Kael Draven's speed surged once again so fast that even the seasoned pirate captain Jackman couldn't follow his movements. His eyes widened in disbelief, and before his mind could even register the danger, Kael was already upon him.
The young man's arm moved like a blur of black lightning. His fist, wrapped in obsidian Armament Haki, slammed into Jackman's temple with the sound of cracking thunder.
Boom!
The sheer impact lifted the hulking pirate off his feet and drove him into the dirt with bone-shattering force.
Crack. Crack.
The brittle sound of splintering skull echoed through the air. Kael's strength now far beyond human had utterly pulverized the bone at Jackman's temple. Blood and flesh twisted grotesquely across his face, the shattered fragments of bone jutting through his skin.
The temple one of the most fragile and fatal points of the human body had caved in completely. Jackman's vision blurred; the world spun around him. He could feel consciousness slipping away like sand through his fingers.
But Kael didn't stop.
Expression cold, he grabbed Jackman by the collar and hauled him upright as if he weighed nothing. Without a word, Kael drew back his fist once more.
Thud Crack!
A sickening sound of breaking bones and bursting flesh filled the air. Jackman's body convulsed violently, then went limp, his final breath escaping in a faint wheeze.
As the captain's corpse slumped to the ground, a cluster of glowing energy spheres burst from his body attribute orbs shimmering in the air before being absorbed into Kael's frame.
Ding! Host has absorbed 107 Strength!
Ding! Host has absorbed 37 Strength!
Ding! Host has absorbed 36 Agility!
Ding! Host has absorbed 12 Agility!
Ding! Host has absorbed 91 Stamina!
Ding! Host has absorbed 27 Stamina!
Each notification rang through Kael's mind as power flooded his veins. His body felt alive thrumming with energy, muscles coiling tighter, bones hardening like steel.
In the span of seconds, his physique changed again. His frame stretched, bones elongating and muscles swelling until he stood nearly 2.7 meters tall. Veins bulged beneath his skin, thick and corded, like serpents crawling across his arms and chest.
The transformation was monstrous and magnificent.
Behind him, his back muscles rippled and twisted, forming a faint outline of a demonic face a silent mark of the beast he was becoming.
[Host: Kael Draven]
[Age: 18]
[Strength: 1,239 – Equivalent to Marine Headquarters Officer]
[Agility: 1,001 – Equivalent to Marine Headquarters Officer]
[Stamina: 1,863 – Equivalent to Marine Headquarters Officer]
[Haki: Conqueror's Haki (Advanced), Observation Haki (Beginner), Armament Haki (Beginner)]
[Skills: Basic Navigation, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Brewing Expertise…]
[Devil Fruit Ability: None]
Kael clenched his fists, watching the system's readout in silent awe.
"So this is what it means to have cheat-like power," he muttered, a half-crazed smile tugging at his lips.
Less than a day ago, he had been just another nameless soul in a cruel world ruled by pirates and monsters. Now, his power rivaled the Marine elites who enforced the will of the World Government itself.
It was intoxicating.
But Kael didn't lose himself in arrogance. Power without purpose was just chaos and his purpose was carved deep into his heart.
He would climb to the top of this world.
He would crush every obstacle in his path.
And when the time came, he would march into the Holy Land of Marijoa and make the so-called gods bleed.
No one would be spared.
Wiping the blood from his knuckles, Kael glanced at the horizon. "Next step find stronger prey. I need more attributes… more power."
Without hesitation, he stepped aboard Jackman's ship, now his by right of conquest. The deck was still slick with the blood of the fallen, the salty sea breeze carrying the faint scent of iron. Kael adjusted the sails and followed the sea chart toward the next island marked in the log.
Though he had fought brutally for hours, he felt no exhaustion. If anything, his energy was overflowing, his mind sharp and focused. The system's evolution had reshaped him into something beyond human limits.
Night fell. Then another. For three days, Kael's ship drifted across the Grand Line without encountering another soul.
He sighed. "Guess it's not the Pirate Era yet. Most crews worth anything have already joined the Rocks Pirates by now."
His words proved true. This was the age before Gol D. Roger a time when the seas were ruled by a few monstrous crews and the Rocks Pirates stood at the top. Independent pirates were rare, and those who dared to roam free were either fools or legends in the making.
Then, on the fourth night, Kael's Observation Haki flared. A strong presence was trailing the ship not hostile, but immensely powerful.
Moments later, a deep, booming laugh echoed from the waves.
"Oro-ro-ro-ro! Hey, little guy up there! Name's Kaido! The Marines got a ninety-one million bounty on my head! Mind giving me a lift?"
Before Kael could respond, a massive figure leapt onto the deck, scattering seawater everywhere. The newcomer stood nearly four meters tall, his drenched black hair clinging to his broad shoulders, two curved horns rising from his head.
Kael's eyes widened. "Kaido…?"
The name alone was enough to send a chill down his spine. In the future, this man would be known as Kaido of the Beasts one of the Four Emperors who ruled the seas. But right now, he was young, wild, and free.
Kaido shook his head like a wet dog, laughing heartily. "Oro-ro-ro! Surprised, huh? Didn't expect anyone to recognize me! Though… 'teacher,' huh? I don't remember teaching anyone."
Kael couldn't help but chuckle. "Not yet, maybe."
The giant man's grin faded slightly as his tone turned bitter. "I used to be a war hero in my country. But those damned kings and nobles sold me to the Marines for experiments just so they could curry favor with the World Government. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be running for my life right now."
Kael listened quietly. Every pirate had a tragedy buried under their laughter. Even monsters like Kaido had once been human.
After a long silence, Kaido flopped onto the deck, grabbed a barrel of rum, and tore it open with his teeth. "Thanks for the ride, kid. What's your name?"
"Kael Draven."
Kael leaned against the railing, his crimson eyes fixed on the young powerhouse. "Since you've had my hospitality and drunk half my rum how about you help me with something in return?"
Kaido grinned, his teeth glinting. "Oro-ro-ro! You've got guts, kid! Say the word whatever it is, I'll do it!"
Kael's gaze burned with determination. "Train with me. Fight me. Help me grow stronger."
For a moment, Kaido blinked. Then, a thunderous laugh rolled across the deck. "Oro-ro-ro! That's it? You just want a sparring partner? Fine by me! Let's see what you've got, Kael Draven!"
As Kaido's aura flared, waves crashed violently against the hull, the air around them trembling under the weight of his raw power.
Kael grinned in anticipation.
This was it the next step in his evolution.
The hunt for strength had only just begun.
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