"Is that you? What's the matter?"
"Mr. Kaito! There's a ship that came back from the Grand Line — it's docked at the port of Logue Town!" Clive said nervously.
"Have you found out what group it belongs to?"
"I went to the intelligence office to ask, but the fee was too high, so I couldn't get the information!"
"Too high? How much are we talking about?"
"Ten million Berries!"
"Understood. Keep watch, and once you uncover the news, your reward won't be small."
"Yes! Kaito-sama!" Clive replied with excitement before rushing off.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. A ship from the Grand Line… if it's Doflamingo's people, I can't let them go. Once I strengthen my Armament Haki to the next level, I'll deal with Doflamingo completely.
In an instant, Kaito vanished from sight, leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
At the port of Logue Town, a large three-masted ship sat anchored — at first glance, it looked like a simple merchant vessel. On deck, a gray-haired old man in a neat tuxedo was moving cargo in and out of the hold. Once everything was secured, he hurried toward a room deep in the cabin.
Bell knocked softly and spoke in a low voice, "Sir, everything's loaded. Are we proceeding as planned?"
"Continue according to the original plan," came a calm yet commanding voice from within.
"Understood," Bell replied, bowing slightly.
Before he could step away, a cold voice echoed out of nowhere.
"No need."
The air twisted as space rippled, and Kaito appeared silently in front of him, expression unreadable.
Bell froze, eyes wide. Before he could react, Kaito smashed the door in front of him with a single punch.
Inside, a young man with silver hair and a strange helmet stood, looking unfazed.
"Gladius… Doflamingo's subordinate," Kaito muttered.
"Ah, so you're Kaito — the new pirate who's been making waves in the East Blue," Gladius said coldly.
"That's me," Kaito replied flatly.
"Then you should know there's a price for destroying my master's business," Gladius said as his tone turned sharp.
From the way Kaito had entered, Gladius already knew this wouldn't be a friendly visit.
"You're here for Turner Village, aren't you?" Kaito asked.
"That's right," Gladius sneered. "But you're too late. Let me enlighten you — I'm not the only one who came back this time. Another pirate crew disguised as a caravan already landed in East Blue seven days ago. I'm here to take over the territory they secured."
His smirk deepened. "Once I succeed, the young master will make me a full member of the Donquixote Family."
"Since you want to die, I might as well kill you," Kaito growled, fury igniting in his eyes.
For the first time in a long while, true rage burned within him.
A violent suction erupted from his left hand, pulling Gladius toward him before he could react. With one swift motion, Kaito seized him by the throat.
"You're the first person to ever make me this angry," he said, voice like ice.
"Heh… don't get too confident," Gladius wheezed.
His body began to swell grotesquely, turning into a massive black sphere in seconds.
Seeing this, Bell bolted toward the exit. The next instant, a thunderous explosion shook the entire port. The shockwave sent Bell tumbling across the ground as waves crashed violently against the harbor walls.
When the smoke cleared, Gladius stood smirking amid the ruins.
A hundred million Berries might make him a big name here, he thought, but in the Grand Line — in the New World — that's nothing.
He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, a pitch-black hand emerged from the air itself and pierced straight through his chest.
"You… you! How—?" Gladius gasped, disbelief frozen on his face.
"What do you think?" Kaito said coldly, lightning crackling around his fingers.
Gladius's body convulsed as electricity surged through him. Within moments, he was nothing but charred remains.
Tossing the body aside, Kaito waved his hand, opening a swirling rift in space. Without hesitation, he stepped through.
Far away, in a grand castle, Doflamingo lounged on his throne, swirling a glass of red wine with an amused grin.
"Not good, young master! Not good!" a large woman burst in, gasping for breath.
"What is it, Jorah?"
"Gladius's life paper just turned to ash!" she cried, voice trembling.
The grin faded from Doflamingo's lips.
"So, Gladius… I sent him to East Blue to take control of the underground trade and establish a base to expand our reach… it seems he's failed," he said coldly, his voice like a razor's edge.
"Master, what should we do now?" Jorah asked carefully.
"Let me go," said Diamante from behind, his red cape fluttering as he stepped forward.
"Not yet," Doflamingo replied. "Before revenge, we need to know who we're dealing with. Once I have that answer, we'll make our move."
His eyes darkened. "No one kills my family and walks away."
Meanwhile, at Turner Village…
The once-peaceful settlement was now drowned in smoke and fire. Gunpowder filled the air as screams echoed through the streets. Pirates roamed about with wicked grins, their blades dripping red.
Bodies lay everywhere — the ground stained with blood, the village turned into a nightmare.
In the center, Bellamy stood motionless, surrounded by corpses stacked like a hill. Among them lay Nalo, the village chief Kaito once knew.
Nearby, a pirate held a burning torch, preparing to set the pile ablaze.
Deep in the forest outside the village, Risa hid inside a small underground cellar, tears streaming down her face as she listened to the chaos above.