Novel Chapter
Armament Haki surged from Kai's fist, condensing into a colossal black gauntlet that gleamed with metallic luster! The massive construct dwarfed Luffy's entire body!
The Haki-forged fist came crashing down!
"Gum-Gum Net!"
Luffy's fingers instantly rubberized, crisscrossing and weaving together like interlaced paper. He flung both palms outward, and his fingers shot forward, stretching to impossible lengths!
A massive rubber net materialized in front of Kai!
Kai's chuckle was almost pitying—because in his eyes, this desperate defense was utterly... meaningless.
The Haki fist collided with the rubber net. Under the devastating impact, the webbing disintegrated instantly, unraveling back into individual rope-like fingers.
The jet-black fist slammed into Luffy's chest!
BOOM!
Luffy rocketed backward, smashing through several trees—each trunk nearly half a meter thick—before finally skidding to a halt.
"I... I'm gonna be the Pirate King! How... how can I fall here!"
Kai had held back ninety-nine percent of his power, but his Armament Haki reserves were so vast that even one percent was more than Luffy could handle.
Blood trickled from Luffy's mouth. He struggled to his feet, determination blazing in his eyes as he raised his fist again!
"Gum-Gum Pis—"
But Luffy was running on pure willpower now—his body had nothing left. He'd barely steadied himself when his legs buckled and he collapsed hard onto the ground!
Kai watched Luffy still struggling on the dirt, a hint of exasperation crossing his face. He raised his hand, about to—
"Kai, you've gone too far!" A sharp voice cut through the air. "So what if Luffy wants to become a pirate? He just wants to adventure on the sea—are you really going to beat him to death?"
A young woman with short lake-green hair stepped between them, glaring at Kai with indignation written across her features. Makino, owner of Party's Bar.
"That's right, boy!" A short elderly man wearing a flowered hat marched forward, his stern gaze fixed on Kai. "If you lay another hand on little Luffy, I won't acknowledge you as one of Windmill Village's people anymore!"
The village chief. Despite always grumbling that pirates were scum and Luffy was the village's disgrace, his actions told a different story—allowing the Red-Haired Pirates to dock, secretly celebrating every bounty increase. The old man didn't harbor real hatred for pirates, and he absolutely adored Luffy. Of course he'd defend the kid.
"That's right, Kai! You've gone too far!"
"Even if he's a pirate, little Luffy hasn't done anything bad!"
"Exactly... exactly..."
One by one, villagers stepped forward to shield Luffy. Thanks to Garp's presence, Windmill Village had been spared from pirate threats for years. The villagers' gratitude to Garp naturally extended to his grandson—they doted on Luffy like he was their own.
Kai's expression turned helpless. A Marine getting condemned by civilians for going after a pirate? This world really was backwards. Still, he understood their hearts.
"Relax." Kai raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not going to keep attacking him. That old geezer Garp only asked me to teach Luffy a lesson. If I actually killed the kid, he'd hunt me down and tear me apart."
He gestured toward Luffy on the ground. "But if you keep blocking me, this kid won't just miss his voyage—he'll be meeting the Pirate King in the afterlife in about two minutes."
"Ah..."
Makino's eyes darted to Luffy—his breathing was growing shallow, fading fast. Realization dawned. Her face flushed crimson as she quickly stepped aside, embarrassment flooding her features.
The village chief and remaining villagers heard Kai's words and hurriedly cleared a path.
Kai knelt beside Luffy and pressed one hand to his chest. His expression sharpened with focus. A torrent of life force flooded into Luffy's body. The kid already had the constitution of a cockroach, and with Kai's vitality infusion...
Within moments, Luffy's eyes snapped open, energy surging back through his limbs.
"Whew... I'm alive! That's awesome! I seriously thought Big Bro Kai was gonna kill me just now!" Without a trace of resentment for nearly being beaten to death, Luffy grinned with pure relief.
Kai smiled at that expression. This was why Luffy would gather such incredible companions and begin his journey to become Pirate King.
Or perhaps more accurately... Luffy possessed the ability to make everyone around him become their best selves.
As Luffy himself would admit—he couldn't navigate like Nami, couldn't fight with a sword like Zoro, couldn't cook, couldn't sing... but Luffy had something no one else could match.
Charisma. The power to inspire.
He infected people with his dream, and they all worked toward their own ambitions together!
Just like Roger in his era—that was the quality a Pirate King needed! Whether protagonist or not, Luffy was destined to claim that title!
"How are you feeling, Luffy?" Kai asked, his smile genuine.
"Feeling!?" Luffy scratched his head, confusion flickering across his face. Then his grin stretched wide. "I feel like Big Bro Kai is crazy strong!"
"You think I'm strong?" Kai's smile turned knowing. "Just now when we fought, I only used Armament Haki—and I suppressed it by ninety-nine percent. Even with that much restraint, you still couldn't handle it... Luffy."
The grin vanished from Luffy's face. His expression grew serious, contemplative.
For the first time, he felt the true weight of the sea's pressure.
"So work hard, Luffy." Kai's voice carried quiet intensity. "Surpass the Seven Warlords... surpass the Marine Admirals... surpass the Four Emperors... I've got high hopes for you... future Pirate King... Monkey D. Luffy."
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