Chapter 31: Rear Admiral
The manor, perched on the second-highest peak of Honeymoon Island, was as iconic as the island itself. Many tourists in the past had wondered why the manor wasn't built on the highest peak, which was instead designated as a forbidden zone, guarded by dedicated sentries. Now, Kado understood: that peak was the burial ground of the Andre family.
Kado made his way toward the Bakrov family manor. The conspicuous estate looked incredibly lavish, resembling an ancient emperor's castle—easily defensible and difficult to breach.
Along the way, Kado encountered few guards. It seemed the Bakrov family was confident, not believing anyone would dare cause trouble here.
It wasn't until Kado reached the manor's large iron gate that two armed guards appeared. They greeted Kado kindly, assuming he was just another tourist visiting Honeymoon Island. Little did they know that the man before them was the harbinger of doom, about to bring destruction to this place.
Kado had come here specifically to cause trouble for Locklav, and he didn't pay much attention to the ordinary guards. After all, they were just regular people working as security. Kado wasn't some ruthless villain. While he was prepared for a big fight, he had no intention of harming innocent guards.
With a smile, he nodded at the security guards and told them he was here to see Locklav, asking them to inform him.
The guards knew that most people visiting Honeymoon Island were nobles or wealthy individuals, and some were even friends of Locklav. Not daring to delay, they immediately went to deliver the message.
After a short while, a burst of laughter echoed out:
"Which friend of mine has come to visit? Why didn't you let me know in advance?"
Locklav walked out from behind the gate. When he saw that it was Kado, his expression changed instantly. "Why are you still here? Are you waiting for me to kick you out?"
"Heh," Kado chuckled. "On the contrary, I'm here today to do the kicking. Get out of here, and I might spare your life."
"What? Hahaha, did I hear that right?" Locklav was first taken aback by Kado's words, then burst into incredulous laughter. "You're here to kick me out? Did a donkey kick you in the head? Hahaha!"
"What an irritating laugh," Kado remarked with a light chuckle. His figure flickered, and before Locklav could react, Kado had already appeared before him. Grabbing Locklav by the neck like a helpless chick, he lifted him off the ground.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel, you lowly commoner?!" Locklav shouted in shock, frantically commanding the surrounding guards to attack Kado.
Although the guards held guns, they didn't dare fire recklessly, fearing they might hit their master in Kado's grip. Instead, they rushed at him barehanded.
"Get lost!" Kado snarled, hurling Locklav toward the massive iron gate. The rotund man crashed into the gate with a resounding clang, shaking it like a hammer striking an anvil.
Stepping forward, Kado clenched his fist and struck the iron gate with all his strength. The resulting thunderous boom froze the surrounding guards in place. They were just ordinary people, used to handling unruly civilians at most. But seeing Kado's punch make the gate shudder as if it might collapse left them paralyzed with fear. At this moment, no one dared to move. When faced with a choice between their master's safety and their own lives, their survival instincts won out.
"This is between me and the Bakrov family. Anyone uninvolved, get out of here!" Kado growled, shooting a fierce glare at the guards. Terrified, they scattered like startled deer, abandoning their weapons, which clattered to the ground. To these ordinary men, Kado now looked like a demon, wielding a power far beyond their comprehension.
Kado grabbed Locklav by the collar and lifted the fat man, who was lying on the ground twitching uncontrollably. With one hand, he slapped him back and forth relentlessly, the sharp cracks echoing in the air. In no time, Locklav's already bloated face swelled even further, now resembling a pig's head so much that even a pig might feel ashamed in comparison.
"You bastard! How is someone as vile as you even allowed to exist? To seize another family's property, you stooped to such cruel and inhumane methods! You're worse than a pirate. And to think you drove your own father to death just to gain full control of your family's wealth. Were you raised on filth in your past life? You have no gratitude, no conscience at all!" Kado cursed as he slapped Locklav repeatedly. By the time he stopped, Locklav was bleeding from all seven orifices, teetering on the edge of death. Kado finally paused, fearing the man might die before he could exact full vengeance on behalf of Fite.
As Kado halted his assault, the manor finally erupted in chaos. From behind the iron gate came a cacophony of voices.
"Who is it? Which worthless commoner dares to cause trouble for the Bakrov family?"
"Hurry up and open the gate! I'm going to skin that bastard alive!"
The massive iron gate began to rumble open, creaking loudly as it swung to both sides. When Locklav had first come out to greet Kado, only the smaller side gate for pedestrians had been opened. Now, with the main gate fully opening, it was clear how arrogant the Bakrov family was—even when hosting guests, they didn't bother to open the main gate.
"Oh no, Master, what happened to you?!"
As the large gate swung open, the people inside saw Locklav sprawled on the ground and immediately rushed to him, wailing and fussing over their master. Kado was surprised that these people could instantly recognize Locklav. By now, the fat man's face was so swollen and disfigured—more pig-like than ever—that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him. Yet, these subordinates did at a glance.
Locklav trembled all over, finally regaining his senses as he realized his loyal subordinates had arrived. With his pudgy, swollen lips wobbling, he pointed at Kado and shouted, "Kill him! That filthy commoner dared to hit me!"
