One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

"No way, your eyes are the wrong color!"

"Dammit!"

Kai had appeared in front of Luffy in a flash. With a fist coated in Haki, he landed a solid punch.

"Clang!"

"It hurts, it hurts!" Luffy yelped, rubbing the swelling bump on his head.

"Do you think I'm someone else?" Kai's voice was dark and menacing. Luffy flinched and looked up, only to see Kai's grim face, making him shrink back in fear.

"Yes, yes, you're Kai!" Luffy stammered, quickly getting to his feet and backing away.

Zoro eyed Kai and asked, "What was that all about? Why were you radiating such intense killing intent?"

"Oh, that!"

"My powers evolved, but things went sideways. I got consumed by my bloodlust and ended up taking out all these Fish-Men!" Kai explained. "Even the color of my eyes changed because of it."

"Ah?" Nami gasped. "Does that mean you're still under the influence of that murderous intent? You were terrifying!"

"Yeah, it was pretty intense," Usopp agreed, still trembling.

"You looked like you wanted to take us all out!" Zoro added.

"Don't worry, it was just a temporary glitch. I've got the bloodlust under control now!" Kai reassured them. "Didn't you notice I could still talk to you normally while in that form?"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Kai could manage the bloodlust. It had been so overwhelming that they'd feared for their lives.

Kai glanced around at the mess and touched his nose. He didn't feel guilty. Arlong was no saint, having harmed countless people and made Nami's life miserable for years.

Eliminating such a threat was a public service, and Kai thought he deserved some recognition for it!

He turned to Nami, flashing a smile. "Nami, you're free!"

"Yes, I'm finally free!" Nami beamed.

Luffy, recovering his courage, shouted at Kai, "You're so sneaky, Kai! I was about to deal with Arlong myself, but you stole all the glory!"

"Exactly. You took out all the prey yourself. How selfish!" Zoro grumbled.

"And I was planning to study the Fish-Men's anatomy to improve my cooking!" Sanji added.

"Well, I don't mind. I'm totally fine with you guys helping me out with the fight!" Usopp admitted.

Only Usopp could admit that openly, given his cowardly nature.

Kai didn't say much but pointed at Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in turn. "You, you, and you!"

"You're all trash!"

"What did you just say?" Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's faces turned red with anger.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Kai taunted. "An idiot captain, a second-rate swordsman, and a lecherous cook."

"What's wrong with calling you trash? Or do you think being compared to trash is too high praise? If so, my apologies!"

"It does seem a bit insulting!"

Kai was about to say more when Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji could no longer hold back.

"Let's take him down!"

At their command, the three charged at Kai.

"Hey, hey, hey! Three against one? That's not fair!" Kai protested as he tried to fend them off.

Nami couldn't help but laugh, enjoying the chaos and their antics.

Two days later, in Cocoyasi Village.

"Hey, Luffy, I spotted this piece of meat first. What gives you the right to take it?" Kai said, his mouth full.

"You didn't grab it. You just said you liked it," Luffy retorted dismissively.

"Dammit!"

Kai clenched his fists but then a wicked grin spread across his face. "If you mess with me, you'll find out why the flowers are so red!"

Seizing the opportunity, Kai quickly stored all the meat in his system space and dashed off.

"Hey?"

Luffy stared in shock as the meat vanished, then saw Kai sprinting away. "Kai, you're cheating!"

Kai shouted back without looking, "I used my powers to get the meat. How is that cheating?"

Seeing Kai flee, Luffy fumed but took solace in the fact that Cocoyasi Village had plenty of food. He'd get his revenge later.

In an alley, Sanji approached Zoro with a bottle of red wine, sitting down opposite him.

"It's nice not having to cook for a change!" Sanji said, handing Zoro the bottle. "By the way, how's your injury?"

Zoro took a swig and replied, "It's fine. A bit of wine will heal it." He took another gulp.

"You're hopeless," Sanji muttered, shaking his head at the drunkard.

Zoro added, "But it's the third day. Is the party still this lively?"

"It's a celebration. After being oppressed by Arlong for so long, it's only natural for them to be this happy!" Sanji said.

"True enough!" Sanji tossed the wine bottle to Zoro and stood up. "Alright, time for me to get back to work!"

"Beautiful ladies, here I come!" Sanji declared with a grin.

"Ugh, this perverted cook!"

On the other side, Usopp was on a high platform, spinning tales of his "heroic" deeds.

"You wouldn't believe it, but I punched Arlong into submission and made him beg for mercy!"

"Sugoi, you're amazing…" the villagers cheered.

The whole village was in high spirits, relishing their newfound freedom.

On a hillside overlooking the island, a solitary grave rested quietly. At its base sat an orange-haired girl, smiling contentedly as she looked at the grave.

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Power Stones would be appreciated if you like the story