One Piece: Winds of Rebellion

Kai' pupils narrowed sharply. While a bounty doesn't always equate to raw strength, it often serves as a reliable measure of a pirate's power and infamy.

In the early seas of the Grand Line, during the rise of the Great Pirate Era, a bounty of 3.7 billion berries was an astonishing figure.

Though Kai had dealt with marauding pirates before, the highest bounty he'd encountered among them was a mere 230 million berries—a far cry from the infamous 3.7 billion on Alexis, the "Giant Rhino."

Alexis' reputation for brutality was notorious in these waters. Not only had he evaded countless Navy pursuits, but his retaliation involved massacring entire towns to send a message. His actions made him a nightmare for civilians and an ever-present threat on the seas.

"Brother Kai, what do we do now?" Fitz asked, his voice tinged with worry as he noticed Kai deep in thought.

Kai' response was calm but resolute. "We kill them."

"Aha?"

Fitz's eyes widened in disbelief. Though Kai had defeated pirates before, the Giant Rhino Pirates were unlike any they'd faced. Alexis' strength was on a completely different level.

While Fitz stood frozen, Kai began walking forward. In an instant, his figure vanished into the distance. Fitz snapped out of his daze and scrambled to follow. "Brother Kai, wait for me!"

Kai muttered under his breath, his tone unreadable. "It seems I'll have to reveal a bit more of my power this time. But no matter—the energy absorbed from the Sea Kings is sufficient. It's time to taste the essence of a stronger soul."

A glint of steel flickered in Kai' usually calm eyes, accompanied by a subtle tremor in his body—a clear sign that his blood was beginning to boil.

The scene shifted to carnage.

The ground was soaked in blood, and the remains of buildings and bodies littered the area, as if the gates of hell had opened.

"Lord Alexis, please! Take all our wealth, but spare our lives!" The elderly mayor knelt in the dirt, his forehead pressed to the ground as he begged for mercy.

"Mayor, we should fight back!" a defiant voice shouted from the crowd behind him.

"Silence!" The mayor turned to chastise the speaker before pleading once more. "Lord Alexis, take everything—our gold, our treasures. I swear on my ancestors' graves, we won't tell the Navy anything. Please, let us live!"

"Hahahaha! Let you live?" Alexis laughed cruelly. "Who will spread tales of my might if I leave survivors? I've made it clear to this sea—whenever the Navy chases me, I'll raze a town in retaliation. You old fool, blame your precious Navy for this."

The towering, one-eyed pirate raised his massive spiked mace high, poised to strike the mayor down in a gruesome display.

BOOM!

Before the blow could land, a shadow plummeted from the sky. With a thunderous impact, Alexis' hulking form was launched dozens of meters away, his mace clattering to the ground.

Standing amidst the dust was Kai, having leapt from a rooftop and delivered a devastating strike.

"Kai knocked away the Giant Rhino Alexis!" a townsman whispered in disbelief.

"Brother Kai is here! The Giant Rhino Pirates won't stand a chance now!" one of the "boy scouts" cheered, their faith in him unwavering.

"Is this a joke? An eleven- or twelve-year-old kid took down the captain?" a pirate blurted out in disbelief.

The pirate beside him flinched at the comment, his face going pale. He quickly backed away as though he'd seen a ghost.

The outspoken pirate realized his mistake too late. Sweat poured down his back, and his legs trembled as he stared at the dust cloud where Alexis had landed. "Captain, I-I didn't mean—"

CRUNCH!

A massive mace shot out of the dust with blinding speed, smashing into the pirate's skull and leaving his body crumpled and lifeless on the ground.

Emerging from the haze, Alexis' bloodied form was a terrifying sight. His forehead dripped crimson, and his body was drenched in gore, giving him the appearance of a demon risen from a sea of blood.

The crowd froze in terror, their heads bowed. None dared to breathe, as if an invisible weight pressed down upon them, suffocating them with dread.