**CHAPTER 5: THE HUNTER AND THE HUNT**
As Kai left the last of the town's huts behind and plunged into the dark embrace of the dense forest, a storm raged within him. His chest ached with guilt for leaving Morde there, but at the same time, his instincts urged him to survive. *There was nothing I could do,* he thought bitterly. *He made his choice, I must make mine.*
He was out of breath as he pushed through the branches. His simple pirate clothes were soaked with sweat, his hair plastered to his forehead. Leaning against a tree trunk, he caught his breath and listened intently. The distant sounds of combat had now ceased. *Morde... did he survive?*
Just as he was about to set off again, he heard a rustling sound. He looked up.
A blonde-haired woman sat gracefully in a treetop, watching him. The sunlight danced in her golden hair, and her expression was both calm and menacing. The leather clothes she wore and the elaborate whip around her waist indicated she was a professional warrior.
"Hey! Who are you?" Kai shouted, his voice trembling with fatigue and tension.
The woman gracefully jumped down from the tree branch, landing silently on the ground. "I've been waiting for you, pirate," she said, her voice like cold, sharp steel.
Realizing she was an enemy, Kai forced himself into a fighting stance. His hands balled into fists, his legs slightly bent. *So this is from that infamous Hunter's Union. Morde was right, they're after us.*
The woman grinned slightly. "Do you really think you can defeat me? You fool. Go ahead, come. I know you have that power. I'll hunt you down in the name of the Hunter's Union."
A determined expression appeared on Kai's face. "Hey you! So you've come to hunt me. Then try!"
A sudden flash of anger flashed across the woman's face. "Pray you don't die fighting me, you idiot!"
Kai's insults infuriated him even more. "Hey! Who are you to speak to me like that?"
The woman shouted, "Know your place, you arrogant brat! You're standing before one of the Hunter Association's finest hunters. Do you have any idea how many pirates like you I've captured?"
Kai tried to maintain his composure. "I don't care. I'm different from them," he said.
The woman took a step toward him, her eyes burning with a dangerous glint. "Yes, you possess that immense power. That makes you even more valuable prey."
"Enough!" Kai roared. "Time to fight. If you want to catch me, then come and try!"
The woman grew even angrier. "My name is Robin. Remember that name, and I'll make sure you never forget it."
"You're just a bunch of nonsense," Kai retorted sarcastically.
Robin's patience had completely worn out. He launched his first attack. "Sharp Edge!" he shouted. His whip lashed toward Kai at lightning speed.
Kai was unprepared for the speed. The whip pierced his arm, tearing the skin and making it bleed. Kai groaned in pain, feeling blood seeping from the wound.
Robin laughed. "Is this all your power? You don't deserve it!"
Kai was furious, but he tried to control his anger. Just then, he noticed his fists glowing with white energy. "What's this?" he wondered. "I guess this is the power I've been given." He grasped the situation immediately: the Spirit's power manifested itself in times of danger.
Robin unleashed his second attack. "Hook Strike!" This time, his whip was aimed at Kai's foot, but at a slower speed.
"Do you think you can catch me with this attack?" Kai said confidently and jumped into the air. He threw the spirit energy that had formed in his hand at Robin.
Robin shouted with contempt, "You call me that, but you think you can hit me with such a simple attack, you idiot!" "Spin Spin!" Instantly, he spun his whip around at high speed, dodging the energy attack.
Kai was stunned, but he had no intention of giving up. "I've attacked once, I can't stop now. If I stop, I'll be defeated. It's now or never!" he thought, and attacked again. But he couldn't break through Robin's defenses, and the force sent him flying backward. His back hit a tree, then he fell to the ground.
Robin glared down at him. "Now do you understand the difference in strength between us, you idiot!" he shouted.
Kai rose to his feet, his body aching, but his eyes still held the fighting light. "Is that all I have, you idiot!"
Robin was furious. They both attacked each other simultaneously in coordinated attacks. Punches, kicks, and whip strikes echoed through the forest. But the fight was fruitless; Robin even took advantage, knocking Kai back to the ground.
Robin looked at Kai lying on the ground. "I've never seen a stupid pirate like you. I don't understand why that divine power chose you. Pray, I have a warrant to take you alive, or I would have killed you long ago," he said.
At that moment, a voice echoed in Kai's mind: *"Use your true power... Use your true power..."* Kai couldn't make sense of it, but he stood up.
"Hey, I'm not done yet. I hope you don't think I'll go down that easily." Robin laughed. "Hahaha, don't make me laugh, you idiot! What are you planning to do? All you can do right now is kneel and beg!
At that very moment, Robin let down his guard.
And there it was.
Kai appeared before Robin, involuntarily, with incredible speed. I guess these divine powers have their own will, Kai thought in surprise.
"Spirit Fist!" he cried. His hand was enveloped in a glowing white spirit energy, and he swung his fist at Robin.
Robin was stunned. The punch hit him square in the chest, sending him flying back two meters. He crashed hard to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth.
"What the hell is this?" he managed to shout.
Shaking the dust off himself, Kai said, "This is my true power!" His voice now sounded more confident and determined.
Two gasps rang out through the forest: one filled with triumph, the other with surprise and pain. Kai was no longer merely fleeing; he was Spirit's chosen one, and his journey was just beginning.