The news spread like wildfire to the high command room. Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, stood in front of his office window, gazing at the distant horizon, when an officer hurriedly entered, holding a stack of reports in his hand. "Sir, we have urgent news from Loguetown..." the officer said in a tense tone, avoiding eye contact with Sengoku.
Sengoku frowned as he took the reports from the officer's hand, quickly glancing over the carefully written words. His eyes narrowed with growing anger. "Failure? Again?" he whispered sharply as he read through the details, his expression shifting between anger and worry.
The reports indicated the failure of the fleet he had sent to eliminate a new threat in Loguetown. "Two mysterious individuals? Who are they? And why can't anyone stop them?" Sengoku questioned angrily, as if speaking to the air. The news was coming from all directions. The art shop he wanted to eliminate wasn't just a threat in Loguetown; it was expanding rapidly, opening branches elsewhere as if sprouting from the ground like weeds.
At that moment, a copy of the manga sold at the art shop reached Sengoku's hands. He slowly sat in his chair and began to read carefully. With each page he turned, his anger grew, his teeth clenched so hard they almost shattered. He felt his blood boiling in his veins with every word and every picture that passed before his eyes.
Suddenly, he stopped at a particular page. The image depicted a young man using a strange fruit that allowed him to stretch his body at will. "Luffy..." Sengoku muttered, pointing to the young man in the picture. "The Gum-Gum Fruit... Gomu Gomu no Mi?" He raised his eyebrows in astonishment, and his thoughts began to race unexpectedly.
The Gum-Gum Fruit, the Gomu Gomu no Mi, was one of the Devil Fruits that had disappeared for years, a fruit the World Government had long searched for in vain. How could it appear in a manga? And how could the author of this manga know about it? "Is this a coincidence? Or is there something more complex going on here?" he wondered in a trembling voice, his hands shaking with anger and tension.
Sengoku's eyes roamed around the room, which suddenly seemed too small to contain his racing thoughts. "Did this manga predict the future? Or are these events actually going to happen? And could someone find the Gum-Gum Fruit in the future?" The questions piled up in his mind like a mountain of ice, with no answers in sight.
As he drowned in his thoughts, the door to the room suddenly burst open, and a soldier entered, panting, his face filled with fear and confusion. "Sir, there's something serious... The Marine commander in Loguetown... the one in charge of the fleet we sent... has disappeared!"
Sengoku's head shot up, his eyes filled with astonishment and anger. "What are you saying? How can a Marine commander disappear?" he shouted loudly, rising from his chair in a swift step, as if preparing to confront an invisible enemy.
The soldier stammered but continued: "He... he vanished due to the abilities of that mysterious young man, the one whose identity we still haven't determined."
Sengoku fell silent for a moment, then began to move slowly towards the soldier, his eyes blazing with fury. "I will not allow anyone to disgrace the Navy and the World Government in this way. We will not be shown as powerless in the face of these unknowns. Move out immediately! I want every available force to search for this young man, for Commander Roigan, and for anyone associated with that art shop."
The shouts and orders rose throughout the Navy headquarters, and the soldiers moved quickly, preparing for the upcoming confrontation. Sengoku knew that things would not be easy and that this new threat was much bigger than he had imagined. But deep down, he realized that the chaos that had begun now would not end soon and that he had to be ready to face whatever was coming.
---
Kai stepped out of the wooden door to find himself in the middle of a familiar island, Monster Island. The island was engulfed in a dense forest, surrounded by giant trees and filled with the sounds of various beasts. Kai had visited this island before when he was first experimenting with teleportation. But why had he teleported here now? And with a Marine soldier? Even Kai himself didn't know why and had not chosen to come here at all.
Kai followed the sound of movement behind him. Commander Roigan of the Marines emerged from the wooden door, stumbling as if unprepared for the sudden change of location. He fell flat on his face onto the muddy ground, his face covered in grass and dirt. Stammering as he stood up, trying to comprehend where he was, he turned quickly to go back through the wooden door, but it was gone. The door had disappeared as if it had never existed, like a mere illusion.
Roigan looked around with wide eyes, not believing what was happening. "What is this place? Where are we?" he muttered aloud, as if speaking to himself. He turned to search for Kai, finding him standing steadily on a nearby rock, looking at him with a gaze full of mockery and coldness.
Kai looked at Roigan and let out a light laugh, then said in a mocking tone, "Welcome to Monster Island, the home of beasts and surprises. It seems you enjoyed the journey, didn't you?"
