Year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
East Blue.
Somewhere within the jurisdiction of Marine Branch 153.
A medium-sized warship cut across the sea.
In the East Blue—where the average pirate bounty didn't even exceed three million—such a standard Marine warship was a rare sight.
On the spacious deck, an old man with graying hair lay stretched out on a recliner, basking in the sun.
He had a sturdy build, but his entire demeanor carried the unmistakable air of someone in the twilight of his years.
"Report to Vice Admiral Kane! A pirate crew has been spotted ahead. Based on the intel we've received, it should be the Alvida Pirates. Their ship is the Miss Love Duck. Captain Alvida, bounty five million. They're currently raiding a passenger vessel. Should we open fire?"
A Marine captain reported loudly.
Kane didn't react at first. After a while, he lazily lifted his eyelids, but made no move to get up.
"Oh? Pirates? Then fire."
His tone was slow and utterly indifferent.
What a perfunctory response…
That was the captain's immediate thought.
But remembering the identity of the man before him, he straightened up at once and saluted.
"Understood, Vice Admiral Kane!"
The captain quickly withdrew.
Kane closed his eyes again.
Only this time, sleep didn't come.
"…Sigh. This damn world. It's already been fifty years. I suppose it's about time for it to end."
Kane let out a quiet sigh.
His original name was Xu En. Fifty years ago, he had transmigrated into the body of a young Marine named Kane.
At first, he thought he'd be like most transmigrators—blessed with a system, rising rapidly in the Great Pirate Era, crushing an entire age beneath his feet. Becoming a Marine hero might be a stretch, but reaching the rank of admiral should've been no problem, right?
In the end…
Forget a system—he didn't even have Conqueror's Haki.
He had encountered a few Devil Fruits, but none of them suited his preferences.
And back then, young and full of spirit—with a bit of arrogance—he believed Haki was the ultimate power. Because of that, Kane never ate a Devil Fruit.
In the end, he accepted his fate.
Fortunately, his natural talent wasn't bad. And as a transmigrator, he had the advantage of foresight. Relying on that, he had managed to survive in this pirate-filled world.
He had been young once.
He had been reckless.
He had dreams, too—
Dreams of changing the world.
One by one, the comrades of his generation had died or been crippled. Through it all, he had come to understand the true nature of this world.
It wasn't something he could change.
He wasn't some destined king.
By the end, even Kane himself didn't know what he had really accomplished. It all felt… meaningless.
In short—this whole damn thing was a mess.
So now, Kane felt that peacefully enjoying his remaining years was what truly mattered. He had adopted a completely laid-back attitude toward everything.
That was why, when he heard about pirates just now, he reacted with such indifference.
If it had been ten years ago, Kane would've already hurled a cannonball himself.
Those days of competing with Garp over who could throw cannonballs farther were long gone.
Damn it… he really envied that old man Garp. The guy was four years older than him, yet still in peak condition.
And himself?
Just thinking about it made Kane feel bitter. In recent years, he couldn't even handle Hancock anymore—he'd had no choice but to roam the Four Seas just to avoid her.
After a moment, Kane stopped dwelling on it. He had already submitted his retirement request—what was the point of thinking about all this?
Once he officially retired, he'd simply enjoy whatever life he had left… even if there probably wasn't much time.
Still, something puzzled him.
Hadn't Bogey just said to open fire? Why hadn't there been any movement yet?
Could something unexpected really happen in the East Blue?
"Report to Vice Admiral Kane! The Alvida Pirates are under attack. The opponent is just a straw-hatted boy—and he's a Devil Fruit user. Please advise our next action!"
"Bogey… what do you mean, a straw-hatted boy?"
Kane froze for a moment.
"…Is he wearing a straw hat and a red vest?"
Bogey looked surprised.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Kane! How did you know? Please give your orders!"
Kane didn't reply.
His Observation Haki spread out instantly, and in the next moment, he saw everything happening aboard the passenger ship not far away.
"Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
The straw-hatted boy shouted.
His arm stretched backward, then snapped forward with explosive force, striking Alvida directly.
The immense impact sent the fat pirate woman flying.
A smile appeared at the corner of Kane's lips.
"Didn't expect to run into this kid… So he's set out to sea already? Should I capture him and hand him over to that old man Garp… maybe extort a few hundred donuts while I'm at it?"
The thought crossed his mind.
But he quickly dismissed it.
Too much trouble.
Monkey D. Luffy was a walking bundle of problems. Better to stay far away from him.
He still wanted to enjoy his retirement.
After all, he had spent years preparing for it—amassing enough money to live freely. Marines, pirates… as long as they weren't targeting him, he couldn't be bothered.
Over the years, Kane had come to understand one thing:
This world would keep turning, with or without him.
Just then—
A strange voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, host. You have survived until the beginning of the main storyline, meeting the conditions to activate the system. Would you like to load it now?"
It was a cold, mechanical voice, devoid of any emotion.
Kane froze.
Then he exploded.
"Are you kidding me?! I'm about to retire, and now you show up?! Are you messing with me?!"
At the same time, a terrifying aura burst out from his body, violent and overwhelming.
Bogey, standing nearby, instantly felt an indescribable pressure.
The Marines behind him were filled with shock and fear.
They had never seen Vice Admiral Kane like this.
"V-Vice Admiral Kane… what's wrong with you?" Bogey swallowed nervously.
The Kane before him was terrifying.
Kane finally snapped back to his senses.
Looking at the frightened Bogey, he realized he had lost his composure—but the frustration in his heart had reached its limit.
"Bogey, let them do as they please. Handle the aftermath later. That kid isn't a bad person… though he's not exactly a good one either. By the way, as a Marine, shouldn't you feel anger when you see pirates looting?"
Bogey and the surrounding Marines lit up instantly.
So Vice Admiral Kane was enraged because of the pirates' plundering!
Their fear instantly turned into admiration.
"As expected of Vice Admiral Kane! Justice will prevail! Justice will prevail!"
The Marines were so moved they were practically in tears.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Kane! I'll take care of everything!"
Bogey left with visible excitement.
Only then did Kane sit down again and take a deep breath.
"…Load it."
"Loading Super Wealth System… 1%… 2%… 5%…"
Watching the progress bar, Kane's mood only grew worse.
And when he saw the pirate ship trying to escape, that irritation reached its peak.
"Bogey—bring me my sword."
At the bow, Bogey froze for a moment.
He immediately realized Kane intended to act personally. Though confused, he felt even more excited.
Bogey quickly returned, holding a sheathed blade—red lacquered with golden trim.
It was Kane's sword.
A second-generation cursed blade—'Benizakura'.
Kane took the sword and drew it in one smooth motion.
The dark red blade was unadorned, yet carried a chilling killing intent. Its eerie aura alone was enough to make one's heart tremble.
He had paid a great price to obtain it from Wano Country. For thirty years, he had nurtured it with Haki. It still hadn't turned into a black blade—but it was close.
Kane stepped to the bow, gazing at the fleeing pirate ship in the distance.
No fancy stance.
He simply took a deep breath, swung his blade—and sheathed it in one fluid motion.
A white slash tore across the sea—
And in an instant, the 'Miss Love Duck' was split cleanly in two.