Chapter 206: The Promise Fulfilled, Golden Soul Shards
The Black Blade [Dragonslayer] pierced the corrupted Enel's body. Its wide blade instantly shredded all of his major organs.
This was an injury that no amount of cell stimulation or heart-zapping could fix. It was completely fatal.
The white-hot vapor cloud from the [Setsuna] strike lingered, but Kaito Shirogane, still holding the Dragonslayer, fell from the sky and into the sea.
Splash!
Kaito dragged Enel to the seafloor. As a massive amount of blood and organs flowed out, the Nexus notification finally appeared.
[You have killed Native Character: Enel. You obtained 3500 Dimensional Points.]
[You have obtained B-Grade Singularity *1.]
[Side Mission: World Government's Cleansing is complete. All witnesses to the Skuld Island El Dorado have been purged.]
[Your reputation with the World Government and Marines has greatly increased. Current: Respected (33/100).]
[Reputation Exchange unlocked. You may now access exchange lists from high-ranking World Government and Marine officials.]
A series of notifications appeared. Kaito rose from the sea. A purple glow condensed in front of him, finally forming a Drop Card that sparked with faint lightning. He grabbed it.
[You obtained item: Drop Card (Extremely Rare) *1.]
Bang!
A loud crash. Kaito saw Garp appear on the distant island. He had already beaten the 100-meter-tall werewolf unconscious and was now dragging the monster-form of Moon Fiend. He was clearly planning to capture them all alive.
Kaito's mind stirred, and his body rose from the sea. But in that moment, a massive feeling of emptiness hit him.
The crimson flames began to die. The all-stat boost vanished.
[Solitary Jealous Flame] and his special Talent Manifestation, both of which had been active during the Enel fight, were now deactivating. An intense void was left behind. He fell from that state of omnipotence.
Kaito's mind grew quiet. He looked around. He could no longer passively absorb all that information, nor could he process it.
At the same time, immense pain set in. The backlash that came with his talent was, this time, exceptionally strong.
Even with his high-speed regeneration, the pain—like a white-hot brand being pressed directly onto his nerves—made Kaito's face twist into a snarl.
Veins bulged on his face. The intense pain caused the Satsui no Hado to surge once more, threatening to break his rational mind.
Kaito's breathing grew heavy. In the distance, the Marine warship was approaching. Cindy was at Garp's feet, jumping and waving. Vice Admiral Garp was Captain Coby's idol. She was sure this was the reinforcement Captain Coby had called for.
"Hey, Mister! We're safe!"
"The Hero, Garp, is here!"
Kaito took deep, shuddering breaths, suppressing the bloodthirsty killing-urge. The Conqueror's Haki in his left arm was almost gone. His other buffs were disabled. His Spirit stat fell, and even with the high [Efficacy] conversion, he was barely maintaining control.
Any new stimulation could make him fall back into the Satsui no Hado.
The Satsui no Hado was a double-edged sword. Its destructive power was immense, far stronger than normal force, with high penetration and a "ruin" property, not to mention its "fluctuation" that could transmit power and terror.
But at the same time, even a master like Akuma was driven by it, living like a beast.
Kaito's expression flickered. On the ship, Garp, Chaton, and the others, with their powerful Observation Haki, all sensed Kaito's abnormal state.
Chaton picked Cindy up by the collar and placed her behind him on the deck.
"Little one, some people... are not as kind as you think."
Chaton meant well, but his words made Cindy remember her fear when "Mister" was killing the mutated townspeople.
She glared at Chaton, climbed back to the front of the deck, and said firmly, "Mister is a good person, just like Captain Coby! He just saved me and Uncle Orkins!"
Orkins, who understood the Vice Admirals' power far better than Cindy, could also feel the dangerous aura coming from the man floating on the sea.
He was like a bloodthirsty predator.
But...
His expression was complex. The man had saved him and the little girl. That was an undeniable fact. And he also seemed to have killed that terrifying "god."
Even if he was a predator, he was a predator who had helped them.
A person shouldn't shun their savior just because of fear.
He nodded, standing behind Cindy.
Garp said nothing, just looked down at Kaito. The man's aura had dropped significantly; he no longer felt that immense pressure. Even that brilliant Conqueror's Haki had receded, leaving only a bestial killing intent.
