Kael's fist slammed repeatedly into the obsidian pillar, hard enough to leave deep grooves.
Pain shot through his knuckles. Blood dripped down his hand.
Again.
He shifted with Soru, reappearing behind the shattered pillar in a flash of lightning. Then he launched himself skyward with Geppo, thunder cracking beneath his feet, and charged his fists with Armament Haki.
For a moment, he was a child again.
He remembered the first time he saw Garp fight.
A dozen slavers had surrounded him, Ace, and Luffy in the jungle. They were on their way back to Dadan's hideout when the slavers decided to move. But little did they know Garp was on vacation and on his way to see the boys. Ace shouted for help. Luffy began to cry. Kael had frozen.
Garp moved.
One punch landed on the first slaver, who folded.
The other slavers froze in shock when they realized they were face-to-face with Garp.
The old Marine laughed as he cracked his knuckles and charged through the rest like a human cannonball.
"Power ain't complicated, brat!" Garp had shouted over his shoulder. "Hit harder than the bastard trying to hurt your family!"
Kael drove one last punch into the obsidian pillar.
The impact shattered the stone.
So did the wound in his side.
Blood splashed across the black rock.
"Enough!"
Yamato caught his arm before he could throw another punch.
Mihawk stood a few feet away, arms crossed, golden eyes calm and sharp.
"At this rate," she said coolly, "you'll destroy yourself before Gorran finishes your blade."
Kael glared at the shattered pillar, chest rising and falling. Lightning still crackled faintly around his fists.
Finally, he let out a long breath.
"We need a doctor."
Yamato blinked, then nodded immediately.
"You're right. We need someone who can actually keep you alive."
Mihawk and Yamato helped Kael to the dining hall for breakfast.
Mihawk shot him a fierce glare. "If we can't find a doctor soon, I can take you all to see Crocus."
Before Kael could respond, the system suddenly chimed in Kael's mind, sharp and urgent.
[Cross-Verse Anomaly Detected]
[Second Summon Initiated]
[Warning: High Spiritual Backlash Expected]
A bright green light erupted in the centre of their path.
They froze.
Even Mihawk turned, golden eyes narrowing.
The light coalesced into a tall woman with long blonde hair falling past her waist, though two loose tails framed her face. A small violet diamond sat on her forehead above sharp amber-brown eyes. She wore a dark green haori over a loose grey wrap top and dark blue pants, looking more like a wandering noble than a doctor.
Except for the fact that she looked thoroughly hungover.
Tsunade Senju, during the era when Naruto had become Hokage, had arrived.
She blinked, then groaned.
"Ugh… I was in the middle of a winning streak. Dice were finally on my side for once…"
She looked around at the group, then zeroed in on Kael, specifically the blood seeping through his bandages and the exhaustion in his stance.
Her doctor instincts kicked in immediately.
"You," she said, pointing at him. "Sit. Now!"
Kael blinked, but something in her tone made him realise he had no room to argue.
Tsunade crouched in front of him before he could even protest. Green chakra flared around her hands, warm and bright, as she pressed them against his side.
Kael hissed.
"Broken ribs. Torn muscles. Half-healed internal bleeding." Her glare sharpened with every word. "What kind of moron keeps training like this?"
Yamato immediately pointed at him. "That one."
"Traitor," Kael muttered.
Tsunade glanced up at him. The stubborn fire in his eyes, the way he tried to sit straighter even while bleeding, the fierce need to carry everything himself.
For just a second, she saw another blond idiot grinning through broken bones and impossible odds.
Her expression softened.
"You remind me of someone," she muttered.
Tsunade stared at him for a moment. Then she looked over at Mihawk.
"You did this to him?"
Mihawk crossed her arms. "He asked for a duel."
"And you said yes?"
"Obviously."
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Great. I've somehow landed in a world populated entirely by idiots."
Yamato raised a hand. "To be fair, I told him not to do it."
"You encouraged him halfway through," Mihawk said dryly.
Yamato coughed and looked away.
"That is not the point."
She looked at Yamato and Mihawk, then back at Kael.
"So… you summoned me. Care to explain why I'm suddenly on an island full of lunatics with swords and lightning powers?"
Kael managed a tired grin.
"Welcome to the crew."
Tsunade stared at him for a long moment.
Then she sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Great. Another reckless leader with more guts than brains."
Her eyes drifted back to the blood still staining his bandages.
"Sit down before you fall over. I'll patch you up properly… Captain."
Kael froze for a second at the title.
Then, despite everything, he smiled.
After Tsunade finished treating Kael's wounds, the group finally made their way to the dining hall.
Carmen took one look at the blonde woman now walking beside Kael and let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Really, Captain? Another one?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"At this rate, we're going to need a bigger pantry, a bigger dining hall, and probably a second kitchen."
Tsunade smirked faintly as she sat down.
