"Rustle…"
The sea breeze swept through the village street, kicking up sand and dust. Two figures stood facing each other in the middle of the road, their outlines slightly blurred by the drifting grit.
Even so, it was easy to recognize them.
Kairos D. Vale.
And Luffy.
Kairos stood calmly, arms relaxed at his sides.
Luffy, on the other hand, was flushed red with determination, his body tensed as if preparing to charge.
If this moment had taken place ten or fifteen years later, it might have looked like a serious showdown.
But right now…
There was nothing tense about it.
Instead, the scene was almost comical.
The difference between them was simply too large.
Luffy barely reached Kairos' thigh.
This wasn't a duel.
It looked more like an adult bullying a child.
"So they're really doing this…" Lucky Roux muttered, biting into a chicken leg while staring at Kairos with a strange expression.
A man who radiated the aura of a mass killer…
bullying a kid?
"I seriously didn't expect Kairos to accept," Yasopp scratched the back of his head, glancing toward Luffy with guilt in his eyes.
After all, he had been the one teasing Luffy earlier—praising Kairos while jokingly belittling the boy.
Luffy challenging Kairos didn't surprise him.
The kid often tried to duel them just to prove his courage.
But Kairos agreeing?
That part made no sense.
Shanks covered his face helplessly, tugging the corner of his mouth into a crooked grin.
"Ah, let them fight."
"I'm sure the swordsman knows how to hold back."
"Kairos! Let's start!"
Luffy shouted loudly, swinging his arms around in big circles.
"Alright," Kairos replied with a nod.
Even as a kid, Luffy's personality was already set in stone.
Perfect.
This would be a good chance to test Qi Control.
"Take this!"
Luffy charged forward recklessly, arms windmilling wildly like propellers.
Pure brute force.
Kairos glanced at him, completely unhurried.
He crouched down and casually picked up a small pebble from the ground.
"About the right size."
He weighed it between his fingers. It was roughly the size of a Go stone.
Then—
he flicked his finger.
Qi Control activated.
Pop.
Luffy's charge halted instantly.
A lump the size of a steamed bun suddenly appeared on the top of his head.
"Ahhhh!"
A second later, the pain registered.
Luffy let out a delayed scream before collapsing face-first onto the ground.
Knocked out cold.
"Luffy! Luffy!"
"Whoa! He's out!"
The Red Hair Pirates immediately rushed over, surrounding him.
Shanks' exaggerated voice could be heard among the commotion, clearly struggling not to burst out laughing.
"This art style…"
Kairos clicked his tongue quietly and stepped aside.
Bullying a kid did sting his conscience a little.
Seems like my mindset still needs some training.
He shook his head in self-reflection.
Then—
the system's voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding. Host has defeated Monkey D. Luffy (Pre-Departure)."
"Reward obtained: Killer Bee Card (Tailed Beast Version — 1 Use)."
…?
Kairos froze mid-step.
Beating up a kid gave rewards this good?
Killing Higuma had already earned him a Killer Bee Card without the Tailed Beast.
But defeating Luffy…
gave him the full Tailed Beast version?
And the reward even included the note: Pre-Departure.
Did that mean he could earn another reward from Luffy after the boy set sail?
"…Bullying kids feels pretty great."
Kairos exhaled deeply.
A faint emotion flickered in his eyes.
Something suspiciously close to enjoyment.
Unfortunately for him—
Lucky Roux noticed.
"…Does this guy have some kind of hobby involving bullying children?"
Roux stared at Kairos with growing suspicion.
Maybe he should warn Luffy to stay away from him in the future.
While Roux was busy thinking about that, Kairos had already left.
None of the Red Hair Pirates stopped him.
He hadn't used much force, and with Luffy's rubber body, the kid would be bouncing around again in ten minutes.
At most, this counted as a joke.
Kairos walked farther away.
Soon after, he set out to sea again to continue training.
This time, however, he didn't just practice swinging his wooden sword.
He also trained his control over Qi Control.
By the time the sun set and stars began appearing in the sky, Kairos had completed five full hours of training without pause.
After returning home, he washed up and immediately fell asleep.
The next morning—
loud shouting from the village woke him up.
Kairos sat upright, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
He listened carefully.
"Something's wrong!"
"Luffy fell into the sea!"
Kairos jolted fully awake.
So the timeline still corrected itself.
Even without Higuma's involvement…
Luffy had still fallen into the sea at the exact moment he was supposed to.
Kairos grabbed his clothes and rushed out the door.
After all—
the scene where the Lord of the Coast bites off an Emperor's arm was even more legendary than the bandit humiliating Shanks.
There was no way he was missing that.
Kairos sprinted toward the harbor.
By the time he arrived, Shanks had already reached the ocean and was racing toward Luffy, who was struggling in the middle of the water.
Boom!
The sea suddenly exploded.
A colossal creature burst from the water, its massive body sending waves crashing like thunder.
Its enormous jaws opened wide—
rushing straight toward Luffy.
"It—it's the Lord of the Coast!"
Mayor Woop Slap shouted in terror, his beard trembling.
The villagers of Foosha Village all froze in fear.
To them, the Lord of the Coast was like a sea demon.
Hundreds—maybe thousands—of people who tried to set sail had been devoured by that monster.
Splash—
The water churned violently.
Crimson spread through the waves.
Shanks had saved Luffy.
But blood poured from his left arm.
"Y-your arm!!"
Luffy's crying voice echoed across the shore.
Kairos watched quietly, eyes flickering.
Even without Higuma…
Shanks still lost his arm.
Kairos didn't stay to watch the next part, where Shanks scared away the Lord of the Coast with Conqueror's Haki.
Instead, he turned and stepped back into the crowd.
Soon after, Shanks returned to shore carrying Luffy.
He placed the straw hat on the boy's head—
and spoke the promise that would echo across the seas.
Eventually, the crowd dispersed.
The Red Hair Pirates were preparing to leave.
"Shanks… you alright?"
Kairos walked up just before they departed, offering a look of concern.
"Just an arm," Shanks replied with a carefree grin.
"I'm looking forward to meeting you out on the sea someday."
Then he left the harbor, carrying the still-sniffling Luffy.
Kairos watched his back.
The concern in his eyes faded.
Replaced by a strange smile.
Betting your arm on the future?
What a ridiculous idea.
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