"Let… let me go!"
"You ambushed me!"
"That one doesn't count!"
Ace struggled madly, his face twisted in rage, pinned down against the floor by Kai's crushing weight. His arms and legs flailed, fists pounding against the stone tiles beneath him.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
Kai said with a hint of amusement, "The gap between you and me isn't small—it's enormous. Right now, you don't even have the qualifications to be my opponent. Even if we're the same age."
Hearing this, Ace's struggling gradually weakened. His teeth clenched tight, silence falling over him.
Because deep down, he knew—
What Kai said was true.
For the first time in his life, he felt an overwhelming pressure from someone his own age.
Even if he went all out, there was no way he could win against Kai.
"All right, that's enough."
"You two need to get along."
"Ace, remember—you must become an excellent Marine in the future."
Seeing Ace's indignant yet helpless expression, Garp's grin grew even wider.
"Old man, who wants to be a Marine?" Ace snapped back defiantly.
"I'm going to be a pirate!"
"You little brat!"
The veins on Garp's forehead bulged, his fist tightening.
But in the end, he resisted the urge to punch Ace and instead turned to Dadan with a wave of his hand.
"These two brats are yours now. Take care of them."
With that, Garp spun around and left.
"Kai, don't forget—one month from now, your father will bring your little brother back to Foosha Village."
Leaving those words behind, Garp disappeared into the distance without looking back.
"Damn Garp!"
Dadan glared after his retreating figure, her face twisted with frustration and helplessness.
Turning her gaze back to the boys, she said, "All right, Kai, come with me. I'll show you your room."
Kai finally released Ace, slowly standing up.
"Hmph!"
Ace immediately jumped to his feet, his eyes burning with hostility as he glared at Kai. His gaze was sharp, brimming with unyielding battle spirit.
Kai only chuckled softly, unfazed.
Then, turning away, he followed Dadan into the large house.
"Damn it!"
"You think I'll call you big brother?"
"In your dreams!"
"One day, I'll defeat you and make you call me big brother!"
Clenching his teeth, Ace stormed off toward the forests of Mount Colubo, his anger pushing him to hunt wild beasts to vent his frustration.
Meanwhile, Kai followed Dadan into a small room. From the size alone, he knew—
this would be his living space from now on.
"Kid, this will be your room," Dadan said flatly.
"But…"
"If you want to be part of the Dadan Family, you need to understand one thing."
"We don't raise freeloaders here, and we don't raise trash. Ace has been hunting for food since he was little. That's why the family accepts him."
"If you can't contribute, don't expect us to feed you."
Her words were stern and serious.
"I understand." Kai nodded calmly.
"Good. Then I won't bother you anymore."
With that, Dadan left, leaving Kai alone.
The room was tiny—just a few square meters in size.
"Barely enough… but it'll do. At least it's good enough for training."
After a glance around, he lay on the simple wooden bed, then immediately began his daily training regimen.
Even without the system's reminders, Kai was strict with himself. He would never slack off.
But the stronger he became, the harder it was to increase his physical strength. Even with the hundredfold boost, he could feel it—
with his growing age and improving foundation, each step forward required more effort.
The day slipped by during his relentless training.
Before long, night had fallen.
A crescent moon hung above the horizon, silver light spilling gently across the land.
"Huff…"
Kai exhaled deeply, finally finishing his day-long hellish routine.
His muscles were more defined than ever. It wasn't hard to imagine how terrifying his physique would become in just a few more years.
"I'm not far from my goal—achieving the perfect Ghost Back."
Feeling the explosive power surging in his body, Kai allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
His gaze drifted toward the dark night sky outside the window.
Tomorrow…
would be his first time hunting.
Since today was his first day here, Dadan's crew hadn't forced him out. But starting tomorrow, he would need to fend for himself.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he suddenly heard the system's voice:
[This training session yielded: Strength +0.008, Speed +0.007, Stamina +0.009, Mental Power speed+0.1]
[After 100x amplification…]
[Host gains: Strength +0.8, Speed +0.7, Stamina +0.9, Mental Power +10]
In that instant—
a warm current surged through his body.
BOOM—
His mind roared like thunder.
He could feel it clearly.
Not only had his strength, speed, and stamina increased—
his very thoughts, perception, and awareness were surging as well!
"This is…"
"Mental Power?!"
The unfamiliar term shocked him.
His young body, magnified by the system, was brimming with newfound power. And within him… a massive, turbulent mental energy was stirring.
It was wild, violent, completely uncontrollable—
as if ready to erupt from his body at any moment.
His body felt like a volcano on the verge of explosion.
"The mental power is… leaking out of me. I can't control it!"
Kai's pupils shrank.
At first, the energy seeped out like a trickling stream.
But as time passed, that trickle grew into a surging river—
then into raging waves crashing outward!
It was vast.
Overwhelming.
Terrifying!
The energy spread out from him, forming a strange, invisible aura.
Buzz!
Buzz!
"Wait a second—"
"Could this be…?"
A shocking possibility flashed through his mind.
In his impression, there was only one ability tied to "mental power."
One of the Three Colors of Haki—
Conqueror's Haki.
Said to be the power possessed only by one in a million—
the true mark of a king!
"Don't tell me… I've awakened the Conqueror's Haki already?"
"But isn't it said that the Conqueror only awakens under life-or-death pressure?"
"Then what's happening to me now?"
The thought made his mind reel.
And before he could calm himself—
BOOM!
A terrifying wave of mental energy erupted uncontrollably from his body.
"Damn it… I can't control it!"
Kai gave up resisting.
The storm burst forth—
an overwhelming aura exploding from his body, sweeping outward like an invisible shockwave.
In an instant,
centered on Kai,
the aura spread out in a perfect circle, rolling across everything around him.
It expanded, wider and wider—
until it engulfed the entire area.