"As long as you've got sake, I think we'll get along just fine."
The dining hall was louder than it had been in days.
Morning light spilled through the high windows, casting warm gold across the long wooden table. Plates piled high with roasted boar, fresh bread, eggs, and fruit covered nearly every inch of it.
For the first time since the duel, the crew felt whole again.
Kael sat at the head of the table, one side still bandaged beneath his open shirt. Tsunade sat to his right, already holding a cup of sake with the air of someone who had decided she was never leaving it behind. Yamato sat on his left, watching him like she expected him to collapse at any second.
Baccarat lounged further down the table, swirling a glass of wine between her fingers with an amused smile.
"Not bad," she said, eyeing the spread. "I've worked for men with triple your wealth and half your taste."
Carmen sniffed proudly from the kitchen doorway.
"Of course. A captain who almost dies needs a proper breakfast."
"He almost dies a lot?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes," Yamato, Carmen, and Maki answered at the same time.
"Traitors," Kael muttered around a mouthful of bread.
Even Mihawk's lips twitched faintly.
After the meal settled into a calmer rhythm, Kael looked around the table.
"Alright. What's everyone doing today?"
Yamato immediately raised her hand.
"I'm taking Tsunade and Baccarat to train."
Tsunade looked offended.
"I am a doctor, not one of your muscleheads."
"You're also ridiculously strong," Yamato shot back. "You punched the floor hard enough to crack it while healing him."
Tsunade glanced down at the fractured stone beneath her chair.
"…Fair point."
Yamato grinned.
"I'll teach both of you Rokushiki. At least the basics. And if you've got the talent for it, Observation and Armament Haki too."
Baccarat blinked slowly, then smiled.
"So I get to learn superhuman martial arts and future sight? Best crew ever."
"You'll regret saying that once she starts the training," Maki muttered darkly.
Yamato ignored her.
"We'll start with Soru and Observation. Tsunade already hits hard enough to use Armament once she gets the feel for it."
Tsunade crossed her arms.
"If this leaves me sore, I'm charging all of you for medical treatment."
Gorran cleared his throat from the far end of the table.
"I'll be back in the forge."
His heavy gaze landed on Kael.
"The captain's new blade isn't going to forge itself."
For just a moment, the room quieted.
Kael nodded once.
"Thank you, old man."
Gorran grunted, uncomfortable with the sincerity.
"Bah. Don't thank me yet. I'm still deciding whether to make the thing terrifying or terrifying enough."
That earned a few laughs.
The old blacksmith folded his arms.
"While I'm at it, does anyone else need repairs? Weapons. Armor. Gear."
Carmen raised her hand immediately.
"I need some of my kitchen knives sharpened."
She paused, glancing toward the dagger at her waist, the one Kael had given her.
"And… if possible, I'd like another dagger to match this one."
Gorran gave a slow nod.
"Can do."
Maki shook her head.
"My blades are fine."
Baccarat lifted her glass.
"I don't fight fair enough to need a weapon."
"That explains a lot," Yamato muttered.
Mihawk finally spoke, calm and direct.
"I'll continue Maki's training."
Maki straightened instantly.
"There's still too much I don't understand about Haki."
"You hesitate before every strike," Mihawk said bluntly. "We'll fix that."
Maki's face tightened with determination.
"Yes, ma'am."
Carmen set her cup down with a small sigh.
"After breakfast, I'm checking our food stores."
Her eyes drifted toward the growing number of people around the table.
"With this many mouths to feed, we're going to burn through supplies twice as fast."
"I can help with that," Baccarat said lazily. "I know a few ways to make supplies stretch."
Carmen narrowed her eyes.
"Legally?"
Baccarat smiled.
"…Mostly."
Kael leaned back in his chair and looked around the table.
His crew.
Yamato argued with Tsunade. Maki was already preparing herself for another brutal training session. Gorran muttered about metal and monster blades. Carmen was planning for everyone, like always. Baccarat smiled as she had already figured out how to rob fate itself. Mihawk is sitting quietly at the edge of it all, watching him.
For the first time in a long while, Moonfang Fortress did not feel like a hiding place.
It felt like home.
The fortress came alive.
Gorran vanished into the forge, hammer already ringing before the door fully shut.
Maki followed Mihawk toward the cliffs, gripping her blade with both hands.
Yamato dragged Tsunade and Baccarat toward the training grounds despite both women protesting in very different ways.
Kael returned to the obsidian field alone.
Far off the coast, a scout ship appeared on the horizon, Beast Pirates colors, but not the full Mammoth.
Ulti stood at the prow, Page One beside her, along with a small squad of elite fighters.
Ulti pointed directly at Kael.
"Kaido-sama sent us to test you, Storm Oni King!"
Her grin widened into something feral.
"And if you're weak…"
She slammed her club into the deck hard enough to crack it.
"I'm dragging Yamato home myself."