One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

Kai , hurry up... do something!" Usopp, trembling behind Kai, pleaded.

"What? How can we take on so many pirates? We're doomed!" Kai replied, feigning fear.

"Wait, what?! Didn't Luffy and the others say you're strong?" Usopp panicked, his legs shaking.

What Usopp didn't notice was that Nami, though usually timid, was now only showing a look of exasperation.

As the pirates closed in, an idea popped into Usopp's mind.

"It's over!"

Suddenly, an arm stretched past Usopp.

"Gomu Gomu... Pistol!" Luffy's punch slammed into the lead pirate, knocking down several others.

Usopp lit up with joy and turned to see Luffy and Zoro, panting as they arrived.

"Huhu Usopp, next time... make sure you tell us which way is north!" Luffy yelled.

"I saw you run first! I thought you knew!" Usopp responded, bewildered.

Luffy didn't seem too upset, but Zoro was glaring daggers at Nami.

"Nami, care to explain why you let us get lost?"

"Well, uh..." Nami awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "It's better for two people to fall than one, right? Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"And why didn't you—"

"Enough talking, they're right in front of us!" Kai cut off Zoro mid-sentence.

Zoro let it slide, moving in front with Luffy. He unsheathed his swords.

In a blink, they charged like arrows, clashing with the pirates.

Within minutes, thanks to their overwhelming strength, the pirates were being beaten one after another.

Watching his crew fall, Jango's face darkened. Furious, he raised his iron rings, planning to sneak attack Luffy.

Just then, a voice interrupted him.

"What... do you think you're doing?"

Jango broke out in a sweat. "C-Captain Kuro!"

Everyone turned toward the voice.

A few meters behind Kai Vane stood Captain Kuro, observing the scene with an icy stare.

Seeing Kuro, Jango panicked and stammered, "Captain, we... we were just—"

"Enough!" Kuro cut him off. "I expected interference, but I didn't think my crew would be so useless. You can't even handle a bunch of kids!"

Before Kuro could say more, he was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the ground. His glasses shattered.

All eyes shifted back to where Kuro had been standing. Kai stood there, nonchalant.

"I'm happy to let you serve as our captain's 'training dummy,' but I don't appreciate your tone," Kai said with a smirk. "So, I couldn't resist throwing a punch. Are you... alright?"

The pirates were speechless, their minds racing.

What were they thinking, picking a fight with this guy?

Even injured, they were grateful it was Luffy and Zoro they had faced, not Kai .

Usopp was stunned. "You're that strong, and you pretended to be scared earlier?"

Meanwhile, Kai simply turned his back on Kuro, walking toward Luffy.

"I'll leave this butler to you," Kai said casually.

As if on cue, Kuro slowly rose from the ground.

Kai wasn't weak, and he could've knocked Kuro out cold with one punch. But as the ideal vice-captain, he believed in leaving the "experience points" to his crewmates.

Dealing with Kuro didn't even require fighting—just a touch of Conqueror's Haki would have done the trick.

"Got it! I'll take care of him," Luffy grinned, walking toward Kuro.

Kai Vane approached Zoro, standing beside him. "Third-rate swordsman, I'll leave the Cat Brothers to you. I'll handle the rest."

Zoro sneered, glancing at Kai. "You're sticking to fighting the underlings? Makes sense for a rookie."

Kai just smiled at the remark. The weak find satisfaction by mocking others. He, however, was above such trivial behavior.

But mocking Zoro? That's different! After all, he was a strong man, and strong men motivate their crew with a bit of teasing.

With the battle assignments set, Kai narrowed his eyes, and a wave of powerful energy surged from him.

In an instant, pirates dropped like flies, collapsing to the ground.

Everyone was stunned.

"What... what kind of power is this?" Usopp stammered, horrified.

Luffy and the others looked on, wide-eyed. They had no idea Kai could do that.

Zoro squinted, recalling something. "So, it was you who knocked out the butler last time? You lied, Kai! You gave yourself away!"

"That's amazing! I want to learn that too, Kai!" Luffy shouted, stars in his eyes.

"You'll learn it later," Kai replied with a smile.

"Really?! I can learn it?" Luffy's excitement grew.

"Of course!" Kai said confidently.

Just not anytime soon, he thought. Luffy wasn't ready yet. He still lacked the strength and will to unlock Conqueror's Haki—or any of the three forms of Haki, for that matter.

He's still too green.