The look of anger on Roigan's face turned to sharpness and increasing rage. "No one has ever mocked me like this!" he shouted in anger, his eyes blazing with fury. "You, there! You don't know who you're messing with. I won't let you escape so easily."
Kai smiled confidently and said, "Ah, Roigan, do you really think I'm trying to escape? This island is full of surprises, isn't it? And I like to see how you'll handle them."
The anger in Roigan's voice intensified, and he said in a low, angry tone, "Stop playing with me. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You'll have nowhere to go now, and I'll make you pay for everything you've done."
Kai laughed again, louder this time, and said, "Oh, what a great Marine commander. You think you can stop someone who can teleport from place to place at the push of a button? You seem to be living in an old story, but I'm here to tell you that the world has changed."
Roigan's expression shifted from anger to confusion, as if what Kai was saying had started to raise doubts in his mind. "What are you talking about? And what are these strange abilities?"
Kai slowly approached Roigan and said in a low, calm voice, "Don't worry, dear commander. Perhaps you'll see for yourself in the end. But let me tell you something, the world is full of wonders, and you're standing in front of one of them right now."
Roigan felt that every word Kai uttered only increased his anger and disgust. He raised his sharp staff and moved toward Kai step by step, his eyes narrowing as if preparing to pounce on him. "You won't escape from my hands this time, no matter what your abilities are."
But Kai showed no sign of fear or retreat. He continued to look at Roigan with that sly smile on his lips and said in a calm tone, "I'm not here to escape, but to see what you'll do after you've lost everything. Let's see, who is the real commander here?"
Kai's words felt like a direct challenge to Roigan, who knew he couldn't back down now. He clenched his teeth hard and prepared to attack.
Roigan moved forward again toward Kai, this time with more caution, but he was determined not to let things end as they had before. Anger was raging in his chest, and he felt deeply humiliated by everything that had happened. "I won't let you mock me again!" he shouted in a rough voice as he raised his sharp staff, his eyes shining with intense determination.
Deep inside, he knew something strange was about to happen, something beyond his understanding and comprehension. His theories spun wildly in his head, trying to understand what would happen this time. Would Kai disappear again? Or would he use those strange powers he possessed to turn the situation in his favor? In his mind, he imagined all the possible scenarios, staying alert for any movement Kai might make.
At that moment, Kai unexpectedly turned, but instead of disappearing as he had done before, he sprinted away between the island's dense trees. He let out a loud, mocking laugh as he ran, turning his back to Roigan, who stopped suddenly, shocked by this unexpected move.
"You know, Roigan," Kai called out loudly as he quickly distanced himself, "Sometimes, the best way to survive is to run! And as they say, running away is half the courage sometimes!"
Roigan stopped in his tracks, stunned by Kai's actions, which he hadn't anticipated at all. A feeling of humiliation and anger engulfed him from head to toe. "What...? Running away?!" he thought to himself, unable to believe what Kai had just said. How could this young man be so bold and indifferent to everything happening? How could he run away after all this mockery as if it were just a game?
Roigan clenched his teeth tightly, his anger rising with every passing moment. "You coward!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, directing his words to Kai's back as he quickly disappeared among the trees. "Running away won't save you from me; I'll find you wherever you go, and you won't escape my grasp!"
Even as he spoke, he was inwardly aware that Kai was no ordinary opponent. There was something in his behavior, in his words, that made him believe that Kai was controlling everything around him, as if he had a hidden plan known only to him. He felt a mix of fear and anger as he chased after Kai, determined to catch him at any cost.
Rwaigan sprinted after Kai through the dense forest, furious and determined to catch him no matter the cost. The thick trees intertwined above them, creating dark shadows that hid what lay within. Leaves fell from above, and the ground groaned silently under the weight of their heavy steps.
Kai moved with speed and agility, weaving through the trees as if he knew the forest well, while Rwaigan panted behind him, struggling to navigate through the tangled branches. Strange animal sounds filled the air, with roars and growls making the place seem like another world full of dangers and monsters.
Suddenly, Rwaigan felt something moving in the shadows. His eyes tried to focus through the surrounding darkness, and he caught a quick movement on his left side. He turned sharply but saw nothing. "This place is full of traps and monsters," he muttered to himself as he continued running, feeling his way more cautiously.
Kai was running ahead but wasn't pulling too far away from Rwaigan. He could hear the heavy-breathing Marine captain and see his large shadow moving among the dense trees. "Is that all you've got?" Kai taunted sarcastically as he jumped over a fallen tree trunk, avoiding a cluster of sharp thorns.
