At the windswept harbor, the air was thick with the salty scent of seawater. The young Kuzan stood on the dock, his ice-blue short hair trembling slightly in the wind, his gaze firmly fixed on the legendary monster before him—Kaidou of the Beasts.
"I have little interest in becoming a pirate," Kuzan's voice was calm and clear, "but if I can capture you with a bounty of 850 million Berries, I suppose I'll quickly attain a high rank after joining the Marines."
Kaidou was first taken aback, then burst into deafening laughter: "Worororo! Kuzan, are you trying to make me die laughing? With your current strength, you think you can capture me? Worororo!" His massive body shook with laughter, making the entire harbor seem to tremble.
Kuzan's expression instantly turned icy: "There's nothing funny about this." Before the words faded, his right hand was already raised, cold energy rapidly gathering in his palm.
"Frozen Time Capsule!"
In an instant, terrifying cold energy surged forth, freezing even the air in its path. The spot where Kaidou had been standing was immediately covered by a massive iceberg, ice crystals glittering with a blinding glare under the sunlight.
However, as the icy mist dissipated, Kuzan's pupils contracted—the interior of the iceberg was empty.
"Worororo, where are you aiming, Kuzan?" Kaidou's voice suddenly came from behind, carrying a mocking tone.
Kuzan spun around sharply, looking in disbelief at Kaidou, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time. The captain of the Beasts Pirates was examining him with an amused gaze, a scornful smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
"Since you refuse to join the Beasts Pirates," Kaidou's voice suddenly turned dangerous, a flash of ferocity in his eyes, "then I'll break your legs and take you back to the Beasts Pirates. That should suffice."
"Don't even think about it!" Kuzan immediately activated his ability at full power. "Frozen Moment!" He released several waves of cold energy attacks in succession, ice crystals tracing elegant arcs through the air, but Kaidou effortlessly dodged them all with astonishing speed.
Seeing his attacks ineffective, Kuzan changed his strategy. "Ice Age!" Instead of aiming, he spread the cold energy outward from himself in all directions. Instantly, the entire harbor area was enveloped in extreme cold.
As the cold energy dissipated, Kuzan gasped for breath and looked at Kaidou, frozen not far away, feeling slightly relieved. However, just as he prepared for his next move—
Crack—!
A fine crack suddenly appeared on the ice sphere, followed by a violent explosion, sending ice shards flying in all directions.
"Thunderclap · Eight Trigrams!"
Kuzan only saw a blur as Kaidou's figure turned into an afterimage. The enormous Spiked Club came crashing down with thunderous force, wreathed in purple lightning. He didn't even have time to react before being struck by this terrifying power.
Boom—!
Kuzan's body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily onto the harbor dock. The immense impact force created a several-meter-wide crater in the ground, scattering surrounding wooden planks and cargo in all directions.
Dust and debris rose, enveloping the entire dock. Ships anchored in the distance rocked violently from the shockwaves, causing ripples to spread across the sea surface.
Soon, the dust gradually cleared. Kuzan's body lay at the center of the crater, his clothes tattered and torn, his eyes rolled back—clearly unconscious. His right hand remained in a defensive posture but hung limply at his side.
Kaidou, carrying his Spiked Club, slowly walked to the edge of the crater and looked down at the unconscious Kuzan. "Worororo, not bad, but you still need more training!"
"As expected of the captain, dealing with such an opponent is just a single swing." Enel instantly transformed into lightning and appeared beside Kaidou.
"Alright, Enel, go bring this country's king to me," Kaidou directly ordered Enel. In the distance, the crowd, having witnessed their guardian easily defeated, descended into chaos, with people scrambling in all directions.
"Yes!" Enel responded, then transformed into lightning and flew toward the palace at the center of the kingdom.
Kaidou had no interest in touring the country. He simply reached out, grabbed Kuzan, and threw him toward the distant Pirate ship.
Thud—!
Kuzan's body slammed onto the deck of the Pirate ship, drawing curious stares from the pirates aboard, who eyed this individual who had initially seemed formidable but was taken down by their captain in a single blow.
In the grand hall of the Vespas Kingdom's palace, heavy dark red curtains were partially drawn, allowing sunlight to filter through the gaps and cast mottled shadows on the carpet. The obese King Vespas III reclined lazily on his gem-encrusted golden throne, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrests, producing dull thuds. Attendants stood silently on either side of the hall, the air faintly scented with incense.
"Your Majesty," the kingdom's minister of state affairs hurried forward, a fine sweat beading on his forehead as he bowed respectfully, "an urgent message has just arrived from Woltz Harbor—another pirate fleet is approaching the coast."
The king yawned, casually picking up a crystal wine glass from the table and taking a sip. "Pirates again? Isn't that commoner Kuzan quite capable? Let him handle it. Wasn't that how we resolved the previous incidents?" His voice was languid, tinged with impatience.
...
The kingdom's military commander, standing to the right of the throne, straightened his posture, his silver Armor emitting soft clinks. The burly general spoke gravely, "Your Majesty, while Kuzan is indeed skilled, the kingdom's safety cannot forever rely on a commoner. I recommend immediately expanding the equipment and ranks of the royal army." His voice was firm and resonant, echoing through the hall.
The finance minister immediately stepped forward, account books rustling in his hands. "Your Majesty, please consider! Last year, the royal army's budget was already increased by thirty percent. Now, after deducting the mandatory Celestial Tribute, the treasury is truly stretched thin." He wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice growing softer.
The king waved his hand impatiently. "Enough, enough. Sort out such trivial matters among yourselves. Has Kuzan refused yet? If pirates come, just let him deal with them as usual." With that, he popped a grape into his mouth, purple juice trickling from the corner of his lips and dripping onto his ornate royal robe.
Silence fell over the hall, broken only by the sound of the king chewing fruit. The ministers exchanged glances but dared not speak further. Outside the window, the sunlight gradually slanted westward, casting an even more bloated shadow from the figure on the throne.
"Hahaha, is this the king of this country? What misfortune for a nation to have such a ruler."
At that moment, a childish yet mocking voice rang out in the great hall, shattering the oppressive atmosphere.