didn't do anything, he just said a few nice words on stage, and he completely captivated his goddess.

Can this be tolerated?

"Gion, don't be fooled by this pretty boy." Kaji lowered his voice, thinking he was being very clear-headed.

"Look at him, so fair-skinned and delicate. He only survived against Shiki because of Vice Admiral Garp and the others. He just picked up the scraps; it was pure luck."

"I even suspect that he didn't write the speech himself; maybe it was ghostwritten by a general from the Warring States period..."

His belittling was intended to show Gion his "rationality" and "maturity," making her understand who the truly intelligent man was.

To everyone's surprise, Gion raised her eyebrows, her pretty face turned frosty, and she looked at him as if he were a pile of garbage.

"Jiaji, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"I will not allow you to insult Major General Kane like this!"

"An insult?" Kaji panicked. "I'm stating the facts! Gion, think about it, a nineteen-year-old major general, is that reasonable? There must be something fishy going on behind the scenes! I just didn't have his good luck!"

As Gaji got more and more excited, he tried to regain the goddess's attention by belittling Kane.

"Besides, look how fair-skinned he is. He's obviously a pretty boy who makes a living off his looks. If we really fought, I could probably take him down with one punch..."

Clang!

A crisp whistling sound rang out.

Gion drew her standard-issue longsword with a sudden burst of light, the gleaming blade reflecting directly onto Kake's lewd face.

"Shut up, add to the count."

The girl's voice was chillingly cold, and her eyes, which had previously held a hint of naivety, were now terrifyingly sharp.

“If I hear you insult Major General Kane by even one more word, I will cut your tongue out.”

Jiaji was so frightened that he shrank back, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He had never seen Gion with such a murderous expression.