"This ability comes from a Devil Fruit, so it's not something I can teach you," Kai said helplessly.
"Ah?"
Hearing this, everyone's faces dropped, clearly disappointed. Luffy, in particular, pulled out his Nika Fruit, grumbling, and finally complained, "Sometimes the gap between Devil Fruits is bigger than the gap between people and dogs!"
Kai was speechless again. If the Elders of the World Government heard Luffy talking down the legendary Nika Fruit like this, they might strangle him on the spot.
But... Luffy wasn't wrong. Compared to Kai's fruit, it really was no contest!
(^▽^)
While Luffy and the others were sulking, on the Marine warship near the Going Merry, privates Fullbody and Jango were wide-eyed, rubbing their eyes in disbelief. After what felt like an eternity, Fullbody stammered, "Is this... for real?"
Just moments ago, they had boasted that the Black Cage Fleet's formation was unbeatable—that no ship could escape it.
But reality had delivered a swift and brutal slap. They had never seen anything like this. Who on that ship had the power to just stop all those massive spikes in midair? It defied everything they knew!
After a pause, Fullbody nervously looked at Captain Tina and asked, "C-Captain, do we keep attacking?"
Hina's face was grim. She had never witnessed something so absurd and unnatural. Aokiji's warning from earlier echoed in her mind, but her resolve quickly hardened.
"Keep attacking! I want to see how many more times they can block us!" she barked. Retreat was not in her vocabulary.
However, what happened next only deepened her sense of dread. Every spike they launched ended up the same as before—frozen in midair before falling harmlessly into the sea.
"Dammit!" Hina slammed her fist against the railing in frustration.
But then, a voice called out, sending chills down her spine.
"Captain Hina, why are you so upset? You've attacked our ship so many times, but we haven't said a word yet."
Everyone on the Marine ship froze and turned toward the voice.
There, sitting calmly atop the Merry's cabin, was Kai, watching them with a cold, indifferent gaze. The weight of his presence sent waves of pressure through the Marines, their bodies trembling in response.
Hina stared back at him, her voice tight with fear and determination, "Kai Vane the Demon King with 800 million berries on your head."
"Huh? Eight hundred million?" Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You Marines sure think highly of me. That's a steep bounty. Let me guess—Uncle Aokiji had a hand in this, didn't he?"
He smirked. "Typical of him, making things difficult for me. Looks like I owe him a proper 'hello' next time we cross paths."
Ignoring his banter, Hina continued as though reciting a report, "Kai, also known as the Demon King, possesses immense strength. In his transformed state, his abilities are significantly enhanced. He's a master of Armament Haki and Observation Haki. His combat prowess includes techniques like the Marine's Six Powers and Life Return. He's even rumored to have an ability similar to cloning. And..."
Hina paused, locking eyes with Kai as she said deliberately, "It's also suspected that he's unaffected by Seastone."
Hina watched Kai closely, hoping for any reaction. But his expression remained unchanged from start to finish.
Kai looked at her with a mild smile and said, "Your Marine intel is pretty sharp; you know quite a lot."
"But let me correct you on something..."
He stood up, his presence growing heavier. "Not only do I have Armament and Observation Haki, I also wield Conqueror's Haki."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from Kai, knocking out every Marine on the ship except Hina.
Tina stood frozen, sweat pouring down her face as she stared at Kai in shock. She had never anticipated he possessed Conqueror's Haki as well.
Kai continued, "As for this nonsense about not being affected by Seastone—don't you think that's a bit far-fetched? No Devil Fruit user in the world can escape its effects. It's just that you don't fully understand my abilities yet."
"And what are they? Well, that's for you to find out later."
There was no way Kai would admit to being immune to Seastone. That would draw far too much attention from the World Government. He needed to downplay it, to mix truth with a lie, using Conqueror's Haki to instill enough fear to keep Hina at bay.
"Enough talk. I didn't come here to exchange information with you," Kai said, his voice turning cold. "If you order another attack on our ship, I'll kill you all."
A suffocating wave of Conqueror's Haki, laced with murderous intent, swept over Hina. In an instant, she felt as though she was standing in a world of corpses, surrounded by death, the weight of it crushing her.
When she blinked, she was back on the ship, but her body was drenched in sweat. Her gaze lingered on Kai, now tinged with fear.
"I know you might not fear death," Kai said, his tone chilling. "But if you want these Marines to die with you, keep going. I'll crush you all like ants."
"Your move."
With that, Kai turned to head back to the Merry. But as he walked away, a mischievous smile crept onto his face. He paused, as if remembering something, then walked into the Marine warship's cabin.
Some time later~
Kai emerged from the warship, carrying a massive bundle, far larger than one would think possible.
"Captain Hina, why so generous? I came empty-handed, and yet you've given me all these gifts. How could I refuse?" Kai grinned.
Hina: ???
"You really do uphold all the finest pirate traditions, huh…"
Kai then visited the other Marine warships, looting their stores and stashing everything into his system space. Now that the Marines were incapacitated, there was no need to worry about being caught.
By the time Kai returned to the Merry, a wide smile spread across his face.
This raid had been a major haul!
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.