Morning came bright and humid. The air in Little Garden shimmered with heat, and the jungle buzzed with life — distant roars, the rustle of giant ferns, and somewhere, Luffy yelling something about "finding a bigger dinosaur."
Kai yawned, adjusting his shirt. "I swear, that man's got a death wish."
Nami was pacing beside him, fanning herself. "I can't believe we're stuck in a prehistoric sauna."
He grinned. "Could be worse. Could be raining."
A drop of water hit his face. Then another. Then a downpour.
Nami glared daggers at him. "You jinxed it."
[Stream: LIVE — "Welcome to Jurassic Pain"]
[Viewers: 13.2M]
[Chat: "Kai cursed the weather AGAIN 💀" / "Luffy still chasing dinos while it rains 😂" / "Nami about to murder him fr"]
Kai sighed dramatically. "At least the chat's enjoying my suffering."
The rain didn't last long, but what came after was worse.
Two strangers stepped out of the jungle — tall, armed, and grinning like predators.
"Afternoon," one said, tipping his hat. "Name's Mr. 5."
The woman beside him smirked. "And I'm Miss Valentine."
Kai tensed immediately. "Baroque Works."
Vivi's face went pale. "They found us."
[System Alert: Major Threat Detected — Rank B Enemies Identified.]
[Temporary Quest: "Survive the Hunters." Reward: Skill Upgrade + Hidden Bonus.]
Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Let's fight!"
Nami screamed, "Can we not start with violence for once!?"
Kai pulled out his hidden phone interface, muttering, "Activate Stream Shield… okay, chat, you're seeing this first-hand."
[Stream Title: "Ambushed by Baroque Works!!"]
[Viewers: 15.5M]
[Chat: "OH IT'S THEM 😭" / "Kai's about to throw hands 🔥" / "Protect Vivi!!"]
Mr. 5 smirked, flicking a booger that exploded near Kai's feet.
Kai stared at the smoking crater. "You're kidding me."
"Explosive boogers," Nami said flatly. "Of course."
Kai turned to the camera. "You ever wonder why I'm insane? This is why."
[Chat: "LMAO 💀" / "Kai commentary is gold mid-fight 😂" / "This man turning battle into content"]
He darted forward, dodging another explosion. Momentum Burst Lv4 kicked in, and he slammed a kick into Mr. 5's chest, sending him flying into a tree.
"System, track combo damage!"
[Combo: 12 hits / Efficiency 89%]
Miss Valentine floated above, laughing as she dropped like a hammer toward him.
Kai barely rolled aside — the ground cracked under the impact.
"Yeah, okay, you hit like a truck," he muttered, drawing his small collapsible staff.
"Let's dance, gravity girl."
Luffy was already brawling with Mr. 5, both of them laughing like maniacs.
Zoro joined in a heartbeat later, swords flashing.
Kai focused on Miss Valentine, flipping, striking, dodging her attacks with bursts of blue energy.
"System, give me something flashy!"
[Skill Activated: Stream Burst — Converts Audience Hype into Temporary Power.]
[Hype Level: MAX!]
His next strike glowed with brilliant light, a wave of force slamming into her midair and knocking her into a rock.
She groaned, dazed. "What… was that?"
Kai smirked. "Fan service."
[Chat: "THIS MOVE WAS INSANE 🔥🔥🔥" / "Kai really named it Fan Service 💀" / "Streamer OP confirmed"]
After a few minutes, the battle ended. The Baroque Works agents fled, defeated and humiliated.
The jungle went quiet again.
Vivi exhaled in relief. "Thank you… all of you."
Kai grinned. "No problem. Just another day on stream."
[Quest Complete: "Survive the Hunters."]
[Rewards: +1 Skill Token | +900K Berries | New Skill Unlocked: "Echo Boost" — Increases attack power for 10 seconds after landing a critical hit.]
He looked at the glowing message and smiled faintly. "Nice. Chat's gonna love this one."
That night, as the campfire flickered between the giant trees, Kai sat with Vivi and Nami, the soft crackle filling the silence.
Nami leaned back. "We're in so deep, huh?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. But it's kind of fun, isn't it?"
She glanced at him, smirking. "You're insane."
Vivi smiled gently. "But brave."
Kai laughed. "Insanely brave. I'll take that."
[System: Nami Affection +2 | Vivi Affection +3]
He checked his stream one last time before ending it for the night.
[Stream: LIVE — "Campfire After the Chaos"]
[Viewers: 11.4M]
[Chat: "Kai's becoming part of the crew fr 🥹" / "Protect Vivi arc ❤️" / "Streamer arc peak."]
The stars glowed faintly above.
Tomorrow, they'd leave Little Garden and sail toward something even crazier.
But for now, under the ancient trees, it was enough.
[End of Chapter 24 — "Hunters and Lies."]