Chapter 96 Plots strikes once again

Somewhere along the shores of Alabasta...

"Lord Kai, how about letting me be your loyal servant from now on?" Bon Clay batted his eyelashes, his exaggerated expressions nearly making Kai gag.

"How many times do I have to tell you? No thanks!" Kai said, feeling a bit helpless.

In hindsight, knocking him out and tossing him aside might've been the better move.

But instead, Bon Clay had latched onto him, insisting daily that he wanted to be Kai's subordinate.

Given their current power level, there wasn't even a need for Bon Clay to disguise himself as Luffy to draw attention anymore. Kai could bulldoze through any Marines in their way.

Suddenly, Kai thought of a brilliant way to get rid of him. With a mischievous smile, he turned to Bon Clay and said, "Bon Clay, don't you live by the code of honor?"

"I sure do! What of it?" Bon Clay exclaimed with excitement.

"I have a place that would suit you perfectly. It's called the Kingdom of Monsters, and there's even a King of Monsters there! You'd get much more out of serving him than following me around," Kai suggested.

"Really? A place like that exists?" Bon Clay's eyes lit up.

"Absolutely!" Kai nodded, grinning. "It's called Peach Island..."

——

"Luffy, do you think Vivi will come at noon?" Nami asked, gazing toward Alubarna.

"Of course she will. She's our nakama!" Luffy replied confidently.

They had given Vivi the night to think about it before setting sail and had arranged to meet her at the East Port by noon. It would be her last chance to join them on their journey.

After some time passed~

Kai glanced at everyone and said, "Alright, it's almost time. Let's head out!"

"Yeah! Let's go pick up Vivi!" Luffy shouted enthusiastically.

"Let's go!" the rest of the crew cheered.

——

Meanwhile, at a port in Alabasta, nearly ten Marine warships lay anchored.

"Are you serious, Admiral Aokiji? Those are some of the most dangerous pirates! How can you just let them slip away?!" a woman with pink hair, a cigarette hanging from her lips, shouted into a transponder snail.

Aokiji's calm voice came through the other end, "Hina, there's someone on that ship you're not equipped to handle. If you go after them, it's a death sentence."

"If we let pirates escape because we're scared, do we deserve to wear these uniforms?" Hina snapped back. "Admiral, I can't follow this order. Hina will never let a pirate get away, even if it costs her life!"

She slammed the snail down and marched out of the cabin. Turning to the Marines below, she commanded, "Everyone, prepare to capture the Straw Hat Pirates!"

Back at Marine Headquarters, Aokiji sighed as he listened to the beeping of the disconnected line. He had anticipated this, knowing Hina's stubborn nature. But still, he had hoped for a different outcome.

"Let's just hope Kai doesn't kill her," Aokiji muttered to himself.

...

Aboard the Going Merry.

Kai sat cross-legged at the bow, eyes closed as he spread out his Haki, sensing the surroundings.

Suddenly, he saw it…

Luffy was tugging on Usopp's nose while Usopp stretched Luffy's mouth.

Kai slowly opened his eyes, looking at the scene on the ship, which played out exactly as he'd sensed moments earlier.

A smirk crept across Kai's face.

His Observation Haki had evolved!

For the first time, he had achieved a breakthrough in his Haki without relying on the system. Now, he could briefly glimpse the future.

Although he could only predict events seconds in advance, it was a step toward catching up to the likes of Katakuri, and eventually, even Shanks.

But this was more than enough for now. Haki could always be honed further. Kai felt a surge of pride—his talent was clearly exceptional!

In fact, thanks to his recent battle with Aokiji, Kai had noticed something curious. Like the rest of the Straw Hat crew, he seemed to improve rapidly after each fight. It was as if he, too, had the protagonist's knack for leveling up mid-battle.

"Hey, guys! Marines incoming!" Sanji's voice broke through Kai's thoughts.

"What?!" The crew rushed to the side, seeing a fleet of nearly ten ships approaching.

The Marines fired a barrage of giant spiked projectiles straight at the Merry.

(°Д°)!

The spikes were everywhere, and Nami shouted, "Quick! Block them!"

"No good! They're attacking from all sides—we can't stop them all!" Luffy yelled.

"Don't worry about it. I've got this," Kai said, standing up calmly from the figurehead.

Upon hearing Kai's assurance, the crew didn't flinch. They simply resumed their activities, trusting completely in Kai's words.

Zoro went back to sleep, Sanji continued cooking, and Luffy and Usopp resumed their antics.

It was as if the incoming attack didn't exist. They knew if Kai said not to worry, there was no need to.

Robin, however, remained puzzled. She glanced at Zoro snoozing, Sanji prepping food, and Luffy horsing around, then looked at the man standing confidently at the front of the ship. She felt something she couldn't quite describe.

"Is this… the trust between crewmates?" she murmured to herself.

The sky filled with spikes, but Kai didn't move. He simply uttered one word:

"Freeze."

Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji suddenly tensed up, their faces scrunching as if recalling a bad memory.

As the word left Kai's lips, every spike suspended midair froze in place. They hovered for a moment before dropping harmlessly into the sea.

"That was so cool!" Luffy and the others cheered.

They had expected Kai to take a more direct, violent approach, but the simple word, spoken with such casual confidence, had been more than enough.

In an instant, Luffy and Usopp rushed to Kai's side, their eyes wide with admiration.

(✿◕‿◕✿)!

"Kai! Teach us how to do that!" they begged in unison.

Kai: …

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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.