One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

Meanwhile, Hawkeye, now deep in thought, observed Kai's movements closely. After years of sailing the seas and facing countless enemies, Hawkeye quickly realized that Kai was using the Marine's Six Powers.

And not just any level—his mastery was incredibly advanced.

But something felt off. Why would a pirate be so familiar with such techniques? Could this guy be a Marine spy?

Curious, Hawkeye voiced his thoughts. "You're awfully skilled with Marine techniques for a pirate."

Kai, ever quick on his feet, grinned and began spinning another story. "Oh, that? Well, you see the kid with the straw hat over there?"

"That's Luffy—his grandfather is Garp the Fist. I learned the Six Powers directly from him!" Kai said with complete confidence.

"Garp's grandson?" Hawkeye echoed, genuinely taken aback. He hadn't expected Luffy, of all people, to have such a lineage. But then a question arose in his mind. "Why would Garp's grandson become a pirate?"

Kai shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows?"

Without giving Hawkeye more time to think, Kai launched another series of powerful attacks. Each clash between the two sent out massive shockwaves, causing the surrounding waves to surge violently.

In a blink, Kai used Soru, appearing right in front of Hawkeye and tossing his iron staff high into the air. Clenching both fists, he aimed directly at Hawkeye.

"Six King Gun!"

The immense force from Kai's fists shot toward Hawkeye, who swiftly blocked with his sword, but the impact pushed him back over ten meters.

Kai's eyes lit up with excitement. It wasn't every day he found an opponent this strong!

In response, Hawkeye lifted his sword and swung down with all his might, unleashing a massive green slash in Kai's direction.

"Oh crap!" Kai's instincts kicked in, and he dodged just in time. The slash struck the sea, and for a moment, nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, the sea split open, creating a deep crevasse that stretched for kilometers. The water didn't surge back for a solid ten seconds, and when it did, it caused whirlpools and powerful waves that pushed Baratie even farther.

"WOOAHHH! Kai is AMAZING!" Luffy shouted, his eyes sparkling with awe.

Many of the surrounding pirates, including Luffy's crew, were equally stunned. They could barely believe the monstrous power on display.

Even Zoro, who had always thought highly of Kai, now had his eyes wide open in disbelief. Hawkeye had used far more power against Kai than he had during their duel, yet Kai was still holding his ground.

Nami, too, was staring, overwhelmed by what she was witnessing. She never imagined the easygoing Kai, who had spent so much time with them, possessed such terrifying strength.

However, as Nami watched the chaos unfold, her expression darkened. Her mind raced with thoughts, and after a moment of reflection, she quietly slipped away toward the Going Merry.

At the same time, Don Krieg and his crew, watching the battle unfold, were filled with fear. They had come here with the intention of killing Hawkeye, but now that they had witnessed such overwhelming power, they wanted nothing more than to escape.

Krieg, however, wasn't about to leave empty-handed. "We need that ship!" he shouted, pointing toward Baratie. "While those monsters are still fighting, let's take it! Move out!"

As the battle raged on, Kai hovered in mid-air, looking at the sea below, still shaken by Hawkeye's earlier attack. He knew that if he hadn't dodged, it would've been devastating.

Before he could collect his thoughts, Hawkeye's voice rang out. "Boy, don't get distracted!"

Kai looked down to see another enormous slash speeding toward him. This time, he had no room to escape.

In that moment, Kai's eyes narrowed, and he gripped his iron staff tightly with both hands. With a fierce yell, he swung it down.

"Thunder Bagua!"

The staff clashed with the sword light, and for several seconds, the two forces held steady, locked in a stalemate. With a final roar, Kai pushed with all his might, sending the sword light hurtling into the sky.

Why did Kai use one of Kaido's techniques? Well, it's simple. Kai had never been good at naming his own moves. He figured that since Kaido's attack names sounded cool and his iron staff was kind of like a club, he might as well borrow them.

But let's hope Kaido never finds out about that...

Without missing a beat, Kai rushed back at Hawkeye, and the two clashed once again in a flurry of blows.

After a fierce back-and-forth, both fighters paused, staring each other down. Hawkeye, for the first time in the fight, was breathing a bit heavily.

On the other hand, Kai was looking much worse for wear. His body was covered in deep cuts, his clothes were torn, and blood seeped from his numerous wounds. He was gasping for breath, clearly exhausted.

Hawkeye eyed him carefully. "You're already at your limit. Covered in wounds and out of stamina. Do you really want to keep going?"

Kai let out a soft chuckle, despite his condition. "Bruised and beaten? Are you sure?"

As he spoke, his wounds began healing rapidly, closing up right before Hawkeye's eyes. The smaller cuts disappeared, leaving only faint white scars, while the deeper ones faded into mere marks.

This was the power of Kai's Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. His recovery abilities were extraordinary—he could heal from almost any injury unless it was incredibly severe. With more training, he might even be able to regenerate limbs.

"I'm the Monkey King, after all," Kai said with a smirk.

But despite his fast healing, Kai had a real problem: he was running out of energy. Healing his wounds wouldn't bring back his stamina.

Hawkeye, now more curious than ever, raised an eyebrow. "A Devil Fruit ability, huh? Impressive."

Kai nodded. "That's right. But I've got one last move. I'd appreciate your feedback."