The door to Shakky's Rip-off Bar burst open with theatrical force.
"Yooo! Long time no see!"
Kai strode in with a wide grin, a massive sack of treasure slung casually over his shoulder. Gold coins clinked loudly with every step, drawing the attention of every pirate nursing a drink inside.
Behind the counter, Shakuyaku arched an eyebrow as if she had been expecting him for hours. At the bar, Silvers Rayleigh's mouth twitched faintly.
Kai ignored the old man completely.
Instead, he dropped the treasure sack with a heavy thud that shook the wooden floorboards and slid into his usual seat. The smell of seasoned meat and rice wafted toward him, already prepared.
Shakky placed the plates down in front of him smoothly. "You're late," she said casually.
"Haah… finally," Kai groaned dramatically. "Some food with seasoning."
He picked up a chunk of meat and took an enormous bite.
"I've been eating Sea Kings with sea water as seasoning," he continued mid-chew. "Do you know how depressing that is?"
Rayleigh snorted into his wine.
Kai devoured the food like a starving beast, plates emptying at an alarming rate. He washed it down with fresh juice, letting out a satisfied sigh that echoed through the bar.
"This," he declared, pointing at the empty plate, "is civilization."
Shakky laughed softly. "You're still just a kid."
"Correction," Kai replied seriously. "I'm a kid with standards."
Rayleigh shook his head. "You barge in, dump treasure on the floor, and start eating like you own the place."
Kai finally glanced at him. "Relax, old man. I paid in advance."
"You didn't even count it!"
"Do I look like I care?"
Rayleigh grumbled something unintelligible and took another sip.
"So," Kai said between bites, "can you also add info about slave traders?"
The room seemed to cool slightly.
Shakky leaned against the counter. "Oh? So you're gonna clear out slave traders now?"
"Yap," Kai answered casually. "Till I can clear the buyers."
Rayleigh choked violently on his wine.
He coughed, slamming his fist against his chest. "Cough—! Easy, brat!"
Kai glanced at him lazily. "Easy, old man. Don't wanna see my sister widowed so soon."
Rayleigh's face darkened. "You bastard! Who are you calling old?!"
"Hmm?" Kai tilted his head. "If the wrinkles fit."
"You—!" Rayleigh pointed at him accusingly. "Do you even know talking about that is enough to send you to Impel Down?"
Kai clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk. Who's gonna tell them?"
He leaned back slightly, folding his arms.
"For the right hand of the Pirate King, you really worry too much."
Rayleigh's gaze sharpened dangerously. "You think this is a joke?"
"It's just killing some fat pigs wearing helmets," Kai said bluntly. "How hard can it be?"
The pirates in the bar collectively froze.
Rayleigh stared at him for several seconds before sighing deeply. "You really are something…"
Shakky chuckled as she slid a folded set of papers across the counter. "Here is the info for the upcoming auctions."
Kai grabbed it without hesitation.
"And the info on slave traders will be ready in a few minutes," she added.
"You really are the best, sister," Kai said with a grin, giving her a thumbs up.
Rayleigh pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why do I feel like I'm watching the start of a catastrophe?"
Kai skimmed through the documents, eyes scanning names, dates, groves, security rotations, and buyer lists. His expression remained light, but something colder flickered behind his gaze.
"Well," he said casually after finishing, "I'll be seeing you two for a few months. Bye."
Rayleigh blinked. "What?"
Kai stood up, stretching lazily.
"I booked a room in near hotel," he clarified. "It's convenient."
Rayleigh groaned loudly. "What do you mean you're staying here for a few months?"
Kai waved over his shoulder as he walked away. "Exactly what it sounds like."
The door to the upstairs hallway shut behind him.
Rayleigh slumped forward. "He isn't really going to hunt the slave traders… is he?"
Shakky exhaled smoke slowly, smiling.
"Oh," she said calmly, "I bet he absolutely is."
Rayleigh looked at the ceiling as if asking the heavens for patience. "That kid…"
Kai closed the door to his room and placed the treasure sack beside the bed.
He reached into a wooden crate and pulled out a newly crafted Oni mask.
This one was pristine—white lacquered surface, curved horns, crimson markings swirling across its face. Unlike the previous cracked mask, this one radiated quiet menace.
Kai stared at it briefly.
"Round two," he murmured.
He placed it over his face.
His body shrank instantly, bones compressing and muscles tightening until he stood at a smaller, less noticeable size. Lightning flickered faintly around him before settling into invisibility.
He opened the window.
With a silent leap, he vanished into the Sabaody night.
---
The auction house in Grove 1 buzzed with cruel excitement.
Masked nobles laughed as chained slaves were displayed on stage. Auctioneers shouted numbers enthusiastically while terrified families clung to one another under bright lights.
From the shadows above the chandelier, a small masked figure watched.
Kai's eyes were calm.
"Not today," he whispered.
He did not move yet.
He was waiting.
Waiting for certain ships to dock. Waiting for a particular trio of sisters whose arrival would ignite greater flames in the future.
Until then, he would clean the rot.
---
That night, in a dark alley near Grove 27, a group of slave traders dragged chains behind them.
"Boss says we deliver these by morning."
"Think Celestial buyers will attend?"
"Of course! Big money—"
A shadow dropped between them.
"What the—?"
Lightning flashed once.
Steel sang softly.
Kai moved like a whisper.
One trader lunged with a blade. "Who are you?!"
"Executioner," Kai replied flatly.
Their clash lasted seconds.
A whip cracked toward him, but he caught it mid-air, yanking its wielder forward. His knee struck the man's jaw with bone-shattering force.
Another raised a pistol.
Thunder exploded.
The alley lit white for an instant.
When the smoke cleared, the chains lay severed. The slaves stared in shock as the masked boy stood amidst fallen bodies.
"You're free," Kai said simply.
One woman trembled. "W-Who are you?"
He turned away.
"Just someone bored."
He vanished before they could thank him.
---
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Kai's life settled into rhythm.
He woke at dawn and shrank before heading to various auction houses, silently observing movements and buyers. He memorized faces, schedules, and escape routes.
At midday, he returned to Shakky's bar to eat.
"More seasoning," he would demand.
"You're picky," Shakky would tease.
Rayleigh would grumble from his seat. "You smell like blood."
"Occupational hazard," Kai would reply.
Afternoons were spent training in secluded mangrove clearings. He practiced controlling Shiki's aerial combat instincts, blending them with his lightning techniques.
"Again," he muttered to himself, launching upward.
Wind blades spiraled from his kicks, slicing apart resin bubbles midair. He coated his sword in Conqueror's infusion, testing how long his body could withstand the strain.
At night, he hunted.
Slave ships vanished quietly from docks.
Warehouses burned without witnesses.
Traffickers disappeared one by one.
Mid-combat, some begged.
"Please! We were just following orders!"
Kai's blade would pause for half a heartbeat.
"Then follow them to hell."
Lightning answered.
Within a month, whispers began spreading across the underworld.
"The Oni is here."
"Ships aren't returning."
Rayleigh heard it all.
"You're shaking the black market," he told Kai one evening.
Kai sipped his juice calmly. "Good."
"You're attracting attention."
"I know."
Rayleigh's eyes sharpened. "You're waiting for something."
Kai's masked gaze turned toward the distant sea.
"Yes," he said quietly.
Somewhere beyond the horizon, a ship bearing three enslaved sisters would soon arrive.
And when that day came—
The storm would no longer whisper.
It would roar.