Sorry for the lack of chapters, had irl problems.
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Kai's eyes narrowed as he struck the ground with his fist.
With a resounding "boom," a bottomless pit opened up before him. Without hesitation, Kai leapt into the abyss.
Instead of the anticipated darkness, Kai found himself in a cave, about ten meters below the entrance. The cave's corridor was lit by oil lamps on either side, providing a dim but welcome light.
Kai glanced around before heading toward the corridor's end.
The aura he sensed was directly ahead, and it seemed the person had deliberately revealed their presence to him. Otherwise, he would have missed it entirely.
Kai's curiosity was piqued. Who was this person, and why had they drawn him here?
Despite his curiosity, Kai felt no fear. With his formidable strength, he remained calm in any situation.
Thanks to his powerful physique and the unrivaled speed of the Somersault Cloud, Kai was confident he could escape even if he couldn't win.
As he reached the end of the corridor, Kai entered a dimly lit room with a coffin in the center.
Kai's gaze narrowed. The source of the aura was coming from the coffin.
Summoning a clone, Kai sent it towards the coffin while he stayed back. His clone and he shared the same perspective, so he could see what the clone saw.
The clone approached the coffin and slowly opened it, revealing a man with a commanding presence. Unlike the Moria zombies, this man had no visible scars, indicating he wasn't one of them.
Kai studied the man for a moment but couldn't place him.
Just then, the man's eyes snapped open, startling Kai.
Kai dismissed his clone and addressed the man, who was now sitting up in the coffin. "Could you please stop opening your eyes so suddenly? It's quite frightening!"
Kai assessed the man, realizing he was alive, though he seemed to have a peculiar fondness for coffins.
The man climbed out of the coffin and fixed his gaze on Kai. A powerful aura radiated from him, causing Kai to grimace under the pressure.
"Who are you? Why is your Conqueror's Haki so overwhelming?" Kai asked, shocked.
It was no wonder Kai was surprised. The man's Conqueror's Haki was so intense that it crushed even Kai's advanced level of Conqueror's Haki with ease.
Given the level of power the man exuded, Kai could only guess that among the Four Emperors, the red-haired Shanks might be capable of this level of strength. But that was merely speculation.
Kai was stunned. He thought few people could pose a real threat to him, but now he was face-to-face with one.
"Curiosity really can be dangerous," Kai thought.
However, the man's Conqueror's Haki had dissipated, and he seemed to mean no harm.
A smile tugged at the corner of the man's mouth. "You're pretty impressive, kid. You've got some strength!"
"Thank you, sir!" Kai replied, his voice laced with respect despite the immense pressure.
Kai racked his brain, trying to recall who this person might be, but he came up empty.
He felt that the world was more complex than he had imagined. Where had this formidable individual come from?
"Don't be nervous, kid. I don't mean you any harm!" the man said.
"I just sensed a familiar presence while I was resting, so I released my aura to draw you here."
"As for who I am?" He paused dramatically. "I don't know if the World Government has erased my existence, but they do have a penchant for that."
"My name is Rocks. Ever heard of me?"
"Rocks?!!" Kai's eyes widened in disbelief, and his heart raced.
"Rocks!! Are you Rocks D. Xebec?"
"That's right, it's me! I must be quite famous if even a young guy like you knows me!" Rocks chuckled with satisfaction.
Kai was in shock. The situation was beyond anything he had anticipated.
Previously, his vast knowledge of the world had given him a sense of control over many things.
But Rocks' appearance had shown him that the world was far more complicated than he'd thought.
After a moment, Kai composed himself and asked, "May I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course! Since I brought you here, I'll answer your questions. After all, we're cut from the same cloth!" Rocks smiled.
Kai took a deep breath and began, "I want to know…"
"Huhu"
Nami rested her hands on her knees, panting. "These zombies can really run!"
"Miss Nami, I'm here!" Sanji's voice came from behind. Nami looked back to see the crew approaching.
But… someone seemed to be missing?
Once everyone gathered, Nami asked, "Where's Kai? Where did he go?"
"I don't know! He disappeared just now!" Luffy replied, looking puzzled.
"Oh," Nami nodded thoughtfully. "Kai is a cautious person. He must have something important going on."
Everyone exchanged glances, slightly bemused.
This was typical of Kai, but Nami wouldn't have reacted the same way if someone else had vanished.
"Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly, a tremor drew their attention. A large group of zombies was approaching, and they seemed much more formidable than the previous ones.
Without hesitation, Nami unleashed a thunderbolt. But to her surprise, one of the zombies leapt in front of her attack, drawing a knife and cutting through the lightning.
"Tear!" Nami's thunderbolt was sliced in half, scattering around her.
"What??" Nami's eyes widened in shock. She quickly hid behind Luffy and the others, saying, "Luffy, Zoro, Sanji! I'm leaving these zombies to you!"
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.