**CHAPTER 6: THE DANCE OF SPIRITS**
"This is my true power!" Kai shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. His eyes were ablaze with the white energy that surged from within him.
Robin lay on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth. His eyes were filled with incredulity and rage. *So that power makes even such an idiot so powerful,* he thought in pain. *Simply... incredible.*
He struggled to his feet, every muscle in his body protesting. "Hey, idiot! It doesn't matter! I will defeat you no matter what!"
"You're strong, but you can't stand against this power," Kai said calmly but determinedly. The spirit energy seeping from his hands vibrated the air around him.
A dangerous smile appeared on Robin's face. "I'll finish you now!" he shouted. "Double Strike!"
He swung the whip in two layers. The first blow was swift and deceptive, merely a decoy. Kai fell victim to his inexperience, and just when he thought he had dodged the first blow, the real one, the second, struck him square in the stomach.
"Ahhh!" Kai's scream echoed through the forest. Pain coursed through his entire body. He crouched on the ground, trying to catch his breath.
Robin pulled back his whip. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. You had zero chance of stopping that blow," he said haughtily.
Kai struggled to his feet, his face contorted in pain. "I'm not finished yet... I can still hold on!" he insisted.
Robin shook his head. "Oh, you're so stupid. You still think you can defeat me? It's truly a shame. You must be so desperate, you don't even know what to do right now."
Kai took a deep breath, the determination in his eyes never fading. "You're so selfish. This will lead to your defeat."
Robin's face flushed with anger. "Hah! Are you going to defeat me, you stupid pirate?" he growled.
"Don't be so sure," Kai said calmly but confidently. "We didn't expect a stone to be a head-scratcher."
These words were enough to drive Robin wild. He suddenly charged, unleashing a flurry of coordinated combo attacks. Punches, kicks, and whip strikes unleashed a storm. Kai managed to dodge some, but eventually, he received a fatal lash from the whip and crashed back to the ground.
"Give up now, idiot!" Robin shouted. "You can't defeat me! What are you planning to do, huh? Tell me!"
Kai struggled to his feet, his body shaking. "This... this time it's over," he whispered.
Robin shouted angrily, "Come on then!"
They both attacked simultaneously. Kai experienced a momentary burst of speed, but when Robin couldn't match his speed, he immediately went on the defensive. "Spin Spin!" He cried out, spinning his whip at high speed, creating a deadly protective field around him.
But Kai didn't give up. He cried out, "Spirit Fist!" and charged. His fist collided with the wall of whips. Blood poured from his hands from the impact, but it couldn't penetrate Robin's defenses.
Robin quickly seized this opportunity. He shouted, "Whip Slash!" and delivered one final blow. The whip slashed through Kai's abdomen, throwing him fifteen feet back.
Kai crashed to the ground, nearly unconscious. His eyes were blurring, his body's energy draining. *Is this it?* he thought desperately.
Robin slowly walked over to Kai. "This battle ends here!" he cried out in triumph.
At that moment, something unexpected happened in Kai's hands. White spirit energy condensed into a sword. Kai's eyes were glassy, unconscious. "SOUL Slash!" he roared, his voice echoing with supernatural power.
Robin was shocked, frozen. At the last second, he tried to defend himself with his whip, but the spirit sword pulverized it.
Kai couldn't control his own body. *What the hell is this?* I was about to lose consciousness just now, and now I can't control my body. I'm so energetic... What's going on?*
Robin shouted in horror, "What the hell did you just do?"
"I swear I don't know either!" Kai replied, his voice trembling.
A flash of understanding flashed across Robin's eyes. *So that power doesn't want him to be defeated,* he thought. *If he learns to control that power, he'll be a grave threat to the World Government.*
"This ends here, you vile pirate!" Robin shouted, preparing for one final attack.
Just as they were about to make their final move, a blinding beam of light suddenly struck Robin, lightning-fast, and struck him square in the chest. As Robin collapsed, his final thoughts were: "I failed... I failed my duty to the World Government. This power... is too dangerous... May my Master forgive me..." The force of the explosion engulfed the entire area in dust.
When the dust cleared, they saw that Robin's location had vanished. He lay unconscious on the ground, a horrific wound in his abdomen.
"What the hell was that?" Kai muttered in surprise, looking around anxiously.
At that moment, a white-haired old man emerged from the adjacent bushes. His beard was as white as snow, and his eyes shone with the wisdom of the ages. He walked silently toward Kai.
"So you are the Spirit's new chosen one," the old man said, his voice soft yet powerful, like a whisper on the wind. "Before your power destroys "I will need to help you before your power destroys you."
Kai was stunned. Who was this man? And why had he saved him? He didn't yet know that his journey was only just beginning...