"No need to hide anymore. You're free to go outside now."
Kaelen's voice was gentle, but its meaning struck like thunder.
The bad guy who used to threaten me… was caught?
Shirahoshi's mind went blank for a moment. Joy arrived too suddenly, and her thoughts struggled to catch up.
Her wide, sparkling eyes blinked rapidly—and then tears began to fall, each one the size of a fist.
Shhhh...!
"..."
Kaelen took a step back, sidestepping the droplet that nearly splashed on his boots, a twitch forming in his brow.
At this rate, if she keeps crying, she might flood the entire island.
"Okay now, little Shirahoshi, stop crying. The bad guy's gone. You should be smiling."
"H-He was really caught, Kaelen-sama?"
"Caught and dealt with," Kaelen replied with a warm grin. "Also, it's just Kaelen—call me Big Brother Kaelen."
"Y-Yes! Okay… Big Brother Kaelen!"
---
Meanwhile – Forest of the Sea
Robin stood before the Poneglyph, her eyes scanning each ancient glyph with unwavering focus. After a long silence, she exhaled slowly, her expression a complex mixture of awe and heaviness.
Kaelen leaned against a coral outcrop nearby, arms folded, watching her with disinterest.
"Done yet?" he asked lazily. "It's just more of the same, right? Old stories from eight hundred years ago—does it even matter anymore?"
Robin shot him a sideways glance.
To a scholar like her, history was priceless. The mysteries of the Void Century, the legacy of ancient civilizations, and the warnings they left behind—this was her life's pursuit.
But to Kaelen, it was background noise.
"What's with that look?" he asked with a smirk. "The past is the past. What matters is living in the now. Even if you uncover the whole truth, what will it change? The World Government's already rotten. Maybe the ones who ruled eight hundred years ago were no better."
Robin didn't answer immediately. His words sounded dismissive, but there was a strange logic in them. Still, whether or not she agreed was irrelevant—this was her passion.
Then she noticed something odd.
"You never even asked what was written on it."
Kaelen shrugged.
"What's the point? Ancient weapons, messages for the future… it's always the same. Who's to say it's not just propaganda from the old regime?"
Robin stared at him for a moment, speechless again. His views were frustrating, yet strangely thought-provoking.
Still, she decided not to press the matter further.
The two continued walking back in silence.
---
Suddenly, Kaelen stopped.
"…So it starts already, huh?" he murmured.
His gaze narrowed, lips curling slightly as he looked ahead.
Just up ahead, dozens of Fish-Men were rushing toward them with loud, brutish confidence, kicking up clouds of sand in their wake.
They were armed, hostile, and clearly focused on one thing.
"Hehehe, grab the woman! Kill the guy!"
"Don't you dare take her—she's mine!"
"That pretty-boy human? I'll cut him down myself!"
Their vile laughter echoed across the shore, but Kaelen's eyes darkened instantly.
So they're targeting Robin.
Interesting.
But it would be the last mistake they ever made.
"I don't care what their aim is," Kaelen muttered, fingers brushing the hilt of his sword. "This'll send a message."
Without another word, Kaelen vanished.
Crack!
A blinding flash of light burst through the crowd of Fish-Men.
Swish!
Poof!
Steel flashed like lightning, and blood exploded through the air.
Kaelen moved like a phantom, his blade cutting through the chaos with precise, deadly rhythm. Each swing was elegant, like a dance—yet fatal.
In a matter of seconds, it was over.
Dozens of corpses hit the ground.
Only one was left.
Kaelen stood before the trembling Fish-Man, his blade angled downward, blood dripping from its tip.
"Where's your boss?"
The fish-man's lips quivered. He looked around at his fallen comrades, panic giving way to seething hatred.
"You… you monster! Hody Jones-sama will destroy you! You'll pay for—!"
Shing!
The blade sang, and a severed head hit the ground, its expression frozen in rage and confusion.
Kaelen didn't flinch.
He had no time for empty threats.
At that moment, he released a surge of Conqueror's Haki, blanketing the area in overwhelming pressure.
The entire Fish-Man Island trembled faintly beneath it.
"Found him," Kaelen muttered, locking in on the exact location of Hody Jones through the disturbance.
He turned to Robin, sheathing his blade.
"Stay put. Some self-important fools are playing with fire—I'll go extinguish them."
Robin simply nodded.
She understood. These men had come for her, and Kaelen's wrath would be their retribution.
With a gust of air, Kaelen disappeared from view.
--
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