20+ early chapters on Pátreon.com/Herd99
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The port smelled like ozone and burnt snail tech.
Smoke drifted in slow, lazy spirals across the broken street. Sparks crackled from shattered Transponder Snail booths, their once-cheerful chatter now replaced with silence. One poor snail lay upside down in its shell, blinking weakly like it had seen too much.
Kain sat on a half-broken crate near the docks, sipping water like he hadn't just knocked out a pirate captain who could turn into radio waves.
"Don't you dare call me a hero," he muttered to no one in particular.
Tashigi stood nearby, clipboard in hand, already working through damage reports. Her brow was furrowed, her glasses slightly crooked, and her voice quiet but focused as she coordinated with the clean-up crews. She looked like she hadn't slept in a day.
Kain watched her work, vaguely impressed.
"How do you still have energy?" he asked.
Tashigi didn't look up. "Because someone has to deal with the paperwork while you sit around looking 'cool.'"
"Hey, sitting is harder than it looks."
She rolled her eyes but kept scribbling.
Smoker was on the far side of the port, talking with the mayor and a group of shaken shopkeepers. He didn't like speeches, but he was the ranking officer, so people listened when he spoke. Every so often, he glanced back at Kain, like he was checking to make sure he hadn't wandered off to nap in a barrel.
Kain didn't blame him. That did sound tempting.
By the time the sun dipped low, casting the wreckage in amber light, the mood had shifted. Marines were finishing their sweep. Townsfolk were already rebuilding—dragging out busted boards, hammering things back into place with stubborn energy.
Kain stood, stretching with a long yawn.
"Where are you going?" Tashigi asked.
"Back to base. I've done my quota of punching for the day."
"You know," she said, following him, "you could stick around. Help out. Talk to the civilians."
"I punched the villain. That's my job."
"They called you a hero."
"Yeah, and I called a vending machine a genius once. Doesn't mean I believed it."
The Marine base was quieter than usual when Kain returned.
No one saluted. No one stared. But they watched. Side glances from the barracks, hushed murmurs from the break room. A few younger officers straightened up when he passed.
He walked into the common room like nothing had changed, poured himself a cup of lukewarm coffee, then collapsed into the nearest couch with a heavy sigh.
A small voice chimed in his head.
[System Notification: Haki Infusion expired.]
[Reminder: You are now useless against smoke again.]
Kain groaned. "Thanks for the confidence boost."
He scrolled through the Shonen System's interface, hoping for a new item to distract him. But instead, a different window blinked open.
[New Mission Available!]
[Mission: Learn Armament Haki](Permanent)
-Objective: Master Armament Haki within one week.
-Reward: Permanent Armament Haki, 1,000 BSP, and a Free Nap Pass (10 uses).
-Failure Penalty: Your hair becomes a permanent afro.
Kain stared at the screen for a long, quiet moment.
Then said, flatly, "That's hair discrimination."
Tashigi walked in, holding a fresh stack of reports.
"You okay?" she asked, noticing the expression on his face.
"No."
"What now?"
"The system wants me to train for a week. In the wilderness. Alone. Or I turn into a walking disco ball."
"…Disco? System? Huh?"
He nodded slowly. "Exactly."
Tashigi tried—really tried—not to stare at him like he was insane. She failed.
He pointed a finger at her. "I'll remember that look when I'm haunting you and the system after it gets me killed."
That night, Kain packed a small bag: spare clothes, snack packs, a pillow, and a single book titled "Tekkai for People Who Hate Moving." He slung it over one shoulder like a reluctant tourist and headed for the edge of town.
Smoker met him halfway down the road, arms crossed, a cigar burning low.
"You sure about this? Hard work is not exactly your forte." he asked.
"No."
Smoker grunted. "You'll be fine."
"You say that, but you're not the one who's about to punch bears."
"True."
Smoker handed him something—a battered Marine transponder snail, barely working but still functional.
"In case it gets bad."
Kain looked at it. Then at Smoker.
"I'm just training. Not fighting an emperor."
"Still. You're not invincible. Just irritating."
Kain pocketed the snail.
"Irritating gets results," he muttered, walking off into the night.
Kain trudged into Loguetown like a man just back from a bad camping trip.
