431-435

Chapter 431: Giving Captain Krieg a Thrashing 

"Well, well, you little runt! You look like a piece of trash, but damn, you're surprisingly loaded! Talking mountains of gold and silver right off the bat!" 

Captain Krieg sneered at Kazama as he spoke. 

Now, Kazama, he really hadn't expected this Captain Krieg to be so unbelievably arrogant and domineering. 

You see, Kazama knew beforehand that this Captain Krieg was infamous on the seas, a truly evil pirate, even called the "Evil Admiral." 

So, Kazama wasn't exactly giving him a friendly look either. 

But Kazama never would have guessed that this Captain Krieg would start spewing insults at him the moment they met. 

This instantly set Kazama's blood boiling. 

However, Kazama also knew that if he were to attack Captain Krieg right now… 

Sure, he could probably take down this Captain Krieg easily. 

But everyone else in this sea restaurant would definitely get caught in the crossfire of their fight. 

So, Kazama just gave a cold laugh and then said to Captain Krieg, "I'm telling you, you better watch your mouth. Whether I have money or not has absolutely nothing to do with you!" 

"What? You're pissing me off!" 

Seeing Kazama actually dare to talk back to him, Captain Krieg flew into a rage, absolutely furious. 

With a steel fist, he lunged straight at Kazama. 

At this moment, Zoro, Luffy, Nami, and the others nearby saw Captain Krieg daring to attack Kazama. 

They, too, were instantly enraged, practically shaking with anger. 

In a flash, they were right in front of Kazama, ready to help him take on Captain Krieg. 

But what they hadn't counted on was that Captain Krieg's entire body, up and down, was made of steel. 

This Captain Krieg only had a real heart; the rest of his body had been completely modified. 

So, this Captain Krieg's fighting skills were incredibly high, super sugoi (awesome/badass). 

Therefore, after just one exchange… 

Never mind Luffy, who had eaten a Akuma no Mi (Devil Fruit), getting knocked to the ground. 

Even the number one swordsman, Zeff… uh, I mean Zoro, along with Nami, Usopp, and the others, were all beaten back, taking heavy losses. (Self-correction: The text says "索隆娜" (Suǒlóng nà). While "索隆" is Zoro, the "娜" (nà) is usually Nami. It seems the author might have combined them or it's a slight typo. Given the context of Nami and Usopp being mentioned right after, and Zeff not being part of Luffy's immediate crew in this way, it's more likely referring to Zoro, and then Nami and Usopp separately. I'll proceed with Zoro, then Nami and Usopp as distinct individuals.) 

And these guys were all sent flying by a single punch from Captain Krieg. 

From this, you could see that Captain Krieg's strength had truly reached an incredible, peak level. 

At this time, Captain Krieg's underlings, seeing how easily Luffy and the others were beaten… 

They immediately started acting all high and mighty, piggybacking on their captain's power, and began to sneer at Kazama and his group. 

"I'm telling you, you little punk, you better get one thing straight! Our Captain Krieg is known far and wide on these seas as an evil man! Nowadays, there isn't a single person who doesn't dare to show him respect! But you, you damn brat, actually dare to talk back to him! This is absolutely intolerable!" 

"That's right! We might as well tell you straight. Our Captain Krieg here just loves to pick on the weak ones. So, since you guys aren't strong enough, all your money and treasures must belong to our Captain Krieg!" 

Hearing his underlings fawning all over him, Captain Krieg let out a wild laugh. 

Then, with a grand wave of his hand, he immediately reached for the gold and silver treasures behind Kazama. 

But, what none of them expected was, just as they were about to grab Kazama's piles of gold and silver… 

Chapter 432: That's Right, I'm Gonna Kick Your Ass! 

But who would've thought, after a few smacks and thuds, they were sent sprawling to the ground by Kazama with just a couple of punches and kicks. 

This sudden turn of events didn't just shock those few grunts; even Captain Krieg's jaw dropped in surprise. 

You see, Captain Krieg had initially thought Kazama was just some weakling. But he never expected Kazama to be this strong, this ridiculously powerful. To take down several of his men with just a few quick moves? That was way beyond what they'd anticipated. 

