The Black Cat Pirates… were finished.
Kuro had escaped the street the moment the slaughter began, using Silent Step to slip away.
Now he hid inside a dark alley, watching clearly as his former subordinates were cut down one after another.
"How… how can a monster like this exist in East Blue?! Someone this strong should be in the Grand Line… in the New World!"
Kuro gasped for breath.
His pupils trembled violently, and his entire body felt ice-cold.
He couldn't even feel his own heartbeat anymore.
There was no anger in his heart for the companions who had just died.
At that moment, only one thought remained.
Run.
Run as far away as possible.
"I found you."
Suddenly—
a warm hand rested on Kuro's shoulder.
An extremely dangerous aura blossomed behind him.
Very close.
So close it was practically touching him.
The man who had wiped out the Black Cat Pirates in an instant was standing right behind him.
Kuro could imagine it perfectly.
The man's face was probably calm, completely expressionless.
And the sword in his hand could pierce straight through his chest at any moment.
Kuro panicked.
There was only one word that could describe his feelings now.
Fear.
Terrifying, bone-deep fear.
His legs trembled uncontrollably.
Kuro prided himself on manipulating people's hearts.
But in front of Kairos D. Vale—
he was terrified.
Against absolute strength, every trick was meaningless.
Crushed completely.
Then—
Shhk!
Blood burst into the air.
The blade pierced straight through Kuro's chest, emerging from his back with a spray of crimson mist that bloomed like a flower.
"Look," Kairos said from behind him, his voice calm and faintly amused. "A little red flower as your reward."
For a brief instant, Kairos stepped out of the calm state of Sasaki Kojiro.
His mischievous sense of humor surfaced again.
"Who… are you?"
Kuro's eyes widened.
He tried to twist his neck, desperate to see Kairos' face one last time.
But the bright sword tip was already slowly withdrawing from his chest.
The blood spreading across his clothing was even brighter than when the blade had entered.
The flower of blood blooming on his chest was both beautiful and tragic.
Kuro froze forever in the middle of turning around.
The thing called life quietly drained from his body.
Clang…
Monohoshizao slid completely free from his chest.
Kairos flicked his wrist lightly, shaking the blood from the blade before stepping out of the dark alley.
Behind him, Kuro's body collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Kairos' expression returned to perfect calm.
Even as the corpse fell behind him, there was no joy and no sorrow in his eyes.
Just quiet indifference.
As if he had merely brushed aside a pebble blocking his path.
This was the state Sasaki Kojiro had reached—
Clear Mind Like Still Water.
A spiritual realm born from relentless training.
…
"There's been a murder!"
"So many people are dead!"
"Someone call the Marines!"
"Relax. Those were pirates."
"Exactly. Pirates deserve it."
The streets were in chaos.
Panicked voices from townspeople echoed everywhere.
Kairos stood among the crowd and slowly closed his eyes.
Mind's Eye.
Activated.
Even without opening his eyes, he clearly "saw" a figure moving through the crowd.
Buggy.
Running away as fast as possible.
Toward the coast.
"Good thing I'm smart," Buggy muttered while fleeing. "Fighting a monster like that is basically suicide!"
His body had split into seven or eight pieces.
His legs ran along the ground while the rest of his body floated in the air.
"Hurry! Get to the sea! Once we're out there he won't be able to catch us! Richie, run faster!"
Mohji clung to the lion's mane while shouting desperately.
"That guy's strength is probably at Vice Admiral level…" Cabaji said, sweat pouring down his face.
As a swordsman himself, he understood far better than Buggy and the others just how terrifying Kairos' swordsmanship had been.
"I can see the shore!"
Buggy's upper body floated high in the air as he shouted excitedly.
"Move! Move!"
The Buggy Pirates pushed themselves even harder.
They ran as if their lives depended on it—because they did.
Finally—
they reached the coast.
Their pirate ship stood right in front of them.
"I'm so glad those Black Cat Pirates delayed him!"
Buggy stared at the ship with shining eyes.
He had never thought his own ship looked so beautiful.
Strangely enough, the invisible-sword Kairos hadn't chased them yet.
"Once I escape, I'll burn incense for every single one of you Black Cat Pirates! Hahahahaha!"
Buggy's upper body floated up beside the ship's mast as he burst out laughing.
At this point, he didn't even care that Jango had called him Big Nose earlier.
Running into the Black Cat Pirates had been a blessing!
Still laughing, Buggy turned around—
and noticed Mohji and the others had stopped moving.
His smile faded immediately.
They were about to escape, yet they had stopped?
Buggy glared at them.
"Tired already? Get on the ship!"
No one moved.
Mohji and the others stood frozen.
Buggy suddenly felt something was very wrong.
On Mohji's face—
he saw pure, unmistakable terror.
"Gulp…"
Buggy swallowed hard.
Slowly—
trembling—
he lowered his gaze.
On the pirate ship's deck—
a figure had appeared.
No one knew when.
A man stood there silently, sword in hand.
His eyes were calm.
Ancient.
Unmoving like stone.
It was—
Kairos
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios