"No," Kaito confirmed. "With all due respect, if your initial assessment of the enemy's command structure was this incomplete, your current strategy is built on a foundation of sand. You cannot win a war against an enemy whose true shape and motivations you do not understand."
"Then you will do nothing?" Dragon asked, though his tone suggested he already knew this wasn't the case.
"On the contrary. I'm telling you this because your heart is in the right place, but your vision is clouded by what you think you know. You're fighting a hydra without knowing how many heads it has or what regrown them." Kaito's gaze was intense. "The answers lie in the Void Century. The destruction of Ohara proves how terrified they are of that history being uncovered. If you want to understand your enemy, find the only people who have likely already learned the truth: the former crew of Gol D. Roger."
Dragon absorbed this, a new fire of purpose kindling in his eyes. The revolutionary's mission was suddenly no longer just about gathering armies and winning battles; it was about uncovering a historical truth that could change everything.
"Thank you," Dragon said, his voice thick with this newfound understanding. "This changes our fundamental approach. If you ever need our aid, you have it."
"I may, actually," Kaito said. "I've read accounts of islands in the sky. I'm looking for a specific one to train on, away from prying eyes. Somewhere with strong fighters who could provide challenge, but not certain death. Do you know of Birka?"
Dragon and Kuma exchanged a glance. "We do," Dragon confirmed. "The warriors of Birka systematically train in Observation Haki. Their combat style would provide excellent sparring for someone of your capabilities. We could take you there."
"Not 'we,'" Kaito corrected. "I need to arrive quietly, without any obvious association. Can your comrade send me alone?"
Kuma looked to Dragon, who gave a single, grim nod of approval.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Kaito," Kuma said, stepping forward. "Safe travels."
Before Kaito could respond, Kuma's large paw touched his shoulder. There was no pain, only a strange sensation of compression and unreal movement. Then, the world vanished in a blur of impossible speed and light. The last thing he felt was his own form being launched through the atmosphere, hurtling toward a distant island in the sky.
The journey to Birka was far longer than Kaito had anticipated. The island existed in a strange atmospheric current, and Kuma's precise 'paw-pad' launch had sent him on a four-month arc through the upper atmosphere. The utter boredom of the trip was, at times, a greater trial than any combat.
When he finally descended, it was onto the soft, white earth of a cloud-periphery island. Kaito had to admit—Kuma's targeting was impeccable.
After taking a moment to eat and orient himself, his Observation Haki flared. Several presences were moving into his range. Their spiritual pressure felt weak, undisciplined. He could have easily fed them false sensations or remained completely hidden, but curiosity won out. Who are they, and what are they looking for?
He cloaked his presence and shadowed the strongest signal, assuming it was their leader.
"I can't feel him anymore," the leader said, his voice laced with frustration. "But I'm sure something landed. It didn't feel like a bird. It felt... strong."
After a futile search, the group reconvened. Kaito observed them from the cover of the white forest and recognized the figures: the four priests, and with them, a middle age man who seemed their leader his name was Kotaru.
"Kami-sama, we didn't find anyone," one priest reported.
"Hmm. Me either. Perhaps it was just a bird," Kotaru said, though he sounded unconvinced.
As they turned to leave, a large dog—the companion of the priest with the cloud sword—trotted up to them and barked, dropping a peculiar fruit from its mouth.
The moment Kaito saw its distinct, swirling pattern, his focus shattered. His control over his presence slipped. The Goro Goro no Mi.
"Who's there?!" Kotaru and the priests spun toward his location, their own rudimentary Mantra (their term for Observation Haki) finally pinpointing him.
But Kaito was already moving. In a blur of Soru, he snatched the fruit from the ground, evaded the dog's lunge, and vanished back into the foliage, re-establishing his cloak.
"After him!" Kotaru commanded, his voice cracking with youthful fury.
The priests gave chase, but they were hopelessly outmatched. Kaito simply leapt into the sky using Geppo (Moon Walk), putting distance between them. Finding a secluded stream, he washed the dog saliva from the fruit and, with a grimace, took a bite.
"Yuck. Awful." The legendary fruit tasted like literal dirt. For a moment, he felt nothing. Then, a subtle, humming energy settled into his bones, a latent potential waiting to be unlocked. He also felt his control over his aura waver again—a new energy was interfering with his fine Haki control. They would sense him again soon.
This time, he didn't run. He had what he came for. Now, he didn't mind kicking their asses.
He waited calmly as they crashed through the undergrowth.
"Sorry about that," Kaito said, not sounding sorry at all. "I needed that fruit. It suits me. I'm Kaito, by the way. From the Blue Sea."
They didn't answer, immediately raising their weapons.
Kaito sighed. "Well, we'll talk later."
He moved. Soru. A Haki-infused punch sent Priest Satori to the ground. A flicker, and he was behind Priest Gedatsu, his fist poised at the man's temple.
"Hey," Kaito said, his voice calm. "Should we talk now?"
Only Kotaru and the two remaining priests were still standing, their confidence shaken.
"Good. Now, who are you people?"
They looked to their leader. "I am Kotaru," the youth declared, puffing out his chest. "The Kami of this island. Why have you come here, stranger?"
"I came to learn your Observation Haki training methods."
"Observation Haki?"
"Oh right, you call it here Mantra.!"