So, Captain Krieg, his face flushed with anger again, yelled at Kazama, "You little punk bastard! You're actually this damn strong?! You're really pissing me off!" 

"Heh, that's right. I am damn strong. Got a problem? Come at me, bro!" 

"What?! You dare talk back to me like that?!" 

Seeing Kazama actually daring to mock him, Captain Krieg went ballistic. In the blink of an eye, he charged at Kazama again. 

Now, Kazama had originally planned to lure Captain Krieg outside the ship's cabin. But seeing how outrageously arrogant and overbearing Captain Krieg was, strutting around like he owned the place, Kazama steeled his resolve. He thought to himself, "Since this Captain Krieg is being such an arrogant prick, why don't I just use my ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami (別天神), control him, and make him my underling? Let's see how cocky he can be then!" 

Once Kazama had this idea, in a flash, he unleashed his most powerful genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, on Captain Krieg. 

But, much to Kazama's surprise, because Captain Krieg's entire body, all his organs, were made of steel, he had apparently lost his five senses long ago. Therefore, even Kazama's ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, couldn't harm Captain Krieg in the slightest. 

This gave Kazama quite a jolt. 

And just as Kazama was reeling from the shock, Captain Krieg's attack came whistling through the air and struck him directly. 

Seeing Captain Krieg land a hit on Kazama, Luffy, Zoro, and the others, still down on the floor, gasped in renewed shock. They all knew just how incredibly skilled and powerful Captain Krieg was. They thought, if Kazama-aniki got hit by Captain Krieg... wouldn't he be, like, decapitated or something?! 

But just as Luffy, Zoro, and the others thought Kazama was surely done for, they were astonished to see that after being struck by Captain Krieg's pair of iron fists, Kazama wasn't harmed in the slightest! This left them wide-eyed once more. 

And just as surprised was Captain Krieg himself, the man who thought he was number one in the world. Right now, Captain Krieg's own pair of iron fists were dented and battered from hitting Kazama. This, of course, made Captain Krieg even more furious. 

So, Captain Krieg pointed a finger right in Kazama's face and started cussing him out. "Kazama, you bastard son of a bitch! What damn trick did you use to wreck my iron fists like that?!" 

"Heh, don't you worry about what tricks I used. Let me tell you something, Captain Krieg: I, Kazama, am a man of unyielding spirit! And now that you've dared to lay your hands on me, Kazama, I swear I'm going to grind you into dust!" 

Chapter 433: Whoever's Awesome Gets to Kick Ass 

"What?! You think you have what it takes to grind my bones to dust?" 

The moment Captain Krieg saw Kazama mouthing off at him again, his anger flared up even more. 

So, Captain Krieg launched another attack at Kazama. 

But this time, Kazama just smirked coldly. With a single "Shinra Tensei," he sent Captain Krieg flying hundreds of meters away. 

This sudden turn of events left everyone watching absolutely stunned. 

Now, Captain Krieg's crew, they were a bloodthirsty bunch, every last one of 'em. 

So, when they saw their boss get sent packing by this Kazama guy, this... this nobody, they totally lost face. Naturally, they all charged at Kazama, ready to tear him apart. 

When Kazama saw these small-fry actually daring to come at him, not even a little bit scared, and even trying to act tough in his presence, he was beyond furious. He was practically shaking with rage. 

With a face contorted in anger, Kazama yelled at them, "Listen up, you damn bastards! I, Kazama, am a man of honor, through and through! But if you dare to lay a hand on me now, don't blame me, Kazama, for what happens next – and believe me, it won't be pretty!" 

"Cut the crap!" 

But these underlings, to put it bluntly, were notorious for their savagery. 

So, they couldn't care less if Kazama threatened to turn them into dust. 

In their eyes, Kazama was just some cowardly weakling, a piece of trash. 

In fact, they were convinced they were the ones who could tear Kazama limb from limb and scatter his ashes. 

Kazama, seeing how shameless Captain Krieg's men were being... 

He'd clearly told them not to mess with him. 

