"Wait! Let's stop this pointless fight!"
Kaizen raised his hand to halt the CP5 agents' advance.
"What do you want now?" one of them growled, wary of his intentions.
Kaizen grinned. "Aha! I noticed your ship docked on the coast. How about giving me a ride? I just need to leave this island."
The agents exchanged confused glances, unsure of what he was plotting.
"If you don't answer, I'll assume that's a yes!" Kaizen added casually, his grin widening.
"We refuse!" one of them finally snapped, his voice firm.
"Too bad! Your refusal is invalid," Kaizen replied with ease, his words carrying an unshakable authority that left no room for debate.
The CP5 agents fell silent, their minds reeling as they tried to understand this enigmatic man. His immense strength clashed with his carefree demeanor, leaving them completely unsettled.
And just like that, Kaizen boarded their ship.
---
As soon as he stepped onto the deck, Kaizen strolled over to the bow and sat down, looking out at the sea. He glanced back at the tense agents and asked nonchalantly, "Got any wine?"
The CP5 agents bristled with anger.
"Are you serious? You barge onto our ship, and now you want to drink our wine too?" one of them snapped, his irritation evident.
"Don't be so stingy," Kaizen said, gesturing toward the horizon. "Look, the sun's about to rise. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the view with a drink?"
The agents hesitated, suspicious of his intentions.
"Is this some kind of trick?" one muttered under his breath.
"Just give him the wine," a commanding voice interrupted. It was Hidan, the leader of the CP5 squad.
"Brother Hidan, why should we indulge this guy? He destroyed the experiment and left us with no way to explain ourselves to the Celestial Dragons. He's our enemy!" one of the agents protested angrily.
"Enemy or ally, that's yet to be determined," Hidan said firmly. "Hand him the wine. The answer will reveal itself soon enough."
---
A bottle of wine was finally tossed across the deck, landing neatly in Kaizen's hands.
"Here, take it. I hope you drink yourself stupid so we can capture you easily," the agent who handed it over grumbled.
"Thanks," Kaizen replied, unfazed by the hostility. He bit off the cork and took a long swig, savoring the taste.
"You seem a bit lonely," Hidan remarked, walking over to him.
Kaizen wiped his mouth and smirked. "What, are you trying to bond with me now?"
"Perhaps," Hidan replied, sitting down nearby.
The first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, bathing the ship in a soft, golden glow.
"Your name is Kaizen, isn't it?" Hidan asked, his tone casual.
"And yours is Hidan, right?" Kaizen shot back, his expression unchanging.
"Correct."
"Same here."
The exchange was brief but oddly meaningful, a silent acknowledgment passing between the two.
"You're... different from most people," Hidan said, removing his mask to reveal a youthful, surprisingly handsome face.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Kaizen replied with a wry grin.
"You remind me of someone I once knew," Hidan said, his gaze drifting toward the brightening sky.
"Do I? Sounds interesting."
"It's not," Hidan said with a faint smile. "It's just something I said without thinking."
Kaizen's expression grew serious. "If you're saying that, you must be lonelier than me."
Without a word, Kaizen handed Hidan the bottle.
Hidan took it and drank, his movements slow and deliberate.
"My instructor—the one who trained me to join CP—was as strong as you, if not stronger. His mastery of Armament Haki was unparalleled," Hidan said, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Really? I'd have liked to meet him someday," Kaizen replied.
"He's dead."
"That's unfortunate," Kaizen said softly, picking up on the sadness in Hidan's tone.
"He taught me everything I know about power but also told me to swear loyalty to the Celestial Dragons. Yet he died rebelling against them," Hidan said, his voice tinged with confusion and regret.
"Perhaps he thought this: 'Teaching you was my duty, but rebelling against them was my own choice.'"
Kaizen stared into the rising sun as he spoke, his tone thoughtful.
"Maybe," Hidan murmured, as if a door in his mind had creaked open for the first time in years.
"He must have been very lonely," Kaizen added after a moment.
"Yes. He didn't talk much. He'd just stare eastward, lost in thought. Even I, his favorite disciple, could never truly reach him," Hidan admitted, taking another long sip of wine.
"Sorry for bringing up painful memories," Kaizen said sincerely.
"It's not your fault. It's just that sometimes I feel powerless. The inability to act is the worst kind of torment," Hidan said bitterly.
"We all carry chains of some kind. Life is tiring, but even if I could break free, it wouldn't guarantee survival. I can't imagine how hard it must be for someone like you, bound by the World Government's expectations," Kaizen said, his voice calm but piercing.
"Sometimes I dream of rebelling, like my master did, but fear always holds me back. I end up being a joke instead," Hidan said with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Meeting Kaizen had stirred something deep within him—a longing to live freely, without the burdens he carried.
"Breaking free requires unshakable determination. You can't afford hesitation or doubt, or it'll ruin everything," Kaizen said firmly, his eyes fixed on the glowing horizon.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...