Under the sunlight.
Kai stood quietly atop the cold corpse of the Sea King. The warm rays bathed his body, while the icy sea breeze brushed past his skin. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
And then—
Without warning, the familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
[Battle rewards obtained: Strength +0.002, Speed +0.001, Stamina +0.02, Rokushiki Secret—Return of Life proficiency +0.1!]
[After applying the 100× training amplification...]
[Host receives: Strength +0.2, Speed +0.1, Stamina +0.2, Rokushiki Secret—Return of Life proficiency +10!]
In that instant—
Boom!
A warm current burst through Kai's body, flooding his limbs and organs, washing through his bones, muscles, and blood.
His physical constitution began to evolve once again.
A faint yet distinct surge of strength rippled through him—
and when it settled, his power had grown stronger than ever.
At the same time—
Bang!
A sharp ringing filled his skull as a massive wave of foreign memories rushed violently into his mind.
His consciousness became like a sponge, greedily absorbing every detail of those memories, imprinting them into his body and soul.
Gradually, those unfamiliar fragments turned into something else—
instinct.
It was as if someone had forcibly extracted another person's lifetime of knowledge on Return of Life, and poured it directly into Kai's brain.
Enlightenment.
When the integration was complete, Kai finally opened his eyes.
He… had mastered the Rokushiki Secret—Return of Life!
One of the Marine's ultimate techniques—
a combat art of terrifying power and versatility.
Just from barehandedly killing a Sea King, he had somehow awakened this supreme ability.
The corner of Kai's lips lifted in delight.
He hadn't expected such an unexpected bonus!
Now that he had mastered Return of Life, his overall strength had skyrocketed again.
His combat repertoire had become more complex, more refined—
and in the face of mortal danger, he could even shift the position of his internal organs to avoid fatal blows.
All in all, Return of Life was an incredibly practical technique, both for battle and survival.
Exhaling slowly, Kai pushed away the swirling thoughts in his head.
His gaze swept over the massive corpse beneath his feet and then turned to the group of Marine s approaching from the shore.
"Handle the cleanup here," he said calmly. "I'll head back to the ship."
"Understood, Mr. Kai!"
"Please leave this to us, sir!"
"You've earned some rest—after tearing apart such a monster barehanded, you must be exhausted!"
The Marine s bowed respectfully, their tone filled with awe.
After what they had just witnessed…
They finally understood, with chilling clarity, what kind of terrifying strength lay within this four-year-old boy.
He was no ordinary child—
he was a monster.
Even with their blades, they hadn't been able to cut through the Sea King's hide… yet Kai had ripped it apart with his bare hands.
The very thought made their hearts tremble with reverence and fear.
Then, with a light leap, Kai dove into the sea.
He washed away the blood clinging to his skin, and moments later, climbed back up the ladder onto the warship.
Water dripped down from his body, soaking the wooden deck as he walked.
"You're back?"
"Your wound okay?"
Garp turned to him with a wide grin, eyes flicking to the scar across Kai's chest. Concern flickered briefly in his gaze.
"It's nothing serious," Kai said, waving it off. "The cut will scab over soon. No need for treatment."
Garp clapped him on the shoulder, beaming. "Excellent work, brat! Barehandedly ripping a Sea King apart at your age—ha! Unprecedented!"
"Across the entire ocean, I doubt there's ever been another like you. You've really made this old man proud!"
Kai coughed lightly. With the way Garp was pounding his shoulder, he could practically feel his organs shifting out of place.
"Old man, stop hitting me already," Kai grumbled. "I'm an injured person, you know. Show some respect to the wounded! If you keep this up, I'll end up worse off from you than from that Sea King."
Garp froze mid-slap, laughing awkwardly.
"Fine, fine. Go rest for now," he said, lowering his hand. "Once they're done processing the Sea King, I'll have someone fetch you. Its meat is delicious..."
At that, his eyes gleamed with unmistakable foodie excitement.
No doubt about it—Garp looked like a man possessed by the spirit of an eater.
Shaking his head, Kai took his leave and returned to his quarters.
Though he'd been injured, the gains far outweighed the pain.
His power had grown once more, his combat instincts sharpened, and—most importantly—he'd obtained the Rokushiki Secret: Return of Life.
That was the real prize.
He couldn't help thinking how lucky he was—if he'd tried to master it through ordinary training, it would've taken him at least half a month of focused effort.
But thanks to the system's hundredfold amplification, he had learned it instantly—
and not just at a beginner level.
No, what he possessed now was a profoundly refined, fully matured mastery of Return of Life.
Perfect control.
Flawless execution.
"Let's give it a try…" he murmured, eyes gleaming. "Let's see what this technique can really do."
Focusing his thoughts, Kai followed the method from his newly inherited memories.
He circulated his internal energy as instructed—
and soon, he felt his consciousness connect with every cell in his body.
It was as if his will alone could manipulate every part of himself.
He concentrated, channeling his awareness into his hair.
In an instant, his ten-centimeter hair began to stretch and grow—
half a meter, then longer still—
and it moved.
It moved with life.
Like serpents, his hair danced wildly in the air, flowing with eerie flexibility.
Under his command, six tendrils of hair coiled and waved beside his arms like extra limbs.
This—this was the power of Return of Life.
He could channel his consciousness into any part of his body, even those normally outside voluntary control.
Each strand of hair was now as responsive as his hands and feet.
With a thought, one of his "hair arms" lashed out toward a nearby glass bottle.
Swish!
A sharp sonic crack split the air—
and then,
Crack!
The bottle was sliced cleanly in two.
Before the shards could hit the floor, his hair spread like a spider's web, catching both halves midair.
For the next several hours, Kai practiced relentlessly.
His mastery grew rapidly—
from six "arms" to eight, all perfectly under control.
The newfound limbs moved in flawless synchronization with his real arms, his precision absolute.
And with every movement, his power climbed higher still.
"Return of Life…"
He smiled faintly. "What an incredible technique."
In his mind, he recalled a certain future—
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
There, one of the top Vice Admirals, known as "Onigumo the Ghost Spider," would one day master this same art.
By using Return of Life to manipulate his hair into eight weapon-wielding limbs, he had become one of the Marine's deadliest swordsmen.
And now—
Kai had unlocked that very same potential.
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