A year had passed since the execution.
A year since Gol D. Roger's laughter ignited the seas.
A year since Tempest D. Kai began forging himself in silence.
The forest that once dwarfed him now felt familiar, almost tame. The trees he had scarred with Akatsuki stood as witnesses to his growth, their trunks carved with countless cuts that had grown deeper and cleaner with time.
Today, he stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the endless sea.
He had finished his morning training before sunrise.
Running across mountain ridges. Weighted sprints. Armament drills until his forearms darkened smoothly without flicker. Observation extended wide enough to feel birds shifting in distant branches.
He had hunted.
He had eaten.
And now, he was leaving.
"So this is it," Kai murmured, staring at the horizon. "One year of preparation."
The sea wind brushed against his face.
"Time to enter the Grand Line."
He exhaled slowly and stepped closer to the cliff's edge. Below, waves crashed violently against jagged rocks.
He rolled his shoulders once.
"Partial transformation," he whispered.
Golden light shimmered across his back.
Feathers of flame erupted outward, forming a magnificent pair of wings — radiant, blazing, yet controlled. Each feather burned with contained heat, glowing like molten sunlight.
Kai flexed them once.
The air trembled.
"…I'll never get tired of this," he muttered.
With one powerful flap, he launched himself off the cliff.
The wind roared past him as he soared into open sky. The forest shrank beneath him, the coastline becoming a thin strip of green against blue.
"This is freedom," he said quietly.
He flew low over the sea, skimming just above waves, adjusting to currents and crosswinds. Weather Manipulation made flight easier — subtle wind shifts supporting his glide.
"First objective," he murmured. "Find a pirate ship."
His eyes sharpened.
"And borrow it."
He smirked faintly.
"Most pirates in this era aren't Roger. And they definitely aren't Luffy."
Hours passed before he spotted sails in the distance.
A mid-sized pirate vessel cut through the sea, black flag waving proudly. The crew laughed loudly, barrels rolling across deck as they celebrated something.
Kai hovered high above them.
"Well," he muttered, folding his arms midair, "let's see what kind of pirates you are."
He extended Observation Haki slightly.
The emotions he sensed were crude.
Greed.
Cruelty.
Violence.
"Yeah," he sighed. "You're not the good kind."
He descended.
A pirate on deck squinted upward.
"What the hell is that?!"
Golden wings flared as Kai landed lightly on the mast.
The crew froze.
"A kid?"
"With wings?!"
Kai tilted his head slightly.
"Good afternoon," he said calmly. "I'll be borrowing your ship."
Silence.
Then laughter erupted.
"Borrowing?!" one pirate barked. "You hear that, captain? The brat wants to borrow our ship!"
The captain spat overboard.
"Throw him into the sea."
Kai sighed.
"I tried being polite."
The first pirate charged him with a cutlass raised.
Kai vanished.
He reappeared behind the man and tapped his shoulder.
"Wrong direction."
A casual chop to the neck dropped him instantly.
The deck erupted into chaos.
"Kill him!"
Kai exhaled lightly.
Lightning sparked along his fingers.
"Since you insist."
A thunderbolt split the sky and slammed into the deck.
Boom.
The explosion blasted pirates off their feet, masts cracking under pressure. Kai moved like a golden blur, striking with the flat of his blade, sending bodies flying overboard.
He didn't waste time.
He didn't hesitate.
Within minutes, the deck was empty.
Screaming pirates splashed in the sea.
Kai stood at the railing, looking down at them.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "you get to enjoy swimming."
A pirate flailed wildly. "You monster!"
Kai raised a finger.
"One more gift."
A small thunderbolt struck the water nearby, electrifying the surface just enough to send them into frantic spasms.
He nodded once.
"There. A farewell present."
They screamed loudly.
Kai winced slightly.
"Ah… you're welcome."
He stepped toward the helm.
"Sigh," he muttered. "I really am a good guy."
More screams rose behind him.
He didn't look back.
"I don't need your thanks," he said calmly. "Enjoy yourselves."
He adjusted the sails using wind manipulation and set course toward Reverse Mountain.
---
The journey was uneventful.
Kai stood at the helm, arms crossed as wind filled the sails. Weather Manipulation helped stabilize the ship, though navigation required attention.
"I'm not Nami," he muttered. "Top-tier navigation isn't my specialty."
Hours later, the towering structure of Reverse Mountain came into view.
Waterfalls flowed upward.
The current roared violently.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"Well," he said dryly, "this is dramatic."
He guided the ship toward the canal entrance.
For a moment, it seemed manageable.
Then the current shifted.
The ship tilted violently.
"Ah," Kai muttered. "That's not good."
The vessel slammed against rock.
Wood splintered.
Water rushed in.
He clicked his tongue.
"And there it goes."
The ship cracked apart and sank beneath him.
Kai rose into the air with flaming wings before the wreckage dragged him down.
"Should've expected that," he admitted calmly, hovering above the raging current.
He ascended higher, flying up the massive slope instead of riding the water.
As he flew, his mind drifted.
"Now that I think about it," he murmured, "Nami was always weak in combat."
He snorted softly.
"And yet she beat Luffy constantly."
He shook his head.
"As a good man and Luffy's biggest fan, how can I let the future Joy Boy suffer domestic violence?"
He crossed his arms mid-flight.
"I should take care of Nami."
A thoughtful pause.
"Let Luffy become Pirate King in peace."
He sighed dramatically.
"And Hancock… she was always distracting him."
He flew higher.
"Fine," he said firmly. "I'll make sure Hancock doesn't disturb his path."
His lips curved slightly.
"She has Conqueror's Haki."
His eyes gleamed.
"I'm definitely forming a contract with her."
He nodded once.
"And Yamato."
A grin spread across his face.
"With two queens by my side, who would dare challenge me?"
He hummed thoughtfully.
"Hiyori too… she had spirit."
He tilted his head.
"If she trains from childhood, maybe she won't stay weak."
He shrugged lightly.
"At least she'd be better than that Momo brat."
Wind howled around him as he reached the peak of Reverse Mountain.
He hovered there briefly, looking over the vast sea ahead.
"Sigh," he muttered. "Why wasn't Nami born earlier?"
He descended along the other side smoothly, avoiding the violent downward current entirely.
At the base of the mountain stood a lighthouse.
Kai angled his wings and landed gently atop it.
Golden flames faded.
"Well," he said calmly, stretching slightly, "until I find more pirates to borrow from…"
He walked toward the entrance.
"…might as well stay here."
He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The lighthouse interior was quiet.
Old.
Dusty.
He glanced around and spotted a fishing rod leaning near the wall.
Kai picked it up thoughtfully.
"Free equipment," he murmured approvingly.
He dragged a chair toward the doorway where sea breeze flowed in, sat down casually, and cast the line into the water below.
The rod bent slightly as it settled.
Kai leaned back comfortably.
"Grand Line, huh?"
He rested his chin in his palm.
"Let's see what kind of monsters you're hiding."
The sea stretched endlessly ahead.
And a golden-winged child waited patiently, fishing rod in hand, as the next chapter of the Great Pirate Era unfolded.
Hay Guys try my other fic -
Naruto: With Talent System.
One Piece: The Sage Kings Journy.
One Piece: Kitsune's Rise From God Velley.