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

The man in sunglasses pulled a heavy package wrapped in oilcloth from his pocket and tossed it precisely to Long.

"This was also instructed by the boss, who said it was a gift specifically for the leader."

After saying that, the man in sunglasses accepted the pitiful amount of money and left with his men without looking back, as if staying even a second longer would cause trouble.

Long stood frozen in place, the sea breeze making his cloak flutter loudly.

After a long while, he slowly opened the package.

There was a book inside.

The book cover had no publisher's mark, only a few large handwritten words—

On the Sixteen-Character Guideline and Practice of Guerrilla Warfare (Version 2.0)

The dragon's pupils suddenly contracted.

He trembled as he turned the book's title page, and a line of familiar, flamboyant handwriting exploded in his eyes like a thunderclap.

"A single spark can start a prairie fire." — Kane

boom!!!

The dragon's mind went blank, and then blood rushed to its head.

The memory of being "enlightened" by Kane on Garp's ship flooded back to me like a tidal wave.

The saying, "It's better to uproot than to futilely prune the branches!" still resonates powerfully in his ears!

tutor!

It's Mentor Kane!

He's always been watching over me silently! He's never given up on me!

This extremely valuable batch of weaponry was not a handout from black market dealers at all; it was smuggled out by the mentor through special channels from within the navy at great risk!

The man whose future would make the world tremble was now clutching the book tightly, his whole body shaking with excitement.

His companions looked at each other, completely bewildered.

"Mr. Long, what's wrong?"

Long suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with an unprecedented flame.

He held the book high, his voice trembling with excitement, as if he were making a declaration to the world.

"Comrades! We are not fighting alone!"

"Our greatest revolutionary mentor is lurking in the heart of the enemy, risking his life to provide us with nourishment and guide our direction!"

"This warmth...this expectation...this trust...we must never betray it!!!"

……

Meanwhile, Punk Hazard.

Kane was enjoying a leisurely sunbath when the blue system screen in front of him kept refreshing.

[Ding! Detected that the host has seriously aided the enemy, selling a large quantity of high-quality weaponry to a World Government rebel organization at a low price!]

This act constitutes a serious violation of Article 117 of the Naval Criminal Code: treason! According to the law, it should be punished with the death penalty!

[Congratulations, host! You have gained a huge amount of disciplinary points: 100,000!]

Hearing a string of "praises" in his mind, Kane comfortably shifted his position.

It's a familiar recipe, and it's a familiar taste.

With these 100,000 points in hand, I'm one step closer to awakening my fruit's power.

Just then, his private Den Den Mushi, whose number was known only to him and which he had placed aside, suddenly rang.

Kane picked it up and saw that it was indeed Dragon's number.

He cleared his throat, composed himself, and answered the phone.

The image of Ryu's face, contorted with excitement, immediately appeared on the Den Den Mushi's face.

"tutor!"

As soon as the call connected, Long's deafening roar came through, thick with a nasal tone.

"We received it! We have received your kind gesture!"

Kane's tone was calm, carrying a profound weight of experience: "Yes, it's just a trivial matter of 'scrap disposal.' The road ahead is long, and you'll have to walk it yourselves."

Inner monologue: Yes, yes, let's go, make a big scene, my disciplinary points depend entirely on you, my darling!

"No! Mentor! This is not insignificant!"

The dragon's voice choked with emotion.

"This is a torch illuminating the darkness! I understand everything now! The reason you stayed in the navy, even bearing the infamy of greed and cruelty, was to dismantle this corrupt regime from within! You...you bore the burden for us!"

Kane's lips twitched involuntarily.

This child's ability to fill in the blanks remains consistently excellent.

"tutor!"

Long took a deep breath and, in an almost vow-like tone, solemnly declared:

"I can no longer cling to this high position! The supreme commander of the revolutionary army should rightfully be you! Only your wisdom can lead us to final victory!"

"From this day forward, I, Monkey D. Dragon, will serve as your most loyal vanguard! I will clear all obstacles for you! I only ask that you descend and lead us to build a truly fair and just new world!"

Kane held the Den Den Mushi, looked at the distant sea, and sighed helplessly.

Again.

I just wanted to quietly rack up some points, why do you always have to pull this "donning the imperial robe" stunt on me?

"Cough cough."

Kane forced himself to calm down and said in a more somber and complex tone:

"Dragon, I understand your feelings. But... my mission is not yet complete."

"The darkest places are where the light is most needed. The deep-seated problems within the navy require a scalpel inserted from within."

"You are our sword in the sunlight. I, on the other hand, must be the dagger in the shadows."

Long, on the other end of the phone, fell silent.

After a long while, his voice, choked with sobs, came through.

“I…I understand, mentor.”

"I will never make such an unreasonable request again. I will definitely build a great army worthy of your rule! I await the day you reign supreme!"

hang up the phone.

Kane stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, now restored to its original state, and fell into deep thought.

This kid...

I just wanted to grow some chives, but you always want me to be the emperor?

Chapter 87 Kane: I'm caught in the middle, it's really tough for me!

Time is the most powerful force in the world.

It can turn the ocean into mulberry fields.

It can also turn a deserted island into a steel behemoth that preys on people.

Two years have passed quietly.

In the past two years, the new world has undergone tremendous changes.

The most eye-catching of all is the legendary "Lone Red" – Barolok Redfield.

Now known as the "Crimson Reaper," he appears and disappears unpredictably, specifically "visiting" the richest pirates and greedy kings.

Without exception, everyone he "visited" would go bankrupt and voluntarily donate their life savings to a mysterious organization called the "Construction Foundation".

According to incomplete statistics, in the past two years, this legendary figure who has reappeared in the world has at least... no, raised funds from dozens of top pirate crews and kingdoms, with the total amount reaching an immeasurable and terrifying figure.

The entire new world turned pale at the mention of "red".

Countless great pirates would rather provoke the World Government than see that damned red umbrella at sea.

And this immeasurable amount of terrifying funds ultimately flowed to one place.

Punk Hazard.

That once deserted island has been completely transformed.

A magnificent and menacing steel fortress rose from the ground.

It is like a steel behemoth entrenched on the sea, guarding the throat of the new world.

The towering alloy walls, covered with a thick layer of seastone, are enough to deter any Devil Fruit user.

On the city wall, countless massive cannons gleamed with a cold metallic luster, their muzzles all pointing outwards, as if ready to blast any invading enemy into pieces at any moment.

Inside the fortress, there are ports, training grounds, research centers, living quarters, and more—everything you could need.

This is no longer a "branch".

This is an independent Naval Headquarters!

When the Air Marshal first arrived here on a warship for an inspection, he was completely stunned.

He looked at the fortress before him, which was even more extravagant than Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy, rubbed his eyes, and thought he was hallucinating.

"Kane... what... what happened?" Marshal Kong pointed at the fortress, his voice trembling. "Our headquarters only approved 10 billion for you! How could you possibly build something like this?!"

"Marshal, please keep your voice down."

Kane wore a pristine white cloak of justice, spotless, with a sincere smile on his face.

"This is all thanks to the World Government."

"World Government?" Air Marshal was taken aback.