And yet, they still dared to attack. 

So, in a flash, Kazama unleashed his Shinra Tensei again. 

This time, not only were all those goons blasted away... 

But even the Baratie, the sea restaurant, was blown into smithereens. 

This development sent an even bigger shockwave through the onlookers. 

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Captain Krieg's men were all obliterated by Kazama's power, turned into nothingness. 

Captain Krieg himself, who'd been sent flying first, had been planning a sneak attack, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, to get back at Kazama. 

But he never would have guessed that Kazama's power was this immense, this... sugoi. 

It scared Captain Krieg so badly that he stumbled back several steps. 

He thought to himself, his heart pounding, "This little punk looked so pathetic, but who knew his strength was this insane? This is way beyond anything I could have imagined! What am I gonna do now?" 

Just as Captain Krieg was reeling from the shock... 

In an instant, Kazama was right in front of him. 

And when Captain Krieg saw Kazama still relentlessly coming after him... 

His anger boiled over again. 

So, Captain Krieg quickly resorted to a desperate plea, plastering a fake smile on his face as he said to Kazama, "Hey, uh, little bro! I was just kidding around before, y'know? I seriously didn't mean to pick a fight with you. So please, spare my worthless life, okay? Don't hurt me!" 

Smack! Smack! Smack! 

Before Captain Krieg could even react, Kazama, quick as lightning, decked him again, sending the pirate captain sprawling to the ground once more. 

Chapter 434: Failed to Recruit Sanji 

"What?! This is outrageous! He's really pushing it!" 

Captain Krieg, at this point, absolutely hadn't expected Kazama to be this arrogant and overbearing. 

He'd already practically begged Kazama for mercy, groveling and everything, and yet Kazama still dared to attack him. 

So, Captain Krieg, in a burst of fury, launched himself at Kazama in an instant. 

But with Kazama's level of strength, he wasn't the least bit afraid of this Captain Krieg. 

Therefore, Kazama, with a few swift moves, directly pummeled Captain Krieg, seemingly smashing him to bits. 

Now, Kazama figured that under his monstrous strength, Captain Krieg's life was surely forfeit. 

But he hadn't counted on this Captain Krieg being so unbelievably tough. 

Even though Kazama had clearly blown Captain Krieg to smithereens... 

Captain Krieg actually reformed, his body pulling back together! This completely caught Kazama by surprise. 

With a look of utter shock, Kazama immediately blurted out to Captain Krieg, "Don't tell me you've eaten an Akuma no Mi too? Do you have some kind of Bara Bara no Mi ability, able to split yourself into pieces?" 

"Heh heh... Let me tell you something, Kazama, you little runt," Captain Krieg sneered. "Don't you dare compare me to that Buggy the Clown! In my opinion, that Buggy's chop-chop powers are pure garbage. I, Captain Krieg, am a famous cyborg! Anyone who dares to act all high and mighty in front of me, I'll make sure to tear them limb from limb!" 

"And let me tell you, Kazama," Krieg continued, "even though you're damn strong right now, and I might not be a match for you, even so, I can't possibly forgive you!" 

With a furious roar, Captain Krieg transformed various parts of his body into cannons. 

Then, he immediately charged towards Kazama. 

It looked like he was planning to take Kazama down with him, a mutual destruction. 

But what he didn't know was that Kazama possessed something like a volcanic rock shield, an ultimate defense. 

Therefore, all those cannons covering Captain Krieg's body couldn't even scratch Kazama. 

So, not only did Captain Krieg fail to eliminate Kazama, but he ended up losing his own life in the process. 

This was probably something Captain Krieg never would have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams. 

And so, after Kazama easily dealt with this Captain Krieg... 

He immediately flew back to the sea restaurant, the Baratie, which his Shinra Tensei had reduced to a pile of rubble. 

Because earlier, Kazama's Shinra Tensei had specifically avoided the diners and the various chefs of the sea restaurant... 

There were no casualties among those innocent people. 

At this moment, when Kazama saw that the sea restaurant had become ruins... 

And since he had already planned to recruit the sous-chef, Sanji, as his nakama... 

