Ten years.
To the Grand Line, it was merely the blink of an eye, but it was long enough for a young man to become a legend. The deck of the Oro Jackson was even more crowded and full of life than it had been a decade ago. At this moment, a unique "Strength Competition" was in full swing.
"Ugh… ah… ah!"
Sanbel, a blue Fishman who stood over three meters tall, was arm-wrestling Nozdon. As the two largest members of the crew, their bulging muscles looked like small mountains, and the deck groaned under their immense strength. Sanbel was a quiet and honest powerhouse they had "picked up" on Fish-Man Island three years ago.
Not far from them, a man named Yui, dressed in a black robe with hair like a blazing fire, sat cross-legged, completely ignoring the chaos around him. Beside him, a grizzled man named Eye Dragon, whose hairstyle looked like the fins on Godzilla's back, was carefully cleaning a naginata that was even taller than he was.
"…And so, the Berries issued by the World Government are just another way to exploit the labor of the people in its allied nations! The entire system is rotten!" Max, a large, bearded man who looked like a certain philosopher from Kyle's old world, was passionately explaining his theories to Spencer.
"Max, I agree with some of your points, but you're overlooking the stability that currency provides…" Spencer replied, pushing up his glasses and engaging in a serious academic debate.
Meanwhile, Dolinger, a tiny man with small devil wings on his back, used the commotion as a distraction to steal a large piece of roasted meat from the kitchen. He skillfully dodged the angry chef and flew up to the main mast to enjoy his meal. Nearby, Jialan, a strong man in ancient Greek-style bronze armor, was doing a one-handed handstand by the ship's rail, sweat pouring onto the deck beneath him.
The crew had grown to nearly thirty members. Lowengu, Ellio, Conchino… they were all powerful monsters with unique personalities, recruited from all over the world. Over the past decade, this ship had seen countless stories of laughter and tears and had become home to unbreakable bonds.
Kyle leaned against the railing at the stern, a faint smile on his face as he quietly watched the familiar, chaotic scene. He was approaching twenty years old and had long since lost the awkwardness of his youth. His black, medium-length hair was tied back, with a few strands falling beside his cheeks, giving him a casual and relaxed look. His golden eyes, shimmering in the sunlight, were deeper and more thoughtful than they had been ten years ago.
He was still the youngest veteran on the ship, but everyone, new and old, knew that this easygoing young man was one of the most powerful monsters on board. Sometimes, his calm judgment and incredible strength gave his crewmates a greater sense of security than their hot-blooded captain, Roger, who only ever wanted to charge headfirst into adventure.
"Kyle!" A new crew member named Ellio ran over, his face full of admiration. "Can you tell me the story again? About how you used the 'Azure Dragon's Roar' to make everyone fly back at Water 7?"
"Haha, a true hero doesn't brag about his past victories!" Kyle laughed, putting his hands on his hips with a smug look on his face. "If you want to hear stories, go ask Nozdon. He can probably tell you a hundred different versions."
Chirp—!
Just then, a News Coo swooped down from the sky, dropping the latest newspaper and a stack of brand-new wanted posters onto the deck.
"Oh! They're here!"
The commotion on the deck instantly shifted its focus. Everyone, including the debating Max and the handstanding Jialan, swarmed over to the pile. Roger snatched the posters from the top of the stack, and after seeing the numbers, he let out his signature hearty laugh.
"Kuhahaha! One billion five hundred million Berries! The World Government is finally giving me a decent price!"
Rayleigh calmly took his own poster and glanced at the number—a twelve followed by eight zeros. He just smiled, not surprised at all.
"One billion one hundred million. Not bad," Jabba said with a grin, picking up his axe. He was pretty happy with his bounty, which was the third-highest on the crew.
Finally, all eyes turned to the last of the high-value wanted posters.
"Kyle… One billion Berries!" Punk Rock gasped, feeling dizzy just looking at the number.
Kyle walked through the crowd and picked up his poster. The photo was from a recent battle, showing him with sharp, focused eyes as he wielded his naginata. And below that young, powerful face was a number that stood out: "1,000,000,000". He was now the fourth person on the ship with a ten-digit bounty.
"That's Mr. Kyle for you!"
"So cool!"
The new crew members exclaimed with respect and admiration. Kyle just smiled, casually folded the poster, and put it in his pocket as he looked out at the endless blue sea. His crewmates were still cheering and bragging about their new bounties, and Roger was already shouting about throwing a party to celebrate.
Kyle's thoughts, however, drifted back to an afternoon more than ten years ago. He remembered his very first wanted poster, with its picture of a much younger face and a number that had seemed so small at the time—one million five hundred thousand Berries.
From one and a half million to one billion. It had taken ten years, countless life-or-death battles, and a ship full of crewmates he would trust with his life.
A sea breeze blew past, fluttering the tie in his hair. Kyle let out a soft breath. In his golden eyes, there was a hint of nostalgia for the past, but even more, there was an endless excitement for the future. The Roger Pirates were already one of the strongest crews on the sea.
The real journey was just beginning.
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