Set Sail!

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As Kai and Mikita made their way through the bustling, rugged port, they finally spotted their contact, a burly man with an unmistakable ape-like face and wild tufts of hair. Kai took in the man's features, struggling not to laugh. If I say what I'm really thinking, I'll probably get suspended from society for six months… or maybe not. Discrimination's practically the norm here, he mused dryly. Though, honestly, I think I'm getting used to how they look in this world.

As soon as the monkey-faced man saw Kai, his expression turned from expectancy to frustration. "Finally! You sure took your sweet time, didn't you?" he grumbled, voice sharp with irritation. "I've been waiting all day, and you couldn't have gotten here any slower, huh? And what about you," he turned to Mikita, "you should've dragged him here earlier, woman!"

Kai took a step forward, his expression hardening as he locked eyes with the man. "Hey. Watch how you talk to my crewmates, Wukong. There's a way to ask for respect, and that isn't it."

Mikita , glancing at Kai out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't expected him to step up and defend her, but somehow, it made her heart skip for a moment, even if she didn't say anything.

The monkey man's mouth opened in protest, but he froze, feeling the weight of Kai's gaze. He swallowed his frustration, visibly working to keep his cool, and muttered, "Wukong…?" After a moment of tense silence, he sighed, letting the heat die from his glare. "Fine. My apologies, alright? I'm Masira. Cricket sent me to help you out. Your ship's ready to go."

Kai nodded, barely acknowledging the apology but smiling in his typical, half-sarcastic manner. "Good to hear, Mars. Great work."

Masira's face scrunched up in annoyance. "It's Masira, not Mars! Whatever," he muttered, shaking his head. Then he hesitated, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "But… we ran into a problem."

Kai sighed, clearly expecting trouble. "Figures. Nothing's ever easy around here. What's the issue?"

Masira threw his hands up. "First of all, the people already onboard gave us hell. They kept insisting they were under your command, but Cricket wasn't informed about that, so… we kicked 'em off the ship." He shrugged. "But those weird clowns are back now, trying to sneak back aboard."

Kai raised an eyebrow, suppressing a laugh as he imagined the scene of Buggy's colorful crew getting tossed overboard. "Guess the clowns missed the memo." He shrugged with exaggerated indifference, then straightened, letting a more decisive tone slip in. "Alright, I'll handle them."

He clapped Masira on the back, causing the man to stagger slightly. "Let's go, Misara," he said, mispronouncing his name again with a smirk.

Masira grit his teeth, rolling his eyes He turned, muttering under his breath, and led them toward the docks, while Mikita trailed behind Kai.

****

Kai strolled up to the dock where Cricket stood waiting, hands on his hips and a proud gleam in his eye as he gestured to the ship anchored beside him. "Well, here she is. Told you I'd get it done, and look at her now."

Kai's gaze shifted to the vessel—a solid, seaworthy ship, now modified with two sweeping wooden wings attached at each side. The wings, while unconventional, were beautifully crafted, their design reminiscent of bird feathers and reinforced with strong ropes to withstand the impact of the Knock-Up Stream. 'Impressive workmanship,' Kai thought, his eyes tracing the detail. 'Not bad for a pirate island job.'

Turning back to Cricket, he nodded approvingly. "You really pulled it off. This is great—thank you, old man." Then, his eyes flicked over to the group clustered near the ship's edge, all clad in vibrant, mismatched clothing, with familiar red noses, blue wigs, and face paint. His so-called "former crew," Buggy's lot, were assembled in a huddle, each one looking somewhere between upset and outraged.

As soon as they spotted him, they called out in unison, "Sir Kai!" They pointed at the ship with indignant expressions, clamoring over each other to be heard.

"Look what they did to our beautiful ship!" one complained, pointing at the wooden wings. "What are we supposed to do with wings?"

Another whined, "We can't even walk around without tripping over these ropes! It's a death trap!"

A third, throwing up his hands, shouted, "We almost got thrown into the sea by these lunatics! And all for this... this weird contraption!"

Kai crossed his arms, smirking as he listened to their grievances. He watched as Buggy's crew gestured wildly, their faces filled with frustration at the modifications. They glared accusingly at the Saruyama Alliance members who'd done the work, and one even went as far as to lightly kick the ropes, as if proving a point.

Cricket's eyebrow twitched, but he simply sighed, waiting for Kai to respond. Kai's gaze settled on the whiners, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, now you all want to speak up, huh?" 

Kai raised an eyebrow, tilting his head with exaggerated mock surprise, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You guys got beaten by the likes of Masira?" He let out a theatrical sigh, shaking his head slowly, as though deeply disappointed. "I mean, come on. Masira? I can't believe it. And here I thought you'd be able to handle yourselves a little better than that."

