Night had fallen.
The G-5 flagship was anchored in the foggy sea for rest and recuperation.
The day's battle had consumed a considerable amount of ammunition, and the Marines were busily cleaning and resupplying on the deck. Shouts and calls echoed back and forth.
Inside the highest-grade luxury cabin of the flagship.
With a soft click, Xiao carefully locked the cabin door from the inside. He then drew the curtains tightly shut.
Only after confirming that it was absolutely impossible for anyone outside to peek in did he finally let out a long sigh of relief, pulling out the Video Transponder Snail from his chest.
The image projected onto the solid wood cabin wall.
In the footage, the half-hearted attitudes of the three Navy Admiral candidates, and Kane's "life-and-death struggle" that was all thunder and no rain, were all clearly recorded.
"Kane, oh Kane, do you really think CP0 is just for show?"
Xiao picked up the expensive red wine that had been decanted on the table, gently swirling it. Beneath his mask, his eyes gleamed with fanaticism and greed.
As long as he transmitted this recording directly to the Five Elders, Kane would be finished!
And he, having exposed a traitor of Admiral rank, would surely achieve a great merit, solidifying his position as the Chief of CP0, and might even receive honors bestowed by the Celestial Dragons!
Xiao eagerly picked up the Den Den Mushi on the table, his finger trembling with excitement as he pressed the dial button.
BANG—CRASH!
The cabin door was kicked open. The thick solid wood door panel flew inward, slamming down beside Xiao's feet.
A gale of wind rushed into the cabin, making Xiao squint. He was so startled that his whole body trembled, and the wine glass in his hand shattered on the deck. Crimson wine splattered everywhere.
The man at the forefront wore a snow-white Navy coat, his golden hair wildly dancing in the wind. Those deep-set eyes were now like frozen ice.
Behind him, on the left was Sakazuki, with a faint red glow of magma emanating from his chest; on the right was Kuzan, yawning, surrounded by a chilling aura; and at the very back, Borsalino was leisurely trimming his nails, a glaring golden light even gathering at his fingertips.
The top combat force of G-5, the Navy Rogue Squad F4, all present!
"Admiral Kane! You... what are you doing?!" Xiao was both shocked and furious. He fumbled frantically, trying to hide the miniature Visual Snail in his sleeve.
Kane stepped forward and crushed the Video Transponder Snail with one hand. He looked down at Xiao, his gaze cold.
"Chief Xiao, just moments ago, I received a top-secret report." Kane's voice held not a single ripple, even carrying an official, serious tone. "On this flagship, the highest-level mole of the Revolutionary Army is lurking."
"For the safety of the entire fleet, and for absolute loyalty to the World Government."
"As the supreme commander, I must conduct a thorough search of the entire ship."
"A mole? That's utter nonsense!" Xiao was stunned for a second, then burst out as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"I am the Chief of CP0! The direct blade of the Celestial Dragons! What right do you have to search my room?"
"On my ship, I am the rule." Kane waved his hand, issuing a clean, decisive command. "Search."
As the order was given, a squad of fully armed, trusted Marines poured in from outside the door. They began ransacking the cabin, turning everything upside down.
Xiao trembled with rage, but he dared not make the slightest move.
He could feel it. Three terrifying auras had him locked down completely. If he dared to use the Six Styles to escape, he would instantly be incinerated by magma, frozen into shards, or have his head kicked off at lightspeed.
Just two minutes later.
"Reporting, Admiral!" A trusted Lieutenant Commander dragged a black briefcase wrapped in Seastone chains from deep under Xiao's luxurious bed. "A highly suspicious item has been discovered!"
Xiao froze.
That briefcase wasn't his. He had never seen it before.
"Open it," Kane ordered.
The Lieutenant Commander drew his sword and cleaved the lock open. The case sprang open, revealing a neatly stacked pile of documents stamped with "Revolutionary Army—Top Secret."
On top was a detailed arms transaction list!
Kane walked over, picked up the list with two fingers, and read it aloud in a clear, measured tone:
"Ten thousand Seastone Rifles, fifty heavy howitzers, one hundred thousand rounds of specialized ammunition..."
"Transaction Party: Revolutionary Army General Staff."
"Recipient and Inside Agent: World Government CP0 Director, Xiao."
The cabin fell dead silent.
A thick plume of smoke billowed from the cigar in Sakazuki's mouth, his rugged face etched with clear disgust. "So that's it. No wonder our artillery fire kept missing earlier—it was you, the traitor, secretly relaying coordinates!"
