The chaos that had engulfed the Baratie moments ago slowly began to settle.
The violent winds from the clash had long faded, and the ocean surrounding the floating restaurant returned to its usual rhythm—waves rising and falling as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.
Yet the atmosphere on the deck remained heavy.
Oppressively so.
No one moved normally.
No one spoke above a whisper.
Most of the people present were still staring at Kael.
Their eyes carried the same expression.
Shock.
Fear.
Disbelief.
To them, the scene they had just witnessed defied all logic.
A young swordsman had just clashed with the World's Greatest Swordsman… and was still standing, barely injured.
If that wasn't a monster, then what was?
They had all seen what happened earlier.
They had seen Zoro—a swordsman far above the average—defeated effortlessly, without even forcing Mihawk to take him seriously.
And yet this man… this Kael…
He had faced Mihawk head-on and survived a named attack.
The whispers began again, spreading like wildfire across the deck.
"He's a monster…"
"Did you see that? He actually stopped Mihawk's attack."
"Damn it… he survived a named technique."
"Don't provoke him… or his crew."
"An 80 million bounty… yeah, that makes sense now."
"Honestly… it might even be higher."
Every conversation, no matter how it began, circled back to the same name.
Kael Sylvarion.
Not far from the murmuring crowd, Don Krieg stood frozen with his crew behind him.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale.
His gaze shifted between Mihawk… and Kael.
Earlier, Mihawk alone had been enough to crush his spirit completely.
Now—
Now there was another monster standing right there.
"Damnit…" he muttered under his breath, his voice tight with frustration.
His jaw locked.
"There was already that Mihawk…"
"And now this freak."
His crew looked just as shaken.
No one dared raise their voice.
No one even tried to act brave.
Krieg exhaled sharply, forcing himself to regain composure before turning toward his men.
"Let's move."
The words came out stiff… restrained.
"We're leaving."
No one questioned it.
No one protested.
Every single pirate nodded instantly.
"Y-Yes, Captain!"
Within moments, the infamous Krieg Pirates were retreating from the Baratie deck with hurried, uneven steps.
It barely resembled a tactical withdrawal.
It looked more like a group of men trying to escape before attracting the attention of something far beyond their level.
Soon enough, their ship pulled away from the floating restaurant.
The immediate danger had passed.
But the tension…
The tension still lingered.
Meanwhile, Kael still stood near Mihawk.
Just as he was about to relax—
A familiar notification appeared in his vision.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host]
[Hidden Mission Completed]
Kael blinked.
(Hidden mission?)
The system continued.
[Mission: Spar with the World's Greatest Swordsman]
[Rewards Received]
[Level 2 Armament Haki Increased]
[Wind Breathing Compatibility: 59% → 60%]
[New Form Unlocked]
[Wind Breathing – Fifth Form Acquired]
Immediately, Kael felt something shift deep within his body.
His Armament Haki… felt denser.
Sharper.
More refined—like a blade that had just been polished to perfection.
At the same time, new knowledge flooded into his mind.
Sword posture.
Breathing rhythm.
Movement patterns.
Each detail aligned seamlessly, assembling itself as if it had always belonged there.
(Fifth Form: Clean Blade.)
(A straight, high-speed thrust designed to pierce vital points.)
(An assassination-style attack focused entirely on precision.)
Minimal area coverage.
Maximum penetration.
Kael exhaled slowly, feeling the technique settle into his instincts.
(…That's going to be really useful.)
The system finally went silent.
After a few seconds, Kael rolled his shoulders slightly before turning toward the Baratie entrance.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath.
"It's time to eat."
Then he simply walked toward the restaurant—
As if nothing unusual had happened.
That casual reaction alone caused several nearby onlookers to stare in disbelief.
He just fought Mihawk…
And the first thing he says is he wants food?
Behind him, Mihawk watched quietly.
His sharp eyes followed Kael's movements for a moment longer than necessary.
Then his brow furrowed—just slightly.
Strange…
For a brief second earlier—
He had sensed something.
A faint shift in Kael's presence.
Did he just get stronger…?
Mihawk frowned faintly.
The thought sounded absurd, even to him.
No one simply grew stronger within a few breaths.
After a moment, he dismissed it.
Meanwhile—
Two figures rushed toward Kael at the same time.
