บท 26: Escaped Hell, Now Off to a Warzone

If you wish to read up to 5 Chapters Ahead! or simply support me just because? then check out my patréon at

"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"

Don't forget to change "é" to "e"

//********************************************************\\

On the deck of the escape ship, the wind howled as the Gates of Justice slowly began to creak open, revealing the path to freedom. The prisoners watched in disbelief, their hope restored. Buggy, standing dramatically at the bow, had his arms raised to the sky, muttering something that sounded like a mix of prayers and self-praise.

Kai leaned against the ship's railing, watching Buggy with a faint smirk. "He's going to take credit for this, isn't he? Well that's good for me I guess, I wouldn't want the government on my ass for being the leader" he muttered under his breath. But deep down, his thoughts turned somber. As the gates parted, his mind drifted to Bon Clay, the okama who'd given everything for them.

Kai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, frustration tugging at him. "At the end of the day, I barely changed anything" he thought to himself. "That fool still sacrificed himself. I could use a Mimic's Veil to trick them, but then I'd be the one staying behind… so, no. It's not like I had delusions of changing much anyways, at least not now"

As if on cue, the prisoners erupted in wild cheers, their attention now firmly focused on Buggy, who stood at the ship's front, oblivious to Kai's internal turmoil. "Captain Buggy! You opened the Gates of Justice! You're a living legend!" they shouted.

Kai rolled his eyes, groaning at the ridiculousness of it all. "I'm going to be sick," he mumbled, unable to stomach the growing chorus of Buggy's praises.

But before he could protest further, the Den Den Mushi on the ship started ringing, its familiar snail-like face making odd noises. The crew quickly gathered around as Kai answered it. The voice on the other end made Kai freeze for a moment.

"Farewell, my darlings! You must go without me, but don't look back, for I will always be with you… in spirit, Make sure to save your brother Mugi chan!" Bon Clay's voice sang out from the other side of the line, filled with emotion.

Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3 immediately burst into tears—comically loud, over-the-top sobbing that echoed across the ship. Buggy's nose seemed to inflate like a balloon as he wailed dramatically. "Bon-chan! You were too good for this world!!" buggy said.

Luffy, tears streaming down his face, cried, "Bon Clay! You're a hero!! We'll never forget you!"

Mr. 3, despite his usual dry demeanor, was also in tears, clutching a handkerchief. "Bon Clay, you beautiful, selfless soul!"

The ship shook with their comical lamentations, while the rest of the escapees looked on, both amused and bewildered at the ridiculous display.

Kai shook his head, half-smiling. "Idiots...," he muttered, though the corner of his lips hinted at a sliver of respect for Bon Clay's sacrifice.

Jinbe, standing calmly at the helm, watched the emotional scene unfold with a small, understanding smile. He turned his attention to the sea ahead. "Good," he said, his deep voice cutting through the cries. "The path is clear now."

The ship, carried by the wind and the open gates, sailed steadily toward freedom, leaving behind the chaos of Impel Down and the bittersweet sacrifice of a friend.

As the ship sailed smoothly through the towering Gates of Justice, leaving the horrors of Impel Down far behind, the vast, open sea stretched before them. The scent of sea salt filled the air, the wind whipping past Kai's face like a refreshing slap to the senses. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting it all sink in. The dark, oppressive prison was finally behind him, yet something about it all still felt unreal.

"I can't believe I made it out of that hellhole," Kai muttered to himself, the words barely audible over the sound of the waves. "This still doesn't feel real to me."

Just as he was lost in thought, a sudden ding echoed in his mind, startling him. A familiar notification appeared before his eyes:

[Mission Completed: Escape Impel Down within a year.

Reward: 20,000 Runes.]

Kai blinked, the golden numbers flashing briefly before fading away. He let out a low whistle. "Well, I did need a refill."

But before he could process it further, another message popped up:

[Bonus Rewards: Since it took less than half the time, additional rewards will be granted based on recent preference.

Rewards: +1 Flask of Crimson/Cerulean Tears, Wondrous Physick Flask, Cerulean Hidden Tear, Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear, Meteorite Staff, Marika's Soreseal.]

Kai's eyes widened in surprise as the items materialized into his inventory. He couldn't help but let out a small laugh, the tension in his body finally easing as he looked at the screen.

"Wow… This is a filthy mage combo!" he whispered with a grin, barely able to contain his excitement. The Wondrous Physick Flask, with the Cerulean Hidden Tear to eliminate his fp consumption and the Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear to boost his magic attacks, was the perfect complement to his style that he was forced to use. And the Meteorite Staff—one of the strongest early-game staffs he could get his hands on—was a game-changer.

Just as Kai was beginning to relish his newfound rewards, another notification flashed in front of his eyes, interrupting his brief moment of peace.

[New Quest: Take part in the War of the Best and live to tell the tale.

Rewards: 100,000 Runes. ??? ???

Failure : Death.]

Kai's excitement instantly faded, replaced by a sinking feeling in his gut. He stood there on the deck, scratching his head in disbelief. "thats a crazy number of runes, but of course..." His mind raced as the full weight of the situation settled in.

