The sea was calm, and the sun was just right. The Roger Pirates' new ship was sailing steadily. While it wasn't yet the legendary Oro Jackson of the future, it was a world apart from the rickety old boat that had looked like it could fall apart at any moment.
On deck, the crew members were enjoying themselves, but Kyle, for once, was savoring a moment of peace. He leaned against the ship's rail, holding a fishing rod without any bait, purely for the sake of the pose and the quiet. In the past two years, he had witnessed new crew members joining one by one and Roger's bounty skyrocketing as if it were tied to a rocket. Along with that fame came the Marines' increasingly frequent "friendly greetings." 1
"Island spotted ahead—!"
From the crow's nest, Pittam's booming voice broke the silence. "Wait… in front of the island… there are Marines! Several ships! The lead ship… the flag indicates it's a Rear Admiral!" 2
"Marines?"
"A Rear Admiral?" 3
The deck instantly became lively. Miller Pine put down his barrel of liquor and picked up his large iron hammer, his knuckles cracking. Colonel Mu Gulian silently spat out his cigar, his eyes sharpening as his hand went to the hilt of his gun. Spencer, meanwhile, sighed elegantly, as if regretting the impending disruption of his afternoon tea.
"Kuhahaha! Just in time for a warm-up!" Roger burst out of the Captain's cabin, his face filled with uncontainable excitement.
"Hey, hey, it's just a few Marines. Do we need to make such a big fuss?" Kyle put away his fishing rod and stretched lazily. He glanced at the eager "newcomers" on deck, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. It was time. Although he had thrived on the ship for the past two years, relying on his "King of Connections" dream and his social skills, he knew that to truly command the respect of these monsters, he needed to show his strength. He didn't just hold his "senior" position because he was one of the first to join. Sometimes, respect had to be earned with fists.
"For a mere Rear Admiral's fleet, there's no need for the Captain and First Mate to act," Kyle said, stretching his wrists. He took a few steps forward and stood before everyone. "It's a good chance for the newcomers to witness the strength of their senior."
At these words, the deck fell silent, and all eyes focused on him.
"Oh~" Gaban was the first to cheer, wrapping an arm around Kyle's neck and grinning. "Little Kyle's going to show off!"
"Don't accidentally fall into the sea! That would be embarrassing!" Miller Pine also laughed loudly.
"Hmph." Colonel Mu Gulian let out a soft snort. He had heard from the earlier crew members that Kyle was exceptionally strong, but he had never really witnessed his true power. 4
"Kuhahaha! Interesting!" Roger laughed the loudest. "Then I'll leave it to you, Kyle! Make it quick, the feast is more important!"
Rayleigh just smiled, adjusting his glasses and looking at Kyle's back with approval and expectation.
With the Captain's permission, Kyle wasted no more words. He took a deep breath, his body crouching slightly. "Sonic Step—Instant!"
BOOM—!
A dull explosion erupted on the deck. The wooden planks beneath Kyle's feet sank sharply, and he shot into the sky like a cannonball. The powerful recoil even caused the massive ship to sway.
"Whoa, amazing!" Everyone on deck, especially the new crew members, watched with wide eyes.
Kyle's figure drew a beautiful arc in the air. Just as he seemed to be losing momentum and about to fall, he stepped on thin air with his right foot. Bang! Another small sonic boom rippled through the air around him. Propelled by this backward thrust, his body ascended again and changed direction, moving in an incredible zigzag pattern through the sky as if he were stepping on invisible stairs.
"Is that Moonwalk?" Colonel Mu Gulian muttered subconsciously, but immediately shook his head. "No, that's not right… What is that?"
"It's Kyle's Devil Fruit ability," Rayleigh's voice sounded beside him. "He can use shockwaves as footholds."
A collective gasp of admiration swept across the deck. So, the always smiling, seemingly harmless Little Kyle was actually such an absurd monster. At this moment, Kyle had already crossed hundreds of meters of sea, and the Marine fleet was close at hand. He could even see the panicked faces of the Marine soldiers on the main ship's deck, pointing at the sky as if they were looking at an alien. The dramatic entrance was a success; now for the grand finale.
Just as he was about to make his move, a loud, hearty, and powerful voice—a voice that made a cold shiver run down his spine—came from the main ship below.
"Huh? What's that in the sky? A strange bird?" Immediately following was the crisp crunch, crunch of someone chewing on rice crackers. "Lads! See that ship! That's the Roger Pirates, the ones making waves right now! Roger, you won't escape this time! Surrender obediently and accept the judgment of justice!"
Kyle froze in mid-air, his entire body stiff. His smile solidified on his face, and cold sweat began to seep from his forehead. That passionate voice… that laugh… that damned, familiar sound of senbei being chewed…
Oh no.
Rear Admiral? Screw the Rear Admiral! Since when was Marine Hero Garp just a Rear Admiral?! This was the man who had been a persistent nuisance since their first year at sea, chasing them across half of the Grand Line! He could already imagine Garp picking his nose while looking up at him with a gaze that said, "You're trash."
At this moment, on the Roger Pirates' ship, his unsuspecting comrades were still cheering him on.
"Go, Senior Little Kyle!"
"Let them see the might of the Roger Pirates!"
Kyle was on the verge of tears. Me? Take out Garp? I'm the one who's going to be taken out!
"Oh! It's that brat from Roger's ship!" Garp's booming voice came again, filled with a twisted sort of warmth, like reuniting with an old friend. "You're flying pretty well up there! Are you interested in becoming a Marine? I can write you a recommendation letter! Hahahaha!"
Garp's voice carried clearly across the water to the Roger Pirates' ship. The new crew members, who had just been full of admiration, now had strange expressions on their faces. Only the original members of the crew looked like they had expected this.
"Kuhahaha!" Roger hugged his arms, shaking with laughter. "I knew it! That Garp, he says the same thing every time he sees Kyle!"
Rayleigh shook his head helplessly, a smile on his lips. "After all, in Garp's eyes, Kyle is the most respectable one on our ship."
In mid-air, Kyle's face darkened at the ridiculous recruitment offer. Join the Marines? Work for you and get treated to your "Fist of Love" like a punching bag every day? Do I look like that kind of person?! He remained silent, deciding to ignore the harassment with a cool demeanor.
However, Garp was clearly not the type to give up easily. "Not talking? Are you shy?" Garp grinned, revealing a mouthful of stark white teeth—a smile that looked more terrifying than a Sea King's to Kyle. "Evil pirate brat, I'll personally let you feel the warmth of justice!"
Before he finished speaking, Garp casually picked up a few cannonballs from the deck.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!
There was no ignition, no cannon, just pure arm strength. The surfaces of the black cannonballs were instantly covered by a layer of Armament Haki, deep as night. They emitted a piercing whistle as they tore through the air, transforming into several black meteors that shot upwards toward Kyle. Their speed was so incredible, and their force so fierce, that they even left long white contrails in the air!
"Holy crap!"
Kyle's cold sweat instantly poured down. The sheer power was unbelievable. Even if he wasn't blown to pieces, the impact alone would be enough to break his bones and send him plummeting into the sea. His escape route was completely sealed, his dodging space precisely predicted.
I can't run! His big moment to look cool in front of the new guys was about to end in total humiliation. But they were all watching… He couldn't just run away.