Like a poet, Kai felt his heartbeat quicken when he opened his eyes and found himself in a very familiar shop, its walls tattooed with unique manga illustrations and shelves brimming with colors and stories that had enchanted the residents of Loguetown. This was his first step into the world of arts, the first space he created, and the first place that witnessed the beginnings of his ambitious idea. And now, after long journeys and countless events, he found himself here once more.
A wide smile spread across his face as he reached out to touch one of the shelves. Everything was exactly as he left it: the small figurines, the neatly arranged books, and even the paints that seemed as if they had never dried. An overwhelming sense of joy washed over Kai. He had finally succeeded in reaching this place using the idea of teleportation. He could hardly believe that the dream which once seemed impossible had become a reality.
But he wouldn't let his excitement completely take over. Quickly, he decided to leave the shop to see what was happening in the city. However, what he saw outside the door was shocking.
As soon as he opened the door, an unexpected clamor filled his ears. Chaos reigned in the town square. The ground trembled under the weight of fleeing crowds, and thick dust covered the sky like a scene from an apocalypse. Marine soldiers were everywhere, in huge numbers, surrounding every corner of the shop, while the residents tried to escape the chaos, their faces filled with panic, fear, and astonishment.
Kai lifted his head to look at the sky. There was smoke rising from some buildings, and dust swirling in the air, making visibility unclear. Amidst the dense crowds, something familiar caught his eye.
There, in the midst of the destruction, someone was fighting fiercely. A moment of focus allowed Kai to recognize him immediately. It was Arkan. He stood facing the soldiers, but what he was doing was not ordinary fighting. Arkan, in his simple attire, was using his mysterious powers in a bizarre and astonishing way. He waved his hands and made the soldiers move as if they were puppet theater dolls, spinning them in circles, directing them towards each other, and making them fight amongst themselves without ever touching them or causing any real harm.
Kai was utterly stunned. He had never seen anything like this before, not even in his world when he watched manga and anime. His eyes had never witnessed such a battle. Arkan had made the Marines look like a farce, unmatched. The soldiers were stumbling left and right, trying to keep up with Arkan's movements, but to no avail. Even those with strength beyond that of ordinary soldiers did not last long. Arkan moved with incredible speed, going right and coming left, passing by each soldier, either snatching their weapons or, with just a flick of his fingers, turning them completely into dolls, changing their clothes into those of girls, or flipping their bodies at lightning speed so they hung in the air without ropes.
Watching all this, Kai realized that Arkan was an entity beyond the logic of these worlds, something he had never encountered before, even in his own world with its simple system that nearly drove him mad with its simplest examples of abilities.
A mocking smile spread across Arkan's face as he watched the soldiers flounder in their attempts to overcome him, while he managed the entire game with skill and amusement. He seemed to control the chaos, as if practicing a strange magic that made everything revolve around him.
Kai felt a mix of relief and worry. He knew Arkan wasn't the type to seek violence, but using his power to make a mockery of the Marines was an unfamiliar sight.
Kai decided to intervene. He pushed open the door and stepped into the street, heading towards the square where the battle was taking place. With every step he took, the chaos seemed more intense, and the sound of soldiers falling to the ground or fighting among themselves was deafening.
Kai reached the center of the square where Arkan stood facing him. At that moment, Kai realized that Arkan had noticed him from afar and raised his hand to greet him, seemingly indifferent to everything happening around him.
Kai: "Arkan! What are you doing here?"
Arkan replied in a calm tone despite the chaos, "Oh, just a little fun. I didn't expect things to escalate like this. It seems the Marines can't tolerate our presence here anymore."
Kai felt an inner conflict. Part of him wanted to laugh at the situation, but another part felt the danger that was beginning to rise. "We have to get out of here. We can't keep playing this way."
Arkan looked at him with a smile and said, "Maybe you're right. But you know me; I don't like to run away."
Before Kai could respond, Arkan turned around and unleashed a wave of hidden energy that pushed the soldiers away from him, allowing them more freedom to move. "Let's leave this place before more reinforcements arrive."
Amid the growing chaos in the square, and with Arkan using his bizarre powers to confuse the Marine soldiers, Kai began to search with his eyes for the magical lantern associated with Arkan. It wasn't hard to find; the lantern glowed unnaturally in a distant corner, nestled near the corner of the shop.
