Once upon a time, even Akainu—the man known for his absolute justice—suffered defeat in the New World. Not just at the hands of one, but two of the Four Emperors: Kaido and Big Mom.
And he wasn't the only one.
Back then, Aokiji had his hands full as well. The man who once held the title of Admiral was tasked with monitoring another Emperor—Edward Newgate, the one the world called the Strongest Man Alive.
Now, Tachibana Kyūjō sailed aboard his newly enhanced battleship, the Seiryu, crossing the perilous Calm Belt and piercing into the second half of the Grand Line—the New World.
In just five days, the upgraded Seiryu brought him to his new post at Marine Base G11.
But even before a full week had passed—before he could even grasp the inner workings of this fledgling outpost—disaster came knocking.
Inside his office, a frail, bamboo-thin man in a Navy uniform stood nervously before him. Behind him were over a dozen other Marines, all sharing the same lean stature.
With tearful eyes and trembling lips, the man stepped forward.
"Vice Admiral... our home, Malt Island, is about to be destroyed by Big Mom!"
He lowered his head, voice cracking.
"I know we have no right to ask you to interfere in Totto Land's affairs, but please... let us resign from our posts. We want to return home—to protect our families."
But Kyūjō remained still, his face devoid of emotion.
The man—Kemm—tightened his fists and dropped to his knees, voice trembling.
"To avoid dragging G11 into a full-blown conflict… please, Vice Admiral Seiryu..."
"Let us go. Even if it means death, we must return to Malt Island and stand with our people to the bitter end."
Those words sparked unrest among the Marines behind him. Their emotions, bottled up until now, threatened to spill over.
Kemm and his fellow soldiers were all from Malt Island. Years ago, when G11 was first established by Sengoku, they had volunteered to enlist in the Navy.
Malt Island was located at the very edge of Totto Land's expanding territory. And recently, it had been annexed by the Big Mom Pirates, becoming part of her "nation."
Then came the cruel twist of fate.
Right after the island officially became Big Mom's property, it was roped into preparations for her upcoming Tea Party—the grand banquet she hosted regularly.
The problem? Malt Island's harvest season hadn't even begun.
Despite the villagers' best efforts, they couldn't meet the demanded tribute: 100 tons of malt syrup.
When news of their failure reached Charlotte Cracker—Big Mom's tenth son and one of her Sweet Commanders—he flew into a rage.
To "preserve the festivities," Cracker executed ten civilians as a warning.
Then he gave a deadline: five days.
If they still couldn't meet the quota…
The entire population would be exterminated.
Kyūjō rose from his chair.
The towering figure of the Vice Admiral stood like an unshakable mountain.
In the next instant, an overwhelming pressure exploded from his body—an invisible wave of intensity that surged through the room.
The Marines before him stiffened as if their lungs had been crushed. Cold sweat poured down their backs, their breaths caught in their throats.
Even Kemm gasped, a single thought flashing through his panicked mind:
Does he... already know?
But within a heartbeat, Kyūjō withdrew his presence—calm, yet commanding.
"That's enough. Stop crying."
"Did I say I'd let Malt Island fall? You're Marines—remember that."
"You follow orders." His gaze sharpened as he pointed toward the door.
"All of you. Outside. Stand at attention."
Without a word, the others exchanged glances of unease, but none dared resist. One by one, they exited the office—leaving Kemm behind.
Kyūjō turned to his secretary, standing nearby.
"Amos. Gather a crew. Ready the Seiryu. We're heading out."
Amos hesitated. "Vice Admiral Seiryu... are we going to Malt Island?"
Kyūjō gave a silent nod.
Amos glanced at Kemm with suspicion, lips parting to speak—but before he could, Kyūjō raised a hand and shook his head.
The message was clear.
Amos swallowed his words and left the room quietly.
Now only two remained.
Kyūjō stared directly at Kemm. His voice was low but steady.
"Kemm. Tell me the truth. Why did you betray the Navy? Is your family being held hostage by Totto Land?"
Cold sweat trickled down Kemm's forehead. But he said nothing—only biting his lip hard.
Kyūjō let out a soft sigh.
"I truly can't understand you."
"Not even our intelligence division picked up on this incident. And yet you—stationed here in G11—somehow knew about it?"
"And your comrades... they likely didn't know either. You're the one who told them, aren't you?"
He stepped closer, voice dropping a notch.
"I'm not saying the news is false. But there's something you're not telling me."
And your acting... is terrible.
That last part stayed in Kyūjō's thoughts.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
Even if it was a trap—
Because his belief in his own strength was absolute.
And before the final act plays out...
"Who's to say who's the hunter—and who's the prey?"
— — — Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Tachibana Kyūjō lifted Kemm by the collar with one hand and leapt off the deck of the Seiryu.
This time, he was going alone.
No squad. No backup. Just himself—and a suspected traitor in tow.
Because frankly, Kyūjō didn't think his current unit was ready to take on the kind of monsters that served under a Yonko.
After a full day of sailing, he once again grabbed Kemm and soared across the sky using Geppo for several hours—
Until they arrived at Malt Island.
At that moment, he officially crossed into Big Mom's sovereign territory—the heart of Totto Land.
Wasting no time, Kyūjō released his Kenbunshoku Haki across a massive range.
In an instant, the entire island was within his perception.
Charlotte Katakuri. Charlotte Cracker. Charlotte Smoothie...
All three Sweet Commanders were present.
He also sensed ministers—Whipped Cream Minister, Ice Cream Minister...
But one signature was missing.
Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom herself—wasn't here.
A small sigh escaped Kyūjō's lips.
Tch. I was hoping for a high-profile brawl to make a name for myself.
"If you won't come to me..."
"I'll make your children cry, one by one—until you show yourself."
Meanwhile, not far away, Charlotte Katakuri was using his own advanced Kenbunshoku Haki.
Through the haze of foresight, he saw a man descending from the sky.
"This man... he's more dangerous than I expected."
That speed in the air... it wasn't normal.
None of them could fly.
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