Over three thousand vicious, bloodthirsty pirates fixed their murderous gazes upon Kai.
The way they looked at him…
It was as if they were staring at a piece of tender meat, ripe for the taking.
Oren's words just moments ago had stirred up far too much temptation among them.
The position of Fourth Division Captain — that was a title every one of them had long coveted and fought for in secret!
And now…
The opportunity had arrived!
If they could just capture that little brat, they'd have that seat locked down for sure!
A chance like this comes once in a lifetime—
Miss it, and it never comes again!
It was, without a doubt, a heaven-sent opportunity.
Catching one mere kid… how hard could that be?
It was as easy as lifting a hand!
And so,
the atmosphere grew suffocatingly tense, thick with murderous intent. Countless pairs of greedy, wolf-like eyes locked firmly on Kai, unable to look away.
Oppression.
Bloodlust.
Those eyes were filled with violence and killing intent.
Each one of those men had hands stained red with blood, and their gazes carried the weight of countless lives.
For an ordinary person,
being stared at by over three thousand such eyes would have been enough to make their knees buckle, their body tremble, and their mind collapse in sheer terror.
But Kai, as always, remained calm and collected.
Even under the piercing stares of three thousand brutal pirates, his expression did not so much as flicker—no fear, no panic, not even a ripple of emotion.
"Kai, kid. In a moment, I want you to fall back a bit,"
"Give me three minutes."
"I'll deal with the high-ranking members of the Demon Pirates first, then wipe out the small fry in one go."
Kuzan spoke beside Kai, his voice low and even.
The cold air around him thickened.
Wisps of gray-white frost coiled upward, drifting lazily through the air.
All around them, the temperature plummeted.
Despite the blazing sun shining overhead, the area surrounding them felt like a patch of ancient glacial ice—frigid, unmoving, unyielding.
Kuzan turned to look back at Miz, his expression deadly serious.
"You—make sure to protect this kid. Don't let anything happen to him."
"If he so much as gets a scratch…" "It'll blow a hole through the entire damn Marine ss— "And even I won't be able to predict what happens next."
Kuzan didn't even want to imagine it.
If the boy—Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, the one Garp himself had called "the most terrifying monster on the seas"—were to die here today…
Then Garp's fury would be unimaginable.
And Garp's wrath… was something even Kuzan found chilling to contemplate.
Hearing those words, Miz's heart skipped a beat.
As expected!
This boy really did have a background that defied heaven itself.
Otherwise, why would a Headquarters Vice Admiral like Kuzan treat his safety with such gravity and speak with such urgency?
"Rest assured, Vice Vice Admiral Kuzan!" Miz pounded a fist against his chest. "I'll stake my life to protect him! As long as I draw breath, not a hair on his head will be harmed!"
Then, taking his one hundred and twenty elite Marine s, Miz surrounded Kai forming a tight defensive ring around him to block any possible assault from the bloodthirsty pirates.
"Kai, don't you dare do anything reckless now," Kuzan said sternly.
"Don't leave the protection circle on your own. If something happens to you, I'll be in deep trouble."
Kai, however, simply shook his head.
"With just these hundred men? They won't hold off over three thousand pirates."
"I've got a better idea—one that'll make those pirates' threat drop to zero."
Kuzan blinked, uncertain whether he'd heard that right.
"A… better idea? What idea?"
"A very simple one."
Kai smiled.
That smile made Kuzan pause.
Even now, in the face of three thousand killers, the boy could still smile?
Kuzan couldn't help but think—this kid really was Garp's grandson. His courage was off the charts.
But courage alone wouldn't solve this.
Even if Kuzan fought at full strength, it would take him several minutes to eliminate all these pirates. And in those few minutes, he couldn't protect Kai at the same time.
He had to wipe them all out at once. That was the only way to end it cleanly.
Kuzan sighed inwardly.
Kai had already become the pirates' primary target.
If not for having to watch over the boy, Kuzan would've attacked long ago—why waste time talking?
"Forget it. I'm not expecting you to actually come up with anything useful."
He shook his head helplessly.
After all, Kai was only four years old.
Even if Garp called him a 'monster,' in Kuzan's eyes he was still just a child.
So Kuzan readied himself to go all out—
He'd crush the Demon Pirates' officers first — before they could even think of harming the boy.
"You heard me," Kuzan said to Miz. "Not a single hair on his head."
"Yes, sir!" Miz nodded firmly.
Kuzan stepped forward, preparing to attack—
But as he moved, Captain Oren of the Demon Pirates suddenly felt his heart clench with dread.
"Damn it! That monster Kuzan's coming for me!"
He didn't delude himself.
He knew he wasn't Kuzan's match.
The man before him was one of the Marine s' absolute top combat powers.
For all his arrogance, Oren wasn't stupid.
"You bastards! Grab that brat now!" he roared.
"Whoever captures him will immediately be promoted to Fourth Division Captain!"
His shout lit a fire among the pirates.
Over three thousand men surged forward, closing in on Kai's position.
"Vice Vice Admiral Kuzan," Kai's calm voice rang out, "I'm going to use that 'simple method' I mentioned earlier."
Kuzan froze mid-step.
"This kid… what the hell is he planning now?"
Inside the Marine s' tight defensive circle, Kai's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief and anticipation.
He turned to Miz.
"Colonel Miz, tell your men to fall back."
"Uh… what?" Miz blinked, thinking he'd misheard.
Facing down three thousand bloodthirsty pirates—
and he wanted them to fall back?
Had he gone insane?!
Before Miz could respond, Kai rolled his neck and slowly pushed aside the Marine s blocking his way.
"I'll only say this once."
He stepped out of the protective ring, walking steadily toward the oncoming sea of pirates.
His voice carried clearly across the battlefield:
"All Marine recruits—fall back immediately."
"Don't get in my way, or you might get caught in the crossfire."
"If your willpower is weak, stay at least a hundred meters away from me."
"I've said my piece…"
"Whether you listen or not, that's up to you."
"But if you don't want to be accidentally injured—then fall back. All of you."
The Marine s, Miz included, stood there dumbstruck.
They could only watch as Kai strode out from their protective circle, heading straight toward the mass of three thousand pirates who looked ready to devour him whole.
Their jaws dropped.
What in the world was he thinking?!
Was he trying to die?
Walking alone into that murderous horde…
It was pure suicide!
"H-He's insane!" one Marine stammered, his throat dry.
"Going up against three thousand pirates all by himself? Does he have a death wish?!"
"This is madness! What is that kid planning?"
"He's not just leaving our protection—he's walking straight into the enemy's teeth!"
Every Marine stared, eyes wide, weapons clenched tight, as Kai's small figure grew more distant.
"He's lost his mind!"
"A madman!"
Miz, snapping out of his shock, felt his heart quake violently.
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