The Going Merry sailed out of Little Garden under a bright sunrise. The sea was calm, but everyone on deck had the same uneasy feeling.
Kai leaned on the railing, the ocean breeze tugging at his hair. "Feels too peaceful, doesn't it?"
Nami checked the Log Pose, frowning. "Yeah. The needle's shaking. That's never good."
Usopp peeked from behind a barrel. "Shaking means danger! Let's turn back!"
Luffy grinned. "Danger means adventure!"
Kai sighed. "And adventure means trauma."
[Stream: LIVE — "Leaving the Land of Giants!"]
[Viewers: 10.7M]
[Chat: "Goodbye Dorry & Brogy 😭" / "Where to next!?" / "Kai's sarcasm carries me fr 😂"]
A few hours later, the Log Pose finally steadied — pointing toward a gloomy island covered in mist.
Robin looked at it through her binoculars. "It seems… strange. The trees look like candles."
Zoro squinted. "You mean actual candles?"
"Wax," Robin said simply. "Thick wax."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Oh no… I think I know where we are."
[System Ping: Major Event Detected — "Whiskey Peak: Follow-up / Little Garden Consequence."]
[Location Identified: "Candle Island — Home of Mr. 3."]
He muttered, "Of course it's him next."
As the crew disembarked, the fog grew thicker. The ground was sticky, and faint drips echoed from the trees.
Usopp gagged. "It's like walking through melted crayons!"
Luffy poked a wax tree. "Cool!"
Nami slapped his hand. "Don't touch random stuff!"
Kai scanned the horizon with his phone-camera, stream rolling.
[Stream: LIVE — "The Island That Melts Everything!"]
[Viewers: 12.8M]
[Chat: "Candle Island!!" / "Mr. 3 incoming 🔥" / "Kai's doomed 💀"]
He whispered, "Okay, chat, we're officially entering boss territory. Time to act cool."
Minutes later, laughter echoed through the fog.
"Welcome, Straw Hats! You've come just in time to become… art!"
A man with a tall top hat and a candle flame flickering on his head stepped out, grinning like a wax doll.
Mr. 3.
Beside him, a woman with a paintbrush twirled it playfully. "And I'll make sure your colors match perfectly~."
Kai groaned. "Fantastic. A sculptor and a painter. My nightmares are complete."
[Chat: "Mr. 3 arc LET'S GOO!!" / "Kai's reactions are killing me 😂" / "Don't get turned into a statue bro!"]
The battle started fast.
Luffy charged in first — as usual — and got his feet stuck in wax.
Zoro tried to slice him out, but the wax grew faster than expected, spreading like wildfire.
"Not good," Robin muttered. "He's controlling it like a living creature."
Kai flipped open his stream interface. "Alright, time to get serious."
[System: Temporary Quest Activated — "Break the Wax Prison."]
[Reward: Skill Enhancement or Viewer-Boosted Item Drop.]
He dashed forward, blue energy flaring around him. "Momentum Burst, double speed!"
Mr. 3 laughed. "How quaint! You think speed will save you?"
Kai grinned. "No. But my audience might."
[Stream Burst Activated — Hype Level: 87% → 100%!]
He launched a glowing punch straight into the wax wall, shattering it with a burst of kinetic force.
Luffy cheered. "Nice one, Kai!"
Zoro smirked. "Didn't think your punches could melt wax."
Kai winked. "It's all about presentation."
[Chat: "THAT PUNCH WAS SICK 🔥🔥🔥" / "Kai MVP again" / "Streamer saving the Straw Hats fr."]
Miss Goldenweek flicked her paintbrush, sending waves of colored mist toward Kai.
"Color Trap — Calm Green!"
His body froze for a split second — his heartbeat slowing unnaturally.
Kai grit his teeth. "Not… good…"
[System Alert: Mind Status Affected — Calm Effect 70%. Override?]
["Override with Viewer Boost?" — YES / NO]
He whispered, "YES."
[Override Complete — Hype Surge +10%]
[Temporary Buff: "Adrenal Boost" Activated.]
Energy rushed back into his limbs, and he leapt forward, snapping out of the trap.
"You messed with the wrong influencer!"
He grabbed the paintbrush mid-swing, tossed it into the wax puddle, and kicked Miss Goldenweek back.
[System: Sub-Boss Defeated. +600K Berries | New Title: "Wax Breaker."]
By the end of it, the wax melted into harmless sludge.
Luffy stood over Mr. 3, victorious and laughing.
"See? Easy!"
Kai collapsed onto the ground. "Yeah. Easy for you. I almost got turned into a candle."
Nami chuckled. "At least you'd smell nice."
He smirked. "You volunteering to find out?"
She blushed slightly. "Shut up."
[System: Nami Affection +2 (Flustered)]
That night, the crew celebrated on deck.
The wax island glowed faintly behind them, a strange memory already fading.
[Stream: LIVE — "Victory Party at Sea!"]
[Viewers: 14.1M]
[Chat: "Streamer Crew wins again!!" / "Kai flirting on main 😏" / "This adventure's getting wild!"]
Kai raised a glass.
"To chaos, content, and the best damn crew in the world."
Everyone cheered.
The stream ended on laughter — the calm before whatever madness came next.
[End of Chapter 25 — "The Island of Wax and Shadows."]