Even as he yelled, a few white objects flew from his mouth—his knocked-out teeth.
The surrounding guards, eager to prove themselves to their master, pounced on Kado like wild beasts.
However, Kado's physical prowess far exceeded that of an ordinary person. Although the guards were skilled, they were no match for him. With a single punch, Kado took each one down, leaving them sprawled on the ground in no time. The remaining guards, seeing how formidable Kado was, froze in place, too afraid to move.
It was only then that someone remembered they were armed. Their hesitation vanished when one of the bolder guards fired the first shot, emboldening the others. Following their master's orders to kill Kado, they raised their rifles and took aim.
In the world of One Piece, while pirates often acted lawlessly, there were still laws in place to prevent ordinary people from killing each other without cause, as such actions would lead to being wanted by the authorities. That fear had initially kept the guards from using their guns. But now, with their master's command, they believed they could justify shooting Kado without consequence.
In the past, Kado would have had to dodge bullets, as even his extraordinary physical strength couldn't compare to the speed and lethality of gunfire. But now, thanks to the power of his Devil Fruit, he had developed an effective way to defend against bullets, making evasive maneuvers unnecessary.
Kado extended his hand, gently brushing the space in front of him. Activating his Devil Fruit power, he locked the space around him in place.
Clink, clink, clink! The sound of bullets dropping to the ground filled the air. Not a single bullet hit Kado. As they approached his body, it was as if they struck an invisible barrier, stopping them in their tracks.
Looking at the pile of bullets accumulating at Kado's feet, one of the guards shouted in alarm, "He's a Devil Fruit user!"
These guards were surprisingly knowledgeable, quickly recognizing that Kado possessed a Devil Fruit ability. Perhaps this was because many Devil Fruit users often visited Honeymoon Island for vacations, making such powers less of a rarity to them.
Hearing the guard's exclamation, the others ceased firing. They understood that no matter how many bullets they shot, it was unlikely they could harm Kado.
At this moment, a man crouching beside Locklav, who looked like a butler, yelled, "Quick, go find Young Master Barok! Only he can defeat this guy!"
One of the quicker guards immediately dashed back into the manor, presumably to summon this "Young Master Barok."
Kado couldn't care less about how many reinforcements they brought. Instead, he walked toward the trembling Locklav on the ground. The seemingly loyal butler, who had been tending to Locklav moments ago, panicked upon seeing Kado approach. Terrified, he threw Locklav aside and retreated a few steps.
The sudden motion caused Locklav to crash to the ground, spitting out a few more teeth as he landed.
"Pah!" Kado spat in the butler's direction. "So, you're not even a loyal dog, huh?"
Crouching in front of Locklav, Kado observed the fat man's trembling flesh and the complex emotions in his eyes: terror, hatred, and fury toward his cowardly subordinates.
"Stop staring at me! If you keep glaring, I'll gouge out your eyes!" Kado slapped Locklav's face so hard that the last few teeth in his mouth were knocked out. This time, Locklav could no longer hold on and fainted instantly.
Seeing that Locklav had stopped moving, Kado became anxious. He shook Locklav's shoulders vigorously. "Hey, don't die yet! Wait until Fite is avenged, then you can die, okay?"
At the mention of Fite, Locklav's face twitched noticeably, and Kado instantly relaxed. It seemed that Locklav was just pretending to be dead.
At that moment, footsteps were heard approaching from the manor. Kado looked up to see several people from the Bakrov family's inner circle surrounding a tall man. The man was dressed in an immaculate naval uniform, with a large cape draped over his shoulders. The word "Justice" was emblazoned on it.
If it weren't for the naval uniform, Kado would never have guessed this man was from the Navy. His face was so ugly and fierce-looking, with a huge scar running from his forehead to his chin, that he resembled a vicious pirate more than a naval officer.
Looking at the man's towering height, over two meters tall, Kado couldn't help but feel speechless. Why did the world of One Piece always seem to have monstrous figures with frightening heights? Not counting the giant race, even the Seven Warlords of the Sea like Gecko Moria and Bartholomew Kuma were around four to five meters tall. Even Whitebeard's height was at least five or six meters, and Kado's dream woman, Boa Hancock, was well over 1.9 meters tall. For someone who had been only 1.78 meters tall in his previous life, it made him feel inadequate.
The navy officer approached Kado, eyeing him carefully. Suddenly, he spoke, "So you're the famous bounty hunter from the East Blue, Saint Hunter Kado. No wonder these guys were no match for you."
"Eh? You know me?" Kado asked in surprise.
"Of course. I was once a colonel in the Navy's 16th division in the East Blue. Naturally, I know you, the notorious bounty hunter of the East Blue. But now, I've been promoted to rear admiral at the Navy headquarters. I thought our paths would never cross again, but who would've thought you'd dare cause trouble for the Bakrov family," Barok said.
"I see now. I was wondering why no one came to cause trouble on Honeymoon Island. Turns out, it's because you have people in the Navy," Kado replied. "What, do you plan to use your rank as rear admiral to pressure me? I'm not afraid of that. Worst case, I'll quit being a bounty hunter and become a pirate."
