As the ship neared the island where the pirates had been spotted, Kai felt the tension slowly building in the air. He could hear Momonga's voice, calm and confident, giving orders to the Marines—what to do and how to act once they encountered the enemy.
From his tone alone, Kai understood that the Rear Admiral had vast combat experience.
There was no panic—only cold, precise command.
When the ship reached the shore, the Marines began to disembark. Kai stepped forward as well, preparing to follow them. Seeing this, several Marines stared in surprise… and then burst out laughing.
"Look! The blind kid wants to fight too!"
"HAHAHA! Seriously? How is a blind guy supposed to fight?"
"Ohoho! I bet he'll just swing his sword around to scare the pirates!"
"HAHAHA!"
Momonga clenched his fists in anger. This was a mission, not a joke. He was about to shout at them when he noticed Kai, completely ignoring the mockery, calmly jump off the ship and head in another direction.
Kai heard every word.
But he didn't care.
When I show them what I can do… they'll regret those words.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Kai released his mist.
It spread silently across the area.
This was the technique he called:
Kira Kira no Mi — Technique: Mist Radar.
The mist flowed softly along the ground, invisible to the eye, felt only as a cold breeze brushing against one's legs. Within a ten-meter radius, Kai could sense every living being.
To the right… six pirates. Their ship is about six or seven meters away.
Kai turned toward Momonga and said:
"Rear Admiral Momonga, the pirate ship is about six or seven meters from here. I can sense six pirates near it."
Momonga was surprised but quickly recalled Sakazuki's words about Kai's abilities.
"Well done, Kai. That's exactly why we landed unnoticed."
Then he looked straight at him.
"This is my order. Kill all the pirates. Leave none alive. I'll take the other Marines to stop those heading toward the village."
Kai was startled for a moment…
then he understood.
This was a test.
"I understand," he said and headed toward the pirates.
Momonga watched him go and quietly muttered:
"Be careful…"
Behind them, some Marines started laughing again.
"HAHAHA! Look, the blind kid went the wrong way!"
"He's lost!"
"Should we help him?"
"Why bother? Even the Rear Admiral didn't say anything."
"He'd just get in the way."
"ENOUGH!" Momonga roared. "You're on a mission! One more word and you'll regret it. Understood?!"
They immediately fell silent and nodded.
Kai walked forward, thinking.
Mist… or the sword?
By the time he reached them, the pirates noticed him.
"Hey, a kid's coming toward us."
"Oi, brat, what are you doing here?"
But when they noticed his Marine uniform, one of them shouted:
"Careful! Marines are here!"
"Oh, relax," another sneered. "He's blind. And he's alone."
They lowered their guard. One pirate stepped forward.
"Hey, brat, do you even know wh—"
He never finished.
Cold steel flashed—
and in the next instant, his throat was slit.
The pirate clutched his neck, let out a choking sound… and collapsed, dead.