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At some point, the heavy, dark clouds above split open, and rays of sunlight streamed down, illuminating exactly half of the floating platform. Sun Wukong's black hair fluttered in the sea wind, its tips tinged with a golden halo that gave him an inexplicable, almost sacred aura.
He stood as a shield before Sanji, Zeff, and the others, glaring at Kennard with a serious expression. Without turning his head, he spoke firmly: "You all should retreat a bit now; I'm going to teach him a good lesson." After watching the battle from the sidelines, Goku had become utterly fed up with Kennard's despicable and shameless tactics. Especially after seeing the chefs paralyzed by such vile means, he could no longer hold back his martial spirit.
The Child Warrior
"Hey, you kid..." Patty, whose face was bruised as he gripped a large saber, stared in shock at the boy's back. He blinked, glancing at the empty hand where Kennard's massive hammer used to be, then back at the boy. Wait! Was that large hammer really kicked away by this kid?!
Sanji, still being supported by the other chefs, managed to look up. His gaze flickered with recognition and a hint of relief. "Patty, let's move back a bit; don't get in his way," he ordered quickly.
"But..." the chefs hesitated, unsure about leaving a child to face the cruel "Blood Demon" alone.
"Step back," Zeff interrupted, his deep eyes fixed on the boy. "This little fellow is not simple; don't worry about him." With their boss's word, the chefs finally retreated, supporting the paralyzed Sanji and Zeff to a safer distance.
Kennard stood in the shadows, shaking his numb arm as he scrutinized his new opponent. Only now did he notice the brown, furry tail swishing behind the boy. He had previously dismissed the pair as fools who didn't know how to escape.
"Who are you?" he asked coldly.
"My name is Sun Wukong!"
Pirate Hunter Rumors
Kennard searched his memory but didn't recognize the name. However, he glanced at Nami in the window and remembered a recent report about a new duo of Pirate Hunters—a woman and a child—who had been capturing many outlaws in the East Blue. He had scoffed at the rumor then, but looking at the boy now, he realized it might be true.
"Are you Pirate Hunters?" Kennard asked.
"That's right, we are Pirate Hunters," Nami answered from the window with a confident smile. She knew that with Kennard alone, he stood no chance against Goku. "Originally, we weren't planning to catch you this time, but you angered Satori, so don't blame us."
"Is that so? A Pirate Hunter still at the age of drinking milk," Kennard sneered, finding the situation absurd. "The Pirate Hunter who can catch me hasn't been born yet. Since you've jumped out to seek death, I'll deal with you first." He struck first, his iron fist smashing down toward the boy.
Goku easily performed a backflip, dodging the strike and making a funny face. "Nyah! You can't hit me like that."
The Afterimage Fist
Kennard's eye twitched with frustration. It was difficult for a three-meter-tall man to hit a target barely one meter tall. He snatched up a large saber, grinning hideously. "Don't rush, I'll take good care of you next. A brat like you, your blood must be very sweet."
He swung the blade, chipping splinters from the wooden platform. Goku frowned at the pirate's disgusting words. "You're so disgusting!" He lunged forward, pushing off the ground and leaping into the air with a flying kick aimed directly at Kennard's chest.
Bang!!
Kennard flew backward like a kite with a broken string, coughing incessantly. Though the armor hadn't broken, the force of the blow had rattled his lungs. Fear began to creep into his eyes. He suddenly grabbed a fainted pirate and threw the man at Goku to obstruct his vision. Simultaneously, he triggered the mechanism in his gauntlet, firing two paralyzing knives.
"Watch out!" Sanji shouted.
The knives pierced through the body of the thrown pirate and continued toward Goku. Kennard began to smile, but his expression froze when he saw the knives bury themselves in a wall behind where Goku had been standing. Goku appeared unharmed on the other side, grinning. "Hey! I already know you're a despicable guy, how could I fall for your despicable trick again?" Then his expression turned serious. "But you really are detestable, using your own comrade for something like this."
"Damn brat!" Kennard roared.
"Despicable methods are shameful," Goku told him seriously. "Open your eyes wide and see what a true battle should look like! Afterimage Fist!"
In Kennard's disbelieving gaze, Goku split into four identical figures, surrounding the pirate. The Satoris were making funny faces and sticking out their tongues, appearing perfectly lifelike.
"What the hell kind of move is this!" Kennard sweated profusely. "Could it be a Devil Fruit ability?!" He swung his saber at one, but the figure dissipated into thin air as a new one appeared elsewhere.
"Hehehe! Guess where I am?" the five figures laughed playfully. Kennard roared in impotent fury, swinging wildly but hitting nothing but air.
Outside the circle, the chefs watched in a daze. "Kennard is actually being played with like this," Patty muttered. Even Sanji was shocked: "Such a sight is truly hard to imagine."