When Kai approached Moria, he clicked his tongue, noting that Moria had returned to his original size.
To be honest, if Moria had tried to escape, he might not have been defeated so quickly. But his bravery—or recklessness—was his downfall.
Kai's strength in this form was no joke; just one punch had shattered the island.
But ultimately, Kai's Devil Fruit abilities were just too overwhelming. There was no contest.
Kai looked down at Moria, who was struggling to breathe, and said lightly, "I'm not one to leave trouble for myself. So..."
"I can only ask you to die!"
Kai narrowed his eyes, lifting his hand slightly, preparing to finish Moria off.
At that moment, a voice rang out in his ears.
"Give me some face, Kai!"
"Let Moria go!"
Rocks! Kai's eyes narrowed. His hand paused in mid-air.
He knew that Rocks hadn't physically arrived and was still in the cave, but his vast knowledge and Haki allowed him to communicate over long distances.
Kai remained silent for a moment before slowly lowering his hand. He said, "I can grant you this favor, but... I expect something in return!"
"You can't just ask me to let him go after I've gone through so much effort, just because of one sentence. We're partners, not subordinates!"
There was a long pause from Rocks, perhaps contemplating the effort Kai had put into the battle.
Kai wasn't in a rush; he waited for Rocks' response.
Even if Rocks had demanded Moria's life, Kai would have agreed. But if Rocks wanted Moria saved, he had to offer something in return.
Finally, after about half a minute, Rocks replied, "Alright, what do you want?"
"A Devil Fruit or something valuable!" Kai responded calmly, tossing the decision back to Rocks.
After all, Moria was a powerhouse on par with a general-level combatant, so his life was worth quite a bit. It depended on whether Rocks could come through.
Another period of silence followed until Rocks' voice finally came through.
"How about the Animal-type Mythical Zoan, Cat Cat Fruit, White Tiger form?"
"What do you think of this fruit?"
"Huh?" Kai was taken aback. He had expected a strong Paramecia fruit, but a Mythical Zoan, and one with a White Tiger form no less, was unexpected.
Interesting! As expected from a former sea overlord, the inventory is impressive!
"Alright! That works!" Kai agreed, then turned and walked out of the pit.
——
Some time later~
Kai shook the White Tiger Fruit in his hand, saying with interest, "A fruit of this level should fetch a sky-high price, right?"
But Kai had no intention of selling it.
Many top-tier fruits aren't even available for purchase, regardless of the price, such as this high-level Mythical Zoan.
The White Tiger Fruit was entirely white, with a texture resembling fur. Its simple appearance gave off an extraordinary vibe.
After examining it for a moment, Kai stored it in his system space and headed toward the others.
As he passed by, Sanji looked at him strangely and asked, "Is this what you call 'ordinary' among the Seven Warlords?"
"Uh... there was a little mishap, and I didn't expect him to be so well-prepared!" Kai shrugged.
"And your injuries?" Sanji asked.
"I'm fine! I'm not going anywhere!" Zoro replied calmly. Then he asked, "Where's Moria? Did you kill him?"
"No, someone saved him!" Kai said.
"Huh?" The others were surprised. They had known Kai for a while and understood his nature. He usually dealt with enemies decisively. Letting Moria go was unusual.
But seeing Kai's unwillingness to elaborate, they wisely chose not to press further.
Kai walked over to Luffy, who was lying on the ground, staring at the sky, lost in thought.
"What's wrong, Luffy? You're quiet. That's not like you!" Kai sat down beside him, asking calmly.
"Kai..." Luffy said, his tone thoughtful, "You said... if you hadn't been here today, would we all have been killed by Moria?"
"Well..." Kai considered for a moment.
"It's possible, but not necessarily! Maybe another strong person would have come along and saved you!"
"But you'd still be relying on others, not yourself! Do I have to rely on others every time?"
"I... am still too weak after all!" Luffy said, disappointment evident in his voice.
Hearing the frustration in Luffy's tone, Kai smiled and said, "Luffy, understand this: not all strong people are born strong!"
"No one achieves success overnight! Your strength has grown rapidly. The only difference between you and those strong men is time!"
"So don't feel sorry for yourself. Just be yourself! Grow through every battle, and you'll become a top powerhouse!"
Kai felt his pep talk was appropriate. As the future Pirate King, losing confidence wasn't an option.
Besides, there was something amiss with this battle. Otherwise, Luffy and the others would have easily defeated Moria with their strength.
And Kai was right. At Luffy's age, his strength was already extraordinary.
In the original story, Luffy defeated Kaido at 19. That's over a decade earlier than the previous youngest Four Emperor, Shanks!
"But Kai, you're younger than me, yet you're so much stronger!" Luffy said, astonished.
(⊙o⊙)...
"Just consider me an anomaly! No need to compare!" Kai replied calmly.
After all, it's normal to have such strength if you're cheating.
"If the balance can't be disrupted, then why bother cheating?"
"Okay, let's not talk too much. Get up quickly! I've got something cool to show you..."
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.