Under the gazes of Bullet and Crocodile, Kai crossed the thousand-meter distance and stopped in front of them.
He wore a Marine justice coat over his small frame, but his expression remained calm.
Even standing before two of the sea's most dangerous figures, he showed no fear.
His steps came to a halt.
The distance between them was less than five meters.
"Fist Demon Kai?"
Crocodile was the first to speak.
His eyes were heavy with caution.
He knew very well what kind of power was hidden in that five-year-old body.
This was the same boy who had defeated and captured Edward Weevil, a monster rumored to possess Whitebeard's youthful strength.
Even Crocodile himself could not say with certainty that he could defeat Weevil.
Yet that powerful pirate had been brought down by a five-year-old child.
That alone proved how dangerous Kai was.
"Crocodile."
Kai glanced at him once.
Then his gaze shifted to Bullet.
Douglas Bullet.
The Demon Heir.
A true monster of the sea.
A former member of the Pirate King's crew, powerful enough to be spoken of alongside monsters like Dark King Rayleigh.
His huge frame, red skin, and savage aura made him look like a living mountain. Even standing still, he gave off the pressure of a beast waiting to tear the battlefield apart.
"Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet…"
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Their gazes met.
For an instant, invisible sparks seemed to burst between them.
Both carried the aura of wild beasts.
Both were violent, fierce, and born for battle.
In a sense, Kai and Bullet were similar.
Both walked the path of close combat.
Both relied on overwhelming physical strength and Haki.
The difference was that Bullet was also a Devil Fruit user.
"Kai," Bullet said slowly. "Seeing you in person is more interesting than hearing the rumors."
"You're strong."
"I can feel it. There's something terrifying inside your body."
He did not hide his praise.
Even though Kai was a Marine and Bullet was a pirate, strength deserved respect.
And Bullet acknowledged Kai's strength.
At five years old, Kai was already beyond anything Bullet had been at that age. Even when Bullet had challenged Roger as a teenager, he had not possessed the same level of power Kai now carried.
That truth was impossible to deny.
"You're not bad either," Kai replied with a faint smile.
As a Marine, his duty was to capture pirates.
But today, Kai had no intention of capturing Bullet.
More accurately, he knew it would be extremely difficult.
With his current strength, he could fight Bullet evenly for a time, perhaps even gain something from the battle. But capturing him was another matter entirely.
That would have to wait until Kai grew stronger.
A few months would be enough.
For now, his primary target remained Crocodile.
Unless Bullet insisted on fighting.
If Bullet made the first move, Kai would gladly accept.
"A monster like you appearing in this era…"
Bullet grinned.
"That must be the despair of every genius alive."
"Just like I was back then."
There was pride in his voice.
In his youth, Bullet had also overwhelmed countless so-called geniuses. But compared with Kai, even he had to admit that his younger self fell short.
Kai was too abnormal.
At five years old, he already possessed power that could pressure Bullet.
That alone made him the most monstrous talent Bullet had ever seen.
"I challenge you," Bullet said suddenly.
Kai's eyes brightened.
"Now?"
He was already prepared.
A fight with Bullet was tempting.
Very tempting.
But Bullet shook his head.
"No."
"Three years from now."
"I want to fight you after three years. By then, you should have grown into something truly terrifying."
"And I will also have reached a new height."
"At that time, we'll fight properly."
"I want to see which is stronger—the first genius of the old era, or the first genius of the new era."
To Bullet, this would not be an ordinary battle.
It would be a clash between eras.
Old era against new era.
Monster against monster.
Kai was quiet for a moment.
"Three years?"
Then he laughed softly and shook his head.
"That's too long."
"Make it half a year."
"Half a year from now, I'll come find you, and we'll fight."
"Three years is unnecessary. I don't want to wait that long."
"And you might not even get the chance to wait that long."
Bullet's pupils narrowed.
Crocodile also looked at Kai strangely.
"Half a year…"
"He thinks he can defeat Bullet in just half a year?"
Crocodile's heart stirred.
"Fist Demon Kai really is arrogant. No… maybe it isn't arrogance. Maybe he actually believes it."
That was what made him dangerous.
A five-year-old boy, confident that in half a year he could defeat a monster like Douglas Bullet.
What kind of terrifying growth speed did he possess?
Bullet stared at Kai for a long time.
"Why half a year?"
Kai smiled.
"Because by then, defeating you won't be difficult."
Silence fell.
Then Bullet laughed.
Loudly.
Wildly.
His laughter rolled across the desert like thunder.
"Good!"
"I'll wait for you!"
"Half a year from now, I'll come find you. I hope you can really do what you just said and defeat me with ease."
His grin turned savage.
"Now I'm looking forward to that day."
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