"Heh, what do you mean, quit being a bounty hunter and become a pirate? The leader of the Night Owl Pirate Crew with a bounty of 16 million, 'Big Thief Owl' Kado... Do you really think the Navy is full of fools? I was suspicious when I was in the East Blue about why a famous bounty hunter had the same name as a pirate. After the hunting competition in Loguetown, I investigated and found out that you and the pirate were one and the same!" Barok suddenly dropped a bombshell, shocking everyone.
"So it's already been leaked," Kado scratched his nose and chuckled. "In that case, I won't hold back anymore. I'll just use the Night Owl Pirate Crew's name to destroy your Bakrov family."
"Hmph, a mere pirate with a bounty of 16 million dares to act so arrogantly in front of a Navy rear admiral? You think you're stronger than me?" Barok sneered. "But I have a good proposition for you. Join my ranks. I'll cover for you, you help me rob treasures and handle some private matters. I can help keep your secret and let you continue living as the famous bounty hunter, Saint Kado, for the rest of your life."
"What kind of private matters?" Kado asked. "What do you mean?"
"Hehe," Barok pointed to the seemingly dead Lokrav on the ground and laughed. "For example, you could help me eliminate this guy, and I'll inherit the Bakrov family's fortune!"
Kado was taken aback. It was clear that this whole family was nothing but trouble. The old Bakrov must have been a genetic anomaly, the only one in the family to turn out to be a decent person.
"Barok, what are you saying?" Lokrav, who had been pretending to be dead, suddenly sat up, grumbling with his pig-like mouth. "Don't forget how you became a rear admiral. If I hadn't paid off the right people, do you think with your abilities you could have become a rear admiral in the Navy? You ungrateful bastard, you'll regret this. I've already informed the butler that if anything happens to me, he should expose the evidence of how you bribed people and murdered your rivals. You'll be ruined."
"My dear uncle, after all these years of learning from you, do you think I don't know you?" Barok said with a sinister smile. "Butler, come out and let my uncle see this, so he can die in peace."
The butler, who had been weeping and pretending to be loyal to Lokrav, had previously been scared off by Kado. Now, however, he walked out of the crowd with a fawning smile and approached Barok. He pulled a stack of ledgers from his chest and, bowing and smiling, said, "Master, here is the evidence of Lokrav's scheming to frame you."
Seeing the butler, who had once been so loyal to him, betray him and hand over the only evidence he had to threaten Barok, Lokrav coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face turned red with rage, and he almost died from the shock.
"Burn the evidence that Lokrav used to frame me," Barok ordered the butler.
"Yes, my dear master," the butler said with a sycophantic grin as he took out a match and set the evidence on fire.
"No, don't!" Lokrav suddenly jumped up from the ground and lunged at the butler, grabbing his hands to try and snatch the evidence away. "This is mine, I am the head of the Bakrov family! You can't burn it! I command you, in the name of the family head, you must not burn it!"
Not only did the butler remain unmoved, but even the guards nearby didn't step in to help. It seemed they had already conspired together to seize Lokrav's position as the head of the family.
"Get lost, you despicable thing! How dare you try to frame my master, Rear Admiral Barok! As the most loyal servant to my master, I have shown mercy by not killing you," the butler said, kicking Lokrav aside and tossing the nearly burned evidence onto the ground.
"No! This is mine! I have the evidence! Haha, Barok, you bastard, dare to rebel! I will expose you! Haha!" Lokrav went mad, scrambling for the burning evidence. Using his fat body, he smothered the flames, picked up the scorched papers from the ground, and laughed maniacally, clearly losing his sanity.
The butler, in order to show his loyalty to Barok, continued to kick and beat Lokrav while angrily cursing him.
Barok glanced indifferently at Lokrav on the ground, his expression filled with disgust, as though he were looking at a fly rather than his own uncle.
"Aren't you afraid of retribution? Aren't you afraid that one day, you'll suffer the same fate?" Watching the power struggle among these wealthy families, Kado felt a chill in his heart. He began to understand why, when Lokrav had killed his own father, it had likely been the same. In true noble families, everything about family ties was fake—only interests were real. No wonder, throughout history, kings had no hesitation in killing their own brothers for power. These people had long been corrupted by power and money, and they no longer understood what true familial love meant.
"Haha, of course, I am afraid," Barok laughed. "That's why I know money isn't everything. In this world, one must also have strength. Only strength can protect wealth, and only strength can seize it. That's why I joined the Navy early, and why I spent money to buy a Devil Fruit. Don't think you're the only one with powers—I'm one too!" Barok said, laughing. "So, what do you say? Do you want to become my subordinate? That way, you can have even greater power and unimaginable wealth."
Kado remained indifferent and coldly said, "I can't. I despise scum."
End of chapter
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contributions make a real difference!As a Patron, you unlock:
Exclusive access : Get 170+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else
Exclusive shout-out : Receive a special shout-out every chapter as a thank you for your support!
Your support not only fuels my creativity but also helps me grow on this community. If you're not a paetron yet, consider joining us.
Join now : patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz