Kai didn't bother hiding it anymore.
That's right—he had his eyes set on the Empress!
Who could resist? The most beautiful woman in the world—arrogant and untouchable at first, but so devoted once she falls in love.
He certainly couldn't resist!
But there was a problem gnawing at him—he also had feelings for Nami.
What should he do with two loves?
Kai thought for a moment, then shrugged. It didn't matter. If the time came, he would take them both! He wasn't willing to give up either of them.
Call him a scoundrel if you want, but who cared? He didn't travel across worlds just to follow every rule. He'd follow his heart instead.
As for Blackbeard, who might threaten the Empress in the future? Kai had only one thought: kill him, without mercy. And that went for his crew, too.
Kai remembered back to why he killed Arlong and his gang in Cocoyasi Village—it was all for Nami.
Just as Kai's thoughts trailed off, a raucous laughter echoed from afar.
"Hahaha... what's all the commotion here?"
Kai's lips curled into a sly smile. The real target had finally arrived.
He turned to see a burly, rough-looking man with missing teeth, a mess of body hair, and a bottle of booze in hand, swaggering toward him.
"Blackbeard, finally!"
"Huh?" Blackbeard, looking confused, paused mid-step. "You were waiting for me? How do you know who I am, kid?"
Blackbeard knew he wasn't famous yet. He had just started working solo, only taken out a few countries—nothing too big. So how did this stranger know him?
Suddenly, Blackbeard's eyes narrowed, a bloodthirsty grin crossing his face. "Don't tell me—you're one of Whitebeard's pirates? Here to claim my head?"
Kai shook his head, his eyes burning with intent. "I'm not with Whitebeard. But I am here to kill you."
"You heard that noise earlier? That was your crewmate, Doc Q, dying. He's down below right now, waiting for you."
"WHAT?!"
Blackbeard's face turned pale, his rage boiling over. "You... killed Doc Q?"
"Who the hell are you, and why are you after my crew?"
Kai's expression darkened. "Because you are their captain, Blackbeard. I'll kill every one of your men that I meet."
And with that, Kai's figure vanished, rushing straight toward Blackbeard.
"So fast!" Blackbeard's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could react, Kai's fist slammed into him.
BAM!
Blood gushed from Blackbeard's mouth, and his massive body was sent hurtling backward. Kai didn't give him a moment to recover, closing in to deliver another blow. Blackbeard crashed into the ground with such force that the earth cracked beneath him.
Gasping for breath, Blackbeard twitched violently. His Dark-Dark Fruit ability made him feel twice the pain of a normal person, and Kai's Haki-infused strikes were damaging him from the inside out.
Just as Kai prepared to land another strike, he sensed danger and quickly jumped back, crossing his arms to guard himself.
BANG!
A bullet hit where Kai had just been standing, and a powerful punch collided with his arms, sending him flying back several meters.
Lowering his guard, Kai glared at the two new arrivals.
"Van Augur... Burgess."
Van Augur coolly eyed Kai. "Why would the Demon King, Kai, with a bounty of 800 million berries, come after us?"
"Eight hundred million?!" Blackbeard, still coughing up blood, and Burgess turned to Van Augur in disbelief.
"This kid has an 800 million berry bounty?" Blackbeard asked incredulously.
"You heard me, Captain. I just saw his wanted poster—the latest one. I was coming back to tell you, but then... well, this happened."
Blackbeard and Burgess exchanged wary glances, their expressions now more serious.
"Where's Doc Q?" Burgess growled. "Where was he when we needed him?"
"He's dead," Blackbeard replied grimly.
"WHAT?!"
Shock rippled through the two of them, a cold sweat running down their backs.
Kai stared at them calmly. "And where's Lafitte? Off helping Blackbeard get a seat among the Warlords, I suppose? Too bad he's not here to see this."
Hearing this, Blackbeard and his crew broke into a sweat. Blackbeard's eyes burned with fury.
"Who the hell are you, kid? How do you know all of this?"
Kai ignored him, his tone cold. "Looks like I won't be able to wipe all of you out at once. What a shame."
"Still... might as well take down a few of you today. Consider yourselves unlucky for running into me."
Kai summoned a clone of himself, and the two of them stood side by side, preparing their next attack.
Blackbeard felt a surge of terror. His instincts screamed at him to flee.
"RUN!" Blackbeard yelled.
But Kai was faster.
"Hakai!"
A devastating wave of energy surged toward Blackbeard and his crew, engulfing them in its destructive force. Blackbeard's eyes widened in horror as the attack closed in.
Kai fought relentlessly, never underestimating his foes.
A massive explosion followed, leaving behind a deep scar in the earth. Gaya Island itself was partially destroyed, the sea visible through the devastation.
Kai walked toward the fallen Blackbeard and his crew. Van Augur and Burgess lay dead, having taken the full force of his attack. Blackbeard, however, still clung to life, barely conscious.
Kai wasn't surprised that he had wiped out the Blackbeard Pirates so quickly. At this point in the timeline, they were still relatively weak.
After all, in the original story, Blackbeard barely managed to defeat Ace, and that was only because of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Without that edge, the outcome would've been uncertain.
But Kai hadn't given Blackbeard a chance to fight back. He'd crushed him with relentless power, not allowing any room for tricks.
Kai's final attack—Overlord's Strike—was devastating. Even Admiral Aokiji hadn't dared to take it head-on, knowing it would leave him gravely injured. And Kai's power had only grown since his battle with Aokiji.
These men didn't stand a chance.
Looking down at Blackbeard, Kai raised his staff and muttered, "You won't have any more highlights in this world."
With that, he brought the staff down toward Blackbeard's head.
CLANG!
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.