Half a day later~
"Goodbye, Old Man Crocus!" Luffy shouted from the Merry as he waved to Crocus on the shore. Then he turned his attention to Laboon.
"Laboon, wait for me! I'll come visit you once I've traveled the world. But don't you dare knock that painting off your head before I return!"
"Moo~" Laboon responded with a reluctant sound.
Slowly, the Merry began to drift away, with Luffy and Laboon watching each other until they were out of sight.
Crocus watched the ship disappear into the distance, murmuring to himself, "Roger, it looks like there's another one of you out there."
"It seems the world will be full of chaos ahead..."
...
Half a day later, aboard the Merry...
Snow had begun to cover the ship.
"Why is the weather in this Grand Line so unpredictable? It was sunny and windy just a moment ago, and now it's snowing heavily!" Nami said, shivering in her sweater.
She glanced over to see Usopp and Luffy having a snowman-building contest. Usopp had clearly won; his snowman was far superior to Luffy's.
Even Kai couldn't help but compliment Usopp's snowman. It was impressive!
Kai took a sip of his coffee, savoring the warmth in the chilly weather.
His gaze shifted to the two figures above.
"Hey, you two! Come down here and help shovel the snow. What are you standing around for?"
"Eh? Mr. 1, do we have to work too?" Mr. 9 asked, puzzled.
"Of course, if you don't help, why should I take you to Whiskey Peak? Get moving!"
Mr. 9 wanted to protest but fell silent at Vivi's urging glance. The two started shoveling snow with a sense of duty.
Seeing their diligent work, a smile crept onto Kai's face.
"Looks like I need to stop playing the role of a nice guy~"
"Hey Kai , there's a massive iceberg ahead. What do we do?" Sanji's voice called from the bow.
Kai Vane stood up and walked slowly to the bow of the ship, then jumped and landed on the goat figurehead.
He surveyed the iceberg ahead and said calmly, "Encountering something like this during navigation is easy to handle."
"Watch and learn!"
With that, Kai lifted his leg slightly and then swung his right leg through the air like a blade.
A massive slash shot out, slicing through the iceberg with silent precision.
In moments, the iceberg began to crack and split, collapsing smoothly on either side, the cut surface as clean as glass.
"All done, let's move on!"
Kai returned to his seat, took a leisurely sip of coffee, and sighed contentedly.
"Ah~ that's the life~"
While Kai appeared calm, the others were in awe.
What had been a colossal iceberg now seemed to vanish into thin air.
Is this really something we can learn from? Do you think we can handle this kind of power?
Zoro's eyes were wide with interest. As the only one who might one day master a similar slashing technique, he was particularly intrigued.
Vivi and Mr. 9 were trembling. Was this level of power something that a human could truly possess?
"Hey, what are you two doing standing there? Get to work!" Kai scolded them.
"Yes, sir!!!"
...
One day later~
An island covered with towering cacti appeared before the Merry. This was their destination—Whiskey Peak.
"Looks like tonight's dinner is going to be fantastic!" Kai said with a satisfied smile.
But before that...
"Kai, why did you tie up those two and put them in the cabin?" Luffy asked with curiosity, while the others looked on with similar confusion.
"You'll find out tomorrow!" Kai said with a mysterious grin, though his attention was focused on the voice echoing in his head.
[Ding! Successfully arrived at Whiskey Peak Island. Reward: Somersault Cloud!]
"Somersault Cloud?" Kai Vane's face showed surprise. This was the first time he'd received something that didn't directly enhance his strength.
Curious, he checked the details of the Somersault Cloud.
[Somersault Cloud: A golden cloud with a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per second (all interpretation rights belong to the system)]
"Um..."
Though Kai wasn't sure how fast a somersault was, it seemed to be an exceptionally high number.
The note about the interpretation rights made it clear this Somersault Cloud might not be as straightforward as it seemed.
But Kai didn't mind. A speed of 100 kilometers per second was impressive enough.
Even Kizaru, known for his Shining Fruit powers, wasn't necessarily faster than light. After all, no one could react at 300,000 kilometers per second.
Kai was pleased with this reward. While it didn't boost his strength, it was a useful tool.
He was tempted to try it out, but refrained for now. Getting lost could be a real hassle.
It seemed he'd be collecting more than just treasure from now on—permanent Log Poses too!
With a permanent Log Pose, Kai could navigate between all the islands of the world swiftly.
As the system panel closed, Kai Vane looked out at the encroaching fog. His Haki let him sense everything around him, but he had no intention of disrupting the story's flow. He wouldn't have tied up Vivi and the others otherwise.
A free meal was always a good idea, and a show was expected tonight.
Kai watched quietly, eagerly anticipating what was to come.
As the fog began to lift, the surrounding scenery came into view.
"Oh~"
"Welcome, welcome!"
...
Countless people surrounded the ship, offering a warm reception.
"Oh! Do you folks here welcome pirates?" Luffy asked, his face lit up with a wide grin.
Usopp joined in, making exaggerated gestures of affection.
"So pirates are popular here!"
"Pretty ladies!" Sanji admired the women greeting them from the shore, their movements captivating.
Except for Kai, only Zoro and Nami looked on with cautious curiosity. While they appeared unfazed, they remained wary.
As the ship docked, everyone disembarked, and an old man with long, curly hair approached them...
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you like the story