The smell of the sea was changing. The salty, fresh breeze of the Grand Line was being slowly replaced by the dry, metallic scent of heated sand. Alabasta was close, but the closer they got, the more the atmosphere on the ship felt like a stretched bowstring, ready to snap.
Kai stood at the prow, his [Soul Vision] scanning the horizon. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. A small, silent vessel—no larger than a rowboat—was drifting toward them. It had no sails, no oars, and through the mist, it looked like a coffin floating on the waves.
[Warning: Hostile Spirit detected.]
[Class: Infiltrator | Rank: C+.]
[Signature: 'Unseen Shadow'.]
"Silas, stay with the Princess," Kai said, his hand already resting on the hilt of his violet dagger. "We have a guest who forgot to knock."
Before Silas could respond, a figure suddenly materialized from the very mist itself, landing silently on the deck behind Kai. The intruder was wrapped in bandages, wearing a tattered cloak that blended perfectly with the sea-foam. In his hand was a curved blade that dripped with a strange, dark liquid.
"The Soul Trader," the figure whispered, his voice like dry parchment rubbing together. "The Warlord sends his regards. He said a merchant without a license shouldn't enter a kingdom under his protection."
[Target Identified: 'Shadow-Walker' – Baroque Works Elite Scout.]
The intruder didn't wait. He lunged at Kai, his blade moving in a jagged, unpredictable pattern. This wasn't the brute force of the giants or the wax-art of Mr. 3; this was the cold, clinical speed of an assassin.
Kai didn't retreat. He activated [Merchant's Domain], freezing time for a microsecond as the world turned into a grid of soul-values. He saw the assassin's heart—a dark, jagged stone—and the 'weakness' pulsating at the base of his neck.
[Skill Activated: Soul Parry.]
[Cost: 15 Soul Coins.]
The assassin's blade struck an invisible wall of violet energy just inches from Kai's chest. The impact sent a ripple of spiritual fire back through the weapon, scorching the intruder's bandages.
"You're fast," Kai said, his golden eyes glowing with a calm, terrifying intensity. "But speed is a cheap commodity in my shop. Tell me, Shadow-Walker... what is the price of your life? Is it worth more than the secrets you carry for Crocodile?"
The assassin tried to vanish back into the mist, but Kai reached out, his hand glowing with a predatory violet light. [Skill Activated: Soul Anchor.]
"In my domain, you don't leave until the transaction is complete," Kai whispered.
Suddenly, the mist around the ship began to solidify, turning into ghostly chains that wrapped around the assassin's limbs. Vivi stepped out from the cabin, her newly awakened Peacock Slasher glowing with a soft blue light.
"He's from the Millions," Vivi gasped, recognizing the markings on the assassin's cloak. "He's a messenger of death."
"No," Kai replied, his eyes never leaving the trapped intruder. "He's a dividend. And I'm about to collect."