"Ahem, okay, I won't dodge this time, alright?" Kavi said as he got to his feet.
"Really?" Marco's eyes lit up.
"Really."
'I'll just hold back a little,' Kavi thought. 'Shouldn't be a big deal if he gets knocked around a bit. They've got a doctor onboard anyway.'
…Wait a minute. Isn't Marco the doctor?
"Bring it on," Kavi said, motioning him forward.
Marco didn't need a second invitation. He charged full force, determined to prove himself.
'I'm not gonna let him look down on me. I'm the ship's doctor! If I get hurt, I'll treat myself!'
If Kavi had known Marco's inner monologue, he might've sighed and said, "Kid, aren't you a little too bold?"
As Marco lunged, Kavi casually raised a fist.
Bang!
Before anyone could react, Marco crashed to the deck, a massive bump swelling on his forehead. He was completely out cold.
"Uh... I might've used a bit too much force," Kavi said sheepishly, scratching his head. "That was only ten percent."
Whitebeard burst into laughter. "Gurararara!"
"Take Marco below and let him rest," he ordered, still chuckling.
Jozu obediently picked up the unconscious boy and disappeared below deck. The rest of the crew eyed Kavi with newfound respect.
"You took Marco out with one hit! That was insane, Kavi!"
"Ahaha, I just got lucky," Kavi replied, waving it off.
Whitebeard, however, was silently watching him, a gleam in his eye—measuring, considering.
The festivities resumed, the crew drinking late into the night. Kavi, mildly drunk, lay sprawled out somewhere on deck, snoring away under the stars.
Early the Next Morning…
"Kavi! Wake up!"
Kavi groaned, cracked open one eye, and saw Marco's face hovering over him.
"Huh? Marco? It's too early for this…"
"Get up! I want a rematch!"
Marco had woken up humiliated. The memory of being knocked out cold in front of the entire crew haunted him. He'd convinced himself he only lost because he hadn't used his Devil Fruit.
'Yeah! That's it! I didn't go all out! I'm a special ability user!'
Marco was deep in denial, his pride refusing to accept defeat.
Kavi, meanwhile, had no interest in a rematch. "Come back when you've learned Haki. You're too weak right now."
"Damn it! I'll defeat you one day!" Marco shouted as Kavi rolled back over.
"Sure, whatever…"
Snort! Marco turned with resolve blazing in his eyes. 'I, Marco, swear I'll return this humiliation tenfold! Just you wait, Kavi! Three years—no—ten years!'
Later That Day
Kavi awoke to a beautiful noon sun and a clear sky. A few seagulls flew lazily overhead. The Moby Dick was abuzz as the crew prepared to head to a nearby island for supplies.
Kavi stretched and approached Whitebeard, who was overseeing things from his usual perch.
"Kavi, join my crew," Newgate said bluntly.
Kavi blinked. "Huh?"
"You've got guts. I like that. Come aboard officially."
'What is it with pirates and recruitment speed?' Kavi thought. 'We've only known each other for a day!'
He shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm used to roaming free. I don't want to become a pirate or end up wanted. I'm just here to enjoy the ride."
Whitebeard chuckled. "Gurarara! A rejection, huh?"
Suddenly, a heavy pressure filled the air. A suffocating force swept across the deck.
Conqueror's Haki. The aura of a true king.
The skies darkened the sea churned. Crew members with weaker wills dropped unconscious. The deck creaked under the weight of the unleashed force.
'He's testing me,' Kavi realized.
"…Fine," he muttered.
Kavi stood still for a moment—and then responded in kind.
Boom!
A second wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Kavi, clashing with Whitebeard's like twin storms. Lightning crackled in the air. The two immense wills collided, pushing and grinding in a fierce struggle that left even the strongest pirates breathless.
Black lightning arced overhead. Sweat rolled down Jozu's forehead. Marco, despite himself, trembled.
And then—just as suddenly as it had begun—it ended.
The sky cleared. The sea stilled. Those who remained conscious gasped for breath.
"Gurararara! You've been hiding a lot, haven't you?" Whitebeard said, grinning.
"Just trying to stay out of trouble," Kavi replied, scratching his head. "Stability is the goal."
Whitebeard looked positively thrilled. "Let's find an island. I want to see what you can really do."
The crew roared in excitement. Marco in particular looked like he was about to throw a party of his own.
'Let Dad beat you up for me, Kavi. I'll train and take over later. Give me ten years… yeah… ten years sounds good.'
Kavi shrugged. "If you find one, sure. I've been sailing for a month and haven't seen a single island."
"Don't worry," someone said smugly. "We've got a map."
'…I forgot about that,' Kavi thought.
And so, for more than ten days, the Whitebeard Pirates scoured the sea in search of an uninhabited island just to host one fight.
In that time, Kavi forged deep bonds with the crew. He drank with them, talked with them, and even gave Marco a few pointers.
To his dismay, Marco came every day begging Kavi to teach him Haki.
"You've got Newgate right there," Kavi protested. "Ask your captain."
"You're the one who beat me up! You do it!"
Kavi didn't even know how he got Haki—his system had handed it to him—but from what he remembered of his past life, he gave Marco a solid suggestion: "Start with your physical fitness. Haki blooms more easily when your body is strong."
Since then, Marco began training like a man possessed.
And somewhere deep in his heart, Kavi wondered…
'Am I accidentally raising a future monster?'
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