Chapter 25
"Not bad at all! As expected from someone trained by Garp—he's already noticeably stronger than Zoro and Kuina were at eleven! And his mastery of his Devil Fruit is incredibly proficient—he's reached the 'Expert' level!"
Kai watched Luffy's barrage of attacks, these thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant!
In the One Piece world, there was no official grading system for Devil Fruit mastery, but Kai had created his own four levels:
Awakening – The initial stage right after eating the fruit; basic usage.
Expert – Complete mastery of the fruit's core abilities and techniques. Most users who reached this level were no longer pushovers—there were no truly "trash" fruits, only trash users! Many Devil Fruit users Kai had seen were still stuck at Awakening—pure garbage-tier usage!
Subtle – Beyond full mastery, users develop deeper, more refined applications tailored to the fruit's unique traits. Luffy's Gear Second and Gear Third were perfect examples of Subtle mastery!
Absolute Control – Total, effortless command over the fruit's power—Whitebeard level!
Luffy had only had his Gomu Gomu no Mi for a few years, yet he was already at Expert. That spoke volumes about his monstrous talent!
As for Kai himself? His Emotion Fruit was still only at Awakening level. He could amplify or suppress emotions—that was it. He hadn't even begun to explore its deeper possibilities!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Facing Luffy's storm of punches, Kai didn't move his feet at all. Wado Ichimonji danced in his hand—blocking every single attack with casual precision. It looked effortless!
"Wahhh! So cool!"
Seeing Kai block everything so easily, Luffy wasn't discouraged—instead, he laughed excitedly. Then he charged again, arms stretching past Kai's shoulders to grab the giant tree behind him. His whole body turned into a rocket—blasting straight toward Kai!
Kai saw the double kick coming, the sheer power tearing through the air with explosive force. He raised Wado Ichimonji horizontally to block!
BOOM!
Luffy's feet slammed into the blade. A massive force transmitted through the sword into Kai's body!
Rustle~
Kai was forced back several steps, feet sliding through the sand. But just as Luffy grinned triumphantly, Kai lifted one foot and—BAM!—kicked Luffy square in the butt with lightning speed. Luffy had no time to react!
BOOM!
Luffy's body shot backward like a rubber ball—crashing into the beach and sending sand flying everywhere! Compared to Kai's few steps back, Luffy clearly took the worse end of the exchange!
"Ahhh…" "Little Luffy got kicked flying…" "That kid's so strong…"
The villagers gasped in shock. Kai had taken Luffy's direct hit and only retreated a little—then instantly countered and sent Luffy soaring!
"So cool!"
Makino's eyes sparkled. Especially Kai's confident demeanor and that smooth, decisive kick—it was incredibly handsome! Confident men were attractive; powerful men were irresistible. A confident and powerful man? Utterly captivating! Makino's impression of Kai skyrocketed!
"Not bad reaction speed and power!"
Garp watched Kai's counter with silent approval. For a thirteen-year-old to show this level of skill—it was no wonder pirates feared the Maple Leaf Hunter. As for Luffy crashing into the sand? Garp didn't even glance over. He knew Luffy's toughness better than anyone. Beating Luffy wasn't going to be easy!
"Owww!"
After a moment, Luffy climbed out of the sand, rubbing his butt and wincing. Then his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Let's go again!"
Since Ace left, Luffy hadn't had a chance to fight someone his age who was actually stronger. His battle spirit was soaring! Without waiting, he charged Kai again!
"Rubber Pistol!" "Rubber Gatling!" "Rubber Axe!" "Rubber Whip!"
In an instant, Luffy unleashed a storm of fists and kicks—creating countless afterimages. Dozens, even hundreds of strikes rained down in a chaotic barrage! The villagers watched in awe, dazzled by Luffy's speed and power!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yet what shocked them even more was Kai—standing in the center of that storm like a drifting maple leaf. He seemed like he could be hit at any moment, yet every time, he dodged at the last possible second. His body swayed fluidly, Wado Ichimonji flashing to block when needed. Luffy's overwhelming assault couldn't even force Kai back a single step!
"Heh heh! Luffy, if this is all you've got, then I won't hold back anymore!"
While dodging and blocking, Kai chuckled lightly.
"So strong! Luffy's attacks are crazy, but he's not even touching him!" "Yeah! As expected of the Maple Leaf Hunter! Too powerful!!!"
The villagers cheered in awe. They had never seen anyone handle Luffy like this!
Swish!
In the next instant—right before the villagers' and Garp's astonished eyes—Kai's speed exploded. He closed the distance in a blink, appearing right in front of Luffy. Before Luffy's wide eyes, Kai drove the hilt of Wado Ichimonji straight into Luffy's stomach!
"Shave?"
Garp's eyes widened slightly. In his view, Kai's burst of speed was dangerously close to the Marine Six Powers technique "Shave"!
BOOM!
Luffy's body shot backward like a rubber ball once again—crashing hard into the beach!
There was no doubt—Kai had won. The current Luffy was simply no match for him!
"Damn it…"
Luffy struggled to get up again, but Garp flashed over and lifted him by the collar.
"Still wanna keep getting beaten? Idiot! You're not his match right now!"
Garp scolded him sternly.
"Damn it! Let go! I don't believe it—I can definitely beat him!"
Luffy thrashed wildly in Garp's grip, refusing to accept defeat.
"Hmph! Maple Leaf Hunter—just you wait! One day I'll beat you!"
Unable to break free, Luffy shouted defiantly at Kai, eyes blazing with determination!
"Heh heh! Good! I'll be waiting for the day you beat me!"
Though it was their first meeting, Luffy had already earned Kai's respect—just like Zoro. Both had unbreakable wills. People like them were destined to become true powerhouses!
Kai's own personality was the same. That's why he felt a sense of camaraderie with Zoro and Luffy—even if, right now, both of them were still too weak!
"It's a promise! I'll train hard—and then I'll beat you!"
Luffy shouted loudly.
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