"Demon King Kai Vane!"
Smoker's expression turned serious as he looked at the man before him. The pain from their last encounter still lingered!
"What are you doing here?"
"Just came to buy something!" Kai spread his hands and said.
"A pirate just came here to shop?"
"Well, if you don't believe me, what can I do?" Kai replied with a hint of exasperation. It seemed no one believed the truth these days.
"So, what's your plan now, Captain Smoker?" Kai asked calmly.
"Of course, I intend to arrest you!" Smoker's body began to emit white smoke as he spoke.
"If that's your stance, I'd advise you to reconsider. You should understand the difference in our strengths. You... can't match me!"
"So what? Even if I'm not your match, as long as I'm a Marine, I can't let a pirate like you get away!"
"Hey, hey, hey, watch your words. What do you mean by 'a pirate like me'? Have I ever done anything?" Kai retorted nonchalantly.
"Even if you haven't done anything yet, it's only a matter of time. Pirates are pirates; their evil nature never changes."
"Hey, when did you, a white-haired brat, start talking like Akainu?"
Kai's mood darkened. If he treated you with respect, why did you turn around and act all high and mighty? In that case...
Kai's eyes turned cold. In an instant, he was right in front of Smoker. With Ryuo enveloping his fist, he struck Smoker's stomach with a powerful blow.
Smoker was still wondering if Kai had met Akainu, but suddenly, Kai was in his face. His pupils constricted.
The next moment, a sharp pain surged through his stomach. Smoker's vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Why bother?"
Kai looked at Smoker, who was lying on the ground, and spoke calmly.
If Smoker weren't a Marine with a genuine sense of justice, he'd be sipping tea with Qu Yuan by now.
For Marines like him, who haven't truly wronged Kai, he'd rather not kill them.
Not that he's some sort of saint, but the world of pirates still needs such Marines to keep things in check.
Even though he's a pirate, he doesn't like most pirates.
Like Smoker said, many pirates are ruthless, burning, killing, and plundering without hesitation. Killing civilians is second nature to them. In many ways, they're even more despicable than the Celestial Dragons.
But you can't just beat someone to death with a stick. Even he must be a decent pirate, right?
Well, at least that's how he sees it!
Kai then turned to Chopper and said, "Chopper, let's go. It's time to find Luffy and the others. I've been held up by this idiotic Marine for a while. Who knows what might happen if we're late..."
...
After a while~
Kai looked at the group of five and couldn't help but rub his forehead in frustration.
Damn it, what he feared had come true!
"Nami, where's that idiot Luffy?"
"I don't know!" Nami shook her head.
"He was here earlier, but then he vanished in the blink of an eye!"
"That idiot always causes trouble!"
"These are the clothes I bought. Please put them on, and let's go look for him!" Kai pulled out the clothes from his system space and handed them over.
After a moment~
"Kai, this dress... it's a dancing girl's outfit, isn't it?" Vivi asked, uncertain.
"Ah? I'm not sure! I just thought it looked nice, so I bought it!" Kai said with an innocent expression.
At that moment, Sanji came over and gave Kai a thumbs up with a sly smile. Kai responded with a knowing glance.
Men understand men best!
But one thing's for sure, Vivi is... quite ample!
...
"Golden Apple?"
"You can live a thousand years if you eat one? Really?"
(☆▽☆)!
Chopper and Usopp gawked in shock at the golden apples in the merchant's hands.
"Of course it's true. You two are so earnest. Just a thousand beli, and these golden apples are yours!" The shop owner said, pretending to be generous while secretly chuckling inwardly: "We've fooled two more suckers!"
"Boss, is this apple naturally golden, or was it painted with something?" a voice asked quietly.
"Of course, it's natural!" the merchant replied reflexively, but then suddenly realized something and turned to look.
Kai was seen pulling back a cloth, revealing the merchant's paint supplies.
"Ah..." Sweat began to bead on the merchant's forehead.
"Ho ho!"
"Don't get me wrong, even though this golden apple is fake, it actually tastes pretty good!" Zoro said, taking a bite of the apple.
"It's really quite good, especially the juice coating it, which enhances the flavor!" Kai added casually.
Kai was initially set on exposing the merchant, but discovered the 'golden juice' was just golden-colored syrup.
So, his attempt at catching a fraud turned into a bargain hunt!
He coerced the merchant into giving him a large bag of apples and a bucket of the syrup. If the merchant refused, he'd reveal his deceit to everyone.
After this exchange, everyone enjoyed some free golden apples!
Since Smoker preached about the evils of pirates every day, it wasn't too much to indulge in some pirate-like behavior, right?
With that thought, Kai took another bite of the apple.
So sweet!
"Ace, what are you doing here?"
As they walked, a voice suddenly called out from a nearby restaurant.
Everyone turned to look.
Unsurprisingly, their target had been found!
...
In the restaurant, Luffy grinned at Ace, who was sitting across from him.
Luffy had intended to change things up and grab a bite elsewhere but didn't expect to run into his brother Ace, who had set sail three years before him.
Luffy was ecstatic, his excitement evident as he slowed down his eating pace.
And thanks to Kai's interference, Smoker, who was supposed to be there, had disappeared.
The two brothers began chatting and eating in the restaurant.
"Luffy, are you full?" Ace asked suddenly.
"It's okay, not too full!" Luffy replied.
Hearing this, Ace's face lit up with a smile.
"Then... want to see who can eat more?"
"(⊙o⊙)..."
Luffy was momentarily stunned, then both he and Ace started devouring the food on the table.
When they noticed each other digging in without a word, they pointed at each other and said:
"You cheated!"
Moments later, the two resumed their eating contest.
One could say they were indeed brothers—their movements were perfectly in sync.
-------------------------------
TN/Celestial Dragons are THE worst, and even pirates can't fall that low, is what I think.
Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.