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

His chest heaved violently. Although he had long known that the Five Elders did not trust the Navy, he did not expect them to go to such extremes, directly bribing his subordinates to act as spies!

This is not only a slap in his face, but also a trampling on the dignity of the navy!

His dissatisfaction with the world government reached its peak at this moment.

Kane lowered his head in "shame," his voice trembling.

"Marshal, the money is all here."

"Although I, Kane, may be a bit of a scoundrel at times and like to take advantage of others, I was born a member of the Navy and will die a member of the Navy!"

"I can't betray my superiors or my comrades!"

"But if I don't accept this money, if I don't pretend to agree to their demands... I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to return to this sea of ​​justice, never have the chance to serve you again..."

When he got emotional, Kane's voice choked up several times, and he almost lost his voice.

This acting is so good, even an Oscar winner would have to give him a thumbs up.

Kong looked at the young major general in front of him.

At nineteen, full of vigor and ambition, it should be a time to enjoy glory.

However, for the sake of the navy's overall interests and to prevent the higher-ups from breaking off relations, he had no choice but to stand alone at the center of world power, wearing the mask of a "greedy villain," and enduring inner torment and self-reproach.

They even went so far as to tarnish their own reputation!

What an injustice! What unwavering loyalty!

This is the true... soul of the navy!

The anger in Kong's eyes quietly dissipated, replaced by deep emotion and remorse.

He walked around the desk, stood in front of Kane, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Good child... I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Kong's voice was hoarse and full of pity.

Sengoku, standing to the side, took off his glasses, rubbed his sore eyes, and sighed, "Kane, your wit and forbearance... I am ashamed of myself. You have borne this stigma for the sake of the Navy."

"Hahaha! Good lad!"

Karp rushed over, grabbed Kane by the neck, and vigorously ruffled his hair, laughing loudly, "What are you afraid of! As long as we know you're a good guy, that's enough! We shouldn't refuse that stinking money from that old geezer!"

"But……"

Kane stared blankly into the air. "Marshal, this money... must be handed over to the state! I don't want a single penny! I want it for the brothers who sacrificed their lives!"

"Nonsense!"

Marshal Kong's face was stern, but his tone was more kind than ever before.

He picked up the 1 billion Berry check from the table, forcefully stuffed it back into Kane's jacket pocket, and even carefully patted it to make sure it was in place.

"Kane, listen to me."

Kong Zheng said in a serious and earnest tone.

“If it’s an act, it has to be a full performance! If this money suddenly appears in the Navy’s public account, the Five Elders will immediately know you’re lying to them!”

"At that time, not only will you be in danger of being killed, but the Navy will also be put on the defensive."

Zhan Guo nodded in agreement, his voice heavy: "The Marshal is right. This is a hot potato, and it can only rot in your hands."

“So…” Kong paused, his eyes filled with undeniable indulgence, “You can keep this money for yourself! Consider it your activity expenses, or compensation for emotional distress!”

"Whether you use the money for drinking, improving your skills, or even having a good time in the entertainment district... as long as your heart is still in the Navy, how you spend the money is up to you! This is an order!"

Kane was completely stunned.

Holy crap?

Is the script going a little too smoothly?

Originally, I only wanted to legitimately pocket 90% and keep 10% as a token.

So you just made me swallow it all?

Why are you so emotionally and forcefully forcing me to swallow?

Is this the legendary "embezzlement under imperial orders"?

"Marshal..." Kane's eyes welled with tears, his lips trembling, "This... how can we accept this? This is a billion! Enough to build several top-tier warships!"

"Take it!" Kong roared without room for argument. "What? You want to disobey orders? This is for the mission!"

"Yes!!!"

Kane straightened up abruptly, gave a flawless military salute, and roared, his voice making the glass vibrate:

"For justice! For the navy!"

“I, Kane, am willing to bear the stigma of being a ‘great corrupt official’! Even if it means eternal damnation, I will not hesitate! I accept this money with tears in my eyes!”

"Good! This is the backbone of the navy!" Sengoku nodded approvingly.