"But you seem stronger than us."
"Mine is awakened, not trained. I want the systematic method you use here. In return," Kaito added, seeing Kotaru's hesitation, "I will give you a special combat training method from the world below. One you'd be wise to be happy about."
It was an offer they couldn't refuse.
Kotaru nodded curtly. "Deal. But why run if you are this strong?"
"None of your business."
After a swift exchange—the Mantra scrolls for a copied manual on Rokushiki (the Six Powers)
kaito examined the techniques. "This is... incredibly systematic. Far better than anything on the black market."
"I'm going to stay and train here. Make sure no one disturbs me." It was not a request.
Kotaru nd his priests nodded and left.
---
Alone, Kaito began his training. The Goro Goro no Mi was not just a weapon; it was a system to be mastered. He focused on its principles:
· El Thor: Summoning a single, precise lightning bolt from the sky. Control, not brute force, was key.
· Raigo: The opposite—unleashing catastrophic, widespread destruction. A weapon of last resort.
· Electrification: Logia intangibility and the creation of lightning constructs.
· Electromagnetic Propulsion: Using repelling forces to achieve flight and incredible speed.
The fruit was ludicrously overpowered, a tool of near-godhood that its previous future-user had wasted on petty tyranny. Within weeks, Kaito's raw power had skyrocketed to Vice-Admiral level. His only remaining weakness was his Armament Haki, which required real combat against strong opponents to refine.
His business on Birka was finished. He launched himself into the sky, using electromagnetic currents to fly with ease, heading for the nearby Skypiea.
His goal was practical: funding. He sought the legendary city of gold. Without a scholar to decipher the ancient scripts, finding the city itself was impractical. But he remembered another source—the giant serpent, Nola, which had swallowed hundreds of years of Shandoran gold.
Locating the beast, he delivered a carefully calibrated electric shock, just enough to stun it. He then collected a significant portion of the gold it had ingested, storing it for later transport. It was a transaction, not theft. The gold was of no use to the snake.
As he finished, his Haki sensed a familiar conflict brewing. A force from the Shandian tribe was moving to confront the Skypiean forces led by Gan Fall. Kaito sighed. Roger's crew had left this problem unsolved. Perhaps a more pragmatic hand was needed.
He descended in a cascade of lightning between the two armies, bringing their advance to an immediate halt.
"I don't understand why that idiot Roger left this place without solving this problem," he stated, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Hey! Who are you? Are you with these Skypiean thieves?!" a Shandian warrior—likely Wiper's father—shouted.
"Shut up," Kaito said, his tone cold and overbearing. He needed to establish immediate control. "Don't speak until I allow you."
"Who do you think you—?!"
The man didn't finish. Kaito appeared beside him in a crackle of static and delivered a non-lethal but stunning blow.
"Anyone else?" Kaito asked, looking over the Shandians.
The answer was a roar of defiance and a volley of reject dials. They were brave, he'd give them that. Also incredibly foolish.
With a series of high-speed movements and precise, non-lethal shocks, he incapacitated the entire Shandian war party in moments. He turned to Gan Fall.
"How about you?"
The wise old knight shook his head. "No, sir. We are fine as we are."
"Good. Let them cool down. Don't touch them."
He returned to Nola to secure the rest of his gold. When he returned, the Shandians were stirring. The moment they saw him, the curses began again. Kaito frowned. This blind hatred, this disregard for their own people's safety, was illogical.
"Enough." A wave of numbing electricity silenced them. "Now. What is this really about?"
He forced the story from both sides. Gan Fall spoke of the need to share the land for the sake of his people's survival. The Shandian leader, Hyper, spoke only of birthright and pride.
"I see. Then it's simple. You share the land."
Hyper began to yell again, but Kaito cut him off, his voice like ice. "Are you a leader, or a child? Your only concern must be your people's survival. A foolish leader clings to pride and leads them to extinction. If I were your ancestor, I would be ashamed. I'm not telling you to give up your land. I'm telling you to be smart enough to share it to ensure your lineage continues. This isn't about history. It's about the future."
He turned to Gan Fall. "You seem wise. You know compromise is the only path that doesn't end in graves."
Gan Fall bowed his head. "You are right. This war has gone on too long."
"See?" Kaito said to Hyper. "That is a true ruler. He fights for his people and compromises for his people. That is strength. I will leave now. My presence would only make this a peace of fear, not reason. Think about what you want to leave for your children. War? Or a future?"
Before leaving, Kaito asked one final question. "Do any of you know the location of the City of Gold? The one from the Noland stories?"
Hyper snapped from his daze. "Noland? Our ancestor's friend?
"Yes," Kaito confirmed. "I wanted to find the city But without someone who can read your ancient language, finding it is nearly impossible. Can any of you decipher those texts?"
The Shandians looked at each other, then shook their heads. Their ancient knowledge had been lost to generations of warfare.
Kaito tsked. "A pity."
This revelation served as his final argument. "I took some gold from the serpent that rightfully belongs to your people. As compensation..." He produced copies of the Rokushiki and basic Haki manuals. "...these training methods will make you strong enough to defend yourself against any invaders.Weakness is a sin. Use these to defend the peace you choose."
With that, he requested a small sky ship and then departed, leaving the two factions to their newfound, fragile peace. He had what he came for: power and funding. The rest was up to them.