"Try it? Fine—let's try it!"
Whether it was the wine or deliberate mischief, Robin suddenly lunged forward with a soft cry and threw herself straight into Kaito Arisawa's arms.
It was precise. Too precise.
With only the slightest movement, Kaito's body responded instinctively. The "eagle" was already battle-ready.
"Uh…"
Robin froze.
She slowly lifted her head and met his gaze. Those eyes—dark and heated—were ones she knew very well.
"Don't—mmph—"
The remaining clarity in her mind made her try to stop him, but her reaction was slower than Kaito's hands.
"Meow…"
Off to the side, Neferpet stared blankly at the two of them.
Still flushed from the alcohol and wearing a floral crown she hadn't even realized was crooked, she blinked in confusion before slowly realizing something was… wrong.
Very wrong.
"Set sail!"
The next morning at the port, the War Pirates' fleet prepared to depart.
After an entire night of indulgence, dark circles could be seen under many of the crew's eyes—but compared to when they had arrived, their spirits were clearly lifted.
Relaxation had done its job.
With a unified shout, the fleet of ten ships sailed back out to sea.
"Today's weather is really nice."
Once they were far from Hongyan Island and the fleet had settled into steady sailing, Kaito stepped out onto the deck.
He stretched lazily and looked out over the endless ocean and clear blue sky.
Life was good.
Colorful banners fluttered outside, the red flag at home remained firmly planted, and last night he had even added another banner to the collection.
When he thought about how Robin, in her drunken haze, had actually dragged Neferpet into the chaos… Kaito couldn't help feeling deeply satisfied.
This—this was what living meant.
Boom!!
Without warning, a massive explosion of seawater erupted ahead of the fleet.
It wasn't cannon fire.
A colossal Sea King burst from beneath the surface.
Though the Four Seas did not swarm with Sea Kings like the Grand Line, they were not absent either. Occasionally, even gigantic specimens from the Calm Belt wandered into these waters.
The one before them resembled a massive eel. While not among the largest of its kind, the portion of its body that surged from the ocean was nearly a hundred meters long—imposing and monstrous.
Its enormous pupils locked onto the fleet with cold, predatory intent.
"Six Styles: Tempest Kick!"
Before the eel Sea King could act, a massive slash wave tore through the air.
It cut across the creature's body in a blink.
Pshh!
Boom!!
Blood sprayed like a torrential storm.
The Sea King was split cleanly in two.
Half of its enormous body crashed back into the ocean, sending violent waves surging in every direction.
"Quick! Stabilize the ships—the waves are coming!"
"It's Tempest Kick! The Captain killed the Sea King with Tempest Kick!"
"That's insane! I have to train harder—I have to learn Tempest Kick!"
Cheers erupted among the War Pirates as they braced for the incoming swells.
The attack had come from Kaito.
The timing of the Sea King's appearance had simply been unfortunate—for it had surfaced precisely when he was standing on deck.
The Six Styles techniques Kaito had obtained were no longer exclusive. Alongside Eight-Impact Fist and Haki training, he had already introduced them to the crew.
Anyone could attempt to learn them.
But Six Styles demanded far more than Eight-Impact Fist.
Even the simplest technique—Shave—required significant physical conditioning.
By the internal metrics derived from the Six Styles system, one needed at least a strength value of 100 to properly execute such techniques.
Most ordinary members of the War Pirates currently ranged between 10 and 50.
That might not sound high, but even well-trained regular Marine soldiers typically stood within that same range.
In other words, the lower limit of the War Pirates' individual strength was already comparable to the Marines of the Four Seas.
Squad leaders ranged between 50 and 100.
Captains? All above 100.
Tempest Kick, however, required far more control and explosive power.
Kaito could perform it easily thanks to his talent adjustments.
But for the others, it remained a distant goal.
Seeing him casually cleave a Sea King in half only fueled their ambition.
"A mere beast dares ruin my good mood. Reckless."
Kaito lowered his leg and looked disdainfully at the blood-soaked sea.
Animals should know their place.
He had already decided the Sea King would serve as the main course for lunch.
Nearby, Sandy stood on the deck of the No. 1 main ship, staring at the floating carcass.
He stole a glance at Kaito and instinctively shrank his neck.
Too terrifying.
Last night, when he surrendered, he had sensed Kaito was strong—but witnessing him casually annihilate a Sea King drove the reality home.
If that slash wave had been aimed at him…
He would have died instantly.
A chill ran down his spine.
Thankfully, he had chosen correctly.
But after the fear came something else.
Excitement.
Having someone this powerful as an enemy was terrifying.
Having him as a captain?
That was security.
Absolute security.
Even before Kaito had fully reinforced loyalty through Conqueror's Haki, Sandy found himself already persuading his own heart.
Following such a monster might not be a bad thing at all.
The fleet continued forward.
Behind them, the sea gradually swallowed the blood.
Ahead, only the open horizon remained.
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