"Come to my place for drinks tonight! Bring out all your good wines!" Garp laughed and patted Kane on the back.

The office was filled with a poignant atmosphere of tragic heroism, passionate fervor, and tender paternal love.

……

Two hours later.

Kane stepped out of the headquarters building and stood in the cool night air.

The tragic and heartbroken expression on his face vanished.

He reached out and touched the hot check on his chest, the corners of his mouth gradually turning upwards until a wicked smile appeared.

'To the Five Elders, I am a greedy and obedient lackey.'

"On Marshal Kong's side, I am a loyal subject who has endured humiliation and hardship."

"They want to eat from both sides, take from both sides, and appease both of them while praising me for doing a great job."

Kane hummed an unknown tune, his mood extremely pleasant.

'That's what you call a house wins all the time.'

'A billion Berries...tsk tsk, Borsalino wants that tea, Kuzan wants that limited edition bicycle, and Sakazuki, that repressed pervert, likes those cigars...'

'It's time to assemble my own team.'

Just then, that cold, mechanical voice in my mind rang out like heavenly music.

[Ding! Detected that the host has deceived the world's highest authority, deceived the Navy's Supreme Commander, and sowed discord between the Navy and the World Government's top leadership, exacerbating internal conflicts.]

This behavior is extremely subversive and will have a far-reaching impact!

[Based on comprehensive assessment, reward settlement in progress...]

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

[Current disciplinary points balance: 552,700!]

Chapter 65: A whopping 300,000! Max level Sakura Sakura obtained!

The night was deep, but it couldn't dispel the burning excitement in Kane's heart.

Back in the major general's luxurious private apartment, Kane locked the door behind him.

He poured himself a glass of red wine, then slumped onto the sofa, staring at the long string of numbers on his retina, his mouth practically stretched to his ears in a wide grin.

Without the slightest hesitation, his consciousness sank directly into the system.

"System, how many violation points are needed to advance Conqueror's Haki to 'Entangle'?"

[Ding! The host's current Conqueror's Haki is at the 'Intermediate - Deterrence' stage. Advancing to the advanced stage, 'Conqueror's Haki Entanglement', requires 600,000 Disciplinary Points.]

"60? System, the initial level of Conqueror's Haki cost one million! How come the top-level 'Entangle' is cheaper now? You weren't trying to rip me off before, were you?"

Kane couldn't help but ask.

The system's mechanical voice immediately sounded, explaining without any emotion:

[Ding! 'Conqueror's Haki Awakening' is an attribute bestowed by destiny.]

[That's a qualitative leap from nothing to something, defying fate and bestowing upon the host qualifications they didn't originally possess, therefore its value is extremely high.]

[However, 'Conqueror's Haki Entanglement' falls under the category of technique development.]

That's a quantitative change from one to two, an extension and application of techniques based on existing foundations.

Buying 'life' and buying 'skills' are fundamentally different, and their prices will naturally differ.

"I see……"

Kane stroked his chin, seemingly accepting the explanation.

"Okay, I'll admit your logic is sound."

However, before he could be happy for long, the system's next notification sound was like a bucket of cold water being poured on him.

[Ding! It has been detected that the host has not yet mastered the advanced application of Armament Haki, 'Flowing Sakura (Internal Destruction)'. Conqueror's Haki Entanglement requires this as a foundation and must be upgraded first.]

Upgrading 'Flowing Sakura' requires 300,000 Disciplinary Points.

[Confirm?]

"..."

Kane's eye twitched, and he unleashed a torrent of profanities at the system!

"Confirmed! Fully charge my Armament Haki!"

[Instructing you on techniques and muscle memory related to 'Armament Haki: Ryuo'...]

boom--!

As the system notification sound faded, a large and warm current instantly poured in from the top of the head.

There was no pain, but rather a feeling of fullness, as if filled with ultimate power.

Kane closed his eyes, his consciousness being pulled into a void dojo, where countless insights about the flow of domineering energy flashed by like a slideshow.