The Grand Line — high above, on Skypiea.
Souta Kiryuu awoke in his chambers, attended closely by his personal maid, Baby 5. Two soft, snow-white peaks swayed before his eyes as she leaned over him.
For once, he allowed himself a rare moment of leisure. Over the past few days, in pursuit of balance between work and rest, and harmony between yin and yang, he had taken this clingy, eager-to-please maid into his bed.
Since becoming Souta's woman, Baby 5's deep-seated flaw—her desperate need to feel useful—had begun to ease. Now, her heart and mind focused almost entirely on him. No longer did she blindly fulfill every request from others.
When Bonney made strange demands, Baby 5 didn't outright refuse, but she no longer obeyed either. Souta had made it clear: she was to prioritize his commands alone. And so she did.
This change pleased Souta greatly. Each night, he rewarded her with his presence, holding her close until morning so that when her eyes opened, the first face she saw was always his.
Within the golden palace of Shandora on the Island of the Gods, Apayado, other new recruits were adjusting.
Ghost Princess Perona, after witnessing several grisly experiments in the labs, had been the first to yield. Terrified of pain, she had—much like Foxy before her—begged Souta to let her join the Aratatsu Pirates.
Moria, her captain and a fatherly figure to her, hadn't blamed her decision. He had even considered persuading Absalom, the Transparent Man, to surrender as well. Better that than be killed or drained for blood day after day.
Souta knew well that not every pirate was as stubborn as Eustass Kid or Monkey D. Luffy, refusing to ever bow. Even CP agents had defected before—like X Drake, who had thrown in with Kaido's crew.
Now the golden palace bustled with beauty. Four handmaidens already served: Raki of the Shandians, Conis of the Skypieans, the snow maiden Monet—her memory erased and reset, now trained like an innocent child—and, most recently, Perona herself, with her pink twin tails.
To Souta's surprise, Perona also baked sweets. Fitting, for the girl who once shared meals with Mihawk and Zoro.
Floating above the golden throne, she carefully offered Souta a chilled pudding cake—frozen solid by Monet's powers.
"Aratatsu-sama, is it sweet enough? Do you like it?" Perona asked timidly, determined to please him. Winning his trust was her only hope of saving Moria, or at least persuading him to join Souta's banner willingly.
"It's good. Keep improving." Souta devoured the rest of the cake in a single bite before rising from the throne and heading toward the training grounds.
There, two little girls—Bonney and Aisa—were already hard at work.
When Bonney saw Souta strolling in, flanked by his five maids, she pouted.
"Three days of sleeping in… how lazy can you get?" she muttered under her breath. To her, Souta was the cornerstone of both Skypiea and the Aratatsu Pirates. How could he afford to slack in training? He couldn't even yet defeat an Admiral or an Emperor of the Sea. How, then, could he hope to march on Mariejois and slaughter the Celestial Dragons?
On the field, Sentomaru and Wiper clashed fiercely under Kuma's watchful eye. Their blows shook the air, waves of force rippling outward, leaving even Lafitte and Bege stunned.
Sentomaru, the honest fighter, and Wiper, the Shandian warrior, were both prodigies in Armament Haki.
Sentomaru had been grappling bears since childhood. He had even mastered Haki emission. If not for his awkward, guileless nature, his potential might rival Jack the Drought himself. Souta was already considering finding him a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit to further his strength—perhaps enough to serve as Vegapunk's ultimate bodyguard.
Wiper, once ignorant of training and Haki, had blossomed under Kuma's strict guidance. His raw physique now met the threshold for Haki awakening, and his progress outpaced even Trafalgar Law's. Souta could see the potential for Wiper to become a mighty officer—perhaps as great as the legendary Shandian warriors of four centuries past, slaying titanic sky-beasts in a single strike.
"Next voyage, perhaps I'll take the War Demon Wiper along," Souta mused. "Let him see the strength of the Blue Sea."
Perona hovered nearby, eyes wide. "They're all so strong…" she whispered, more shocked by the moment. Every one of Souta's officers seemed stronger than Absalom and the zombie army she once relied on.
Elsewhere, Enel sparred with Law. Law teleported rapidly, using his Ope Ope no Mi to slice through Enel's lightning clones. But the moment his blade made contact, electricity surged back, shocking him painfully.
Enel's lightning avatars were even trickier than Kizaru's light constructs. Souta hadn't expected Enel to grasp the technique so quickly, developing it after only witnessing Moria's shadow clones and learning of Kizaru's own powers.
No wonder he was the one who had mastered the Goro Goro no Mi to its fullest.
Meanwhile, Bege and Lafitte were far less impressive, trading lazy blows and hiding behind tactics. Souta frowned.
"You two," he barked, stepping forward. "I'll spar with you myself."
"B-Boss, take it easy!" Bege stammered, dropping his cigar as fear overtook him. He instantly shifted into his hulking Fortress form—but Souta's punch sent the massive tank-man flying hundreds of meters, crashing into the earth in a storm of dust.
"Captain, you know I'm a strategist, not a brawler!" Lafitte protested, wings beating furiously as his feathers whitened and his speed doubled.
"Not with that bounty. You must raise your strength." Souta slammed his heel down, shattering the ground in a massive crater, then launched upward like a cannonball.
"Boom!"
Feathers scattered through the air as Lafitte was struck down, crashing into the dirt with explosive force.
Turning, Souta smiled at Bonney. "And you, little one—what was that you muttered just now? Care to test your new moves on me?"
Bonney gulped, then forced a nervous grin. "N-No need, Aratatsu-sama! You're the strongest already. I'll just keep training with Aisa. You should rest more, right? Baby 5 and Monet could give you a massage instead… make you comfortable."
With that, she activated her Age-Age Fruit, transforming into a tiny three-year-old girl with innocent eyes. Surely Souta wouldn't strike such an adorable loli.
"Ha! Clever girl," Souta chuckled.
Then his smile vanished. He strode toward Kuma. Only by fighting that towering Buccaneer, wielder of the Paw-Paw Fruit, could he push himself further.
Conqueror's Haki flared around him, a storm of raw dominance. Since destroying Enies Lobby and slaying Celestial Dragons, his rage had only grown. How could he not sharpen his will to its absolute peak?
The training continued, the air vibrating with battle.
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