"No! This isn't mine! This is a setup!"
Xiao completely lost his mind. Pointing at Kane, he screamed hysterically, "It was you! You planted this case in my room on purpose! You let Dragon escape during the day, and now you're trying to silence me!"
Kuzan scratched his head. "Ara ara, with such solid evidence, you still want to deny it?"
"I demand to see the Five Elders! I'll report your rebellion to Mary Geoise!!" Xiao lunged madly for the Den Den Mushi on the table.
Kane didn't stop him.
Xiao grabbed the Den Den Mushi, his fingers trembling as he dialed. The snail gave no response.
"Don't bother," Kane said, drawing Zangetsu and pointing the blade directly at him. "I've already cut off all communication signals in this sea area."
Xiao turned around in despair. Watching Kane advance step by step, a bone-chilling dread surged from the depths of his heart.
"Kane! You madman! You've betrayed the World Government! You'll die a horrible death!" Xiao cursed with every ounce of his strength.
"Betrayal? I call this housecleaning."
Kane gripped the sword with both hands and raised it high. Armament Haki infused the blade, the black edge radiating oppressive force.
Xiao instinctively wanted to use the Six Styles to flee, but he was pinned in place by an invisible current of air, unable to move a muscle.
"For Justice," Kane uttered the four words.
A flash of blade light.
There was no scream, no splatter of blood.
The immense destructive power attached to the Soul Slayer Sword cleanly cleaved Xiao's body, along with the cabin wall behind him, in two.
The cut was smooth as a mirror, and the sea wind outside howled in through the opening.
[Ding! System detects that the host has framed and brutally executed the leader of the World Government's highest intelligence agency, fabricating evidence of rebellion!]
[Resulting in damage to the World Government's intelligence network and providing perfect cover for the Revolutionary Army's expansion.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining Violation Value: 600,000 points!]
Listening to the system's mechanical voice in his mind, Kane comfortably narrowed his eyes. The faint trace of killing intent that had arisen from swinging the blade instantly vanished without a trace.
Kane casually grabbed a clean white towel and meticulously wiped the dust off Zangetsu before turning to look at his three colleagues behind him.
"Gentlemen, you've all seen the situation."
Kane feigned "heartfelt grief," sighing, "I truly never expected that the esteemed CP0 Chief would be a Revolutionary Army lapdog bought off by Dragon. Not only did he resell the weapons we at G-5 worked so hard to produce, but when I caught him red-handed, he even attempted to resist arrest with force. In self-defense, I had no choice but to eliminate him on the spot."
"I wonder if any of you three have any objections to my after-action report?"
Sakazuki snorted coldly, looking at the two halves of the corpse on the floor with no trace of pity in his eyes. "Scum! It's vermin like this that have corrupted the government. Well done, Kane. I'll sign the report as the first witness."
Kuzan scratched his messy curly hair and sighed, "Ah, la la... Another report to write. What a pain. But the evidence is solid—he definitely deserved it. I'll sign too."
Borsalino adjusted his brown sunglasses, his tone lazy. "Yo yo yo, if he was a traitor, I have no objections either~ After all, the sooner we close the case, the sooner we can return to base for tea."
"Excellent. Throw this pile of trash into the sea for the fish. Send an urgent encrypted message to Mary Geoise with this ironclad evidence!"
Kane sheathed his sword and strode out of the cabin door.
At the same time, atop the Red Line.
Holy Land, Mary Geoise, Hall of Power.
The Five Elders were looking at the urgent battle report that had just arrived, their expressions grim.
"How outrageous!"
Saint Nusjuro, the bald sword-wielder, laughed in fury, slamming his palm heavily on the table. "That useless Xiao! Corrupted by the Revolutionary Army for mere billions in dirty money! He leaked our purge routes!"
"If not for Admiral Kane discovering the traitor and decisively executing this turncoat, our government's reputation would have been utterly tarnished this time!"
Saint Peter rubbed his temples, his eyes filled with admiration for Kane. "A young officer like Kane, who dares to withstand pressure from the Celestial Dragons and the CP Agency, impartial and wielding his blade solely for Justice, is truly rare."
"Pass down the order!"
Saint Mars, with his long beard, made the final decision.
"Notify the entire military to commend Admiral Kane for his loyalty and decisiveness! For such an absolutely loyal blade, we must never let him grow disheartened!"
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "GoddessTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!