"Kael!"
"Kaeel!"
Kaya arrived first, stopping directly in front of him with a worried expression.
Nami followed close behind, her face clearly agitated.
Both of them immediately began examining him from head to toe.
Kaya gently grabbed his arm, her brows knit together in concern.
"Let me check you," she said seriously.
"Why are you always running into trouble?"
Nami crossed her arms, her tone sharp.
"Idiot!"
But despite her scolding, her shoulders relaxed slightly the moment she confirmed he was fine.
Relief was obvious in her eyes.
She had just watched him clash with Mihawk.
Even if Mihawk had held back…
That didn't make it any less terrifying.
Nearby, Tashigi approached as well.
She looked worried too, though she tried to mask it behind a composed expression.
Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword.
Just in case.
Kael raised both hands slightly in surrender.
"Alright, alright."
"I'm fine."
Then he pointed lazily behind him.
"And for the record, he's the one who forced me."
His finger aimed directly at Mihawk.
Several heads turned.
Mihawk's expression remained calm.
But after a brief pause—
He quietly looked away.
Avoiding Nami's extremely annoyed glare.
That girl…
A faint bead of sweat appeared near his temple.
She doesn't seem scared of me at all.
Invitation:
The tense atmosphere lingering on the Baratie deck began to loosen.
It didn't disappear completely—but the suffocating pressure from earlier had eased.
People were still staring at Kael with complicated expressions, but the raw fear had dulled into cautious respect.
The truth had already settled in their minds.
That young man was a monster.
There was no other explanation.
Just as everyone was trying to process things—
"KAEL!!"
A loud voice shattered the calm.
Heads turned instantly.
Usopp came sprinting down from the upper deck, with Luffy and Zoro following behind him.
Without slowing down, the long-nosed sniper leapt forward and wrapped his arms around Kael in an exaggerated hug.
"Kael, you were amazing just now!!"
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"You fought exactly like I taught you!"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every single person nearby stared at the scene with deadpan expressions.
Even Mihawk glanced over—mild curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Kael looked down at Usopp.
Then—
He chuckled.
Placing a hand over his chest, he bowed slightly in exaggerated respect.
"I hope I made you proud, Master Usopp."
For a brief moment—
No one reacted.
Then someone snorted.
Another pirate burst into laughter.
Soon, the sound spread across the deck.
The tension that had gripped everyone earlier finally cracked.
Luffy grabbed the brim of his straw hat and burst into loud laughter.
"HAHAHA!!"
"Usopp, you're so funny!"
Usopp huffed immediately.
"Hey! I'm serious!"
Kael only smiled before shifting his gaze toward the straw-hat boy.
"You must be Luffy."
He extended his hand.
"I'm Kael Sylvarion. Usopp's friend."
Luffy didn't hesitate even a second.
He grabbed Kael's hand firmly, shaking it with an excited grin.
"You know me?"
Kael nodded casually.
"Yeah. I saw your bounty poster earlier."
"You're pretty famous."
Luffy's grin widened even further.
"Yes!!"
He pointed at himself proudly.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!"
Then he declared loudly—
"I will become the Pirate King!!"
Kael didn't argue.
Didn't laugh.
Didn't dismiss it.
He simply smiled.
"Sure you will."
"Shishishi!"
Luffy laughed happily.
But just as the moment settled—
"WAIT!"
A sharp voice cut through the air.
Tashigi stepped forward, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.
Her expression had turned serious.
"You're a pirate!"
Steel slid halfway from its sheath.
"I can't ignore that!"
Across from her, Zoro reacted instantly.
Despite his injuries, he grabbed the only sword he had left—
Wado Ichimonji.
His other two blades had been shattered earlier by Mihawk.
The sound of steel echoed softly.
But before anything could escalate—
Kael moved.
His hand rested gently over Tashigi's grip.
With a light, controlled push, he pressed the blade back into its sheath.
"Relax," he said calmly.
"He hasn't done anything wrong."
Zoro paused.
Then slowly, he loosened his stance and slid his sword back.
Tashigi, however, looked stunned.
"B-But he…"
Her voice trembled.
"Captain Morgan…"
Kael's expression remained unchanged.
"That Morgan was a bastard."
Silence fell again.
Kael continued in the same steady tone.
"He forced civilians to build statues of him."
