Coming Clean

[Hina's favorability has reached 37. The first ability copy can now begin.]

[Please choose one ability to copy from the following:]

[1. Paramecia Devil Fruit: Barrier-Barrier Fruit (Development Level: 36%)]

[2. Six Powers (Proficient)]

[3. Observation Haki (Beginner)]

[4. Armament Haki (Beginner)]

[5. Naval Combat (Mastery)]

[6...]

[Note: The second ability copy will unlock when favorability reaches 60.]

After returning to his cabin, Kane chose Hina's Devil Fruit ability without hesitation.

In an instant, a peculiar sensation surged through his body, and the characteristics and usage of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit surfaced in his mind.

Its development level was not particularly high, but...

Kane's eyes lit up. The Barrier-Barrier Fruit could turn the user's limbs into iron bars, restraining people and objects.

Meanwhile, the Flower-Flower Fruit allowed the user's body parts to bloom into existence on any tangible object within his field of vision!

If the two were combined...

Kane acted as soon as the thought occurred to him. The next second, one of his arms appeared out of thin air on the floor. Under his control, it passed through a bedpost, leaving behind a hard iron bar where it had passed.

It worked!

Kane reached out and gripped the iron bar. With a thought, it retracted into his palm, and an uncontrollable smile spread across his face.

He knew perfectly well that stacking abilities had never been as simple as one plus one equaling two. He could already imagine the brilliant chemical reaction these two abilities would create when used together!

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden knocking interrupted Kane's thoughts. He composed himself and opened the door.

Robin stood outside, dragging Kane's suitcase. She had come to deliver his luggage, which was part of her job as Kane's assistant.

When she noticed the smile at the corner of Kane's lips, she could not help asking curiously,

"Are you happy?"

"Of course I am. The person I wanted to see is right in front of me."

Kane's bluntness left Robin at a loss, yet her heart began beating happily in her chest, and a bashful flush rose to her pretty face.

"Y-You... what nonsense are you talking about? Ah!"

Before she could finish, Kane pulled her into the room, slammed the door shut, scooped her up in his arms, and headed for the bed.

Robin was startled. Her face flushed bright red as she struggled and protested in a low voice,

"Put me down! We're on a warship. There are Marines everywhere outside..."

"All the better! Hahaha..."

"You... mmph!"

Robin's lips were sealed. The strength in her struggling arms quickly faded, and in the end, she even wrapped them around Kane's neck of her own accord...

An hour later, Kane lay comfortably on the bed, while Robin lay limply beside him like a boneless shrimp, her face covered in an intoxicating blush.

Kane brushed aside the strands of hair covering Robin's eyes. The resentful look from that morning appeared again, though this time it carried even more grievance.

Kane could not help smiling at the sight. He winked mysteriously. "Watch me perform a magic trick."

"I don't want to!"

Robin gave a soft snort and turned her face away, only to see a strong arm appear beside her out of thin air and pull her straight into Kane's embrace.

That arm was strong and warm, and so familiar. She could even see the scratch marks and bite marks on its skin—the traces she had left earlier while trying not to make a sound!

"Oh my god! This is..."

"This is my Devil Fruit ability."

Kane controlled the arm to gently pinch Robin's cheek, then stroke downward along her swanlike neck. Robin tried to stop it in embarrassment, but the arm turned into petals and scattered away.

"The Copy-Copy Fruit can copy the abilities of other Devil Fruit users."

"The Copy-Copy Fruit?!" Robin looked utterly incredulous, unable to believe such an outrageous Devil Fruit existed.

"I find it unbelievable too, but that's the truth."

He would have to use his copied abilities sooner or later, so he needed to prepare her in advance.

Robin was currently the only person he could fully confide in, so naturally, she would be the first to receive that preparation.

However, Kane's ability was troublesome to explain, so he only gave her its name and left Robin to fill in the rest herself.

"Oh, right. You're the only one who knows I'm an ability user. Don't tell anyone else."

Robin blinked her bright eyes, curled herself up tightly against Kane, buried her head in his chest, and softly murmured in agreement.

Sailing at sea was boring, especially when crossing the Calm Belt.

The still, wave-free sea was utterly dull. Only the occasional enormous shadow passing beneath the surface could stir any interest.

