At the windswept port, the air was thick with the salty scent of the sea. The young Kuzan stood on the wharf, his ice-blue hair trembling slightly in the wind. His gaze was fixed firmly on the legendary monster before him—Kaido of the Beasts.
"I have no interest in becoming a pirate," Kuzan's voice was calm and clear. "But if I can capture you, with an 850,000,000 Berry bounty, I imagine I'll rise quickly through the ranks after joining the Marines."
Kaido was taken aback for a moment, then burst into deafening, raucous laughter. "Wororororo! Kuzan, are you trying to kill me with laughter? With your current strength, you want to capture me? Wororororo!" His massive frame shook with laughter, the entire port seeming to tremble.
Kuzan's expression instantly turned frosty. "There's nothing funny about that." Before the words even finished, his right hand was already raised, cold air rapidly coalescing in his palm.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
In an instant, terrifying cold erupted forth. Where it passed, even the air froze solid. The spot where Kaido had been standing was instantly engulfed by a massive iceberg, ice crystals shimmering with a blinding glare under the sun.
Yet as the icy mist cleared, Kuzan's pupils contracted—the interior of the iceberg was empty.
"Wororororo. Where are you aiming, Kuzan?" Kaido's voice suddenly came from behind, laced with mockery.
Kuzan spun around, looking in disbelief at Kaido, who had appeared behind him at some unknown moment. The captain of the Beasts Pirates was eyeing him with an amused look, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.
"Since you refuse to join the Beasts Pirates," Kaido's voice suddenly turned dangerous, a glint of menace flashing in his eyes, "then I'll just break your legs and take you back to the Beasts Pirates. That should work."
"Don't even think about it!" Kuzan immediately activated his ability at full power. "Ice Time!" He released several streams of freezing air in succession. Ice crystals traced elegant arcs through the air, but Kaido evaded them all with astonishing speed and ease.
Seeing his attacks were ineffective, Kuzan changed tactics. "Ice Age!" He stopped aiming, instead spreading the freezing cold outward from himself in all directions. Instantly, the entire port area was blanketed in extreme cold.
As the cold dissipated, Kuzan, panting, looked towards Kaido, who was frozen not far away, and let out a slight sigh of relief. However, just as he was preparing his next move—
CRACK—!
A tiny fissure suddenly appeared on the ice sphere, followed immediately by a thunderous explosion, sending ice shards flying everywhere.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kuzan only saw a blur before his eyes. Kaido's figure had already turned into an afterimage. The massive kanabo came crashing down with the force of a thunderbolt, purple lightning crackling around its shaft. He didn't even have time to react before his whole body was struck by this terrifying power.
BOOM—!
Kuzan's body shot away like a cannonball, smashing heavily into the port wharf. The tremendous impact blasted a crater several meters wide into the ground, scattering wooden planks and cargo everywhere.
Dust and debris billowed up, shrouding the entire wharf. Ships moored in the distance rocked violently from the shockwaves, ripples spreading across the sea surface.
Soon, the dust began to settle. There, at the center of the crater, lay Kuzan's body. His clothes were in tatters, his eyes rolled back white, clearly unconscious. His right arm was still held in a defensive posture, but now hung limply at his side.
Kaido, with his kanabo resting on his shoulder, walked slowly to the edge of the crater, looking down at the unconscious Kuzan. "Wororororo. Not bad strength, but you still need some polish!"
"As expected of the Captain. An opponent like that is just a one-hit job," Enel said, materializing as lightning beside Kaido.
"Alright, Enel. Go and bring this country's king to me," Kaido ordered Enel directly. In the distance, the crowd, having watched their guardian deity be so easily defeated, was now descending into chaos and panic.
"Yes, sir!" Enel responded, then instantly transformed into lightning, streaking towards the royal palace at the nation's center.
Kaido had no interest in touring the country either. He simply reached down, grabbed Kuzan, and hurled him towards the distant pirate ship.
THUD—!
Kuzan's body slammed onto the deck of the pirate ship, drawing curious stares from the crew who looked at this fellow who had started off looking so formidable but was taken down by their captain in a single blow.
In the main hall of the Baspa Royal Palace, heavy maroon curtains were half-drawn. Sunlight filtering through the gaps cast mottled shadows on the carpet. The portly King Baspa III reclined lazily on his gem-encrusted golden throne, fingers idly tapping the armrests, producing dull thuds. Attendants stood holding their breath on either side of the hall, the air tinged with the faint scent of incense.
"Your Majesty," the Minister of State hurried forward, fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He bowed respectfully. "An urgent message has just arrived from the port of Volz. Another pirate fleet is approaching the coast."
The King yawned, casually picking up a crystal wine glass from the table and taking a sip. "Pirates again? Isn't that commoner, Kuzan, supposed to be quite capable? Let him deal with it. Isn't that how we handled the last few times?" His voice was lazy, tinged with impatience.
...
The Kingdom Army Commander-in-Chief, standing to the right of the throne, straightened his back, his silver armor clinking softly. The burly general spoke in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, while Kuzan is indeed remarkably strong, the kingdom's security cannot forever rely on a commoner. I recommend we immediately expand the kingdom's army equipment and ranks." His voice was firm and resonant, echoing in the hall.
Upon hearing this, the Finance Minister immediately stepped forward, the account book in his hands rustling. "Your Majesty, please consider! Last year, the military budget was already increased by thirty percent. Now, after deducting the mandatory Celestial Tribute, the national treasury is truly stretched thin." As he spoke, he wiped sweat from his brow, his voice growing softer.
The King waved his hand impatiently. "Enough, enough. You can discuss such trivial matters amongst yourselves. Kuzan hasn't refused yet, has he? If there are pirates, just let him continue to handle it." Having said that, he popped another grape into his mouth. Purple juice trickled from the corner of his lips, dripping onto his splendid royal robe.
The hall fell into silence for a moment, broken only by the sound of the King chewing fruit. The ministers exchanged glances but none dared speak up. Outside the window, the sunlight gradually slanted westward, casting the figure on the throne into an even more bloated silhouette.
"Yahahaha! So this is the king of this country? With a king like this, it's truly this country's misfortune!"
It was at that moment that a voice, youthful yet full of mockery, rang out in the hall, shattering the oppressive atmosphere.
***
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