Yidao Style: Ghost Energy – Qingming!!!
Kairos Flint's stance shifted, his feet moving in a subtle yet precise rhythm. Gripping his blade with both hands, he vanished from sight in an instant.
CRACK! BOOM!!!
The massive sawblade, Zhanfeng, in the Evil Dragon's hands shattered into fragments. At that same moment, Kairos appeared behind him.
SPLURCH!!!
The Evil Dragon barely managed to turn his head before his upper and lower body were split apart. Kairos' blade had cut through him from his left shoulder to his right hip. Half of his body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Even with the immense strength and resilience of his fishman physiology, the Evil Dragon's eyes dimmed. The spark of life faded as his breath weakened and finally vanished.
"Brother Dragon!!!" the fishmen cried out in anguish.
He had been their leader, the one who brought them to the East Blue and gave them a life of freedom—however cruel it was to others. Now, cut down by a human, their rage boiled over.
"The Evil Dragon is dead. Time for the rest of you to join him," Kairos said coldly.
He raised the cursed blade—Third Generation Ghost—and in a flash of steel, he began dispatching the remaining fishmen.
None escaped. All died.
They glared at Kairos, filled with hate even in death, their eyes open, unblinking.
Three minutes later, it was over. Every last member of the Dragon Pirates lay dead.
"At least they had some backbone. Not one of them tried to run," Kairos muttered as he looked at the corpses.
But that had been the plan.
From the beginning, he had provoked them, insulted them, drawn out their fury—forcing them into a full confrontation. He couldn't afford to let any of them escape. He wasn't just here for bounties. He came to end the Dragon Pirates and liberate Nami's village of Cocoyashi from their oppressive grip.
If even one fishman had survived, they might return with reinforcements. That wasn't a risk Kairos could take.
Now, the threat was gone. Completely.
Then, text appeared before him:
[Pickable items detected. Do you want to pick them up?]
"Pick up."
[Ding! Successfully picked up: Excellent Body Crystals x88, Rare Body Crystals x22, Perfect Body Crystals x4, Excellent Soul Crystals x92, Rare Soul Crystals x30, Perfect Soul Crystals x6, Excellent Talent Crystals x77, Rare Talent Crystals x50, Perfect Talent Crystals x31, Supreme Talent Crystals x15, Excellent Physical Technique Crystals x112, Rare Physical Technique Crystals x33, Perfect Physical Technique Crystals x7, Basic Swordsmanship Crystals x78, Exquisite Swordsmanship Crystals x21, Rare Swordsmanship Crystals x12, Outstanding Swordsmanship Crystals x3. Stored in portable space.]
A rich haul, no doubt.
The quality of the ability crystals dropped by the Dragon Pirates wasn't bad. Many fishmen dropped multiple crystals of the same type.
Still, it was disappointing.
So many fishmen, yet not a single legendary talent crystal among them. No wonder the Dragon Pirates never left East Blue. They had reached their ceiling.
"Low-tier talent, every one of them," Kairos scoffed.
Just as he was sorting the crystals in his inventory, a ruckus broke out nearby.
"Nami! Nami, we're here!!!"
"Dragon Pirates, you damn fishmen! I'll fight you to the end!"
"I'm not afraid of death! I'd rather die standing than live kneeling!"
A large group came running with makeshift weapons—farm tools, kitchen knives, anything they could carry. Leading them was Nojiko.
Clearly, Nojiko had told the villagers of Cocoyashi what was happening. Now they had come, prepared to risk everything to fight back.
But as they entered Arlong Park, they stopped in their tracks.
Blood was everywhere.
Fishman corpses littered the ground.
Nojiko blinked in shock. "Nami… what happened here?"
Nami, still a bit shaken, replied, "Kairos did this. He ended them. All of them."
Realization dawned. Tears streamed down villagers' faces—tears of relief, disbelief, and unspoken trauma.
No one who hadn't lived under the heel of oppression could understand what it meant to be free again. For years, they had lived with fear and submission.
Their only hope was Nami—buying back their village with 100 million beli.
Without that chance, many would have been driven to madness under the weight of the Dragon Pirates' extortion.
Kairos said nothing.
He understood this was their release. They needed this moment.
He turned and activated his transponder snail.
"Colonel Smoker, the Dragon Pirates have been taken care of. I suggest you get here quickly. News of their defeat will spread fast. If a Navy rat like Captain Nezumi hears first, he might do something incredibly stupid. If he tries anything with me… I won't hesitate to take on the Navy too."
He added with a smirk, "Also, bring the bounty money for the Dragon Pirates. I'd rather not drag their corpses around."
On the other end, Smoker exhaled through his cigar.
He didn't answer directly.
Instead, he barked orders:
"Prepare the warship. Half the men. Head for the 16th Branch. Move fast."
"And bring the Dragon Pirates' bounty."
"No questions. Just do it."
The Roguetown base kicked into action. Marines scrambled to follow orders.
Smoker's eyes narrowed.
Kairos Flint was becoming a name impossible to ignore.
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