The air was thick with tension as Satan Saint's figure vanished from his original position, leaving an eerie calm in his wake.
"No… no way…" Kyle muttered under his breath. He could sense the impatience radiating from the Gorosei.
The next instant, a sharp shriek pierced the forest. Satan Saint's spider-like limb shot forward with inhuman speed, aiming directly for Kyle's glabella. The strike was merciless, precise, and terrifyingly fast.
But Kyle didn't retreat. Instead, he advanced, wielding his black-gold naginata with perfect control. Planting the heavy hilt firmly into the ground, he unleashed a devastating technique:
"Earthquake: Ground Roar Wave!"
Rumble—!!!
The earth itself seemed to rise and fall like furious waves. The forest floor twisted violently, cracked in a fan-shaped pattern, and smoke erupted from the fissures. Dozens of meters of soil and debris surged upward like a colossal maw attempting to swallow all in its path.
The sudden tremor forced Satan Saint's lethal strike to pause mid-air.
Now was Kyle's moment. Smoke and dust engulfed the battlefield, completely obscuring vision. Satan Saint didn't hesitate—his Observation Haki allowed him to sense Kyle's presence clearly. He lunged again, his spider-limb piercing straight through the obscuring haze, aiming for the figure standing at the center.
No blood. No scream.
The figure dissipated like a wisp of smoke, scattering into countless specks of light before vanishing entirely.
It was an illusion.
"Nige runda yo!" Kyle's voice whispered softly.
A flash of surprise crossed Satan Saint's pupils. His flawless Observation Haki had been deceived. Had the quake interfered, or was this an inherent ability of Kyle's Devil Fruit?
He retracted his limb and surveyed the area. Slowly, the smoke cleared, leaving the forest in unnatural silence.
Not a single trace remained of Kyle, Bartholomew Kuma, or the unconscious Ivankov. They had vanished. They had escaped.
Satan Saint's expression turned stone-cold. His eyes, filled with killing intent, hardened like forged steel. The pirate who had eluded him once now carried his target with him. A dangerous predator had grown in cunning and skill.
---
Far from the forest, Kyle settled beneath a large tree. He casually laid the unconscious Ivankov on the ground and leaned against the trunk, taking deep, controlled breaths.
What he had just done looked effortless—but in truth, it was a calculated risk.
Satan Saint's five-pointed star magic circle was no mere display; it was a sign that this old man was far beyond Kyle's current capacity for direct confrontation. His Conqueror's Haki was still insufficient to break the man's immortality, and even ordinary Armament Haki barely left a mark.
The Silent: Cloud Piercing Strike had collided head-on with Satan Saint's limb. The recoil still ached along Kyle's tiger's mouth, a reminder that even a masterstroke had limitations.
But Kyle hadn't aimed to kill. His goal had always been simple: save lives, then escape.
He grinned to himself, shaking his head slightly. "No shame in running when you can't win… especially if you'll get another chance to fight later."
---
A hoarse voice interrupted his thoughts.
Kuma, sitting nearby, stared at him with eyes wide, a complex mixture of awe, gratitude, and confusion.
"Who… are you, exactly?"
Kyle's grin returned, cynical and lighthearted, his tension evaporating.
"We meet again. I'm Kyle. Just a passing righteous little pirate."
Kuma blinked. He didn't believe a word. And yet… he couldn't argue. This man had saved them, twice now, from monsters no ordinary pirate could face.
"Why did you save us?" Kuma asked, voice quiet but piercing, his gaze unwavering. "We are just… slaves."
The word hung in the air. Kyle's smile faltered slightly.
He looked at the young, burly figure before him—someone who had lived under oppression, yet still carried the hope to become a hero, to protect others. Kyle thought of the pain Kuma had endured, the tragedy, the life molded by cruelty. And yet, here he was, gentle to the extreme, willing to bear the burden of others' suffering, refusing to let bitterness define him.
Kyle fell silent for a moment. Then he asked softly, "You just said you wanted to become a hero like Nika, to save others?"
Kuma's eyes flickered. He nodded.
"Very good." Kyle stood, towering over him for a brief instant, and looked down with an intensity that sent warmth and fear in equal measure. "But what if I told you… there's no savior in this world? Nika is just a legend, a symbol."
Kuma's brow furrowed. "No… that's not true. I—"
Kyle held up a hand, cutting him off. His golden pupils glimmered with unusual seriousness. "Only you can truly save yourself. Or rather… everyone can be Nika."
He leaned closer, voice steady, piercing. "You asked why I saved you. I'll tell you now: I saw unwillingness in you. Unwillingness to be born a slave. Unwillingness to be slaughtered. Unwillingness to accept this rotten world."
"So… keep running, Kuma."
Kyle extended a finger, lightly tapping Kuma's chest. "Don't stop. Measure the earth with your feet. See the world with your eyes. Swat away all pain and sorrow with your power. Go run. Go fight. Go resist!"
"Fight for all the beauty, all the happiness in this world that's still worth protecting!"
Kuma felt Kyle's words strike deep, igniting a fire he had long kept hidden. Memories of his father's lessons, Ginny's laughter, the desperate cries of his companions—they all surged at once.
He realized resistance wasn't about becoming someone famous or powerful. It was about becoming himself. And power wasn't just for destruction—it was a tool for protection.
---
Kuma slowly raised his head. For the first time, belief flickered in his eyes—bright, fierce, and unyielding.
"I understand." His voice was quiet but resolute, carrying a weight far beyond his years.
He moved to Ivankov, hoisting the unconscious figure onto his back with a determined grace. Then he extended his right hand. A strange pink paw pad appeared in his palm, pulsing with an unfamiliar energy.
A subtle warmth ran through Kuma's veins. He felt possibilities open before him—new ways to move, new ways to protect.
"Big brother… thank you." Kuma whispered to Kyle, looking back as if to etch his face into memory. "I have to save my companions."
Kyle leaned lazily against the tree, giving a faint wave. "Go. And remember… run fast."
Without another word, Kuma activated the paw pad. Whoosh—! In an instant, he and Ivankov vanished in a streak of light, disappearing into the forest depths.
Kyle grinned at the empty clearing, the naginata once again in hand. He stretched, the joints in his body popping in a crisp series of sounds, each movement full of controlled ease and lethal potential.
"Convenient ability, indeed." He murmured to himself, eyes glinting with anticipation. The forest was quiet once more, but the storm of conflict and the chase had only just begun.
Kyle's gaze swept the horizon. Somewhere out there, more challenges waited—more monsters, more masters, more world-shaking threats. And he was ready.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)