Kazama immediately went to Sanji's side and explained the situation to him. 

But, what Kazama hadn't anticipated was, he really thought Sanji would agree to his request. 

Who would have known that Sanji would actually refuse him, unwilling to become his comrade? 

This instantly stunned Kazama. 

"Let me tell you something, Kazama," Sanji said, his voice firm. "Your strength is incredible, you're ridiculously powerful, I get that. And I also know that if I refuse you, you might just kill me in a fit of anger. But even so, I won't submit to you! Because I consider this sea restaurant my home! And now, you've gone and blasted my home into oblivion! So, do you really think I'd still become your nakama after that?" 

"Well said!" 

At that moment, the other chefs also quickly gathered by Sanji's side, glaring fiercely at Kazama as they voiced their agreement. 

Chapter 435: Building a Ship with Mokuton! 

"I'm telling you, Kazama, even if you're strong, you can't just go around wrecking the place we live! This Sea Restaurant, Baratie, is something we've painstakingly run for decades! Now that you've destroyed it, we absolutely will not forgive you!" 

"Listening to what you're saying... if I were to repair this Sea Restaurant, would you forgive me then?" 

"What? What do you mean by that?" 

The moment they heard Kazama say he was going to repair the Sea Restaurant, Sanji and the numerous chefs of the Baratie were instantly taken aback. 

And at that moment, Sanji immediately shot Kazama a cold smirk. 

"Let me tell you, kid, even though you're incredibly strong, I'd advise you not to make such outrageous claims. You know, our Sea Restaurant is a massive ship, and the materials used to build it are all top-quality wood. Never mind how hard it is to find that kind of wood; even if you could find it, you wouldn't be able to finish building it in ten days or half a month. Plus, you're not a proper shipwright, so how could you possibly repair our Sea Restaurant?" 

"Heh heh, let me tell you, Sanji. I, Kazama, am not one to make empty boasts. You might not know me well, but if you spend more time with me, you'll probably understand what I mean. Since you think I can't repair this ship of yours, then I, Kazama, insist on making a bet with you!" 

"Oh? What kind of bet are you proposing?" 

Sanji absolutely loved making bets with people. 

So, the instant he saw Kazama wanted to bet with him, his interest was immediately piqued. 

"It's simple. If I can repair this Sea Restaurant of yours in an instant, then I need you to become my nakama (comrade/crewmate)!" 

"Alright, no problem!" 

Hearing Kazama's words, Sanji nodded without the slightest hesitation. 

Because, up until then, he had never even considered the possibility that Kazama could repair his ship in an instant. 

"But what if you can't repair it?" 

"Heh heh, simple. If I can't repair the ship, not only will I apologize profusely to you all, but I also won't ask you to be my nakama anymore. I'll even give you ten times the compensation, enough for you to buy an even bigger, more luxurious, and more sugoi (awesome) ship to be your Sea Restaurant!" 

"Alright! A gentleman's word is his bond, impossible to retract!" (Literally: "A gentleman's word, four horses cannot chase" - meaning once said, it's binding.) 

Hearing Kazama's terms for the bet, Sanji nodded happily. 

"I'm telling you, kid, don't blame me, Sanji, for calling you out here. You're definitely going to lose this bet! And to make sure you lose fair and square, I don't even need you to fix this ship in an instant. I'll give you a whole day and night. Let's see how you manage to repair it!" 

"What? How is that possible?" 

Just when Sanji was convinced that Kazama couldn't possibly repair the ship... 

Kazama immediately unleashed his Mokuton (Wood Release)! And then, in the blink of an eye... 

He completely repaired the originally dilapidated Sea Restaurant. 

Faced with this sudden, unbelievable turn of events, everyone broke out in a cold sweat from sheer shock. 

And at this moment, it wasn't just Sanji; even the surrounding customers, as well as Luffy and the others, were all completely dumbfounded, their jaws practically hitting the floor. 

Because they had never, ever seen anyone capable of performing such a jutsu (technique), one that could actually make wood regenerate. 

Kazama's actions right then had thoroughly shattered their understanding of the world.