"Um, Brother Tsubasa… can I take a break?"
Buggy's voice trembled as he held up a stone several times larger than himself.He'd been lifting it for nearly three hours—his hands were numb, his arms shaking.
"Stop whining. If you say another word, I'll make you lift for another five hours."
Kaoru Tsubasa's tone was sharp, his patience clearly worn thin.There were two reasons behind his strict training.
First—according to what he remembered from his previous world, the Grace of the Sun consumed magic power. But Buggy had no such energy. In this world, that divine power instead consumed physical strength.
Second—Kaoru had discovered something unusual: as Buggy's stamina improved, he could faintly use the Grace of the Sun even after sunset.
Originally, once the sun disappeared, Buggy's Grace powers vanished completely. But after the "incident" where Buggy accidentally burned off Kaoru's hair, the furious swordsman punished him with brutal training.Surprisingly, after that, Buggy managed to channel the Grace for about ten minutes into the night.
Kaoru thought deeply about it and realized the reason.In the original world of the Seven Deadly Sins, Escanor could only use his divine power when bathed in sunlight—his magic drawn from the very sun itself.
However, there were exceptions.At one point, Escanor had managed to draw on the "sun within his heart," producing power even in the darkness of night.So perhaps the Grace of the Sun wasn't strictly bound to daylight—it was merely stronger beneath the real sun.
And the second reason Kaoru was forcing Buggy to train so hard?Simple—revenge.He still hadn't forgiven Buggy for setting his luxurious purple hair ablaze.
"Hmm? Why are Newgate and the others here?"
Kaoru suddenly sensed the familiar presence of the Moby Dick—the massive flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates—entering Redoria's waters.
"Alright, Buggy, that's enough training for now. We've got guests."
Buggy immediately dropped the stone, gasping in relief. "Finally! It's just because I burned your hair…" he muttered under his breath, annoyed.
He then took off after Kaoru—literally flying.
Yes, flying.
A faint glimmer of light surrounded Buggy's left hand. On his index finger gleamed a silver ring with two white feathers.
It was the Wind Ring, a gift from Kaoru—a special artifact from his old world that allowed flight through equivalent energy exchange.
Meanwhile, on the Redoria coastline, the Moby Dick had just anchored.Before the Whitebeard crew could even disembark, Kaoru landed squarely on the deck with a heavy thud.
"Oi, Newgate! What are you doing here again?" Kaoru shouted.
Whitebeard turned, ready to reply—but when his eyes met Kaoru's bald, shining head, he froze for a moment… and then burst into thunderous laughter.
"Gurararara! What happened to your hair, Kaoru?!"
The laughter spread instantly. Marco, Vista, and several other crewmates leaned forward, unable to contain themselves.
"Hahahaha! Brother Tsubasa, did you become a monk?""Hahahahaha!"
"Shut up…"
BOOM!
Kaoru teleported in a flash, striking everyone except Newgate with his Iron Fist of Love.
Within seconds, the entire Whitebeard crew was on the deck, clutching their heads in pain.
"Go on, laugh again," Kaoru muttered coldly, drawing his twin blades. "I dare you."
Marco and the others immediately covered their mouths, trembling. They knew Kaoru wasn't bluffing—he might not kill them, but punishment was guaranteed.
Satisfied, Kaoru sheathed his swords. "That's better."
"Brother Tsubasa! Wait for me!" Buggy called as he descended from the sky, landing awkwardly beside him.
"Red nose? Why are you here?" Marco asked, smirking.
"Who are you calling red nose?!" Buggy grabbed Marco by the collar, fuming.
"Sorry, sorry." Marco lifted his hands lazily, his tone half-apologetic, half-teasing.
"What's that face, huh? You look just like Shanks when he's mocking me!" Buggy snapped.
"Alright, enough," Kaoru interrupted, stepping between them. "Buggy, don't use your powers here. If you burn Newgate's ship, you're on your own."
Buggy immediately froze. Despite knowing his Grace of the Sun gave him monstrous strength at noon, he wasn't foolish enough to test it against Whitebeard, the world's strongest man.
Kaoru turned to Newgate. "So, what brings you to Redoria this time?"
Newgate crossed his arms, his booming voice calm but deep."What do you think, Kaoru? A second sun appeared in the sky not long ago. I saw it shining from this direction. Don't tell me that wasn't your doing."
Kaoru grinned. "And what if I said I have no idea what you're talking about? Would you believe me?"
"Boom!"
Newgate's massive fist came down on Kaoru's head like a hammer. "Cut the crap and explain."
"Pfft…"
Both Buggy and Marco burst out laughing—only to instantly clamp their mouths shut when Kaoru turned his glare on them.
Kaoru sighed and rubbed his head. "Alright, fine. Yes, that 'second sun' was my doing. Buggy here absorbed a fragment of divine power I gave him. When his control slipped, it created that phenomenon."
"I see," Newgate said with a nod. He wasn't surprised. After all, Marco had demonstrated his frost ability before—another power bestowed by Kaoru.
"Anything else?" Kaoru asked, folding his arms.
"Gurarara! Nothing serious," Whitebeard chuckled. "But I did come for your wine. Got any more of that heavenly brew left?"
"…" Kaoru's face darkened.
"You came all the way here for my wine?"
"Of course," Newgate replied, utterly shameless. "That's the good stuff, Kaoru. You can't just hoard it all."
Kaoru exhaled deeply. "Didn't I tell you last time? That was my last box."
He had won a few crates through the mysterious lottery system tied to his divine abilities—but he was saving them for diplomacy and future alliances.
Still, despite his overwhelming strength, Kaoru Tsubasa lived by one rule—If force could be avoided, it should be.
That was the way of a man raised in the Crimson Nation of his previous life.