When Kai released the mist, it spread like a living thing, swallowing the entire estate.
Inside the courtyard, the mafia guards froze as thick fog suddenly rolled in from every direction.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Where did this fog come from?!"
"Damn it—I can't see anything!"
"Bring torches! Lanterns! Now!"
Their voices overlapped in panic.
They never noticed Kai.
He was already among them.
Silent.
Hidden within the mist.
A blood-soaked sword in his hand.
One by one, the voices disappeared.
A guard who had survived long enough sensed something was wrong.
"Be careful! There's an enemy here—he—"
He never finished the sentence.
A sharp pain bloomed across his neck.
Blood sprayed.
His body collapsed.
The remaining men finally realized the truth—and terror consumed them.
The mist, once gray, began to change.
It turned crimson.
Thick.
Heavy.
Reeking of iron and blood.
Some guards fell to their knees, screaming, their minds breaking before their bodies did.
Inside the main mansion, the mafia boss sat in his spacious office when distant screams reached his ears.
He stood up and looked out the window.
All he saw was fog.
Blood-colored fog.
His brow furrowed.
"What the hell is happening out there?" he muttered.
"And where did this cursed mist come from…?"
Then a thought struck him.
"…Don't tell me," he said slowly.
"One of the escaped slaves found a Devil Fruit—and came back for revenge."
Unlike his subordinates, the boss understood Devil Fruits.
They were rare in the Four Blues, but he had encountered users before.
The Donquixote Family.
He had crossed blades with them more than once.
He smirked.
Turning toward a shadowy figure standing silently in the corner of his office, he spoke:
"Looks like our deal is on hold."
He tossed the figure a revolver.
"When I give the signal, you know what to do."
The figure said nothing.
It only waited.
The boss chuckled and turned back toward the window.
"If that slave thinks a Devil Fruit makes him unstoppable," he said coldly,
"then let's see how he handles the gift I've prepared for him."
When Kai finished killing the last guard, he dispelled the mist.
As it slowly retreated, the courtyard was revealed—
Headless corpses littered the ground.
Blood soaked the stone.
Kai turned and walked toward the basement.
That was where the remaining slaves should have been.
As he descended, his expression darkened.
There were no sounds.
No heartbeats.
Nothing.
He released his mist again, letting it spread and scan the area.
In his mind, the basement took shape.
Bodies.
Slaves.
All dead.
Something snapped inside him.
Even if he hadn't known their names—
they had suffered, just like him.
"I swear," Kai whispered, his voice trembling with rage,
"I'll avenge every single one of you."
Now there was no hesitation left.
No turning back.
He would destroy this mafia—completely.
And that meant killing the boss.
Kai ascended the stairs.
The sword in his hand was still dripping with blood.
He stopped in front of the office door.
Then he pushed it open.
Activating his Devil Fruit once more, the layout of the room appeared clearly in his mind.
At the center, behind a large desk, sat the boss himself.
The man lifted his head.
When he saw Kai standing in the doorway, he smiled.