Kai himself had no idea.
Without him noticing…
he had already been marked by the highest authority in the Marines — Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong.
Of course—
"Marked" didn't mean "targeted for elimination."
It meant the exact opposite.
The Marines were afraid.
Afraid that a monster like Monkey D. Kai — only four years old and already terrifying — might be led astray, pulled away from the Marine path, and end up on the other side of the sea.
That alone was enough for Steel Bone Kong to take him seriously.
Serious enough to say:
"Have Vice Admiral Kuzan follow that kid.
Don't let anyone mess with him."
A Headquarters Vice Admiral…
assigned as a watcher for a four-year-old.
That was how high Kai now stood in the eyes of the Marines.
Naturally…
Kai knew none of this.
And even if he knew, he probably would've shrugged it off.
To him, it was simple:
Get stronger.
Then get even stronger.
No distractions.
The warship left Chuanliu (Flowstream) Island, heading straight for Marineford.
On the way…
Kai dove right back into his daily, soul-crushing, body-breaking training.
He had just wiped out the Demon Pirates and his strength had risen again — but he didn't relax.
He didn't take a day off.
He didn't even slow down.
He just kept grinding.
Push-ups.
Soru drills.
Iron Body refinements.
Controlled breathing to stimulate the Ghost Back.
Every move was standard. Precise. Efficient.
That kind of focus…
made every single Marine on the ship look at him with pure respect.
Even Kuzan — a man famous for his laziness — couldn't help but sigh.
"This kid's training… is scary."
He had to admit it.
Even he — back when he was twenty — would've struggled to maintain this pace.
And Kai?
He was four.
Four years old…
and already training at a level that would make grown men want to quit.
Kuzan clicked his tongue.
"A talent like this… and he's still working this hard?"
"How's anyone else on this sea supposed to live?"
Because the truth was—
Kai didn't just have absurd talent.
He was also the kind of person who put in ten times the effort of everyone else.
That was the part that broke people.
Kuzan leaned on the rail, watching the boy train on the deck, sweat dripping, breath steady, eyes firm.
A strange thought flashed through his mind.
"Good thing I'm not in the same generation as this monster."
"Otherwise…"
"Me, Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru)… we'd all be living under his shadow."
Just imagining it…
Kuzan suddenly felt a little bad for the future monsters of this era.
"Poor kids."
"You were born in the wrong time."
"You're all gonna grow up in this brat's shadow."
"Kai's light is way too bright."
"It's gonna swallow the whole generation."
He could already see it—
In a few years…
Every big name rising on the seas…
Every Marine rookie…
Every pirate genius…
All of them would be chasing the back of one person.
Monkey D. Kai.
"To be born in the same era as him…"
"That's not an honor."
"That's a kind of despair."
The more he thought about it, the more Kuzan sighed.
And right then—
he got body-checked by reality.
By Garp.
"Kuzan, brat…"
Garp walked over, arms crossed, face full of disapproval.
"Look at my grandson—and then look at you!"
"A four-year-old knows how to train like his life depends on it."
"You, a Headquarters Vice Admiral, lazing around on deck like a dead fish!"
"Shameful!"
Garp was really annoyed.
The whole warship had been fired up before — Kai's training had motivated everyone. Dozens of Marines were doing their own practice every day just from watching him.
Then Kuzan boarded.
And like a virus, his laziness started to spread.
Garp couldn't stand it.
Kuzan raised both hands in surrender.
"Vice Admiral Garp, it's not that I don't want to work…"
"It's just… my personality."
"I was born like this."
"Can't fix it."
"Hmph! Useless brat."
Garp snorted and didn't bother arguing.
Kuzan stared at Kai again, then at Garp.
Then back at Kai.
Then back at Garp.
He could only curse silently:
"This kid…"
"Has heaven-defying talent…"
"And he still trains harder than everyone else?!"
"He's gonna kill the rest of us at this rate!"
"Please…"
"Stop trying so hard!"
"You're four!!"
Because the truth was—
Everyone on the warship was already being dragged forward by Kai's work ethic.
A four-year-old was outworking them.
That was mentally exhausting.
"Good thing…"
"Good thing I'm not in his generation…"
Kuzan let out a long breath.
"Nope."
"Not watching this."
"I'm taking a nap."
He waved a hand.
"Oi. Get me a deck chair."
A Marine quickly brought over a sun lounger.
Kuzan dropped into it, put on sunglasses he'd pulled from his pocket, crossed his legs…
…and went right to sleep.
Sea breeze.
Warm sun.
Frozen air around him.
Perfect.
Garp watched this scene…
…and almost blew a vein.
"This brat!!"
He clenched his fists.
A nearby officer — Bogard — hurried over.
"Vice Admiral Garp, please don't get angry."
"This warship can't handle you and Vice Admiral Kuzan fighting."
"If either of you releases even a little power…"
"…this whole ship is going to the bottom of the sea."
"This is the open sea — if the ship sinks here, none of us are getting out."
Garp grunted.
"Fine. Fine."
"You think I don't know my own strength?"
He waved it off.
Then…
he, too, dragged over a deck chair.
Sat down.
Put a book over his face.
And within seconds—
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—
Thunderous snoring.
…
Around them, the Marines went back to work — cautiously.
With Garp and Kuzan both on the ship…
No one worried about pirate attacks.
No one even thought about a sea king.
This warship was practically untouchable.
The ship followed Garp's charted course.
Heading straight toward Marineford.
The sea parted.
The Marines worked.
The two strongest men on deck slept.
And in a corner of the deck—
Kai kept training.
Unshaken.
Unbothered.
Unstoppable.
Time on the sea passed quickly.
Day turned to night.
Night turned to day.
In the blink of an eye—
two days had gone by.
And the warship…
continued to cut across the Grand Line,
heading toward the place where the top of the world waited.
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