After taking down the last pirate lackey, Kairo's once fiery scarlet eyes softened, regaining that fierce spirit from before.
The overwhelming arrogance that had clouded him vanished like smoke.
Alex Jesse stood, the oppressive weight lifting off his chest.
His eyes locked on Kairo, wide with fear.
"You… Who the hell are you?"
Alex Jesse smirked, trying to calm his breathing.
"My name's Kairo Stoneheart!"
Now, Kairo felt calm, the tension breaking free like a surge of joy.
He faced the pirate captain with steady resolve.
Raising his sword, Kairo's gaze was sharp and unyielding.
"You're the first stepping stone, towards my journey to the sea!"
With a confident grin, Kairo held his stance.
"Don't be arrogant you Brat!"
"Quit talking big, I'll make you pay for what you did to my crew!"
Alex Jesse lunged forward, wielding a massive knife.
Kairo never broke eye contact.
Clang!
Metal rang as Kairo blocked the powerful strike with one hand.
With a swift twist, he knocked the blade aside, then slashed him at lightning-fast.
A long gash of blood tore across Alex Jesse's chest.
"Arrgh!"
Alex Jesse stumbled back, screaming, blood soaking through his clothes.
He rose again, wild fury blazing in his eyes.
Throwing his knife aside, he bellowed, "You're forcing me to do this!"
Suddenly, his body swelled and shifted.
A monstrous transformation erupted.
"Roar!"
Alex Jesse's mouth opened wide in a fearsome bear's roar.
"Devil Fruit user?" Kairo blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected this pirate to wield such power.
But it seemed more like an animal-type ability.
"That's right. I'm Alex Jesse the Bear, captain of the Bear Pirates!"
The giant black bear growled at Kairo.
The wound on his chest began to heal rapidly.
Kairo's eyes narrowed in amazement.
"As expected of a Zoan fruits, the healing's regenerative is so intense. But do you really think a mere Devil Fruit alone can beat me?"
Flicking the blood off his blade, Kairo smirked.
Without hesitation, he charged forward.
His sword flashed like lightning, aiming straight for the bear's neck.
Alex Jesse stood firm, slamming his massive paws down to block the strike.
The clash of sword and a bear's paw shook the air.
Kairo's blade barely sliced the surface.
"Roar!"
Seeing his defense hold, Alex Jesse's confidence surged.
He charged, his massive body swung forward.
Kairo raised his sword horizontally, blocking the onslaught.
Bang!
Crack!
The force threw Kairo back several steps, and his sword shattered into pieces.
Alex Jesse roared with wild laughter.
"Hahaha! Brat, let's see how you survive without your sword in my hands!"
The bear captain's eyes gleamed with savage delight.
"Looks like you haven't mastered the sword yet, huh?"
Kairo glanced down at his broken sword, now just a bare hilt remained, shrugged, and tossed it aside.
He cracked his neck, clenched his fists.
"Looks like this fight's going hand-to-hand!"
His scarlet eyes burned fiercely as he stared at the wild bear, Alex Jesse.
Tapping his foot, Kairo leapt over ten meters in a flash, landing right in front of the beast and throwing a powerful punch.
Bang!
Alex Jesse was sent crashing down in an instant.
White-hot energy radiated off Kairo's body no doubt, he was dead serious now.
No time to give this beast a break.
As Alex Jesse roared in rage, Kairo charge forward again.
Still dazed, the bear barely had time to react before Kairo's fist slammed into his jaw.
Blood flew from Alex Jesse's mouth and with it, and something else.
Only Alex Jesse knew that he'd just bitten his own tongue.
The blow sent the bear flying, tumbling head over heels through the air.
Kairo wasn't done.
He sprang up and landed atop the bear, spinning his leg like a whip and smashing down with the force of a mountain.
The savage blow slammed Alex Jesse hard into the sea.
For a Devil Fruit user like him, the ocean was the ultimate enemy.
Kairo's strike snapped Alex Jesse back to his original form.
Without hesitation, Kairo dove into the water, grabbed the unconscious pirate, and dragged him ashore.
He picked up a long knife lying nearby and slashed down on Alex Jesse's head.
Blood sprayed everywhere as the pirate captain's body split clean in two.
Kairo hung Alex Jesse's severed head on the flagpole beside him — a grim trophy.
The fight was brutal but fast.
Whether stunned by Kairo's overwhelming presence or cut down by his blade, the rest of the pirate crew lay scattered around the crowded port.
Kairo didn't bother watching whether they woke up or not.
With the bear's head displayed, he strode toward the three docked pirate ships, eyes scanning for loot.
If there was a Devil Fruit onboard, that was pure gold.
No matter the type, those fruits could fetch 20 million belly — if powerful, even more.
But Kairo's search was mostly disappointment.
Inside the ships, he found only a paltry of 100 million belly and about seventy slaves crammed below the deck.
Curiously, their auras were weak, like they hadn't eaten in several days.
Kairo stepped into the dim cabin.
The air was thick with despair.
Tattered clothes hung on the emaciated figures sitting silently, too scared to speak.
"Who are you?!" Kairo's voice cut through the cabin.
Heads snapped up, a young man stood at the entrance, drenched in blood and looking wildly out of place.
The others shrank back instinctively.
Kairo scanned the room, giving him no answer.
about to be Frustrated, he almost turned to leave and suddenly.
"Wait! My lord! Please, wait!"
A panicked female voice stopped him.
He turned back.
Though the cabin was dark, Kairo immediately recognized the speaker.
The girl's eyes were desperate.
"We're from the Kingdom of Kakna. The Bear Pirates attacked us and sold us into slavery. Please, save us!"