Chapter 7: Shadows of the Sea
It's been a while since I earned the rank of Rear Admiral—and frankly, the title sounds better than the job itself.
Most of my days are spent either chasing low-level pirates or standing around the base doing paperwork while others drink and spar. The Pirate Era hasn't officially begun yet, so the sea is relatively calm… too calm.
But calm doesn't mean safe.
Because monsters still roam these oceans.
And at the center of it all, one name echoes like thunder across the Grand Line:
Rocks D. Xebec.
A storm in human form, he's the most feared pirate alive. Ruthless, charismatic, and dangerously ambitious.
Beside him, there are three more figures who dominate the sea and strike fear even into Navy elites:
Alexander Fujin– A towering man with the might of a future Whitebeard, known for his indestructible physique and overwhelming strength.
Emma – Nicknamed the Gentle Empress. She's powerful like Big Mom, but unlike her future counterpart, she truly loves and protects her children.
Yub D. Yami– The youngest of the four. Calm, quiet, calculating. No one knows how he got so strong at such a young age… but he's dangerous.
The world doesn't call them Emperors yet. But I do.
The Four Shadows of the Sea.
---
So far, I've only faced Emma—and that battle opened my eyes.
Garp and I fought her together, and still… we barely pushed her back.
Her Haki was overwhelming. Her strength was like a moving fortress.
Even when I used Steal, she resisted with pure willpower.
That day, I learned something critical:
Immortality isn't invincibility.
It just means I won't die. But I can still be defeated. Still be humiliated.
Since then, I've made a decision—to grow stronger. Not for pride, but for survival.
And for my dream of cleansing the Navy from within.
---
Back aboard my warship, The Golden Roar, I sat in my quarters, hands clasped, eyes on the glowing interface of the Shock System.
> SYSTEM INTERFACE
NAME: Monkey D. Gojo
AGE: 16
STRENGTH: 5000
DEXTERITY: 6000
STAMINA: 10,000
ABILITIES:
– Immortality
– Steal
– Rokushiki (Proficient)
– Armament Haki (Proficient)
– Observation Haki (Proficient)
– Conqueror's Haki (Intermediate)
– Swordsmanship (Mastery)
My stats were already monstrous for someone my age.
But I knew it wasn't enough. Not when monsters like Rocks and fujin existed.
It was time to upgrade.
---
I opened the System Shop.
> [SHOP] – POWER UPGRADES AVAILABLE
– Armament Haki (Advanced) – 8000 pts
– Observation Haki (Advanced) – 8000 pts
– Conqueror's Haki (Advanced) – 10,000 pts
– Swordsmanship (Grandmaster) – 12,000 pts
– Devil Fruit (Mythical Tier) – 15,000 pts
– Devil Fruit (Logia Tier) – 10,000 pts
– Devil Fruit (Zoan/Paramecia Tier) – 8000 pts
The options were vast… tempting.
But I paused on one.
> Devil Fruit (Mythical Tier)
The power of gods.
But which one should I choose? A Mythical Zoan like Phoenix, Sun God, or something original? Or a Logia that grants true destruction?
I hadn't decided yet.
So for now, I closed the fruit section. My instincts told me I'd know when the time came.
---
Outside, Garp was training alone, punching boulders until they shattered. His growth was terrifying. I had been training him personally, and the boy had potential to match me one day.
We were 16 now. And our era was coming.
Our mission was to reshape the Navy, crush corruption, and defeat the monsters of the sea.
The calm before the storm was ending.
Because soon… Rocks D. Xebec would make his move.
And we would be ready.