One Piece : Pirate King Sage

This was the first time Kado had ever engaged in such a direct clash with someone. In the past, he had always relied on tactics like sneak attacks in battle. To him, the victor was king and the vanquished a thief; Kado had no intention of engaging in fair duels with these ruthless pirates. Additionally, his Armament Haki was limited, which didn't allow for this style of fighting. However, in this battle with Fily, the feeling of fully unleashing himself and using all his cards to clash with raw power was exhilarating. It felt refreshing, as if battles were meant to be fought this way—pure strength against pure strength; whoever had the greater power would emerge victorious.

Fily was also filled with excitement. Every time he threw a punch, Kado would block it, making it feel as if he were hitting a punching bag—he could unleash his punches freely. The sensation of hitting flesh was incredibly rare for him. In the past, even when facing a steel wall, Fily could use his strength to create deep dents with each strike. He hadn't experienced such a satisfying fight in a long time. Whether against ordinary humans or Devil Fruit users, there were few who could withstand his punches. The last person who defeated him had thrown him aside with sheer force, never engaging him in a true test of strength.

Fily had a deep understanding of his own strength, so it was completely unexpected for him that Kado could block his punches. Consequently, he gradually began to increase his power. Deep down, he still hoped to defeat Kado. The last time he lost hadn't been a significant blow to his confidence; he had always believed that his opponent possessed a Devil Fruit ability. Now, facing someone who could match him in strength without any such power was something he absolutely could not allow.

The punches between the two became faster and more powerful, creating a feeling in the air as if it was about to explode. Even objects slightly closer to them were shattered by the force of their blows. They moved from the bow of the ship to the stern and back again, and before they knew it, the entire ship was in ruins, splintered wood floating on the surface of the sea. The other members of the Black Bone Pirates watched in shock as this guy named Kado managed to hold his own against their captain. Looks of disbelief spread across their faces. They understood their captain's strength better than anyone else, and it was astonishing to see someone match him so closely. Was this really the so-called "Great Thief Cat," the weakest in the East Blue, who only knew how to steal and avoided direct confrontations?

As time passed, Kado's haki was running low, while Fily was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. Both of their powers began to wane. However, Kado's incredible recovery allowed him to barely fend off Fily's attacks, though he occasionally took a few punches. Thanks to his monstrous regenerative abilities, the hits didn't seem to do him much harm.

The intense move, coupled with the occasional punches he took, made Kado feel as if his blood was boiling. The speed of circulation surged, and he felt warm all over, as if he were invincible, with power flowing endlessly from within.

At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in Kado's mind.

"Beep, the host's special energy has been fully digested. In the new area, 231 stars of special energy have been absorbed. Would you like to proceed with body enhancement? The enhancements include three options: Strength…"

The voice continued to ring in his mind, and Kado couldn't help but laugh. Just a month ago, he had undergone an enhancement and still had over thirty stars of special energy left to digest. He hadn't expected that one battle would allow him to absorb that much. The fact that he had gathered two hundred thirty-one stars of special energy in Loguetown only reinforced his belief that OP was the source of this energy. The closer he got to OP, the more special energy he could absorb. With enough energy, he was certain he could become an unstoppable force. Once he accumulated enough, he could return to Earth, back to his familiar hometown, touch the familiar computer, lie on the familiar couch, smoke his usual cigarettes, and watch the familiar "One Piece."

"Ah…" Kado suddenly let out a loud roar, the exhilarating sensation washing over him like a release of pent-up emotions, filling him with passion and confidence.

His beast-like howl invigorated Fily, who felt a surge of strength return to his weary body. He responded with even greater speed, his fists pounding toward Kado with renewed ferocity.

As time passed, the two had been fighting for half the day. The sun had turned a fiery red, poised to dip below the horizon. The sea glimmered with beautiful shades of orange and red, casting a warm glow over the two combatants locked in their fierce struggle.

Both of them were drenched in sweat, their clothes clinging tightly to their bodies, highlighting their muscular physiques.

With a dull thud, Kado and Fily's fists collided, sending them both crashing to the ground, panting heavily as they struggled to catch their breath.

After a long while, Kado burst into hearty laughter, and Fily joined in, both feeling an indescribable sense of relief, as if their blood had come alive, washing away all the fatigue in their bodies.

"I didn't expect your strength to be this formidable. Today's fight was truly exhilarating!" Fily lay on the ground, a satisfied smile on his face. The anger he once felt towards Kado had faded, leaving only the bliss of having vented his frustrations.

"Is that so? I think I'm pretty great myself, haha!" Kado replied with a relaxed tone, joking as he lay back, the tension from their intense battle now a distant memory.

"You remind me of my son," Fily said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "He's strong too, just sixteen. I never talk to him about being a pirate; he probably doesn't even know his dad is a ruthless one."

After venting his frustrations from losing to the Whitebeard Pirates, Fily's expression softened, as if lost in memories. "To become the strongest in the world, I left my wife and child behind. I used to worry about their safety, visiting them every year, while spending the rest of my time challenging those known for their strength. It wasn't until my son turned fifteen and showed his own power that I decided to head to the Grand Line, because I thought there was no one stronger than me in the four seas. But as soon as I entered the Grand Line, someone far stronger than me appeared. In front of him, I felt like a child with no chance to fight back. Later, I learned he was just a regular member of the Whitebeard Pirates' third division. I kept telling myself he must have used some Devil Fruit power to beat me, trying to comfort myself. But deep down, I know he didn't. I was just lying to myself, hoping it would make me feel better."

"Haha, is that so? Every pirate has their own dream, their own goals that brought them out to sea. Among them are many like that uncle over there, blinded by temporary failures and setbacks. Once they break free from those troubles, they can become great pirates. I believe no pirate sets out to sea just to kill and plunder; those who do have likely gone through something that twisted their hearts."

Kado reflected on the many pirates he had seen while watching "One Piece" in his past life. He realized that perhaps the reason there were so few truly ruthless pirates was that the series was often referred to as a "never-ending" anime. Even in later arcs, when Ace died, it felt tragic and unfair. From what he observed, only a small fraction of these pirates truly deserved their fates. Most of them were complex characters, shaped by their circumstances, rather than purely evil.

"Hehe, that's right. Everyone comes to the sea for their dreams from their youth," Fily said, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "I suddenly feel a bit homesick. Is it because I'm getting old? It seems I should go home and take a look. Only now do I realize that while dreams are important, I can't neglect my family for them. It's time to go home."

"Uncle, are we still fighting?" Kado suddenly asked.

"No more fighting, no more. This sea belongs to you young people; it's your place to chase your dreams. As for the Devil Fruit, you can have it. Consider it my way of making up for everything that happened today," Fily said with a smile, waving his hand as he sat up.

"Oh, really? Then thank you very much!" Kado exclaimed, feeling elated. Today's gains were extraordinary for him.

At that moment, Fily's subordinate, Nilton, approached and bent down to report to Fily.

Fily smiled at Kado and said, "It seems this white-nosed shark doesn't need to be given to you after all. Your companion actually stole it from my pirate crew! Looks like he's no ordinary person."

"Of course! Anyone who can become my partner can't be a weakling," Kado said calmly upon hearing the news that Fite had successfully captured the white-nosed shark. He had always known that Fite would succeed; that guy was no ordinary talent.

After resting for a while, Kado walked to the side of the ship and shouted towards the distant Kado ship floating on the sea, "Fite, bring the ship over! Today I'm throwing a feast to enjoy the taste of this white-bearded shark!"

"What's wrong? Don't you plan to win the championship? This fish has a good chance of securing it," Fily asked, a bit puzzled by Kado's words.

End of chapter

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