Novel Chapter
After hearing Kai's words, Luffy's grin stretched impossibly wide—ear to ear, pure joy radiating from every inch of his face. "Don't worry, Big Bro Kai! I'll definitely earn your recognition and become the Pirate King!!!"
"I'll be waiting, then." Kai's smile was genuine.
Every witness to this scene—Windmill Village residents and Marine soldiers alike—stood frozen in stunned disbelief.
A Marine Admiral just made an agreement with a pirate... about becoming the Pirate King!?
And it looked completely natural, without a trace of awkwardness. Had they gone insane... or had the world gone insane...
"The Admiral... what is the Admiral doing!?" A young Marine's voice cracked with shock. "Actually making an agreement with a pirate about becoming Pirate King—if the Fleet Admiral finds out—"
SMACK!
An older Marine's hand connected with the back of the kid's head, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Idiot! That's Admiral Hakuryū we're talking about! Forget making agreements with some small-time East Blue pirate—even if he sailed to the Moby Dick to share drinks with Whitebeard, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wouldn't bat an eye! And here's a secret—" His voice dropped to a whisper. "—rumor has it Admiral Hakuryū's already been internally designated as the next Fleet Admiral!"
The young Marine's eyes went wide. Both hands flew to cover his mouth, panic flooding his features.
The older Marine's expression turned carefully neutral. "Did something just happen? Did I say something?"
"Huh!?"
The younger Marine blinked, then understanding dawned. "No... nothing happened just now, senior. You didn't say anything, and I didn't hear anything."
The older Marine exhaled slowly. Young people these days really will say anything. At least this one's not completely hopeless.
"See you later, Big Bro Kai!!!"
Luffy waved with wild enthusiasm as he sailed off in his pathetic excuse for a boat—a tiny vessel that couldn't withstand waves more than a few meters high. Kai felt his eye twitch. The kid was a Devil Fruit user, for crying out loud. If it were him, you couldn't pay him enough to be that reckless.
Then again, considering what Garp was like...
Probably all three generations of that family's brain cells went entirely to Monkey D. Dragon.
"Kai... I'm sorry for misunderstanding you." Makino's cheeks flushed pink, embarrassment softening her voice. "How about coming to Party's Bar? I'll treat you to the best rum. What do you say?"
"Ahahaha!" The village chief's booming laugh cut through the moment. "To celebrate that pirate Luffy finally leaving our Windmill Village, I declare we're holding a banquet! Location—Party's Bar! I'm covering all expenses—everyone's invited!"
Kai's expression went flat. The old man had been fiercely defending Luffy five minutes ago, and now he was trash-talking him. The whiplash is real.
Kai stayed in Windmill Village for about a week before departing.
After all, without the Monkey family's presence, Windmill Village was just another ordinary seaside settlement. Of course, Kai couldn't deny that Makino was genuinely beautiful—she'd made his heart skip more than once.
And he could tell the feeling was mutual. Makino clearly had affection for him.
But she didn't love the idea of constantly sailing the seas. Kai didn't push. He understood her heart now—that was enough. Once he'd settled everything in this world, he'd come back for her.
By then, as master of this world, he wouldn't be endlessly sailing anymore anyway.
Kai's warship cut through the waters of the East Blue.
He sprawled across the deck, sea breeze washing over him, drowsiness tugging at the edges of his consciousness.
Not that he was actually tired—after consuming the Divine Tree's fruit, his life form had undergone a fundamental transformation. The current Kai wouldn't feel fatigue or drowsiness even if he fought continuously for a month straight without rest.
He simply enjoyed the sensation. Same with eating—he no longer required food for sustenance, but he never skipped a single meal. Some pleasures were worth keeping.
"Help... somebody help me..."
A cry for help snapped his attention seaward. Kai stood, gaze tracking toward the voice.
Orange hair. Excellent figure. A tattoo barely visible on her left shoulder.
The corner of Kai's mouth curved upward.
"Little Thief Cat"—Nami.
"Admiral Hakuryū!" His Commander Vice Admiral stepped forward quickly, voice crisp with analysis. "That person overboard is highly suspicious. Her struggling and shouting are far too vigorous—inconsistent with someone who's been in the water for an extended period. But if she only just fell in, there are no traces of a shipwreck anywhere nearby. This subordinate recommends we do not rescue her!"
Nami would never know just how laughable her 'flawless' acting appeared to Marines who'd weathered the storms of the New World.
"Mm, not bad." Kai nodded, genuine approval in his tone.
Then his smile sharpened. "However, even if there is a conspiracy—in the weakest of the Four Seas, the East Blue—do you really think she can cause trouble? On my ship, no less?" He let that sink in. "Your observational skills are excellent and deserve praise. But when analyzing a situation, you can't stop at the surface. Consider all possibilities, weigh every angle, then make your decision."
The Commander's face flushed red. Right. On Admiral Hakuryū's ship, even a Four Emperors-level pirate couldn't cause trouble. What am I worried about?
"Then this subordinate will retrieve her immediately!" The Commander straightened.
"No need." Kai raised one hand lazily. "I'll handle it."
His arm extended, five fingers spreading wide toward Nami's position in the water. His Rinne-Tensei eyes rotated slowly, their pattern mesmerizing.
His fingers closed slightly.
Gravitational force seized Nami's entire body, yanking her from the sea in one smooth motion. She flew through the air and landed on the deck directly in front of Kai with a wet thump.
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