"That's enough for today. Any more and this ship might split in half."
Kael Draven glanced at the pirate ship's cracked hull and at Kaido, who now lay sprawled on the deck, his aura faint and his body too drained for Kael's absorption ability to take any more. With a small nod, Kael ended their "one-on-one training session."
In just a brief spar, he had drawn out and absorbed the essence of Kaido's Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki raising his own to the same terrifying level.
In other words, Kael had become a younger version of Kaido in raw potential though one was a human and the other a monstrous race born for war.
Ignoring Kaido, who had stumbled below deck to drag up more barrels of rum, Kael opened his system panel, the faint glow reflecting in his eyes.
[Host: Kael Draven]
[Age: 18]
[Strength: 19,640 (Calamity-class)]
[Agility: 15,100 (Calamity-class)]
[Endurance: 32,000 (Calamity-class)]
[Haki:]
Conqueror's Haki (Advanced 56.11%)
Armament Haki (Advanced 62.33%)
Observation Haki (Advanced 73.96%)
[Combat Techniques:]
Thunderous Eight Trigrams
Descent of the Three Realms: Abyssal Draw
[Devil Fruit Power:] None
His stats had reached the level of the Calamities, the monstrous lieutenants of future emperors. His Haki was brushing against the peak tiers of mastery.
He couldn't yet take on an Admiral but if a Vice Admiral got in his way, they'd be lucky to crawl away alive.
In this world, strength wasn't measured by muscles or numbers it was determined by Haki. Everything else devil fruits, weapons, bloodlines was just decoration.
And at Kael's level, growth came only through foundation through pushing his body to new extremes so that his spirit could follow.
Kaido was a prime example. His kind was born strong, their bodies naturally monstrous, but he was still young. When his physique matured, his Haki would explode with it reaching a level that could shake nations.
"Come on, Brother Kael! Drink with me! What's life without a little rum?"
Kaido's thunderous voice broke Kael's focus. The dragon-man was already guzzling from a barrel, his eyes hazy with joy. Though Kael didn't fully understand how Kaido's brain worked, he couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Kaido was simple, brutal, and honest qualities Kael could respect.
"Alright, but if you can't hold your liquor, go sit with the kids' table," Kael said with a teasing grin.
Kaido's eyes gleamed. "Arrogant as ever! Fine, if I can't drink, I'll exile myself to the kiddie corner!"
Their laughter roared across the deck as barrels cracked open. The ship swayed beneath the weight of their drinking contest.
By the time night faded into dawn, every barrel of rum aboard dozens of crates worth was empty. Both warriors lay sprawled across the deck, unconscious, snoring beneath the early light.
No one stood watch. No one steered. The ship drifted aimlessly, carried by the waves into the unknown.
The Next Morning
A gentle sea breeze brushed Kael's face, warm and refreshing. He groaned, sitting up with a pounding headache.
"Damn it… what kind of rum is this? It hits harder than anything back home."
He shook his head clear, scanning the horizon. Endless blue in every direction. The map before him was useless no landmarks, no bearings.
"Where the hell are we? Are we even near any islands?"
As he tried to orient himself, Kaido stirred beside him, rubbing his head.
"Ugh… morning already? Brother Kael, where to next?" he asked, voice groggy but eager.
Kael sighed. "First, we figure out where we are. Then maybe find a port to ask for directions."
Kaido's expression brightened suddenly. "Actually… I was planning to join Rocks' crew! The Rocks Pirates, you know? What do you say? With our strength, we'd rise fast! Officers, maybe even top ranks!"
The sincerity in Kaido's voice caught Kael off guard. To Kaido, loyalty wasn't given lightly. For someone like him a being hunted, experimented on, betrayed to call someone brother meant everything.
In Kaido's world, people didn't see him as a person. They saw a creature. Something to chain, to sell, to use. His childhood had been filled with cages and blood. Even as a war hero, his reward was to be sold to the World Government as an experiment.
But Kael had treated him like an equal, shared drinks with him, fought him without prejudice. To Kaido, that meant freedom.
Kael smirked. "Rocks' crew, huh? Yeah, we'll get there. But first…"
He pointed ahead.
"…we're robbing that thing."
Kaido turned to look. A massive, gleaming Marine transport ship cut across the waves before them, white sails emblazoned with the Navy insignia.
Kaido's grin spread like wildfire. "A robbery? Now that's my kind of idea! Besides, I've been broke ever since the Navy bounty went up. Time to restock!"
Kael chuckled. "Spoken like a true pirate. Let's hit them hard and make it quick."
Despite his calm tone, Kael's blood thrummed with excitement. He wasn't a saint. The Marines were part of the same system that had crushed lives his and Kaido's alike. He didn't steal from the innocent, but from those who enforced cruelty under the banner of justice? That was fair game.
Gold meant more than comfort it meant information. In this world, news was power. Newspapers carried by messenger birds were the only window into global events. And those birds didn't deliver for free.
Try to take a paper without paying, and you'd find yourself blacklisted across the entire ocean. No news, no updates just isolation. Until a certain mogul named Morgans rose to power, the world's news network was fragile and fragmented.
Which meant cash wasn't just luxury it was survival.
Kael adjusted the helm, steering directly toward the Marine vessel. The grin on his face mirrored Kaido's feral anticipation.
"Ready to cause some trouble, brother?"
Kaido cracked his knuckles, his laughter rolling across the sea. "Oh, I've been ready since last night."
The pirate ship surged forward, cutting through the waves like a predator closing in on prey.
And as sunlight spilled over the horizon, two shadows rose one of man, one of beast heralding the chaos about to come.
The Marines didn't know it yet, but this morning would mark the beginning of a legend whispered across the seas.
The day Kael Draven and Kaido robbed the Navy itself.
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