Rwaigan paid no attention to Kai's words; his focus was on the path ahead. But suddenly, in the blink of an eye, forest monsters lunged at them. A large beast with sharp fangs emerged from among the trees, and another with leathery wings fluttered high, glaring at them with glowing eyes. The monsters began to move slowly toward them at first, but soon they started running, sensing new prey in their territory.
"Not now!" Kai muttered to himself as he increased his speed, while Rwaigan looked around nervously, trying to think quickly. The monsters were gathering, following the scent of fear and excitement that filled the air. Suddenly, a large, fur-covered beast leaped in front of them, raising its massive claws, attempting to block their path.
There was no time to think; Kai quickly turned left, jumping over a large rock, with Rwaigan following him without hesitation, only aware of the need to keep moving. "We need to get out of here!" Rwaigan shouted as he tried to push through the thick branches and tangled leaves.
The ground shook under their feet due to the weight of the pursuing monsters, and each step complicated the situation further. The roars of the beasts grew louder, and the sounds of previous prey swallowed by this cursed land filled the air, as if the forest itself was trying to warn them or perhaps urging them to flee.
Kai ran toward a group of tall trees, and at the last moment, leaped up, climbing one of the massive trees with swift skill, while Rwaigan followed hesitantly. "I'll make you pay for this," Rwaigan muttered angrily, but when he looked down, he saw monsters climbing as well, determined to catch them.
Kai began moving among the high branches, trying to reach a safe place out of the monsters' reach, with Rwaigan behind him trying to maintain his balance on the thin branches. Sweat poured down his brow, and his hands shook from the effort and tension. The monsters leaped toward them, their claws slicing through the air in desperate attempts to reach them.
Suddenly, a branch broke under Rwaigan's foot, and he nearly fell, but thanks to his quick reflexes, he managed to grab another branch. "I'm not backing down now," he told himself angrily as he continued climbing, while the monsters came closer and closer.
At one moment, Kai reached the top of the tree and looked down, watching Rwaigan struggling to stay on the branches. "You know, this forest isn't the right place for us to fight," Kai said with a mocking smile, then leaped from the tree to another, trying to distance himself from the spot.
But Rwaigan didn't give up; he knew he couldn't return empty-handed, and he advanced, stumbling, trying to continue the chase through this unknown place. He knew the monsters were closing in, but now all that mattered was catching Kai, no matter the cost.
Kai descended lightly from the giant tree, using the branches as supports to soften his fall. He floated in the air for a moment before landing gracefully on the ground covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. He shook off the dust and stood, looking around to locate Rwaigan.
To his surprise, he saw the Marine captain skillfully descending from the tree he had been on. "This man is more stubborn than I expected," Kai muttered to himself. Rwaigan was closing in with swift steps, his eyes fixed on his target without hesitation. It was clear that he was a man used to such conditions, someone who wouldn't have reached his high position in the Marine Corps without exceptional skills and abilities.
"So, there's a little justice in this world after all," Kai said with a smirk. "But do I care? Of course not."
Rwaigan didn't seem tired at all, despite the long chase; he looked more determined than ever. His face was set, and his eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve. He leapt over trunks and cut his way through the underbrush like a wild animal, as if he owned the forest in all its details. The closer he got, the more Kai felt the heat of his rising anger.
"I'm not going to let you escape this easily!" Rwaigan shouted, trying to quicken his pace to catch up with Kai.
But Kai didn't have time to continue this endless chase. He had to leave, and now. With a swift movement and a confident look, he suddenly turned and produced a magical wooden door from what seemed like thin air. Its strange colors shimmered in the forest, sparkling in the faint light filtering through the trees.
Kai swung the door wide open, looking into the unknown waiting on the other side. He turned for a moment, glancing at Rwaigan, who was only a few meters away.
"I'll see you next time, Marine Captain!" Kai said with a mocking smile before stepping through the door without hesitation and disappearing completely from view.
At that moment, Rwaigan stopped in his tracks, stunned by what he had just seen. The wooden door closed in the blink of an eye and vanished from sight, leaving him alone in this desolate place. He realized that Kai had left him in an unknown location, in a forest that perhaps no one knew the whereabouts of, and now he had to find his way out on his own.
.
.
.
---------------------------------
Join our Patreon at:
🔗 patreon.com/elyon_om
to support me and reach more than 10 advanced chapters