The rain started slow — soft droplets tapping on the deck of the Going Merry. But it didn't take long for the storm to hit full force. Thunder cracked across the sky, lightning flashing over the masts.
Luffy was already gone, darting through the streets somewhere in Loguetown. Zoro and Sanji had vanished too.
Kai stood by the railing, hood up, camera snail tucked under his arm. The stream was live again, but muted — just visuals of the storm over the city.
[Stream: LIVE — "Calm Before the Hunt"]
[Viewers: 4.1M]
[Chat: "Where's Luffy??" / "This weather is cinematic af" / "Kai looks like he knows what's coming."]
Kai did know. He'd seen this episode.
The one where Luffy met Smoker.
He exhaled, pulling his coat tighter. "Guess I can't avoid this one."
Down in the streets, the city was chaos — rain, wind, and shouting as people took cover.
Kai ran, dodging puddles and barrels rolling through the street, until he spotted him — the tall man in a long white coat, twin cigars burning through the rain.
Smoker.
The man's presence alone was heavy, the kind that made people step aside without being told.
Kai ducked behind a crate and muttered, "Up close, he's even scarier."
[Chat: "OH SH*T SMOKER!!" / "He found him!" / "RUN KAI RUN!"]
Smoker turned, his smoke trailing through the air like tendrils. "I know you're there."
Kai froze. "…No, you don't."
Smoker smirked. "You think you can hide from me? You've been broadcasting all over my city, boy."
Kai's stomach dropped.
He really was tracking the stream.
[System Alert: Marine Frequency Detected — Intercept in Progress]
[Option: "Jam Signal — 200K Berries."]
"Worth it," Kai muttered, hitting confirm. The system flared softly.
Smoker frowned as the faint hum of his Den Den Mushi comms cut out. "Huh… interference?"
Kai took the chance — rolled from behind the crate, sprinting into a side alley.
Smoke shot after him like a snake.
Kai leapt, grabbed onto a hanging rope, and swung over a cart just as smoke burst through the wall behind him.
"Persistent, huh?!" Kai yelled, pulling a small device from his pocket — one of his modified SnailPhones. He tossed it, and the device exploded into a flash of light and static.
Smoker shielded his face. "What the hell was that—?!"
Kai grinned. "Streamer tech, baby!"
He bolted.
Meanwhile, up at the execution platform, Luffy stood in the rain, smiling like a maniac.
Lightning flashed above him as Buggy prepared to drop the blade.
Kai skidded into the square just in time, drenched and panting.
He looked up — and froze.
[Chat: "OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING!!" / "LUFFY SMILING UNDER THE GUILLOTINE!!" / "KAI RUN!!"]
"Luffy!" Kai shouted.
The crew was arriving one by one — Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp.
The blade fell. Lightning struck.
And everything exploded in white.
When the flash faded, Luffy stood there laughing, untouched.
Kai just gaped. "This guy's luck stat is broken."
Smoker appeared moments later, stepping out of the smoke.
His eyes locked onto Luffy, then shifted — just for a second — to Kai.
Kai's system flared again.
[Alert: Target Analysis — Logia: Moku Moku no Mi. Threat Level: Extreme.]
"Oh, perfect," Kai muttered.
Smoker pointed his jutte. "You're coming with me. Both of you."
"Sorry," Luffy grinned, "I'm a little busy being free!"
The Straw Hats scattered.
Zoro grabbed Luffy's arm, Sanji covered the retreat, and Kai used Momentum Burst to create a flash distraction, slamming a crate into the smoke.
They ran through the rain, slipping on wet cobblestones.
Kai streamed it all — the chaos, the shouting, the lightning flashing behind them.
[Viewers: 6.2M]
[Tips: +2.1M Berries]
[Reward: Skill "Adrenaline Surge" Lv1 — Short burst of stamina recovery during danger.]
"Boat's ready!" Nami yelled as the Merry came into view.
Kai turned, panting. Smoker was right behind them — his smoke chasing like living claws.
"Go!" Kai shouted. "I'll cover you!"
"Kai!" Luffy yelled, but Kai was already moving.
He threw another device — a mini snail that emitted waves of distortion. The smoke faltered just long enough for the crew to leap aboard.
Kai jumped last, grabbing the rope and swinging onto the deck as Sanji kicked the anchor free.
As they sailed out into the storm, Smoker stood on the dock, watching.
Rain dripped from his coat as he exhaled smoke. "You can't hide forever, Streamer."
Kai collapsed against the railing, soaked and exhausted.
The crew surrounded him, laughing and yelling, adrenaline still high.
"You almost got yourself caught!" Nami scolded.
"Yeah," Kai said, breathing hard, "but it made a hell of a stream."
[Chat: "LEGENDARY EPISODE!!" / "Kai vs Smoker was wild!!" / "Best arc so far!!"]
[Reward: +500K Subscribers | New Feature Unlocked — "Anonymous Broadcasts (Limited Mode)"]
Kai leaned his head back, rain running down his face as the storm finally began to clear.
The horizon glowed faintly.
"Next stop," Luffy said, grinning wide, "the Grand Line!"
Kai smiled weakly. "God help us all."
[End of Chapter 16 — "Storm Escape."]