"Risa is different from us. She's still young. I don't want her to die here. I just want her to live in peace."
"Waaaah! Grandpa Nalo, I'm not going! I'm not going!" Risa's tearful voice carried from outside the door. She stumbled in, crying, and rushed straight into Nalo's arms.
Watching the scene unfold, Kaito's chest tightened. Anger welled inside him. This was the world of pirates, chaotic and cruel, far beyond the shinobi world. Turner Island was just one small island in this vast sea, and it had already drawn the attention of monsters. If not for Garp's existence, even worse tragedies would have already fallen here.
"Risa! Since you heard everything, listen carefully to Grandpa Nalo!" The old man hugged her firmly, his tone both stern and loving. "Your grandma and I are already old. It doesn't matter if we stay here. But you… you're still young. You have a bigger world waiting for you."
"But I don't want to leave you, Grandpa, Grandma!" Risa sobbed bitterly.
"Enough," Kaito said gently, forcing a smile. "Tonight, no one leaves. Let's eat together."
The meal that followed carried a heavy atmosphere. Though Risa's presence softened it somewhat, the sadness of an impending farewell still lingered in the air.
After eating, Kaito quietly excused himself. "I'll step outside. The mood in here is too heavy."
Nalo nodded with understanding. "Go ahead. I'll check on my wife."
The two parted ways. Once alone at the deserted beach, Kaito's expression hardened. He stepped onto the air, his body lifting effortlessly. The technique was the Navy's Moonwalk, mastered to perfection.
From Nalo's words, he already knew: Arlong's men had surrounded Turner Village. To deal with them, he only needed to find their ships. Flying straight, he soon spotted two small pirate vessels ahead. Crude, wooden, clearly belonging to Arlong's underlings.
Kaito landed silently on the stern. His voice was calm, yet carried deadly weight.
"Are you from the Arlong Pirates?"
The two lackeys froze in terror. A man who could fly across the sea was no ordinary human.
"Y-yes, my lord!" one stammered.
"Who makes the decisions here?"
"Our captain! Arlong-sama!"
"Where is he?"
"North, straight ahead, sir!"
Without another word, Kaito leapt into the sky.
The pirates let out a breath of relief—only to be consumed instantly by a searing beam of white light. Ship, men, everything vanished into the sea, leaving only drifting fragments of wood.
Kaito didn't even glance back. His focus was already northward. Each pirate ship he spotted along the way was destroyed without hesitation. Mercy had no place here.
Before long, a larger vessel came into view, more finely built than the rest. On its deck, a hulking merman trained relentlessly.
Kaito descended. His gaze locked onto the fish-man.
"You're a cadre of the Arlong Pirates?"
The merman, Kuroobi, stiffened. His eyes widened as he registered what stood before him. A man descending calmly from the sky… This wasn't someone ordinary. The technique alone marked him as someone with power equivalent to a Rear Admiral of the Marines. And yet, this man's aura felt far more dangerous.
"Y-yes! Marine-sama!" Kuroobi answered, feigning calm.
Kaito ignored the title. His tone stayed icy.
"I heard Arlong is blocking Turner Village, trying to take the island for himself and force the villagers to leave?"
Cold sweat slid down Kuroobi's back. The words confirmed his worst fear: this stranger was here for Turner Village. If he had known such a terrifying figure lived nearby, the Arlong Pirates would never have dared move against them.
"W-we didn't know it was your village, sir! We'll withdraw at once!" Kuroobi stammered.
Kaito shook his head. "No need. The Arlong Pirates will cease to exist after today."
Before Kuroobi could react, Kaito vanished.
Panic surged through the merman. His eyes darted wildly, searching the sky. "Up there?"
He looked up—nothing but clouds.
"Time to die."
The cold whisper sounded behind him. Kuroobi froze, his blood turning to ice. A hand pressed against his skull, and in the next instant, darkness consumed him. His lifeless body crumpled to the deck, eyes still wide with terror.
The sound of his fall drew the other pirates out. They poured onto the deck, only to halt at the sight of Kuroobi's corpse. Their bravado vanished instantly.
Fear replaced arrogance.
They could all sense it. The man standing before them was no ordinary enemy. He was absolute death.
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