Chapter 81 – Apate and Joy Boy
With the great war between the Marines and the Yonko finally over, Totto Land and Whole Cake Island slowly returned to a quiet, uneasy calm.
But elsewhere, the tides of the New World were shifting—its very foundation shaken to the core.
One of the Four Emperors—Big Mom—had been beheaded in a single stroke by Vice Admiral Tachibana Kyūjō. With her death, the Big Mom Pirates were officially disbanded.
That one event alone was enough to send shockwaves throughout the seas for an entire year.
The Big Mom Pirates, who had ruled a large portion of the New World for decades… vanished just like that?
When the news first broke out, no one wanted to believe it.
But the truth couldn't be denied. As Admiral Fleet Commander Sengoku gradually released more details of the battle, Tachibana Kyūjō's reputation skyrocketed within the Marines.
To the new generation of officers, Vice Admiral Tachibana Kyūjō—known as the Azure Dragon—was now their shining symbol of justice.
A hero, equal to the legendary Monkey D. Garp.
To the many nations that had suffered under Big Mom's tyranny, Kyūjō was nothing short of a saint.
With the collapse of the Big Mom Pirates, most of her children retreated from Totto Land willingly. Many pledged allegiance to Whitebeard, while the rest scattered or chose to remain behind—only to be swept up by the Red-Haired Pirates.
The former territory of Totto Land was quickly carved apart. The Red-Haired Pirates claimed most of it. Whitebeard and Kaido took smaller pieces, unwilling to provoke a full territorial war as they already had vast empires of their own.
The high-ranking officers of Big Mom's crew met varying fates. Some were captured, others killed by the Marines during the operation.
As for Katakuri—once one of the mightiest forces beneath Big Mom's command—he took most of his siblings and joined the Moby Dick, taking over as Second Division Commander in Ace's place.
He had lost a mother... but gained a father figure in Whitebeard. And by all accounts, that wasn't such a bad trade.
With the dust finally settling, the Yonko returned to their usual Three-Way Balance of Power—but this time, things were different.
Whitebeard's forces had grown significantly stronger, thanks to the addition of many powerful combatants from Big Mom's crew.
Shanks, on the other hand, had secured Yonko-level territory—and with the world finally witnessing the full might of his right-hand man, Benn Beckman, the Red-Haired Pirates now boasted two top-tier powerhouses on par with Emperors.
No one dared to look down on them anymore.
But of all the Emperors, the one who came out of this war with nothing was Kaido of the Beasts.
He had been thoroughly beaten down by the Marines, teetering on the brink of death—and in the end, he gained no territory, no allies, and no advantage.
To make things worse, his old friend—his dear, chaotic bestie Big Mom—had been killed.
How could Kaido not lose his mind?
But perhaps the most humiliating part of it all... was realizing that in a true one-on-one duel, there was someone he couldn't beat.
"Vice Admiral Tachibana Kyūjō..."
That name echoed endlessly in Kaido's mind as he gulped down another giant barrel of sake.
His hatred for swordsmen had reached new depths.
First, it was Kozuki Oden who scarred him. And now—Kyūjō.
What was with swordsmen lately!? Were they all born just to torment him!?
Was this... the golden age of swordsmen?
Kaido's thoughts became increasingly muddled as the alcohol took hold.
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Meanwhile, far above the rest of the world—in the Sacred Land of Mary Geoise—deep within the hidden halls of Pangaea Castle, a chilling silence reigned.
Within the most secretive chamber nestled among the flowers, Figarland Garling knelt on one knee.
Before him stood a shadowy figure cloaked entirely in black, from head to toe. Only a single, enormous eye was visible at the center of their face.
It was Imu.
The true ruler of the world.
"So… you believe this Marine has likely surpassed the limits of Busoshoku Haki, and perhaps even Kenbunshoku and Haoshoku as well?"
Imu's voice rang out for the first time—so distorted and contradictory that it couldn't be pinned to either gender.
Half of it was deep, sharp, and masculine. The other half soft, stretched, and feminine.
It echoed with unnatural resonance.
Garling, still kneeling, lifted his head slightly and answered carefully, "Yes, Imu-sama. Otherwise… I simply cannot fathom how a mere human, without a Devil Fruit, could possess such overwhelming power."
Imu nodded faintly, showing no emotion, and continued.
"Is he a Devil Fruit user? Or perhaps… one of the Clan of D?"
Garling paused, thinking hard before answering, "Based on all available records, he is not. There are numerous accounts of him swimming regularly. His primary combat style relies on all three types of Haki and his long sword."
"His name is Tachibana Kyūjō. Within the Navy's classified archives, we have his full profile. There is no indication of the letter 'D' in his name or identity."
Imu nodded again and replied calmly.
"Then he's irrelevant. Not a threat. Without the fate of the Clan of D, and without the Joy Boy fruit… he is not the one destined to appear. Eventually, he'll fade away and rot like all the others."
Then, descending slowly from the throne, Imu approached Garling with a more serious tone.
"But now... about that person... your nephew, Shanks."
"Tell me everything. From his childhood to now. Leave nothing out."
Without the slightest hesitation, Garling revealed all there was to know about Red-Haired Shanks. Every classified detail, every personal note.
Once the recounting was over, a strange glint shone in Imu's massive eye.
"Apate... So you're still alive after all."
"And Joy Boy... Good, very good..."
"So both of you are still alive in this era."
"Then let me be the one… to bring your tale to its final chapter."
As that thought echoed in their mind, Imu's single eye turned bloodshot—crimson veins splintering across it like shattered glass.
Garling, sensing something dreadful, lowered his head even further.
In that brief moment, he had seen something... something no one should ever see.
Within Imu's eye, it was as if the souls of the dead were writhing—drowning in an endless sea of blood and agony.
Screams. Cries. Wails of the damned—all overlapping in a crescendo of despair.
The suffering of all mankind... condensed into a single gaze.
Was this... the true hell?
Trembling slightly, Figarland Garling dared not lift his head again.
(And no—Shanks is not Garling's son in this universe. Forget canon—this is an alternate universe.)
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