"Executed anyone who disobeyed."
"Let his son terrorize the town freely."
"And lied about his achievements to his superiors."
Kaya and Nami, standing nearby, listened with visible disgust.
Neither of them doubted him for even a second.
If Kael said it—
It was true.
Zoro, however, had a bead of sweat slide down his temple.
This guy… how the hell does he know everything?
Tashigi stood frozen.
Her eyes widened.
"That… that can't be true!"
She looked straight at Kael.
"You're not saying that just because of your long-nose friend… right, Kael-san?"
Kael gave a small, calm smile.
"Do you think I would lie about something like that, Tashigi?"
She flinched.
Her thoughts raced.
No…
Kael-san wouldn't lie.
She had doubted him before.
More than once.
But every time—
He had been right.
Slowly, she turned toward Luffy.
The pirate in question wasn't even paying attention anymore.
He was just standing there… smiling like an idiot.
After a moment, Tashigi lowered her head in a small bow.
"I'm sorry for earlier."
She hesitated.
"And… thank you."
"For helping the people of Shells Town."
Luffy blinked.
Then grinned again.
"Don't worry about it!"
"Shishishi!"
Kael watched the interaction with a faint, satisfied smile.
(That's why I like you, Tashigi.)
(Never change.)
The words came out casually.
But three people reacted instantly.
Kaya flinched.
Nami's eyes narrowed.
Tashigi froze.
A faint blush spread rapidly across her face.
"Y-You—!"
Her cheeks turned bright red.
She turned away sharply and stormed toward the restaurant.
Kaya puffed her cheeks and pointed accusingly at Kael.
"You're bad, Kael-san!"
"I was the first!"
Then she hurried after Tashigi.
Kael blinked, completely confused.
Before he could speak—
Nami crossed her arms.
"Idiot."
She huffed and walked off as well.
Kael stood there, utterly dazed.
He slowly turned toward the remaining three.
"What did I do…?"
Luffy tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Shishishi…"
"Maybe they are hungry?"
Usopp immediately smacked the back of his head.
"Idiot! Don't just say random things!"
Beside them, Zoro smirked.
"Heh."
"Looks like you're in trouble."
There was clear satisfaction in his voice.
Kael had called him an idiot earlier.
This felt like payback.
Kael sighed.
His gaze shifted toward the dock.
Mihawk was preparing to leave.
"Where are you going, Mihawk?"
The moment the name left his mouth—
Several people flinched again.
They had just started calming down.
What now?
Mihawk paused and looked back.
One eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
"Do you wish to continue our spar?"
Kael waved his hand immediately.
"Don't get the wrong idea."
"I'm not fighting you again."
A brief pause.
"I'm inviting you to a meal."
"My treat."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Several people looked like their brains had stopped working.
Did he just invite Mihawk… to eat?
Mihawk studied him.
"Is there a reason?"
Kael shrugged.
"You reminded me to stay humble."
"I need to train more."
Mihawk closed his eyes briefly.
"I see."
Then opened them again.
"Why should I join you?"
Kael didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward the entrance.
"Old man!"
Zeff stood there, arms folded.
"Yes?"
"You've got good red wine?"
Zeff snorted.
"Only the best."
Kael smirked and looked back.
"Well?"
Mihawk's lips curved slightly.
"Now you have my interest."
He nodded once.
"Very well."
"Let's go."
Luffy grinned.
"Hahaha! You're amazing!"
Zoro shook his head.
"Crazy bastard."
Usopp remained speechless.
Ignoring everyone else, Kael, Mihawk, Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp walked into the restaurant.
Outside, Zeff exhaled deeply.
"Sanji."
"Start preparing food."
"And bring the best red wine we have."
Sanji frowned.
"Is that really alright?"
Zeff's foot slammed down.
"JUST DO IT, BRAT!"
He pointed inside.
"Unless you want to provoke those monsters."
Sanji clicked his tongue.
"…Fine."
He turned to leave—
"And Sanji."
He groaned.
"What now, old man?"
Zeff's gaze sharpened.
"Stay away from the three women with that monster."
"I don't need to explain why."
Sanji paused.
Then—
Sweat slowly slid down his forehead.
"…Tch."
His shoulders dropped.
"That lucky bastard."
The doors of the Baratie closed behind him.