Kai moved steadily toward the lantern, his eyes focused on it. He knew he had to act quickly; the situation was not in their favor. As he reached out to grab the lantern, a sharp voice pierced through the chaos.
"Who are you? Identify yourself first!"
Kai stopped and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a tall man with sharp features and cold eyes, holding a pointed staff in his hand. The man was wearing the official Marine uniform and exuded an air of authority and strength. Kai immediately recognized him as Roygan, the Marine commander of the city.
Roygan was staring at Kai with challenging and suspicious eyes. "I heard you telling him you would leave this place. Believe me, it won't be that simple. Even if I have to die here, I won't allow it!"
Kai paid little attention to those words. His focus was on the lantern. Calmly and without hesitation, he picked up the lantern with his right hand. Then he turned to face Roygan, holding the lantern in his right hand.
Roygan tightened his grip on his pointed staff, ready for battle, but Kai was not in the mood for jokes. Without uttering a word, Kai wiped the surface of the lantern with his left hand and began to mutter hidden words.
In that moment, the air around them shook, and the wind began to swirl violently. The lantern glowed intensely, and in the blink of an eye, the massive figure before them moved like a fly, spinning and shaking in the air before suddenly disappearing inside the lantern.
Silence fell over the place. No one had seen anything like this before. The Marine soldiers, the residents, even Roygan himself, were staring at Kai and the lantern in shock and awe. They had heard about Kai's abilities and his strange powers, but they had never imagined he could make people disappear in this way.
Murmurs of astonishment and shock began to spread among the crowd. Some backed away, afraid to get closer. Others began whispering that Kai was indeed a magician, capable of wielding mysterious powers and making people vanish in the blink of an eye.
Roygan, who was always known for his bravery and strength, felt fear for the first time because of this mysterious young man. But he wasn't ready to retreat. He tried to advance toward Kai, but felt something preventing him from moving, as if the ground itself refused to allow him to approach.
Roygan stood still for a moment, feeling fear creeping into his heart from this enigmatic young man who possessed unnatural powers. Yet, as a Marine known for his courage, he wouldn't let himself succumb to fear. He had to face this situation with all his strength, to show his men and the city's people that the Marines wouldn't back down from any threat.
He summoned his courage and gripped his pointed weapon firmly. He decided to attack Kai with all his might, hoping to defeat him and end this chaos he had unleashed upon the city. He began to advance slowly, but steadily, toward Kai, who remained motionless, staring at him with cold eyes that reflected no emotion.
The closer Roygan got, the more the crowd watching everything grew in astonishment. They expected Kai to react somehow, to defend himself, or even to flee. But Kai didn't move at all, as if he already knew that what was going to happen would not harm him.
Roygan approached until he was only a few steps away from Kai. He raised his pointed weapon, aiming it directly at Kai's chest. A sinister smile appeared on his face, knowing that this young man wouldn't survive this direct strike.
But at the moment he was about to strike, Kai suddenly turned his back, seemingly unconcerned about what the Marine commander was doing. In a swift motion, he summoned the magical wooden door from nowhere. Kai paid no attention to Roygan's presence, as if he wasn't there at all.
Kai opened the wooden door lightly, glanced quickly at the frozen crowd, then stepped inside and disappeared from the square as if he had never been there.
Kai's movement was so swift and unexpected that Roygan, who was very close to him, found himself inexplicably drawn into the door. He didn't have time to think or resist, as he was also pulled into the magical door.
At first, everyone thought what had happened was just a visual trick and that Kai and the Marine commander would come out from the other side of the door. But after seconds of waiting, with no sign of them, doubts began to creep in among the crowd.
Their eyes widened in astonishment, and their mouths dropped open in shock. This was not an ordinary door; it was a gateway to another place. None of them could comprehend how Kai and the Marine commander had disappeared in this manner. Even the most astute people in the city were unable to grasp what they had just witnessed.
Whispers began to spread among the crowd, and fear started to creep into their hearts. Some believed that Kai was a magician with mysterious powers, while others thought it was the work of demons or supernatural forces.
The scene was both terrifying and thrilling. They had witnessed something unlike anything they had ever seen before, and the square had turned into a stage of amazement and bewilderment, leaving them with no idea of what was happening or what they should do next.
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