BANG!
After one final intense clash, Sanji and Zoro's figures froze like statues, standing back-to-back on the trampled grass.
After a brief, heavy silence...
Both collapsed to the ground simultaneously, as if all their strength had drained away like water.
"Sanji!"
Reiju cried out in alarm, rushing anxiously toward her fallen brother.
"Yamato, help take them both for treatment. I'll be there shortly."
Kai sent Yamato and the others away with a casual wave.
Then, he ventured alone into the depths of the shadowy forest.
Several kilometers away, in a secluded clearing surrounded by towering ancient trees, Kai's footsteps came to a deliberate stop.
He didn't bother looking around, but instead tilted his head slightly upward, his sharp gaze locking onto a specific spot in the seemingly empty air.
"Come out, Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon."
Kai called out loudly, his voice cutting through the forest's natural silence.
The only response was the gentle rustling of wind through leaves.
But Kai remained confidently in place, as if engaging in a battle of patience with an invisible opponent.
Finally...
A sudden wind picked up in the air above.
Within the swirling currents, a man's imposing form slowly materialized like a phantom taking shape.
"How did you discover me?" Dragon's deep voice carried barely concealed amazement.
Ever since Kai's group had landed on the island, he had maintained his wind form, observing from high above without even using Observation Haki to avoid detection.
Even if a top-tier Observation Haki user swept through the area, they would only "see" a natural wisp of wind.
No one should have been able to detect his presence.
He had used this technique to monitor countless people over the years and had never once failed.
He hadn't expected to be seen through by Kai today.
"Because of the wind itself!"
Kai smiled with calm confidence: "My ability is weather control. Wind is also a form of atmospheric manipulation, and my control over it may not be inferior to yours."
Dragon's disguise couldn't have been more technically perfect.
But perhaps his long string of 100% success had made him lower his guard. He hadn't completely merged with the natural wind patterns.
From Kai's perspective, Dragon's presence was quite abrupt and unnatural.
Like a sudden whirlpool appearing in a calm river, it was that conspicuous to someone with his abilities.
Most importantly, Kai had the significant advantage of foresight.
He had long known that Shimotsuki Village maintained dealings with the Revolutionary Army, so naturally he wouldn't forget to be on guard.
With preparation against the unprepared, Dragon being caught was quite normal.
After hearing Kai's explanation, Dragon nodded with grudging respect. He had indeed been careless and underestimated the extraordinary individuals of the world.
"What is your purpose in deliberately drawing me out?" Dragon got straight to the point.
Since Kai had directly exposed his whereabouts, he probably didn't intend to start a violent conflict.
Kai also didn't beat around the bush: "Give me Bartholomew Kuma's contact information."
"Your reason?" Dragon frowned with obvious suspicion.
That Kai knew about Kuma's secret connection to the Revolutionary Army didn't surprise him.
Over the years, he and Kuma had participated in revolutionary activities around the world, and quite a few people had witnessed Kuma in action.
"How about I owe you a small personal favor?"
Kai smiled as he stroked his chin thoughtfully, offering an enticing bargaining chip: "The Revolutionary Army is quite short on quality weapons, isn't it? As everyone knows, Beast Pirates weapons are high quality and reasonably priced. How about it? Consider the offer?"
Dragon refused without any hesitation: "The Revolutionary Army will never betray our comrades for material profit!"
"Oh?"
Kai chuckled softly with knowing confidence: "What if I said I could cure Bonney's Sapphire Scale disease?"
What?!
Dragon was genuinely shocked. Did the Beast Pirates have a spy planted deep within the Revolutionary Army?
Bonney having Sapphire Scale disease wasn't exactly classified information, but very few people knew about it.
After all, it had only been discovered this year.
"Are you being serious?" Dragon couldn't help asking with growing urgency.
Ever since discovering that Bonney had inherited the deadly Sapphire Scale disease, the Revolutionary Army's best doctors had also attempted treating her but were completely helpless, unable even to properly identify what illness she had.
In the end, it was a famous doctor that Dragon had encountered by chance during his travels who finally diagnosed Bonney correctly.
The doctor had also grimly declared that Bonney wouldn't live past ten years old.
Ivankov's Hormone Fruit did have a potential method. His healing hormones could sacrifice ten years of Bonney's lifespan for a mere 1-2% chance of recovery.
But unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to use such a desperate technique on five-year-old Bonney.
"Of course I'm serious. When it comes to treating illness, either it works or it doesn't. I have no need to deceive you." Kai spoke with complete confidence: "Afterward, you can take Bonney for the most thorough medical examinations you want."
Bonney's Sapphire Scale disease was certainly troublesome, and ordinary doctors definitely couldn't help her.
But Devil Fruits were synonymous with miracles themselves.
Whether it was the Heal-Heal Fruit or the Op-Op Fruit, both had a high probability of curing Bonney completely.
Even the Paw-Paw Fruit, if developed to a certain advanced extent, might be able to push the Sapphire Scale disease right out of Bonney's body.
If those options didn't work either, at worst Kai would go search for Pure Gold.
The seriously ill Olga from centuries past had been able to extend her life for 206 years through Pure Gold. Using it on Bonney could at least give her another thousand years of life.
Seeing Kai display such unwavering confidence, Dragon also fell into deep internal conflict.
Should he trust someone from the notorious Beast Pirates?
Or miss this opportunity of unknown authenticity?
Kai quietly added another weight to the scales: "You wouldn't want Ginny's tragedy to repeat itself with Bonney."
A little moral blackmail, if you will.
This sentence was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.
After a long, heavy silence, Dragon took a deep breath and said in a grave voice: "I have no authority to make decisions for Kuma. I need to get his personal consent before I can give you his contact information."
"Please, go ahead." Kai had no objection to this reasonable request.
Dragon looked at him with deep, measuring eyes, then transformed back into wind and disappeared from the spot.
The shock that Kai had given him today was truly considerable.
When Zoro opened his eyes again, what met his gaze were the familiar wood grain patterns of the ceiling he knew all too well.
"Isn't this the dojo? Why am I here?"
"You're finally awake."
A handsome face with a mischievous smile leaned in close: "The surgery was successful. Congratulations, you're now a girl."
"What?! I don't want that kind of thing!"
Zoro instantly panicked.
He tried to sit up abruptly to confirm his worst fears, but the sharp pain from his chest made him grimace immediately.
His half-raised body crashed back down onto the bed.
He frantically looked down, but his vision was blocked by layers of medical bandages. He could only see his chest wrapped up like a mummy.
"Hahahaha! You actually believed it!"
Kai held his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
Only then did Zoro realize he'd been completely played. His face instantly turned as black as a pot bottom, veins bulging at his temples.
"You bastard!"
Kai wiped away his tears of laughter, straightened up, and dropped his joking expression: "Jokes aside, do you want to board my ship?"
"Huh?"
Zoro was genuinely stunned.
How had he, an unknown boy from a small East Blue island, been invited by an Emperor's pirate crew?
Although Zoro had always focused on practicing swordsmanship in Shimotsuki Village, paying no attention to the outside world, he wasn't completely ignorant. Otherwise he wouldn't have recognized Hawkeye immediately.
It was precisely because of this knowledge that he found the invitation so strange.
At the same time, his heart felt genuinely excited.
After all, the Beast Pirates' reputation was legendary.
This feeling was like a high school student buried in studies suddenly receiving a personal job offer from the CEO of a world-class corporation.
No matter how strong-willed he was, he couldn't help but be moved.