As Sakazuki spoke, he was looking at the sea. Then he turned back toward Kai and continued:
"Kai… I wanted to take revenge on the pirates who killed my parents. Inside me there was only rage and hatred—hatred toward my own weakness. When I later joined the Marines, I learned that those pirates had already died at sea. Their ship was destroyed by a storm."
His voice remained calm, but the weight behind it was heavy.
"I didn't know what to do after that. And because of this, I now kill every pirate I encounter. Because if you don't kill them today, tomorrow they may kill innocent people, destroy villages… or even your family."
Sakazuki's gaze hardened.
"And then you'll be haunted by one question for the rest of your life: What if I had killed them back then?"
Hearing these words, Kai clenched his fists. He understood. What Sakazuki said was true.
Sakazuki continued:
"Kai, I see talent in you. Talent that could one day reach the level of an Admiral."
Kai froze in shock, staring in Sakazuki's direction—the place where he could feel his presence.
What…?
Sakazuki believes I can reach the level of an Admiral?
That's impossible… I never even imagined something like that.
Kai straightened his back and spoke firmly:
"Then, Senior Sakazuki, I swear that I will never disappoint you. I will train until I become an Admiral."
At those words, a faint smile appeared on Sakazuki's lips.
"Good. That's enough for today. You may go to the cafeteria and eat. In two days, one of my subordinates—Momonga—will begin teaching you sword combat. I will focus on helping you control your Devil Fruit."
He paused briefly.
"For the next two days, we will focus only on strengthening your physical body."
Kai bowed deeply.
"Thank you for everything. I won't let you down."
With that, Kai headed toward the cafeteria to get something to eat.
When he arrived, he released a thin layer of mist to sense his surroundings and immediately felt many gazes focused on him. He realized there were many Marines present. He didn't pay them any attention and walked toward the food area.
As soon as he got closer, the rich smell of meat hit his nose, and his stomach growled like a starving beast.
Without hesitation, Kai began piling food onto his tray.
The surrounding Marines stared at him in surprise. They had never seen a child with a bandage covering his eyes before, and it didn't take long for them to realize that he was blind. Quiet whispers spread through the cafeteria.
"Hey… have you ever seen him before?"
"No, never."
"Is he blind?"
"I didn't know the Marines accepted blind people now."
"Are they that short on manpower?"
"Look at him… he's really blind, but he moves like he can see."
"Can't you see the bandage over his eyes?"
Kai heard everything, but he didn't care.
Right now, he was busy eating his third portion of meat.
He couldn't even imagine that food could taste this good. He ate without stopping.
When he finally finished, five empty plates were stacked in front of him.
Ignoring the shocked stares around him, Kai stood up and calmly left, heading back to his room to rest properly and prepare for tomorrow's training.