When it was finally over, Kai turned toward the port.
Just a few more steps—and he would escape this hell forever.
But then he stopped.
A voice echoed in his memory, careless and mocking.
One of the mafia men had said it earlier:
"You forgot? The boss already bought new slaves. They'll arrive tomorrow."
Tomorrow…
That meant new children would be brought here.
Children just like him.
Kai frowned.
What should he do now?
Was he supposed to wipe out the entire mafia?
He shook his head.
I'm not a hero.
I'm just a slave who wants to survive.
Even if he wanted to—could he really kill them all?
This mansion?
This whole system?
He stood there for several minutes, unmoving.
No.
This isn't my problem.
Let someone else deal with it.
He was almost blind already.
The fact that he was still alive felt like a miracle.
Kai was about to move again—
When a thought struck him like lightning.
What if Ken is still alive?
He froze.
Inside him, two paths collided.
One whispered:
Run.
Survive.
Forget everything.
The other screamed:
Turn back.
Kill them all.
And if Ken is alive—save him.
In the end, it wasn't the present Kai who made the choice.
It was the old Kai.
The one who had buried his hatred for two years.
The one who endured beatings, humiliation, and pain in silence.
The moment he ate the Devil Fruit, everything he had suppressed was unleashed.
Kai turned back.
First, he needed strength.
He returned to the corpses, searching by touch for anything edible.
He found a few energy bars and some biscuits.
He ate them greedily, barely stopping to breathe.
It was no surprise—this body had survived for two years on stale bread and water.
Still, it wasn't enough.
So Kai expanded his mist.
Instantly, a clear image formed in his mind:
trees… branches… fruits.
Too high.
Then an idea came to him.
He partially turned his body into mist—and slowly lifted himself into the air.
Flying…
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
So I can fly.
He plucked several fruits from the trees and ate them quickly.
Within minutes, his strength began to return.
Kai picked up the leader's sword.
"Suffocating everyone would drain too much stamina," he said quietly.
"A blade is better."
No one else could sense living presences like he could.
That advantage was his alone.
He turned and walked back toward the mafia mansion.
It was time to end this—once and for all.
Two guards stood at the main gate.
"Why are they so late?" one muttered.
"Probably having fun with the slaves," the other replied.
Then they noticed the mist approaching.
"There's something strange about that fog…"
What, you scared of mist? It's just fog. What could possibly—"
They never finished the sentence.
The mist swallowed them.
The last thing they saw was a flash of steel.
Blood sprayed.
Heads fell.
Kai felt their hearts stop.
He turned his gaze toward the mansion where he had spent two years in chains.
"This night will be your last."
He raised his hand.
"Kira Kira no Mi…
Grand Shrouded Mist Technique"
The mist exploded outward, engulfing the entire estate.
And the slaughter began.