Violent explosions erupted across the three enemy pirate ships. Aside from the heavy casualties caused by the bombardment, the vessels themselves quickly lost all mobility. With their masts shattered and artillery destroyed, they drifted helplessly, allowing the War Pirates' fleet to close in.
"Third Squadron, follow me! Shoot down anyone who resists!"
"Eighth Squadron, maintain suppressive fire! Don't give them a chance to counterattack!"
"Surrendering enemies are not to be killed!"
The strategy of "using war to sustain war" was not just an empty slogan.
Once the War Pirates' fleet surrounded the three crippled ships, the squadrons moved with precision. Some units provided covering fire, while others boarded the vessels directly. The formations shifted seamlessly as each squadron carried out its designated role.
And this was only a portion of their total strength.
After all, the enemy consisted of just three ships, and their scale was far smaller than that of the War Pirates. It was obvious that the number of enemy personnel aboard would be limited.
Gunfire echoed in rapid succession.
The sounds of clashing steel and shouted commands filled the air.
The opposing pirate crew attempted to fight back desperately.
But the moment the two sides engaged at close range, the War Pirates' disciplined troops overwhelmed them almost immediately. Within a short time, resistance collapsed. The remaining enemies dropped their weapons and surrendered.
Kaito Arisawa did not participate in the boarding battle.
He had absolute confidence in the men he had personally trained. Moreover, he had already used Observation Haki to assess the enemy beforehand.
Without any powerful masters present, this pirate crew was nothing more than a training exercise for his forces.
The surrendered pirates were disarmed and detained one by one. Meanwhile, all valuables aboard the three ships were swiftly confiscated.
Under normal circumstances, the next step would be recruitment.
However, this time, something unexpected occurred.
While Kaito was inside the ship's training room practicing sword meditation, hurried footsteps approached the door. It opened, and Robin entered.
Behind her stood a girl in shackles.
Kaito opened his eyes, ending his meditation once again.
"What's this?" he asked, surprised. "Why did you bring someone here?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the girl behind Robin.
She was beautiful.
She looked no older than fourteen or fifteen, with white, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Though her clothing was tattered and stained, and faint scars marked her body, her delicate features and pale, almost luminous skin were impossible to ignore.
Her physique was even more striking.
Despite her youthful face, her body was already fully developed—an almost startling contrast that made Kaito instinctively think of the phrase "baby-faced and mature."
Then he noticed her eyes.
They were large and captivating—
But utterly lifeless.
Cold.
Fierce.
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly.
That expression, combined with her injuries and shackled state, allowed him to roughly guess her circumstances.
Still, even if his guess was correct, Robin would not have brought her here without reason.
Unless there was something special about this girl.
"This girl was found aboard one of the pirate ships," Robin explained calmly. "She's a slave captured by them."
In the pirate world, such things were common.
The slave trade was profitable. Many pirate crews supplemented their income by capturing and selling slaves.
If that were all, Robin would not have personally brought the girl to Kaito.
But there was more.
"She's a Devil Fruit user," Robin continued.
After their defeat, some of the captured pirates had volunteered information in hopes of sparing their lives. Among the details they revealed was that this girl possessed Devil Fruit abilities—though supposedly only an ordinary Zoan type.
Even so, that was enough to warrant attention.
For a pirate crew still in its development stage, recruiting a Devil Fruit user held far more value than recruiting a hundred ordinary soldiers.
"And there's something else," Robin added.
"The pirates said they belong to the Donquixote Pirates—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"The Donquixote Pirates?" he said. "Doflamingo, the 'Heavenly Yaksha.' So we've stepped on his subordinates this time."
He paused, then waved it off dismissively.
"It doesn't matter. Their base is in the New World. Whether they can even track us is questionable. And even if they do…"
A faint smile curved his lips.
"That just means we've gained a worthy opponent."
He had already clashed with the Marines countless times. Why would he fear a Shichibukai?
What interested him more was the girl.
"Tell me your name," Kaito said, fixing his gaze on her.
Even if she were only a standard Zoan user, she could become valuable combat strength with proper training.
Although he could subdue her using Conqueror's Haki, he preferred to speak first.
For a long moment, the girl stared at him silently.
Then, at last, she spoke.
"…Neferpet, meow."
Her voice was soft but clear.
The unexpected verbal tic—"meow"—immediately clashed with her cold, lifeless eyes.
The contrast was so abrupt that both Kaito and Robin paused.
Robin blinked.
The way she looked at Neferpet changed almost instantly.
Earlier, Robin had tried speaking to her several times. The girl had remained silent, neither resisting nor responding. There had been no hint of this odd, almost adorable speech habit.
Now, hearing her introduce herself like that—
The sharp contrast between her feral, empty eyes and that innocent, catlike suffix created an almost disarming effect.
Even Kaito, who had been calmly analyzing her as a potential asset, found his thoughts momentarily disrupted.
That contradiction—
Dead silence.
Fierce gaze.
"…meow."
It was strangely captivating.
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