His boots were caked in mud. His uniform was ripped at the sleeve. His hair—usually half-neat, half-mess—looked like it had given up halfway through the week and tried to escape his scalp. A leaf clung to his shoulder, refusing to fall.
He didn't bother brushing it off.
The gates of the Marine base swung open as he approached, two guards straightening up when they spotted him. They didn't salute right away. They stared. Mostly at his aura.
There was something different about it now. A quiet pressure, not loud or flashy, but felt. Like heat rising off sunbaked stone.
Kain said nothing, just gave a lazy wave and walked past them.
-6 days Later-
Tashigi was mid-argument with a bounty hunter when Kain walked in.
"I told you," she said, trying to stay professional, "you only get paid for the bounty after we confirm the identity—"
The bounty hunter, tall and unshaven with a chip on his shoulder, leaned in to her personal space. "I didn't drag that scumbag here just for you to play gatekeeper, lady."
Kain didn't announce himself. He just walked up behind the guy, placed a hand on his shoulder—calm, deliberate—and turned him around.
The bounty hunter blinked at the Marine's hand. Kain's skin shimmered with a faint black sheen, like his bones were coated in metal.
"You want to try that again?" Kain asked.
The man went pale.
"N-No, sir."
Kain released him. "Then sit down and wait your turn like everyone else."
The room went still.
Tashigi, adjusting her glasses, hid a small smile. "You're back early, Lieutenant."
"I punched a giant tiger on the teeth yesterday," Kain said, flopping into his seat. "Figured I earned a break."
"You look like you lost the argument."
"I won. Barely. Don't ask about the wild boar."
As he reached for his coffee mug—still half-full from the week before, miraculously untouched—the Shonen System chimed in.
[Mission Complete!]
- Permanent Armament Haki unlocked
- 1,000 BSP awarded
- Free Nap Pass (10 uses) added to inventory
Kain leaned back in his chair with a long, relieved sigh.
"Finally," he muttered. "No more afro threats."
Tashigi looked over from her desk. "Afro threats?"
"System's idea of motivation."
"…Riiight. The system."
He ignored her skeptism and opened the system interface lazily, watching the new icon glow next to his status.
[Armament Haki: Acquired]
No time limit. No countdown. No "temporary" tag hanging over it. Just… there. Solid. Real.
It felt good.
Not in a flashy, power-up way. But in a quiet "I won't die if I have to punch Smoker" kind of way.
Unfortunately Kenbushoku Haki training saw almost to no progress. Because he ignored it completely. Minimal effort was his motto.
By the afternoon, the base buzzed.
Word had spread. Kain had gone into the wilderness, come back a little scarred, and a lot stronger. No one said it out loud, but you could feel it in the way people moved when he passed. Not afraid. Just… respectful. And wondering when the Captain would issue another rematch.
Even the vending machine in the hallway gave him the right snack on the first try.
A miracle.
As the sky turned orange and gold, Kain stood by the window in his office, coffee in hand, watching the sun dip below the rooftops of Loguetown.
Tashigi stepped in, holding a folder. "New report from HQ. They're impressed that you singlehandedly took down Static."
"Let's hope they don't get too impressed. I'm allergic..."
"To paperwork, yes I know." Tashigi cut in, before remarking, "You've changed."
Kain raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"You still complain. Still lazy. But now… you mean it when you stand your ground. You're not just avoiding responsibility anymore. You're choosing what to take on. Aaand you look ripped."
Tashigi flushed at her own statement, eyes flicking over Kain's muscular hands and broader chest.
Thankfully, Kain ignored it and took a long sip of coffee. "Maybe I got hooked on punching intangible people."
Tashigi smirked. "Maybe."
Just as she turned to leave, the System pinged again.
[New Quest Available!]
-Quest Title: "Smoke vs Steel: The Real Rematch"
-Objective: Defeat Captain Smoker in a one-on-one training match.
-Reward: One Rank Promotion (Optional), Custom Weapon Voucher, 2,000 BSP
-Penalty for Failure: Daily training with Smoker for one month
Kain stared at the screen.
Then looked out the window again. He wasn't even mad. Or frustrated. Just tired.
A sigh escaped him.
"Tashigi…"
"Yes?"
"…How hard is it to fake your own death and move to a different branch?"