Soon, Marines threw down a rope ladder to rescue Kaito. But Kaito just kicked his legs in the water, launched himself into the air, and landed on the deck.
He was fighting to suppress his killing-urge, but the little girl, ignoring the terrifying feeling, ran up and hugged his leg.
Kaito took a deep breath and activated his bloodline trait: [Spirit Infusion].
In his sea of consciousness, the great suction appeared again. Gojo Satoru stood at the base of the Throne of the Heart, a repulsive force pushing away the Yin-Spirits that were being pulled in.
With Roland's spirit gone, Kaito's soul was stable again. Gojo had no chance of taking over, nor any interest in trying.
But this ordinary Marine, Coby, had truly surprised him.
He had a potential Gojo had never seen in the "normal people" of his own world.
He even wondered... if, during the Star Plasma Vessel incident, there had been a few "normals" as brave as Coby... would that girl have been saved?
Gojo looked up, his sky-blue eyes swirling, but even he couldn't see a possibility that had never happened.
"Go on. It's not easy to make this body's owner show kindness."
Gojo had been in this consciousness for a long time. He knew, better than anyone, what a cruel, inhuman person Kaito was.
He had no self-awareness as a "human," no empathy. He wore that charming smile, but just like Gojo himself, it was just a mask... a monster pretending to be human.
And just like him, this monster... was now learning to touch the [Human Heart]. He was curious what would happen next. Would he lose his anomalous nature and become ordinary? Or... would he become a monster that understands the human heart...?
Coby faintly heard the girl's voice. He had never thought that he, who had died in a blind charge against that "god," would get this chance.
His spirit floated up, pulled into the [Throne of the Heart].
In an instant, Kaito felt Coby's spirit. It was... warm.
Kaito looked at Vice Admiral Chaton, who was watching him warily. He knew they all sensed his unstable state. In the corner, Bellamy, his face now covered in tumors, cowered.
Everyone with any power... saw him as a beast.
Kaito's lips curled. The next second, he voluntarily closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sleep.
Coby blinked. He was... in control?
Garp and the others turned, their faces shocked. In an instant, the man's entire aura had changed.
Coby knew he was weak. He knelt, gave the girl a perfect military salute, and said, "Temporary Operative Cindy, you have completed your mission!"
"And Captain Coby... did not fail you. The evil god, Enel... has been... I... have killed him."
He wasn't used to lying, but... Enel had been killed by the owner of this body.
Cindy looked at "Mister's" strange expression, blinked, and then... through the blur, she saw the shadow of Captain Coby.
Patak!
Huge teardrops instantly welled in her eyes and fell to the deck.
"Waaaaah...!"
For the first time, Cindy truly wailed. All the strength she had faked for two years, all the fear she had hidden, could no longer be held in her small heart. She cried, hugging Kaito's body, wiping her nose on his clothes.
"Captain... Coby..."
"So many people died... everyone died... They said you died, Captain Coby... Uncle Roshio even said you were a fool..."
"I heard Barnaby say you were dead, too... They were all wrong... Only Cindy was right..."
The little girl babbled. She had known all along.
Chaton, watching, pulled his cap down and turned to face the broken Skuld Island.
He felt as if the [Justice] coat on his back was too heavy to bear.
Without Vice Admiral Garp, without that mysterious powerhouse, without this miraculous Marine... could he have saved this one small girl?
Coby comforted her until she fell asleep. He sat, holding her, on the rail. As the ship approached Mock Town, he saw the familiar G-51 warship.
He saw Captain Hina, the once-arrogant woman, leaning listlessly against the rail, a cigarette in her hand.
Heh...
Coby gave her a distant wave. As the woman looked up, confused, golden specks of light flew from Kaito's body and vanished into the air.
Hina's face went pale. She was sure she hadn't been mistaken. She had just seen Coby's ghost, ascending with the sun.
She froze. The next second, she saw the young Marine's face... break into that signature, cruel smile.
[You have completed the mission: The Unfulfillable Promise.]
[You have obtained B-Grade Singularity *1.]
[You have obtained Special Material: Golden Soul Shard (Extremely Rare) *3.]
(End of Chapter)
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