"I just escaped one hell," he muttered, eyes narrowing at the distant horizon, "and now I'm heading straight into a far more hellish place."

Kai let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "Can't I just take a boat and leave or something, this system is forcing me to take part in it?, it's not like i have another place I'm going to right now!" The thought of diving headfirst into a war involving some of the world's most powerful people made his skin crawl. Whitebeard, Admirals, Warlords—it was a nightmare waiting to happen.

"That place is full of monsters," he groaned to himself, the gravity of the situation sinking deeper. "Surviving there will be a serious challenge… still though, Call me greedy but….a Place with that many monsters is the optimal place for farming"

Kai stared at the sea, knowing there was no easy way out.

As Kai leaned against the side of the ship, lost in thought, the salty breeze ruffled his hair. He stared out at the endless horizon, the weight of his newfound quest pressing heavily on his mind. Just then, Luffy bounded over, his trademark grin brightening the atmosphere.

"Kai!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. "I gotta say, your powers are awesome! What kind of Devil Fruit is that?"

Kai smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He hadn't expected that kind of praise from Luffy, whose enthusiasm was infectious yet disarming. "You think so?" he replied, trying to play it cool.

Just then, Crocodile, leaning against the railing nearby, chimed in with a smirk. "That's no Devil Fruit," he said, his voice steady and low. "I haven't heard of any Devil Fruit that allows for projectile attacks like that. From your weird moves, I sensed Haki. Your mastery of Armament Haki must be impressive."

Kai blinked, surprised that Crocodile had taken notice of his abilities. "Yeah, it's… more of a special skill set I've developed," he admitted, his confidence growing as he spoke. "Haki's just one part of it."

Crocodile raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Interesting. You'll need that kind of strength if you want to survive what's ahead."

Kai's mind raced as he processed Crocodile's words. 'Whaaaat? My sorcery is Haki?' The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. 'I don't know if I can even get Haki in this world, but this is valuable information. Logias shouldn't be a problem then!; I just need to get stronger and gain more powerful spells!'

A newfound determination surged through him. If Haki was a part of his abilities, it meant he had the potential to stand against some of the strongest fighters out there. With each spell he mastered, he could become a formidable force.

The ship's Den Den Mushi suddenly started ringing again, its shrill cry breaking the tension on board. Buggy, standing at the front of the ship, grumbled. "Ugh, it's probably Mr. 3 again."

Kai shook his head and scoffed. "Of course not. It's the Marines—clearly, after all, it's their ship." Without hesitation, he picked up the receiver.

Before Kai could speak, Luffy snatched the receiver and yelled into it, "HELLO! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll be King of the Pirates!"

There was a brief pause before the voice on the other side calmly responded, "We are well aware of the hijack and the Impel Down escapees. Buggy the Clown, Monkey D. Luffy, and Kai the Bedroom Bandit—you three were identified as the masterminds of this operation, as informed by Impel Down officials."

"Bedroom Bandit?!" Kai blurted out, bewildered about the name that he still has no idea about!, but the Marine continued.

"We must admit, we underestimated your threat level, Kai the Bedroom Bandit. You should've been imprisoned far deeper than Level 2. Especially since you are the right hand man for Buggy the Clown!!! we've done some digging. It seems foolish now that we didn't realize sooner...Buggy the Clown is the sworn brother of the Emperor Red-Haired Shanks and a former member of the Pirate King Gold Roger's crew, isn't that right?"

Buggy froze in place, his eyes bulging as the color drained from his face. The prisoners around him gasped and immediately started praising him with renewed vigor.

"Captain Buggy was a brother of Shanks?!"

"A former Roger pirate?! We knew you were great, Captain Buggy!!"

The mood on the ship shifted quickly, with murmurs and cheers building as prisoners shouted, "All hail Captain Buggy!" while Buggy's face contorted in growing panic.

Crocodile smirked from the side, watching the scene unfold. "Interesting... Every ship has its own deadweight, it seems."

Kai was left in shock, though for different reasons. 'Bedroom Bandit? Why is everyone calling me that?! Damn it! I was hoping that stupid clown would get all the credit! And what's that about being his right hand man! fuck!' His confusion deepened, but there was no time to dwell on it.

The Marine's voice returned, cold and clear. "All of you will be dealt with accordingly. Your ship only has one destination now, and you'll find no escape."

Luffy, still holding the Den Den Mushi, shot back, "Yeah, just wait. We're coming to save Ace!"

Kai, growing concerned, leaned in. "Hey, any secret strategies or plans you wanna share with us before we meet?"

But before the Marine could respond, Luffy hung up with a satisfied grin, slamming the receiver down.

Kai stared at him in disbelief. "Idiot! I could've manipulated them or gotten some info out of them!"

Luffy shrugged casually. "We don't need any. We'll save Ace our way!"

Kai sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is going to be a long ride..." Meanwhile, Buggy was still reeling from the revelation, while prisoners continued showering him with praise for his "legendary" past.

//********************************************************\\

If you wish to read up to 5 Chapters Ahead! or simply support me just because? then check out my patréon at

"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"

Don't forget to change "é" to "e"