Blood sprayed through the air,
staining the sky crimson.
Like rain, droplets fell across the deck.
A heavy, metallic stench spread with the sea breeze, seeping into the nostrils of every pirate on the ship.
Thud!
The massive body of White Ostrich Kukari collapsed lifelessly, crashing onto the deck with a dull, suffocating sound.
The power of his Devil Fruit began to fade, ebbing away along with his vitality.
Within moments, his ostrich form melted back into that of a human.
Naked, his skull shattered, the corpse lay pale and bloodless, lifeless as a fallen leaf.
Thus ended the so-called terror of the East Blue—
Kukari, the Animal-type Zoan user, a pirate captain worth 11 million Berries—killed with a single punch.
He never even had the chance to fight back.
Completely crushed.
His skull split open, his life snuffed out on the spot.
All around, the deck was cracked and splintered, scarred with countless fissures as though the very ship might collapse at any moment.
Kukari's corpse bled freely, red liquid seeping through the gaps in the wood, spreading outward like a network of veins.
The surviving pirates—fewer than a hundred—stared with wide, terrified eyes, utterly shaken by the scene before them.
Dead silence.
Gulp.
Some swallowed nervously, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, faces drained of color, hands and feet cold, spines prickling with dread.
The sea breeze carried not freshness, but a chill that seemed to crawl from their soles straight into their skulls.
"D-dead…"
"The boss was killed in one punch!"
"That's impossible!"
"He was worth over ten million Berries!"
"Here in the East Blue, how could he die like this? And at the hands of a kid?!"
"Even after transforming into a giant ostrich with his Devil Fruit… he still couldn't block that brat's fist!"
Their minds collapsed under the weight of it.
To them, Kukari was invincible.
A Zoan user. A pirate captain worth over ten million. Someone who could walk sideways across the entire East Blue without fear.
Yet today—
He was slaughtered by a boy.
Everything they thought they knew was shattered.
"What is that brat?!"
"One punch to kill a pirate with a bounty over ten million?!"
"Is he even human?!"
"How could such a monster exist in the East Blue? Even in the Grand Line, he'd be rare!"
All eyes locked on Kai.
He stood shirtless, his body smeared with blood, muscles rippling, eyes deep and calm, his presence radiating crushing dominance.
"An 11-million Berry pirate captain?"
"An Animal-type Devil Fruit user?"
"That's it? That weak?"
Kai glanced at the corpse dismissively.
Honestly, he hadn't expected such a letdown.
If he'd known, he wouldn't have even bothered going all out.
Three punches. That was all it took.
He was unscathed, only slightly winded.
Pathetic.
"Since your captain is dead…"
"It's time for the rest of you to join him."
His gaze shifted to the quivering pirates, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
The words struck like thunder.
The mob broke.
Their captain—dead.
Their strongest shield—shattered.
What chance did they have?
"He's a monster!"
"We can't beat him!"
Terror took over.
One trembling pirate raised his musket, finger jerking the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet screamed through the air—
straight at Kai's chest.
But under the horrified stares of the pirates—
Kai raised his right hand, pinching the bullet effortlessly between two fingers.
The lead slug stopped dead, unable to advance even a hair.
"E-even bullets… caught with his bare hands?!"
"He's not human!"
"Run! Run for your lives!"
Panic erupted.
The survivors broke, shoving one another aside as they bolted for the rails, desperate to fling themselves into the sea.
Kai's lips curled faintly.
Swish!
With a casual flick, he hurled the captured bullet back.
Faster than when it was fired.
Pfft!
A red mist blossomed.
The marksman froze, a neat hole punched through the center of his forehead. His body toppled like a puppet with cut strings.
Thud.
Another corpse hit the deck.
The pirates' fear boiled over into hysteria.
Screaming, they scrambled to leap into the deep ocean, no longer caring that this was the middle of the sea, death by drowning waiting below.
"Run?"
Kai's eyes narrowed, a playful gleam flickering.
"Did I say… you could leave?"
"If you're here today—none of you are walking away alive."
Against a mob scattering like sand in the wind, fleeing in all directions, Kai knew exactly what to do.
"Conqueror's Haki."
His eyes flashed.
From his body surged a torrent of overwhelming willpower, an invisible tidal wave of spiritual force.
The air trembled.
It rolled out like crashing surf—
unstoppable, devouring everything in its path.
BOOOOM!
Centered on Kai, Conqueror's Haki erupted, spreading in a perfect circle, a domain of sheer dominance.
In an instant, the entire battlefield was engulfed.
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