Rosede Kingdom.
Sarla City.
Outside "Uncle Kaich's Tavern."
Kai stood in front of the rather ordinary-looking tavern, gaze calm.
A breeze brushed past.
From inside came the thick, rich smell of alcohol — strong, expensive stuff.
Even from outside the door, he could smell it.
Inside, voices overlapped — lively, messy, noisy.
Too many people.
Too many kinds of people.
A complete mix.
"...So this is the place Lucci picked?"
Kai narrowed his eyes slightly.
He didn't overthink it.
He stepped forward and pushed the door open.
Creak—
The door let out a clear sound.
Kai walked in.
At once—
Countless strange gazes fell on him.
A four-year-old.
Walking into a tavern.
Of course people stared.
Some looked surprised.
Some looked confused.
And a few… looked malicious.
Following those eyes, Kai saw several burly men sitting in a corner.
Big arms, thick necks, hard faces — and on those faces, open hostility.
"A bunch of insects…"
The violent urge he'd just suppressed earlier stirred again.
His eyes flashed — a cold, murderous crimson light flickered through them as he looked straight at those men.
In that instant—
BOOM—
Those burly men seemed to see a figure walking out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Killing intent, thick and suffocating, rolled toward them like a wave.
Just one look.
Just one exchange of gazes—
And their bodies went cold.
Their blood froze.
Their pupils shrank.
"T-This kid…"
"Where did this monster come from?!"
"Just one look… I almost couldn't breathe."
"This pressure is insane!"
Their throats tightened.
It felt like ice water was being poured down from their skulls.
Just being looked at by Kai made them feel like they'd die the next second.
They hurriedly looked away — no longer daring to stare at him with bad intentions.
In their eyes right now…
This four-year-old child was no child.
He was a demon.
"I once saw a pirate with a bounty over ten million…"
"But even that guy didn't make me feel this kind of pressure."
"This brat… is ten times scarier."
"Forget it. Don't provoke him. Whoever angers him first… dies first."
They whispered nervously among themselves.
At the counter, the middle-aged tavern owner also blinked in surprise at the small figure walking toward him.
Before the boss could speak—
Kai spoke first.
"Is there a thirteen-year-old boy here named Rob Lucci?"
The boss's pupils shrank slightly.
He looked at Kai more carefully.
Then he asked in a probing tone:
"You are…?"
"I'm Kai. The one the Marines sent to cooperate with him."
Straightforward.
Clear.
No nonsense.
At that moment, the boss's expression completely changed.
He immediately understood.
This wasn't some child wandering in.
This was the Marine side of the joint rescue operation the World Government had mentioned.
And also—
It confirmed something else.
This tavern… was indeed a Cipher Pol safehouse.
The boss bowed slightly and said respectfully:
"Mr. Kai, please follow me. Mr. Lucci has been waiting for you."
Then he led Kai toward the back of the tavern.
They walked past the noisy hall, past the smell of alcohol and sweat and smoke —
and stopped before a wooden door.
The boss lowered his voice:
"Mr. Lucci is inside. I won't disturb you two."
"You can talk freely here. This is one of CP's most secure rooms."
"No one can eavesdrop."
He said that — and left very wisely.
CP's rules were strict.
Ranked.
Cold.
Those who should not listen — don't listen.
Those who should not know — don't know.
Otherwise… they disappeared.
Kai watched him leave, then pushed the door open.
Creak—
The secret room wasn't small — enough for a hundred people to sit in on a meeting.
Very simple layout.
A long rectangular table in the middle.
Chairs around it.
No decorations.
No alcohol.
No windows.
Just a room meant for work.
And in that room — sat a boy in a black suit.
Thirteen years old.
Short, neat black hair that covered his ears.
Thin but sharp.
His eyebrows split at the ends — that signature hawk-like look.
On his shoulder — a white pigeon.
It was him.
Rob Lucci.
CP's so-called "once-in-800-years genius."
At the sound of the door, Lucci looked over.
He saw Kai.
A four-year-old.
Bare-chested, muscle lines like coiled steel, Ghost Back writhing like a demonic pattern on his back.
For a split second — Lucci's eyes narrowed.
Then his gaze went cold.
"The Marines…"
"...sent a four-year-old to work with me?"
His tone dropped several degrees.
Even the pigeon on his shoulder tilted its head.
Lucci's eyes were calm — but clearly displeased.
"Has the Navy… run out of people?"
"Or do they think… I can't finish the mission without help, so they casually threw a child over here?"
There was no emotion in his voice.
Just cold judgment.
But under that coldness —
there was anger.
Then, without warning—
Lucci grabbed the chair beside him.
His right arm tensed.
Muscles rippled under the suit — power surged.
And then—
He threw it.
Whoosh!!
The black wooden chair tore through the air like a cannonball fired in a confined room.
The air split with a sharp screech.
Straight toward Kai!
Even at thirteen, Lucci already had the power of a monster.
This was no "hello."
This was no "nice to meet you."
This was a test.
A cold, arrogant, CP-style test.
To him…
this Marine brat needed to prove he was qualified to stand in the same room.
Kai watched the chair coming.
His expression didn't change.
"Testing me?"
"Interesting."
"So…"
"You've really underestimated me, Lucci."
He slowly raised his right arm.
Palm open.
And reached out—
Toward the oncoming chair.
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