The northern archipelago's cliffs were cloaked in a turbulent fog, but Kaizen's Sixth Eye pierced through the haze like a blade of light. The air was electric, charged with the presence of adversaries far stronger than those he had faced before. Word had reached him: lieutenants with bounties exceeding a billion berries had been dispatched to investigate the havoc caused by the Black Hand. These were seasoned warriors, cunning and ruthless, accustomed to commanding fear wherever they went.
Kaizen crouched atop a jagged rock formation, Kurogami resting lightly in his hands, the katana glinting faintly beneath the overcast sky. Rain had begun to fall again, light at first, then heavier, each droplet splashing against rock and steel like gunfire. From the mist emerged the first of the lieutenants—a colossal man, muscles taut, wielding a hammer forged from unknown metals, his eyes burning with anticipation. Behind him, two others flanked with weapons equally formidable: one with a whip of serrated chains, the other armed with twin massive blades, each capable of slicing through stone.
Kaizen's Sixth Eye flared violently, mapping the trio's possible moves. Each of them is strong. Alone, they could overpower most opponents. Together, they are a storm. But I am the eye in that storm, he thought. He moved, almost a blur, rolling down the slope and landing gracefully on a collapsed pier, the wood splintering beneath his feet.
The hammer-wielder charged, swinging with destructive force. Kaizen pivoted, letting the weapon pass, Kurogami slicing a support beam which fell into the path of the lieutenant, throwing him off balance. Simultaneously, the chain-wielding lieutenant lashed from above, but Kaizen leapt, spinning through the air, the katana parrying the serrated chain mid-swing. Sparks flew, rainwater sprayed into the air, and the Third Lieutenant's dual blades clanged against Kurogami with a deafening resonance.
The battle escalated rapidly. Kaizen's movements were a blend of speed, precision, and calculated unpredictability. He used every environmental factor: wet surfaces for missteps, jagged cliffs to redirect force, loose planks to create shockwaves. Every strike, every block, every pivot was timed with surgical perfection. His fruit powers rippled through him, enhancing strength, speed, and reflexes beyond human limits, yet it was the Sixth Eye that made him truly untouchable, predicting every micro-motion of the three lieutenants.
Hours seemed to compress into moments as Kaizen danced between attacks. The colossal hammer swung again, smashing part of the pier into splinters, sending the lieutenant tumbling backward. Rain drenched his clothes, plastered to his body, yet his eyes were unwavering, calculating the perfect angle to strike. The chain-wielder circled, seeking an opening, but Kaizen's katana intercepted with a precise flick, redirecting the chain into the cliffside where it shredded rock and stone, forcing the lieutenant to retreat.
The dual-blade lieutenant lunged from the side, moving faster than ordinary eyes could follow. Kaizen feinted, leading him toward a weakened structure. As the pirate stepped forward, the ground gave way beneath him, plunging him into a pit of broken beams. Kaizen moved before the man could react, landing atop the debris with a controlled sweep of Kurogami, ensuring the opponent was incapacitated but not killed—Kaizen valued efficiency, not mindless carnage.
Only the hammer-wielder remained, staggering but relentless. He roared, summoning every ounce of his strength. Kaizen countered with a combination of katana strikes amplified by his fruit, redirecting kinetic energy and launching the lieutenant into a weakened wall of the port. Stone and timber exploded outward, the air vibrating with raw power. The rain mingled with sweat and blood, coating the battlefield in a sheen of chaos.
Kaizen advanced, each step calculated, exploiting the slightest lapse in the opponent's guard. With a final, precise strike, Kurogami connected, sending a surge of energy through the hammer and into the ground, destabilizing it completely. The lieutenant fell, unconscious, defeated not merely by strength but by strategy, foresight, and perfect execution.
As the mist cleared, Kaizen stood amidst the ruins of the port, surveying the battlefield. The defeated lieutenants were a testament to his skill, yet he knew this was only the beginning. Greater threats awaited—the lieutenants of Empereurs, pirates of the Worst Generation, and forces hidden deep within the New World. Each encounter refined his abilities, each victory drew the attention of more formidable opponents.
The fog lifted further as the sun attempted to pierce the heavy clouds. Kaizen's Sixth Eye remained active, scanning the horizon. Somewhere in the vastness of the New World, stronger adversaries stirred, unaware that the Black Hand was already among them, unstoppable, precise, and inevitable.