"Move out!"
Kaito Arisawa wasted no time after arriving. He mounted the prepared horse in one smooth motion. With a sharp wave of his hand and a commanding shout, he spurred forward, departing the manor at once.
Behind him followed ranks of Sword Gang members. Mangu strode alongside, massive mace resting across his shoulders, while Nico Robin mounted her own horse and rode close behind.
The procession cut through the streets with imposing momentum.
…
Outside a bar in town, bodies littered the street.
Some groaned in pain, clutching their wounds. Others lay unnaturally still.
Their uniforms made their identities unmistakable—they were members of the Sword Gang.
The surrounding area was deserted. The townspeople had clearly fled once the conflict erupted.
As Kaito led his force toward the scene, the sight of his fallen subordinates immediately entered his view.
A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"Boss! The enemy's inside the bar! Be careful—they're strong!"
Several injured men struggled to lift their heads when they saw him. Despite their pain, they hurried to report the situation.
Kaito swung his right leg over and dismounted in one swift movement.
"I understand. Leave the rest to me. Focus on getting treated."
His tone was calm—steady enough to reassure.
Then his expression hardened.
"Move the wounded. Send the injured for treatment immediately. Lay the fallen to the side for now."
At his command, dozens of Sword Gang members broke formation and rushed forward, efficiently evacuating the casualties.
Once the injured and dead were handled, the warmth in Kaito's face vanished entirely, replaced by unrestrained coldness.
With Mangu at his side, Robin just behind him, and a group of armed men following in tight formation, Kaito strode toward the bar.
Laughter spilled out from inside.
"Hahaha! Come on, let's keep drinking!"
"Raise your spirits! The girls here are surprisingly feisty!"
"Hey, you're done already? What's wrong—can't keep up?"
…
Through the wide-open doorway, the scene inside was fully visible.
Men dressed in green uniforms drank and caroused without restraint.
Some of them were dragging local women by force, their cries and screams echoing through the bar.
Bang!
A gunshot shattered the chaos.
The bullet struck the ceiling.
The sharp crack silenced the room instantly.
Nico Robin lowered the rifle she had taken from one of the men behind her. Her expression was icy. When her gaze swept across the perpetrators, killing intent flickered in her eyes.
"Who's that?!"
"Dressed like that… you must be with those people we just dealt with."
"You've got guts coming here. Are you tired of living?"
"Hey, her face is plain, but that body's impressive. I'm claiming her first."
"She looks decent. Let me test her out first and see what she's worth."
The men in the bar turned toward the entrance.
When they saw Kaito and the uniformed ranks behind him, recognition dawned immediately—they were the local gang that had just confronted them.
Despite the overwhelming presence at the doorway and the crowd visible outside, the men inside showed no fear.
As Robin had reported earlier, these men were from the Eight Treasures Navy.
After a brief silence following the gunshot, they resumed speaking freely, mocking and laughing.
But even in their arrogance, they revealed discipline.
Those holding guns tightened their grips. Those carrying blades rose to their feet. One by one, they assumed combat stances, their presence suddenly sharp and imposing.
They were not common thugs.
Behind Kaito, Robin's gaze grew even colder as she noticed the leering looks directed toward her. If not for Kaito's restraint, she might already have activated her ability and crushed their limbs without hesitation.
Kaito paid no attention to the vulgar remarks.
His eyes swept across the room.
They stopped on two familiar figures.
Both wore green cloaks draped over their shoulders and sat at the bar with wooden cups in hand. At the gunshot, they had calmly set down their drinks and turned toward the entrance.
One had thick lips and short, messy dark-brown hair. His upper body was bare, revealing a tattoo of the number "13" on the left side of his abdomen.
The other had long orange hair. Armor covered his right arm, and a skull-shaped tattoo marked his left.
These two were Sai and Boo—the grandsons of Don Chinjao, the twelfth leader of the Eight Treasures Navy.
At first glance, their attention did not settle on Kaito, the apparent leader.
Instead, their eyes moved to the towering figure behind him.
Mangu.
Nearly five meters tall, with a brutal-looking mace resting across his shoulders, he was impossible to ignore.
Of course, Sai and Boo were not men easily intimidated by size alone.
After studying Mangu briefly, their gazes shifted to Kaito.
"It looks like you're the boss of this town's little gang," Boo said as he stood up, gripping a guandao in his hand. He stepped forward arrogantly. "What's this? Bringing a crowd to fight us?"
Beside him, Sai regarded Kaito with interest.
During the earlier clash with the Sword Gang members guarding the bar, he had noticed something unusual—their combat ability was far superior to ordinary gangsters. They were disciplined. Trained.
In one-on-one exchanges, even some lower-ranking Eight Treasures Navy members had struggled to gain the upper hand.
Chnk—
The faint metallic sound echoed as Kaito placed his hands at his waist and slowly drew both swords from their sheaths.
In the past, the fearsome reputation of the Eight Treasures Navy might have made him show restraint.
But not anymore.
Not after his men had been injured.
Not after he had awakened the Infinite Talent System.
More importantly, from the knowledge of his previous life, he knew something crucial—
The Eight Treasures Navy possessed the Haki cultivation methods he had long sought.
And now—
This was the perfect opportunity.
Don Chinjao himself was nowhere in sight.
Kaito made his decision instantly.
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