With the mask off, Stobe no longer bothered to pretend.
Glaring fiercely at Kai, he said, "Kid, I'll give you two choices: First, obey my orders and handle logistics; second, there are plenty of big-time pirates around the Sabaody Archipelago. It's not the first time a Navy officer has died here. Maybe you'll be the next!"
"Should I take that as a threat?" Kai asked calmly.
Stobe was taken aback, surprised that Kai could remain so composed under the circumstances. Without hesitation, he replied, "Of course!"
His expression turned even more vicious. As the highest-ranking officer of the Sabaody Navy Branch, a Vice Admiral, Stobe was no pushover. He wielded Armament Haki expertly, mastered the Navy's Rokushiki techniques, and had even slain pirates with bounties over 200 million!
He never imagined he'd be unable to handle a mere Rear Admiral!
But Kai suddenly chuckled lightly and said, "Then can I choose a third option?"
"A third option!?" Stobe paused, then sneered, "Kid, I only gave you two choices!"
"The third option is: You tell me to go handle logistics, or I kill you right here!"
Kai didn't bother wasting words with Stobe. His tone turned deadly serious, and the murderous intent radiating from him surged outward like an invisible storm, directly confronting Stobe.
Though the One Piece world's fundamental nature rejected powers from other worlds—meaning Kai couldn't use his Naruto abilities here—killing intent was different. It wasn't a tangible force but a spiritual resolve, even more ethereal than mental energy. Simply put, killing intent was a state of mind!
How dense was Kai's killing intent forged in the Naruto world? Just look at Stobe.
The once arrogant Stobe was now sitting on the ground, face pale as death, eyes wide with terror, huge beads of sweat pouring down his face.
"Did you understand what I said?" Kai glanced at Stobe coldly.
"I understand! I get it! From now on, I'll handle logistics," Stobe stammered, nodding frantically, not daring to hesitate for a second—afraid that even a moment's delay would mean death.
It was terrifying beyond belief. Even Charlotte Linlin, one of the New World's Four Emperors whom Stobe had met before, didn't inspire this kind of dread!
"Then get out of here!" Kai ordered.
Hearing this, Stobe felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He didn't even have time to stand properly, scrambling away on all fours.
Nearby, a middle-aged officer who had been Stobe's adjutant looked on confused, unable to grasp what had just happened. Since the killing intent had only targeted Stobe, the officer felt nothing.
From the adjutant's perspective, Kai had merely glanced at Stobe—and Stobe had collapsed in terror. This only deepened the adjutant's awe of Kai.
"What's the current pirate situation on the Sabaody Archipelago?" Kai sat down in the Navy's seat formerly occupied by Stobe and asked the adjutant directly.
"Ah!" The adjutant was caught off guard by the question but dared not hesitate. "Reporting, Rear Admiral, the pirate activity on the Sabaody Archipelago is worsening. Besides the lawless zones on Islands 01 to 29, pirates have spread across Islands 30 to 59 and 70 to 79 as well."
"So basically, except for Islands 60 to 69, the entire archipelago is overrun with pirates? What was Stobe even doing before?"
Kai hadn't expected the situation to be this bad. Now he fully understood how tough the Navy's position at sea really was.
"Well... Rear Admiral, there are pirates even on Islands 60 to 69. Vice Admiral Stobe said as long as they don't attack Island 66, we don't need to intervene," the adjutant added awkwardly.
Kai was speechless. But causing more trouble for that fool Stobe now wouldn't help.
"Gather all the information on pirates currently in the Sabaody Archipelago immediately," Kai ordered, frowning.
The adjutant brought out stacks of paper files taller than himself. Seeing this, Kai twitched his mouth.
Just how many pirates were there in the Sabaody Archipelago!?
Flipping through a few files at random, all the names were unfamiliar. After fifteen minutes, Kai grew impatient and tossed the papers aside, rubbing his temples.
"Johnson, and you..." Kai glanced at the adjutant, realizing he didn't even know his name.
The adjutant quickly said, "Rear Admiral, my name is Vigona."
"Mm," Kai nodded. "Johnson, you and Vigona immediately issue a declaration to all islands: All pirates must leave the Sabaody Archipelago within three days, or face no mercy!"
"Ah!!" Johnson and Vigona were stunned. They exchanged looks before Johnson asked, "Sir, is the Navy Headquarters sending an Admiral to reinforce us?"
"No," Kai replied calmly.
"Rear Admiral, we don't have enough strength to suppress the pirates," Vigona said, forcing himself to speak up.
He knew the Sabaody Archipelago's situation better than anyone. Without an Admiral from Headquarters, the branch simply couldn't handle the pirates. If the pirates fought back, it would be disastrous.
"Don't worry. I alone will... kill every last pirate here!"
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