Kane had gone to Marine Headquarters several times for special training as an outstanding branch Marine, so he was already accustomed to sailing through the Calm Belt.

However, it was Robin's first time crossing the Calm Belt aboard a warship. She was curious about everything and was always wandering around the deck.

Yet she never went more than ten meters away from Kane. Even when Kane asked her to do something, she always completed it as quickly as possible and rushed back to his side at the first opportunity.

One afternoon, when Robin went to fetch Kane's lunch as usual, Hina, with a lollipop in her mouth, raised an eyebrow at Robin's retreating figure and asked curiously,

"Hina can't imagine you would let such a clingy girl work under you."

Kane reached out and patted Hina on the head, then chuckled.

"It's not polite to talk about people behind their backs, little Hina."

"Don't call Hina little Hina! Hina doesn't like that name!" Hina awkwardly slapped Kane's hand away.

She was already twenty-two years old and a colonel at Marine Headquarters. Besides, she was not little at all.

"Really? But when Vice Admiral Tsuru calls you that, you're clearly very happy."

"You're not Vice Admiral Tsuru!" Hina snorted, her cheeks puffed up around the lollipop.

She did not like being patted on the head, but the peach sweetness filling her mouth still made her decide to forgive Kane this once. However, Kane's protectiveness toward Robin inexplicably bothered her.

As if sensing Hina's thoughts, Kane put on a pair of sunglasses to block the glaring sunlight and quietly explained,

"She saved my life."

Hina immediately looked curious and pricked up her ears. Kane smiled and continued,

"Ten years ago, my parents and I were attacked by pirates while traveling by ship. Before they died, they stuffed me into a wine barrel and pushed it into the sea. She was the one who pulled me out of the water.

"Ridiculously enough, her hometown was attacked by pirates only a few days later. We got separated in the chaos and didn't reunite until three months ago."

Hina frowned when she heard that. "Hina hates pirates."

"What a coincidence. So do I."

Kane looked at the still sea, his thoughts swirling.

Most pirates in this world were cruel, bloodthirsty fiends and villains who committed every evil imaginable. People like Roger and Luffy were rare exceptions among rare exceptions.

In the four years since Kane joined the Marines alone, pirate attacks on civilians had occurred every month in the waters under his jurisdiction. That was only because he often led patrols himself.

As for other waters, there were plenty of Marines who occupied positions without doing their jobs and pirates who plundered freely. There were even scum among them who colluded with each other to prey on civilians.

Not to mention things like the Celestial Dragons and nobles—absurd creatures that could not even be called human. Kane felt this entire world was rotten to the core.

"Alert! A Sea King has appeared at ten o'clock!"

A sudden urgent warning interrupted Kane's thoughts.

Kane looked into the distance and saw a massive sea beast with a bull's head and fish's body swimming ahead of the warship's side. Its huge, sharp black horns gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight.

Hina grew nervous as well. The Calm Belt was home to countless enormous Sea Kings, and its danger level even surpassed the New World.

That was why warships capable of sailing through the Calm Belt had Seastone embedded in their hulls to conceal their presence.

However, no one could predict whether they might encounter a Sea King, which was why every ship had to follow its planned route strictly.

Otherwise, they might accidentally charge into a Sea King nest and turn everyone aboard into takeout delivered right to their door.

Hina was about to order her subordinates to prepare the cannons in case the Sea King attacked, but Kane suddenly reached out and stopped her.

"Just keep sailing normally. I'll handle it."

Hina gave Kane a serious look. Seeing him stare eagerly at the distant Sea King, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"All right. Hina hopes you'll be careful."

With that, she turned and headed toward the bow to direct the crew herself.

As a string of orders was issued, the Marines aboard also realized what was happening. While carrying out their commands, they all turned looks of confusion or anticipation toward Kane.

Kane, meanwhile, leisurely watched the distant Sea King and estimated its size.

Its body was nearly fifty meters long, already larger than the blue whales from Kane's hometown. Its weight was likely far greater as well.

But Kane soon realized he had no time to remain leisurely, because the Sea King seemed to have taken an interest in the warship, which differed from ordinary sea beasts, and intended to poke it with its horns for fun.

However, judging by its menacing momentum, it looked more like it had taken the warship for a challenger that had intruded into its territory.