Kai had planned to capture all the members of Baroque Works scattered around the island, but to his surprise, they were already lying on the ground, battered and unsure if they were even alive.
Seeing the scene unfold, along with a few familiar figures entering his sight, Kai quickly reached a conclusion.
"Looks like all that training really paid off!"
In the original timeline, the Straw Hats were severely tested by Mr. 3 and his crew, but now, they were handling the situation with ease. Kai couldn't help but smile with satisfaction—after all, it was thanks to him.
The four Straw Hat members—Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji—approached Kai. Surveying the wrecked landscape, they asked, "What happened here?"
The battle had ended before they arrived, and while they'd noticed the massive disturbance, they had no idea what had taken place.
"Oh, it was just a fight," Kai replied casually.
"A fight? What kind of fight could cause this much destruction?" Nami exclaimed before hesitating, then asked, "Wait... it wasn't you, was it?"
Kai nodded.
In an instant, all of them—except Luffy, who had witnessed everything—stared at him in disbelief.
While they knew Kai was powerful, this level of devastation was beyond their imagination.
Seeing their expressions and the barren landscape around him, Kai felt a bit awkward. If Dorry and Brogy had been fighting, it would have taken them several rounds to cause this level of destruction.
Just then, Dorry and Brogy, the giant warriors, approached with booming laughter.
"Kid, you're really strong! Not many can take our Hegemony head-on!"
"Oh, Uncle Giants, thank you for granting my request to battle. That was a lot of fun!" Kai grinned.
"As promised, here's the wine!" Kai tossed a dozen barrels of wine their way, which the giants caught eagerly.
"Huh? Kai, what kind of wine is that?" Zoro asked curiously.
"Wine!"
"Wait… you didn't take that from Whiskey Peak, did you?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Kai replied, confused.
Zoro's expression changed to one of anger.
"So it was you, the wine thief!"
"Hey, watch your words! As the crew's second-in-command, I didn't steal—I borrowed it!"
Zoro ignored Kai's defense, his anger only growing. "When I was training at Whiskey Peak and wanted some wine to relax, they told me their entire stock had been stolen. I thought they were lying, so I nearly cut them down! Only after they swore they had none left did I believe them!"
Zoro clenched his fists. "I haven't had a drink for days, but that's not the worst part..."
He paused dramatically.
"The worst part is... why didn't you invite me to steal it with you?!"
Kai: "???"
Everyone else: "???"
Kai was stunned. He had been prepared for Zoro's righteous anger, but to hear a pirate say this? It was comically fitting.
"Heh, a true pirate through and through," Kai thought to himself.
Zoro then revealed his true motive. "Now that I know, you could share a few barrels with me, right?"
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"I got that wine fair and square—well, borrowed it. Why should I share? If you want some, beat me in a fight first, then we'll talk!"
"You…! &~@*#!"
Later, everyone gathered to drink and feast, creating a festive atmosphere.
Nami suddenly turned to Dorry and asked, "Uncle Giant, how long until the magnetism on this island fully charges?"
"Hmm, let me think… it'll take about a year!"
"A year?!"
Everyone gasped, especially Vivi, who turned pale.
A year's delay would mean disaster for Alabasta. By the time she returned, her homeland might be lost, and her father's grave covered in overgrown grass.
As that thought consumed her, Vivi collapsed to the ground, her face drained of all hope.
Seeing this, Kai suddenly remembered something important. Without a word, he vanished. Moments later, he reappeared outside Mr. 3's wax house.
Without hesitation, he kicked the door open, and the sight inside nearly made him laugh out loud.
A sea otter and an ostrich, the Unluckies, sat at a table, sipping Earl Gray tea as if they didn't have a care in the world. They hadn't even noticed Kai enter.
"You two sure are living it up, huh? Enjoying a nice tea break while the world burns around you?"
Startled, the Unluckies dropped their teacups, glaring at Kai and preparing to fight.
Kai smirked.
Bang! Bang!
With two quick strikes, he knocked both of them out cold.
Searching through their belongings, Kai found exactly what he was looking for—Alabasta's permanent log pose.
With a satisfied grin, he disappeared once again.
When he returned to the group, Vivi was still being comforted by the others, but nothing they said lifted her spirits. Her face remained a picture of despair.
"A bunch of amateurs," Kai muttered. "Time for the pro to step in."
He strolled over to Vivi and held out the permanent log pose. "Hey, Vivi. This is Alabasta's permanent record pointer."
Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ノノ
Everyone froze, staring at the log pose in shock.
Vivi's eyes, once dull with hopelessness, lit up with joy and disbelief. In an instant, she jumped up and hugged Kai, thanking him over and over.
After the excitement died down, Sanji asked curiously, "Where did you find that?"
Kai grinned. "Picked it off one of the Baroque Works members."
Sanji's face fell. "Damn it, why didn't I search them after we beat Mr. 3? If I had found it, Vivi would've hugged me instead!"
Kai chuckled internally. "If only you knew, Sanji. Even if you'd stripped Mr. 3 bare, you wouldn't have found this. Only my little 'insider knowledge' led me to the Unluckies."
With a satisfied grin, Kai thought to himself, "Sometimes, being a cheater really pays off."
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.