When Rhett Vane left Marijoa, the sun was just rising. By the time he returned to Wano, it was already close to eleven at night.
Kaido's speed through the clouds was nothing short of astonishing.
"You're back?"
"I honestly thought you wouldn't make it," Gion muttered, arms crossed, standing at the edge of the port. "What did you even do over there?"
The three of them—Gion, Esdeath, and Kalifa—immediately rushed to Vane the moment he landed. Gion hugged him tightly and didn't let go for a while. After all, Vane had just returned from the most dangerous place in the world.
They had been worried sick. To them, Vane wasn't just a partner—he was precious.
Faced with a flurry of questions, Vane remained silent. He didn't say much because, honestly, he didn't think there was much to say.
He had gone to Marijoa to assess the situation, and he got more than he bargained for. Until recently, he'd believed Big Mom was the most powerful woman in the world. Now, he wasn't so sure. The name "Imu" had permanently etched itself in his mind.
Big Mom was no longer the undisputed strongest woman.
And Imu... there was no doubt she possessed Haki of the highest tier.
The power she demonstrated—the "Heavenly King"—was terrifying. And even then, Vane had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.
He wondered: What if she had completely given up on Marijoa?
Would she have unleashed her full might?
It was a chilling hypothetical.
Many Celestial Dragons had died. The surviving slaves had most likely escaped. Marijoa had been left in ruins. One of the Five Elders had died at Vane's hand. That man could no longer be counted among the elders. The Five Elders were now the Four.
All in all, not a bad outcome.
Vane had also returned with one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords: the First Generation Kitetsu. On the way back, he'd used his fire to burn away its previous aura—this sword had been wielded by the Elder he killed, but now it belonged to him.
The sword felt different now, reshaped in his hands. Yet, it still retained its infamous sharpness. After all, it was one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords in the world.
"Check this out," Vane said, handing the blade over to Esdeath and Gion.
"A Supreme Grade Sword?!" Gion gasped.
Esdeath tilted her head, puzzled. She wasn't originally from this world, so she had no idea what that meant.
Gion shot her a look. "That sword... it's from Marijois, isn't it?"
Vane nodded. "Yes."
"You killed the old man who had it?"
She said it casually, but the weight behind her words was heavy. No one just took a Supreme Grade sword—unless the original owner was dead. The act was as symbolic as it was practical.
Vane gave a simple reply: "Yeah."
Gion looked at him like he was some kind of monster. He'd gone to Marijois and returned in less than 24 hours. What kind of chaos had he unleashed in that short time?
Still, this was the man she cared about most.
What else could she say?
"I have another sword. I'll give it to Esdeath," Vane added casually.
Esdeath took the First Generation Kitetsu, her expression lighting up. She had previously only used a regular sword—practically scrap metal by comparison. She wasn't a swordswoman, but using a blade helped channel her Ice Teigu powers.
Gion snapped, "That's a Supreme Grade sword, not some toy from your world!"
Esdeath blinked. "Well, back in my world, there was a Teigu called Murasame. It was called the Demon Sword. But the wielder... wasn't all that impressive."
She'd been fascinated by the swordsmanship of this world ever since she arrived. She had never seen anyone split the sea in two with a single slash before.
As they sat around while Vane ate, Gion couldn't help but ask again, "So what did you do in Marijois?"
"We freed the Celestial Dragon slaves," Vane said between bites. "A lot of Celestial Dragons died. One of the Five Elders too—the one whose voice I recognized from a previous call. I'm using his sword now."
His tone was calm, almost indifferent.
Gion and Kalifa were stunned. They could barely believe what they were hearing.
Esdeath watched silently. She didn't know this world's politics like the others, but even she could tell that what Vane had done was nothing short of revolutionary.
Kalifa's mouth was slightly open in shock.
Gion finally managed to speak. "So... is the Navy coming?"
"They're already there."
"What about the strength of the Elders?"
"They're strong, but nothing special. Imu is the real threat—she's on another level. And her guards aren't weak either."
"Imu?!" both Gion and Kalifa echoed, eyes wide.
They'd heard the name only a few times in whispered rumors. To hear Vane mention her so casually…
"She's a woman," Vane added after swallowing. "I thought she'd be some old man. Turns out, she's mature, composed... and honestly, very beautiful."
Gion narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at? You want to go after her?"
"She wanted me to stay with her," Vane said. "So I taught her how to be a decent person. I don't think she'll forget me anytime soon."
Kalifa leaned forward. "Is she really that strong?"
Gion shook her head. "If she's a woman, maybe she's not that strong. Unless she's a freak of nature like Big Mom."
"No," Vane replied firmly. "You're wrong, Gion."
"Why?"
"Because she might be the strongest person in this entire world."
He went on to describe the Haki field Imu had created—a kind of advanced Conqueror's Haki that warped the space around her. It was a full territory of dominance, the kind only legends were rumored to have.
Gion finally said it out loud: "Overlord's Territory."
Vane blinked. "What's that?"
Kalifa looked just as lost.
Gion paused. "My sister, She, once told me about it. It's the ultimate form of Conqueror's Haki. Only two people in history ever fully mastered it—Gol D. Roger and Rocks D. Xebec."
She continued, "This territory is a three-dimensional field of sheer willpower. Objects are destroyed just by entering it. The pressure is... indescribable."
Vane nodded slowly. "That's exactly what I felt."
Imu had used strange powers—repulsion, gravity, who knows what else. Even when not using her Overlord's Territory, she was dangerous.
At first, Gion had thought her sister's stories were nonsense. Now, she wasn't so sure.
Vane thought aloud, "Rocks... I've heard of him. He was defeated by Garp and Roger at God Valley. Sengoku once said Rocks might have been Roger's greatest enemy. I wonder... was he the previous user of the Dark-Dark Fruit?"
Then he added something that made everyone freeze.
"Oh yeah. Imu is also the King of the Ancient Weapons."
"What?! The King of Heaven?!" Gion and Kalifa cried out.
Ancient weapons were world-ending threats—and Imu controlled one?
"She manipulates the forces of nature and disasters like it's nothing," Vane said. "She held up a meteorite—five kilometers wide—like it was a plaything. But it wasn't hers."
"What do you mean?" Kalifa asked cautiously.
"That meteorite was mine. I summoned it."
The room went dead silent.
Later that night, Vane explained everything that happened in Marijois.
For centuries, the Celestial Dragons had ruled the world. Now, their secrets were unraveling.
And Imu's true power? They'd only seen a glimpse.
"I heard there's a national treasure in Marijois," Gion whispered. "People say it's the King of Heaven, but no one's ever confirmed it. Vane, they're going to come for you now. You really think you can stay here safely?"
Vane shrugged. "Maybe not."
Another day passed. It was the first time Gion, Kalifa, and Esdeath had truly worked together.
It was awkward at first... but that was unavoidable.
Time moved on. Life returned to a strange kind of normal. Vane and Hiyori spent time together regularly. The woman clearly had feelings for him—and now more than ever, she saw him as a man worth investing in.
For a smart woman, love was a matter of risk and reward. In her mind, Vane was the right investment.
But Gion and the others weren't blind to it. They all knew Hiyori's intentions.
If not for Vane's command that Hiyori remain as Wano's administrator, Gion would've kicked her out long ago.
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Milestones
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
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