Prologue: The Azure Sunset
Sea Calendar xxxx — The Unknown Throne
"You dare to try to conquer Mu's world?"
Imu's voice did not travel through the air; it manifested within the mind, calm, absolute, and chillingly cold. It was the voice of a god addressing an insect.
"This will be the end of you."
Then, the world broke.
Conqueror's Haki erupted from Imu's silhouette in a tidal wave of crushing pressure. The sky above didn't just part; it shattered like glass. Below, the ancient forest was reduced to splinters and dust in a heartbeat. The earth groaned as deep fissures tore across the landscape, and the distant sea rose in violent, jagged peaks, as if the ocean itself was trembling in the presence of its master.
On the opposite side stood the Captain.
He was a mosaic of ruin. Blood matted his hair and leaked from the corner of his mouth; his coat was little more than scorched rags. His lungs burned with every ragged breath, a rhythmic wheeze that signaled the end of his strength.
Yet, he was laughing.
"You've been sitting on that chair for far too long," he rasped, the sound like grinding stones. "It's time for you to sleep in the deepest hell."
His hand, steady despite the tremors racking his body, gripped the hilt of his sword. He drew it slowly. The blade was a void—a Black Blade that seemed to drink the very light around it.
His other hand was no longer human. It was a gnarled, monstrous limb of scales and claws. He dragged those claws down the length of the steel.
Screech—
Blue flames ignited instantly, roaring to life with a heat that turned the surrounding stone to magma.
"Azure Inferno: Black Blade Dominion!"
The strike was a force of nature. A colossal dragon of sapphire fire surged forward, its scales wreathed in coiling serpents of black Haki. It screamed as it charged, a manifestation of the Captain's entire soul hurled at the King of the World.
Around them, the sounds of a global war echoed—cries of hard-won victory and screams of sudden grief. But the Captain heard none of it. He dropped to his knees, coughing up a mouthful of crimson.
So this is it, he thought, his vision blurring. The end of the line.
Then—the smoke parted.
A silhouette emerged from the blue embers. It was gargantuan, larger than the mountains of the Red Line, with eyes that burned like twin red suns through the haze.
"You think you can kill Mu with only that much?"
The voice shattered the Captain's spirit. Impossible... that was everything. Every drop of Haki, every spark of life...
This is it for me.
As his vision began to tunnel into darkness, a desperate voice reached out from the chaos behind him.
"Captain—!"
His body tilted forward, gravity finally winning the battle. As he fell, a bitter, stray thought flickered through his dying mind.
How the hell did I end up in this world? What was I doing before all this...?
A faint, ghost of a laugh escaped his lips.
Ah... right. I was a soldier. A man of the modern army.
Who would have thought a soldier would die a Pirate Captain at the edge of the world?
With that final irony, the darkness claimed him, pulling him back through the veil of time...
Note: Author's Note
This is my own original novel, and I'm releasing only the first 5 chapters for now.
The main reason is simple — I want to see how readers respond to the story, the characters, and the concept before continuing with regular uploads.
The full storyline, power system, and future arcs layout are already written in my personal notes, but the chapters have not yet been fully drafted. Your feedback will help me decide:
How fast should I release chapters
How many chapters I should upload at a time
If the response is good and readers enjoy this novel, I'm considering:
Releasing chapters in regular batches
Possibly opening a Patreon for early access and bonus chapters
Please let me know