Buggy's crew visibly bristled, their faces turning red with indignation.

A crew member glared up at Kai, his face screwed up in frustration. "We weren't exactly prepared for a brawl! They ambushed us!"

A third scowled, crossing his arms. "We're not weak, you know! We held our own at Marineford!"

Kai simply shrugged, still smirking. "Marineford, huh?" He gave them a sideways glance, looking unconvinced. "Right. Because you lot were clearly the stars of that battle." His tone shifted, dropping any semblance of sympathy. "Look, I can't take weaklings with me to where I'm going next. Sky Island isn't for people who can't handle a bit of turbulence."

Kai's tone was firm, yet eerily calm as he faced the group. "Nope," he said, shaking his head. "This is where we part ways, I'm afraid. Go now, and I won't do anything… unnecessary."

The Buggy Pirates looked at each other, hesitant, but eventually, they began to back away, muttering among themselves and exchanging uneasy glances. Just as it seemed like they were finally going to comply, one of the pirates, emboldened by desperation, drew his sword and lunged at Kai's back.

But Kai didn't even turn around. With a flick of his wrist, a shimmering, crystalline barrier appeared—a Thops Barrier—catching the blade mid-strike and freezing the attacker in place.

Kai let out a low, humorless chuckle, still facing forward. "You see, this is why I gave you a choice first."

With a swift motion, Kai conjured a glinting, arcane hammer—the Gavel of Haima—its crystalline head gleaming in the sunlight. In a single fluid movement, he swung the spectral weapon, smacking the would-be attacker square in the face. The impact sent the man hurtling through the air, his body flipping twice before crashing into a distant pile of crates, leaving the other pirates stunned and speechless.

The rest of Buggy's crew froze, wide-eyed and pale. None of them even dared to move, their bravado shattered by the sight of their comrade's brutal defeat.

Kai glanced over his shoulder, an edge of warning in his gaze. "Anyone else feeling ambitious?"

They immediately shook their heads, scrambling back and practically tripping over themselves to get as far away from him as possible, muttering apologies and shooting fearful glances in his direction.

Without another word, Kai walked up the gangplank onto the ship, followed closely by Mikita, who smirked at the sight of the scattered crew. As they boarded, Cricket stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the scene with a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat, calling out, "How do you plan on getting to Sky Island without the Knock-Up Stream?!"

Kai turned to look at him, a confident smile playing on his lips as he met Cricket's gaze. "Just observe, old man," he said, his grin widening.

*****

The ship sailed smoothly under the bright sky, a fair distance from the island they'd left behind. Kai stood by the helm, gazing out at the waves with a casual ease, while Mikita paced back and forth, grumbling as she adjusted the sails and tidied up loose ropes.

"You know," she said, tossing a coil of rope into a nearby bin, "maybe it wasn't the best idea to kick everyone else off the ship. It's a big vessel, Kai—it needs hands to run it properly!"

Kai gave her a nonchalant wave. "It's fine. We'll manage."

Mikita rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath as she kept working, "Sure, easy for you to say—you're just standing around while I do everything."

Kai stifled a chuckle, not bothering to respond. Instead, his gaze turned serious as he studied the open sea. "This should be the spot," he said, bringing the ship to a slow halt. "Let's stop here for a bit."

Mikita raised an eyebrow, pausing in her work to watch him. "What exactly are you planning?" she asked, curiosity sparking in her eyes as she tried to figure out what he was up to.

Ignoring her question, Kai opened his system store, his fingers navigating the options as he searched for something in particular. Rows of items and sorceries appeared, each costing a varying amount of runes. The selection was vast, offering powers and enhancements for nearly every situation, but he'd had his eye on one for a while now—a sorcery that cost a substantial 30,000 runes.

"Here goes," he murmured, his finger hovering over the selection button. "Really hope this works… or I'll look pretty stupid."

With a tap, he confirmed his purchase, and instantly, he felt a surge of energy course through him. The familiar number of runes in his system dropped sharply, the 30,000 gone in an instant. But in exchange, he sensed something vast and untapped awakening within him, almost like a slumbering giant stirring to life.

Mikita watched him closely, eyes narrowing as she sensed Kai change. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice laced with both curiosity and a hint of worry.

[New Sorcery Unlocked: Gravitational Missile of the Gravity Sorceries]

Kai closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he felt the power settle, the sensation thick and weighty, like a massive, unseen force pressed against his back. He clenched his fists, feeling the new strength and the immense potential it held. "Alright… now, Radahn," he whispered to himself, invoking the name of a legendary figure who was famed for calling upon the very stars, "give me thy strength."

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If you wish to read up to 5 Chapters Ahead! or simply support me just because? then check out my patréon at

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