As The Harbringer slowly pulled toward Koko Island, Gyomei was having dinner with his family. The mood was festive, with Harime being fed by her husband, Tensai, Gyomei eating his tenth bowl of rice, and little Sakime, now 20 years old, was rearranging the rice on her plate.
Gyomei chuckled, reaching his massive hand over to pat her head. Unfortunately, her head was barely big enough to fit a single finger.
"So old but still a child at heart, I see. No playing with your food, imoto," Sakime pouted cutely.
"I'm not a little kid anymore, nii-san! Don't pat my head like that!" Her indignant look nearly caused Gyomei to start crying at how adorable she looks.
Then, he sensed it.
Standing up suddenly, the entire table stared at him. His massive size meant that every move he took would be noticed. A look of dread and fear had appeared on his calm face.
"Go, Tensai. Take the family and leave." Gyomei's voice is deep and dark, his presence looming over the Takoyorus like a colossal mountain.
Tensai Takoyoru had never seen his adoptive son afraid before. He had always faced every challenge with a peaceful smile. So to see such an expression on his face, he knew that the situation must be dire.
Ushering his wife and daughter out the door, he stares gravely at the son he almost rejected so long ago.
"Come back safe, Gyomei." Tensai's voice is soft, pleading. Gyomei has never before seen such raw emotion directed at him.
"Don't worry, Father. Nothing in this world can harm me. I will return."
Gyomei turns, his massive muscles stretching and pulling like the cogs of a great war machine, and bounds off towards the seaside.
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Rocks D. Xebec stares manically at the monstrous man in front of him, craning his head to see his face. Over the years, Gyomei had grown even more, launching his height to a terrifying 30 feet. He now stood even above the likes of Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin by over 9 feet.
"Amazing... you certainly have potential. Join my crew, Himejima! Rule the seas with us! I will give you everything you ever wanted! Power, money, girls..." He grins fanatically, the terrifying expression stretching across his face like a predator baring its fangs.
"Anything you want!"
"No." Gyomei's voice is steady, even through the fear he feels. His every sense screams at him to run, to flee, from this undefeatable monster in front of him. He can't. He has something to protect.
His subordinates are almost as bad. The vibrations tell him that even though they are shorter than he is, their bodies possess incredible strength, vitality, and will. Facing one would be a challenge. Facing all of them? Not even thinkable.
"Really?" Xebec tilts his head, sharp fangs peeking out of his mouth. Suddenly, an overwhelming aura emits from him. Skulls breathing out deathly green mist can be seen floating around him, holes punctured through their frontal bone. Red lightning flashes nonstop, shattering the earth around him.
Gyomei still stands.
"What... an overwhelming aura." He grits out.
"But I will never serve a monster like you. I can feel the murder leaking off of your skin. Killing innocents surely comes to you easier than breathing. I cannot help someone so evil achieve their goals!" The ground beneath him has cratered so deeply that he is on the same eye level as Xebec, who is only half his height.
Gyomei strains. Pressure that could flatten mountains rests solely on top of his shoulders. Every muscle is tensed to the max, veins bulging out, attempting to resist the inhuman pressure telling him to kneel. The floating skulls whisper to him, showing him gruesome pictures of those who hadn't submitted to the crazed monster. Villages razed, islands destroyed, children being picked up by Rocks and swallowed in one gulp, their parents watching in horror.
"I must stall for time so the Takoyorus can get away!" He thinks.
"Ahhh. I see what your problem is!" Rocks' observation haki, sharpened to be the greatest in the seas, notices Gyomei's errant thoughts.
"You want to protect your family!" Edward Newgate, who had just been standing there bored, stiffens.
"Xahahaha! Kaido, bring them to me!" After hearing those words, a man with two horns on his head leaps into action. Gyomei attempts to attack him, but the pressure resting on him is too great, and not a single muscle can twitch. Tendons stronger than steel shudder and flex, but to no avail.
In under five minutes, Kaido returns, grasping two flailing women by the necks. Sakime and her mother, Harime, hair jumbled and struggling to breathe, with tears welling up in their eyes.
"Where is Tensai?" Gyomei grits out.
"The man?" Kaido scratched his head, looking sheepish.
"I think he died. I accidentally scratched him cause he was struggling so much."
Gyomei saw red.
Letting out a furious roar, he pushed his body like he had never pushed before. Every straining muscle bulged with strength, and blood gushed out of his mouth. But he could move, and that was all that was necessary.
Xebec looked surprised as Gyomei charged at him, launching his flail high into the air
"Stone Breathing: Second Form"
He smashed down on the chain, rebounding the flail down, straight into the monster in front of him.
"Upper Smash!"
The heavy flail, once pulled back, almost reached the speed of light with how fast it was traveling. Weighing over five tons, there was nothing the flail could not annihilate.
Xebec stepped out of the way like he was taking a stroll.
Gyomei's eyes widened like saucers, and with good reason. Not only was it nearly impossible to see the speeding flail, but Rocks had moved like it had no threat to him at all. Like... he knew what would happen already.
"Now now, Himejima, no need for violence. Instead, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." Xebec grins menacingly.
"Join my crew and I'll leave you and your family alive. Well, what's left of it at least."
"And if you don't...let's just say it won't just be you and your family dead. I'll raze this whole village to the ground! Every last splinter! Xahahahaha!!" Maniacal laughter erupts from Rocks' throat as he tilts his head back like a madman. Deathly aura emanates from him, even stronger than before, and Gyomei is once again rendered powerless.
"You care about them a lot, don't you? Won't you be quite sad to see them gone?" Understanding the unspoken hint, Kaido grunts and begins to tighten his grip. Sakime and Harime gurgle, foam beginning to bubble out of their mouths.
"NO!!! Please, let them go. I'll join you. I'll serve you. I'll do anything." Gyomei throws himself into the dogeza pose. The slam of his massive body against the ground shattered any semblence of dignity, but it was all worth it if he could save his family again.
"Xahahaha! Very well! Come, and accept my marking!" Gyomei stands up, the pressure no longer mounted upon him. His steps toward Xebec were slow and steady, each one covering many feet worth of distance.
Xebec laid a hand on Gyomei's skin. To Gyomei, it was the most disgusting thing he had ever felt. It was clammy, and reeked of evil incarnate. Darkness swelled up in his hand, absorbing itself into Gyomei's skin.
"Not bad, Himejima. Come, let's go to your new home."
As the monsters in front of him turned and walked towards their ship, Gyomei took a long look at the island he had called home for so long, and the two women kneeling on the sand, gasping for air.
"Goodbye everybody."