Chapter 016
"Ah…"
Hearing Kai's words, Peidaku froze in shock. He couldn't understand why Kai wanted him to demonstrate "Cleaver Sandstorm" again.
"If you want to live, hurry up and do it one more time—then you can leave!" Seeing Peidaku's stunned expression, Kai urged him coldly.
"Y-yes! I'll do it right now!" Peidaku's body trembled, then lit up with relief. If all he had to do was demonstrate once to get away, he'd do it gladly—he didn't dare stay near this little demon any longer!
Peidaku quickly picked up the stick lying nearby. Standing on the beach, he took a deep breath and began performing "Cleaver Sandstorm" with full seriousness.
Swoosh…
Using a stick instead of a cleaver made the technique look awkward and full of flaws. But the winds kicked up were far stronger than in the tavern—whipping up sand into a chaotic storm! The reason? The open beach environment amplified the effect.
"Good thing we weren't fighting here—otherwise it would've been trouble!" Kai thought, relieved. He watched intently, eyes gleaming as he memorized every detail of Peidaku's movements.
Once Peidaku finished, Kai spoke flatly: "Alright. That's enough. Get lost."
Peidaku's face broke into excited relief. He dropped the stick and bolted away like his life depended on it.
"Good… I didn't kill him outright." Kai watched him go, then murmured to himself. "Sword techniques… it's time I learned some."
Koushirou hadn't taught him advanced moves on purpose—to force Kai to comprehend and create his own. But before forging something unique, borrowing from others was essential. Koushirou hadn't forbidden it—Kai had to discover that on his own for the lesson to sink in deeper!
Kai gripped Wado Ichimonji and stood on the beach. In his mind, he replayed every step of Peidaku's technique—how it generated such power.
After what felt like ages, Kai let out a low shout: "Cleaver Sandstorm!"
He swung Wado Ichimonji downward. Instantly, a storm of sword shadows materialized. Faint winds stirred, kicking up sand! Though the power and spectacle paled compared to Peidaku's, Kai had succeeded on his first try! If Peidaku had seen this, his eyes would have bulged in shock.
"Good! I got it! So it uses sword energy to cleverly draw in surrounding wind and sand for visual disruption!" Kai grinned in delight. He began practicing repeatedly on the beach.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…
Sword shadows flickered endlessly before him. Winds swirled, pulling in more and more sand—gradually strengthening the storm!
Kai lost himself in the practice until the night sky twinkled with stars.
"Not bad at all! But it's no wonder it's not that powerful—I learned it so quickly. The main value is the enemy-blinding effect; not much practical use otherwise…" Kai lay back on the cool night sand, murmuring thoughtfully. Still, mastering a sword technique filled him with joy!
"But with some improvements, it could be really strong. Once I learn a few more techniques, I'll adapt them to my body and create something new!" Kai continued softly. His understanding of sword techniques had finally clarified a bit!
...
...
"Captain! What's our next target?"
On a small double-sailed pirate ship, a grunt asked the young man standing proudly at the bow—Harley Shu himself!
"Heh heh! Our next stop is that island right there!" Harley Shu laughed smugly, pointing ahead. After a string of successful raids and narrow escapes from the Marines, his arrogance had grown unchecked!
"Ah! But that island has a Marine base!" The grunt exclaimed in alarm.
"Hmph! With my strength, why fear the Marines?" Harley Shu scowled and snapped back angrily.
"Y-yes! Captain, you're the mightiest! Under your lead, even the Marines can't touch us!" The grunt quickly bowed and flattered him.
"Hmph! That's more like it!" Harley Shu grinned again.
"Listen up, boys! Our next target is that island! Same rules as always: split the loot by the book. The prettiest women are mine—the rest are yours!" He raised his voice, shouting to the crew.
"Yes, Captain!" "Great!" "…"
The pirates roared in excitement. Raiding islands meant plundering wealth and indulging in the women they found—finishing with them before moving on. This vile routine was what thrilled them most. It was also why they were relentlessly hunted by the Marines!
"Captain! Look—what's that?"
But just as their excitement peaked, a brilliant red streak suddenly shot toward them from the distance—at incredible speed!
"It can't be a Sea King, right?!" One grunt cried out.
"No! It's some weird thing—with a person on it!" Another, peering through binoculars, shouted in shock.
"What? Someone's riding it?!" Harley Shu exclaimed.
"Yeah! It's a kid! With a sword on his back!" The lookout confirmed.
"Whoa~! There really is someone on it—and it's a brat…"
The others gasped as the streak drew closer fast enough for everyone to see: a sleek, red vehicle speeding across the water—with a small boy aboard!
"Trouble's coming—stay alert!"
Harley Shu's eyes gleamed as he watched the bizarre red contraption approach at high speed. He barked orders cautiously.
"Hmph! Finally found you!"
Kai lowered his binoculars and snorted coldly. He was indeed riding the top-of-the-line hypercar that had transmigrated with him—now dubbed "Phantom." After leaving Shimotsuki Island, Kai had returned to his starting island to retrieve it. When he departed, the tavern owner had given him plenty of Berries in gratitude.
Driving the Phantom across the open sea for the first time had been exhilarating—but nerve-wracking. He had feared the navigation system might fail, plunging him into the ocean to drown. Thankfully, everything worked perfectly!
In moments, Kai's dazzling red Phantom closed in on the Harley Pirates' ship. Activating stealth mode, Kai leaped aboard with a powerful jump!
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