As Kai's voice fell, the casino sank into an even deeper silence.
Not a sound could be heard.
More than two thousand pirates stared at him, their eyes filled with fear, shock, and disbelief.
Then their gazes shifted to the severed head on the gambling table, its eyes still wide open in death.
And then to the cold, headless corpse lying nearby.
A chill shot from the soles of their feet to the tops of their skulls.
"My God…"
"Was that real?"
"A pirate with a bounty of forty-seven million berries was killed in an instant?!"
"Impossible!"
"A pirate close to fifty million berries… had his head taken before he could even react?"
"This has to be a dream!"
The pirates were stunned.
They had expected to watch a show.
They thought they would see a Marine brat torn apart.
But the one who died was not the Marine boy.
It was One-Armed Derry.
A pirate with a bounty close to fifty million berries.
And he had been killed instantly.
None of them had even seen how it happened.
By the time they reacted, Derry's headless body had already collapsed to the floor, terrifying and grotesque.
In the dead silence, the pirates swallowed hard, their faces pale as they stared at Kai.
At that moment, this five-year-old boy gave them an indescribable pressure.
Even Black King Luke, Magician Finks, and the other pirates with bounties around fifty million berries felt a terrifying sense of danger from him.
They froze in place, not daring to move.
"That brat…"
"Who the hell is he?"
"Derry wasn't weak. He wasn't much weaker than us. But that kid killed him instantly?"
"Can you believe that?"
Luke's face twisted with shock.
Beside him, Finks nodded stiffly.
What he did not say was this:
he had not seen Kai move either.
That meant if he had been in Derry's place, he might have died the same way.
The thought made his scalp prickle.
"That kid is not simple."
"He's strong. Extremely strong."
"Someone who can kill Derry in one move is a top-tier fighter even on the Grand Line."
"And the most terrifying part is…"
"He's only five years old."
Finks' throat went dry, and his voice trembled.
After Derry's instant death, the two thousand pirates no longer dared move against Kai.
They looked at him with fear, unease, and dread.
The vast casino became strangely oppressive.
The pirates who had been waiting to laugh at Kai now crushed that thought completely.
"How can a five-year-old brat be this strong?!"
"This is absurd!"
"Even Derry couldn't last one exchange."
A wave of shock spread through the crowd.
Then, one after another, their anxious gazes turned toward Pica.
As one of the Donquixote Family's top executives and the guardian of this casino's order, Pica was now their only source of confidence.
"This is Donquixote territory."
"Don't forget. Heavenly Yaksha Doflamingo is here!"
"No matter how strong that Marine is, can he really overturn the Donquixote Family by himself?"
"We're spending money in a casino protected by the Donquixote Family. If they can't deal with this, they'll lose all face."
"That Marine slapped the Donquixote Family in public. As one of the underworld's great powers, how could they swallow this?"
"They'll definitely strike back."
The pirates slowly regained some courage.
Only now did they remember where they were.
This casino belonged to the Donquixote Family.
To cause trouble here was the same as slapping the Donquixote Family in the face.
How could they possibly let it go?
"Did you hear what that brat said?"
"He actually told Doflamingo to get out here."
"He's insane!"
"That's Heavenly Yaksha Doflamingo!"
"A great pirate with a bounty over three hundred million berries!"
"Even in the New World, Doflamingo's name is famous."
"With someone like that here, why should we fear a mere Marine? That kid won't leave this casino alive."
The pirates whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, Pica had also heard Kai's words.
He had also seen Derry's instant death.
Because of that, he no longer dared underestimate Kai.
He stared coldly at the boy, anger and wariness filling his eyes.
Kai's words, ordering Doflamingo to come out, had touched Pica's deepest taboo.
Young Master Doflamingo was the faith of every member of the Donquixote Family.
No one was allowed to insult him.
"Brat, your strength is not bad."
"But…"
"You should know where you are."
"This is Donquixote territory."
"You dare cause trouble here? You dare openly challenge our young master? You must be tired of living."
Pica's rough voice carried suppressed fury.
Anyone who dared challenge the Donquixote Family's dignity…
could not be forgiven.
Kai looked at Pica calmly.
"I'll say it again."
"Tell Doflamingo to get out here."
The tension sharpened.
A fight seemed ready to erupt at any moment.
At the same time, on the second floor of the casino, inside a luxurious office…
Knock, knock, knock!
The knocking came fast and urgent.
"Come in."
After receiving permission, a man in a black suit quickly pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Soon, he saw the owner of the office.
A tall, thin man in a pink feather coat sat there, dressed like a flamingo. He wore sunglasses, had short blond hair, and his face carried an arrogance that seemed carved into his bones.
This man was the young master of the Donquixote Family.
The man known throughout the underworld as Heavenly Yaksha.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
A true great pirate.
A man with a bounty of three hundred and forty million berries.
Terrifyingly strong.
In the first half of the Grand Line, only a handful of pirates could compare to him.
"Young… Young Master."
The black-suited man lowered his head the moment he arrived before Doflamingo, nervous and uneasy.
To the members of the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo possessed overwhelming authority.
They feared him from the bottom of their hearts.
"What is it?"
Doflamingo glanced at him.
"Someone is causing trouble in the casino."
"And he's a Marine."
"He killed one of the pirate gamblers just now. Lord Pica is already confronting him. That Marine also said… he wants you to personally show yourself."
"He's strong. The pirate he killed had a bounty close to fifty million berries."
The man reported everything honestly.
"Oh?"
"A Marine?"
"A Marine came to make trouble on my territory?"
"How rare."
Doflamingo raised his brow, his eyes turning cold.
He laughed in anger.
"I'd like to see who this Marine is."
"To dare cause trouble in my casino… he must be tired of living."
With that, he slowly stood.
"Lead the way."
The man in black hurriedly guided Doflamingo toward the first floor.
Just as Pica was about to move…
A calm voice came from the stairway, carrying undeniable authority.
"Pica. Step back."
It was Doflamingo.
He walked down the stairs slowly, his cold gaze fixed on the young Marine confronting Pica.
At the same time, Kai looked toward the voice and met Doflamingo's eyes.
Their gazes collided.
Sparks seemed to flash between them.
From both of them, invisible pressure began to rise.
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 60+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/ZeusOp