Chapter 67 – Three Years
As Donquixote Doflamingo collapsed and lost consciousness, the great white string cage that had covered the sky over the entire island gradually began to fade… until it disappeared completely into nothingness.
All around, the elite officers of the Donquixote Family had already fallen—some dead on the spot, others unconscious from their severe injuries.
Meanwhile, outside the island, the Marines—led by Vice Admiral Tsuru—began their systematic sweep to capture the remaining pirates scattered throughout the area.
On the battlefield, Rosinante approached, a small boy standing beside him—Trafalgar Law. Together, they stood before Tachibana Kyūjō.
"Vice Admiral Seiryu," Rosinante said, his voice calm but resolute, "from now on, Law and I will be placing our trust in you."
Kyūjō nodded and handed a Den Den Mushi to Law. He pointed toward the northern shore, where a Marine warship waited—one he had summoned earlier, prepared specifically for their escape.
As Rosinante and Law hurried toward the ship, Kyūjō remained behind, standing silently amid the unconscious bodies of the defeated Donquixote Family.
Among all of them, only one high-ranking officer had survived the initial impact—Vergo, the original "Heart" and first Corazon of the Donquixote Family.
But just minutes earlier, Kyūjō had already slain the other three executive officers:
Pica, the user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi,
Trebol, the user of the Nemu Nemu no Mi, and
Diamante, the user of the Hira Hira no Mi.
With that, all four executives of the Donquixote Family had officially been wiped out.
Some mid-ranking members—including Doflamingo himself—were spared, for now. Kyūjō made no move to finish them off. He simply waited for Vice Admiral Tsuru to arrive.
To Kyūjō, the Donquixote Family no longer posed a threat.
Whether they lived or died… was meaningless to him.
Would Doflamingo rise again in the future?
It didn't matter.
Because true strength never feared the return of an enemy—it simply faced it head-on.
— — —
Three Years Later – Year 1512 of the Sea Calendar
Tachibana Kyūjō was now twenty-four years old.
Oddly enough, his normal height had shrunk to 2.5 meters. But in his combat release form, when his power surged to its peak, he could reach a towering 3.6 meters.
That was his true height.
In fact, even 3.6 meters wasn't his physical limit. Thanks to the effects of Thunder Breathing 3.0 – Constant Form, his body was constantly evolving—getting faster, stronger, taller.
His body was always under constant enhancement.
But honestly? Kyūjō found it uncomfortable.
He didn't want to grow endlessly. And more importantly—
Hina wouldn't allow it.
After several years of growing close, their relationship had finally taken a more intimate turn.
Yes, they now lived together—like husband and wife.
No shame, no hesitation.
...Don't ask how they sleep together despite the height difference.
The answer is simple: a combination of Life Return and Transparent World.
Inspired by these two concepts, Kyūjō had completely restructured his body. Now, he had two primary forms:
Normal Mode (2.5 meters)
Extreme Mode (3.6 meters)
And the difference in power between the two was… significant.
— — —
But it wasn't just his love life that had progressed.
In the last three years, Kyūjō's mastery over the Three Types of Haki, his swordsmanship, and his physical endurance had all reached terrifying new heights.
So much so... that he couldn't even properly measure his own strength anymore.
In his own vague estimation:
His Normal Mode was equivalent to 1.5 times Akainu.
And his Extreme Mode?
Even he wasn't sure how to measure it.
Could all three Navy Admirals together defeat me...?
Maybe. Maybe not. But it wouldn't be easy.
Was that arrogance?
Perhaps.
But Kyūjō felt confident in saying this much:
Even Rocks D. Xebec himself—if we were to fight today—he wouldn't win.
But he shook his head at the thought.
Even if I could beat him… so what?
In the end, Rocks was defeated too.
Back then, Rocks had powerful subordinates and terrifying influence.
But behind the celestial dragons... there still lurked a hidden power. One even Kyūjō didn't fully understand.
All he could do now was grow stronger, quietly and without drawing too much attention.
Wait.
Until the World Government could no longer ignore his existence—
And when that day came...
He would be ready.
— — —
Over the past three years, some major events still unfolded as they did in the original story. But others were drastically altered—because of him.
For example:
In East Blue, the Arlong Pirates were long gone.
Kyūjō had eliminated Arlong himself, silently and swiftly.
He was cooked into shark soup and dumped into the sea.
And what about Nami?
She now lived a happy, peaceful life.
Would she still join the Straw Hat crew one day, like in the original story?
Kyūjō didn't care.
What mattered more was that Arlong and Captain Nezumi—those corrupt "sea trash"—were gone.
He wanted to protect Nami's childhood, to ensure Bell-mère, a strong and kind ex-Marine, didn't die a pointless death.
That alone was enough.
Even if the story changed completely—he had no regrets.
If Nami was truly destined to sail with the Straw Hats… then fate would bring them together.
— — —
Meanwhile, over in Foosha Village, young Luffy hadn't changed much.
He still dreamed of becoming Pirate King and sailing the seas to prove himself to Shanks.
The ASL trio—Ace, Sabo, and Luffy—remained close as brothers.
And yes, even the tragic accident that erased Sabo's memories still happened. He was saved, just like before, by none other than—
Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army.
But here's the twist:
Dragon had been in secret contact with Kyūjō for years now.
And lately, Dragon had become even more determined...
To recruit the "Mentor of Revolution" himself.
— — —
Another group connected deeply with Kyūjō...
Was none other than the Red-Haired Pirates.
Whether influenced by Kyūjō or not, Shanks had grown drastically stronger.
Just recently, he clashed head-on with Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world—and walked away without a scratch.
Though he was pushed back, he stood tall.
So much so that Whitebeard himself offered to adopt him.
But Shanks refused.
He wanted to become a Yonko on his own terms.
The rejection angered many of Whitebeard's subordinates, nearly triggering a massive battle.
But the old man held them back.
And after they left, he praised Shanks openly:
"That man... he'll be the strongest of the new era."
"He'll become the most powerful Yonko of them all."
Yet when Shanks heard those words a few days later...
He simply glanced at his missing left arm.
The one he had sacrificed—for the previous era.
And gave a bitter smile.
"The strongest, huh…"
"Sorry, Whitebeard… but this time, you've got the wrong guy."
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