Ten years.
On the Grand Line, ten years was nothing more than the blink of an eye—
but it was more than enough for boys to grow into men, and for legends to ferment.
The deck of the Oro Jackson was far more crowded—and far more chaotic—than it had been a decade ago.
Right now, a bizarre "power tournament" was in full swing.
"Urrrgh—haaah!"
The two biggest monsters on the ship were locked in an arm-wrestling match.
The blue-skinned fishman Sanbel, well over three meters tall, was grinding against Nozdon, their bulging muscles rising like mountains. The deck beneath their feet creaked under the strain. Sanbel was a gentle giant they'd "picked up" on Fish-Man Island three years earlier.
Not far away, a man in a high-collared black robe sat cross-legged in silence. His hair rose straight up like burning flames—Yui, a strange ascetic who seemed detached from the world. Beside him, a burly uncle called Eyedragon, with hair like Godzilla's dorsal fins, was carefully wiping down a spiked club taller than a man.
"—So you see, the Beli issued by the World Government is fundamentally an invisible form of labor exploitation of the allied nations' citizens!"
A big bearded man named Max, who looked suspiciously like a revolutionary philosopher from Kyle's past life, was passionately lecturing Spencer.
Spencer, to everyone's surprise, was actually pushing up his glasses and arguing back with academic seriousness.
Meanwhile, a tiny winged fellow named Doringer swooped out of the kitchen with a slab of roast meat, dodging the cook's curses as he flew up to the mast to feast.
Nearby, Jalan, a hulking man in Greco-Roman bronze armor, was doing one-handed handstands at the railing, sweat dripping onto the deck.
The crew now numbered nearly thirty.
Lovengood. Elio. Conchino.
Every one of them was a powerful, eccentric monster gathered from across the seas.
Over ten years, this ship had carried countless tears and laughter, and forged bonds thicker than steel.
Kyle leaned against the stern railing, quietly watching the familiar chaos with a relaxed smile.
Nearly twenty now, the boyishness had long since faded. His jet-black, shoulder-length hair was tied loosely behind him, a few strands falling against his face. His golden eyes gleamed in the sunlight, deeper and sharper than they had ever been.
Though still the youngest of the original crew, everyone knew it:
this easygoing young man was one of the absolute monsters at the top of the Oro Jackson.
Sometimes, his calm judgment and overwhelming power made him even more reassuring than their reckless, hot-blooded captain.
"Kyle!"
The new recruit Elio ran over, eyes shining with admiration.
"Can you tell me again how you used that 'Azure Dragon Cyclone' to make the whole ship fly back at Water 7?"
"Hahaha, a real hero doesn't live off old stories," Kyle laughed, hands on his hips, putting on a mysteriously wise expression.
"If you want tales, go ask Nozdon. He'll give you a hundred versions."
Just then—
"Caw!"
A News Coo swooped down, dropping the latest newspaper and a thick stack of new bounty posters onto the deck.
"Oh! They're here!"
The crew instantly swarmed over.
Roger grabbed the top few sheets—and burst out laughing.
"Kuhahaha! One and a half billion Beli! The World Government's finally learned to price me properly!"
Rayleigh calmly looked at his own—1.28 billion—and smiled faintly.
"Eleven hundred million. Not bad," Gaban grinned at his own bounty.
Then all eyes turned to the last high-value poster.
"K-Kyle… one billion!" Punklo gasped.
Kyle walked over and picked it up.
The photo showed him mid-swing with his naginata, eyes sharp and dangerous.
Below it was a number so large it almost looked fake:
1,000,000,000
He was now the fourth member of the crew to cross into ten-digit territory.
"So cool!"
"As expected of Kyle!"
Kyle simply smiled, folded the poster, and slipped it into his pocket, gazing out at the endless blue sea.
Ten years ago, his first bounty had been 1.5 million.
From 1.5 million to one billion—
ten years of blood, battles, and brothers.
A sea breeze fluttered his hairband.
Kyle exhaled softly, golden eyes shining with anticipation.
The Roger Pirates were now one of the strongest crews on the seas.
And yet—
The real journey was only just beginning.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/NightShard525