"Alright, here you go!" Kai grinned and handed the Thunder-Thunder Fruit to Nami. "But I have to warn you, the taste might be a bit unpleasant, so be prepared!"
Nami stared at the fruit in his hand, lost in thought. Eating this fruit would grant her immense power and remove her status as the most vulnerable member of the crew.
With determined eyes, Nami took the Thunder-Thunder Fruit and bit into it.
Instantly, her face turned a ghastly shade of blue, and she clamped her mouth shut tightly.
After a few moments, she managed to swallow, gasping for air. "This is... the worst taste ever! I've never had anything so unpalatable in my life!"
Nami looked at the fruit with lingering dread and asked with a grimace, "What do I do with the rest of it?"
"Hahaha… You only need to take one bite to activate the Devil Fruit's power. No need to eat the whole thing!" Kai said with a chuckle.
"Really?" Nami's face brightened with relief. She patted her chest, still slightly shaken. "Good thing I only needed one bite. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd keep going!"
Kai encouraged her, "Nami, give it a try and see if you can use your new powers!"
"Okay, I'll give it a go!" Nami nodded and closed her eyes.
After a moment, she extended her finger. Everyone stepped back instinctively.
Suddenly, Nami's eyes snapped open, and a small electric arc crackled in her hand.
(⊙o⊙)…
Kai looked at the tiny spark with a hint of confusion. Could this Thunder-Thunder Fruit be a dud?
Others shared Kai's perplexed reaction, exchanging glances.
Nami, embarrassed by the weak display, muttered to herself, "This isn't quite what I expected."
Then Luffy, ever the troublemaker, chimed in. "Hahaha… Nami, what's this? It barely even tickles!"
(•́へ•́╬)!
Nami's face darkened instantly, and she forced a smile. "Is that so?"
"Bang!"
Luffy was promptly defeated!
Kai, considering the situation, said, "Nami, your performance is actually better than many who've just eaten a Devil Fruit. Most can't even use their abilities right away!"
"Really?" Nami's face lit up with newfound hope.
"Of course!" Kai affirmed with a serious tone.
It was true. In the original timeline, CP9's Kaku and Kalifa had struggled to use their abilities right after eating their Devil Fruits, but they improved over time.
Still, Kai couldn't help but think that Nami's electric arc was rather underwhelming.
Perhaps Nami wasn't fully familiar with the Thunder-Thunder Fruit yet, or maybe her physical condition was holding her back.
But for now, Kai was mainly interested in improving Nami's self-defense. He could help her build strength later.
With everything settled, Kai turned his attention to the next task: retrieving the gold from the Sky Lord and ringing the golden bell to fulfill his promise to Uncle Kulikai.
"Hey, Kai, I want to fight you!" Luffy's sudden declaration caught Kai off guard, making him burst into laughter.
"You want to fight me?"
"Exactly!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically.
"I've been itching for a good fight. I've got some new moves I haven't used yet. I want to test my strength against you!"
"New moves?" Kai pondered, then agreed, "Alright!"
It had been a while since he'd sparred with Luffy, and he was eager to see Luffy's current level of strength.
"Wait a minute, Kai, I want to fight you too!" Zoro said calmly.
"Me too!" Sanji joined in.
Kai eyed Zoro and asked, "Are you sure you're up for this with that injury?"
"This little scratch is nothing! It won't affect me!" Zoro insisted.
Kai: ….
If I hadn't seen you lying there like a dead dog earlier, I might have believed you.
But since Zoro was so insistent, Kai decided to proceed.
"Alright then, don't say I'm bullying you three. Let's go!"
Moments later, Kai and Luffy stood a few dozen meters apart, while the others retreated to a safe distance, huddled behind cover that Kai had created, ready to watch the fight.
Usopp and Chopper were visibly excited.
"Usopp, who do you think will win?" Chopper asked eagerly.
"Definitely Kai!" Usopp replied without hesitation.
"The outcome is clear. The real question is how much of Kai's strength Luffy and the others will manage to reveal!"
"To be honest, I haven't seen them fight in ages, and I'm really pumped up now!" Usopp clenched his fists, eyes fixed on the battlefield.
The three fighters facing Kai felt an overwhelming sense of pressure. Even though Kai hadn't moved, they felt an inexplicable unease!
"Are you guys just going to stand there? Aren't you going to make a move?" Kai asked calmly.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji exchanged determined glances and charged at Kai simultaneously.
As they attacked, Kai remained motionless.
"Clang!"
The clash of metal echoed.
"Hiss!"
"It hurts, it hurts!"
Luffy and Sanji winced, one clutching his hands and the other nursing his feet.
Zoro's face was one of disbelief, sweat dripping from his forehead. Despite their coordinated attack, they hadn't managed to leave a mark on Kai.
Zoro took a few steps back, his eyes wide with realization. The gap between him and Kai was even greater than he had imagined.
"What's wrong? Is that all you've got? If that's the extent of your abilities, you've completely lost my interest!" Kai said, feigning disappointment.
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.