Chapter 28 – Mythical Zoan: Unicorn Form
On the deck of the Blue Dragon, Amos stepped out with a middle-aged man dressed in noble attire. His expression still carried the tension and exhaustion of someone who had just escaped a crisis. This man was King Yasis of the Kingdom of Mora.
Amos gave a crisp salute to Tachibana Kyūjō before introducing the man beside him.
"Vice Admiral Seiryu. This is King Yasis of the Kingdom of Mora. He came in person to express his gratitude."
Before Kyūjō could respond, Yasis stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Vice Admiral Seiryu, I owe you my deepest thanks. Today, you saved the Kingdom of Mora from disaster."
Kyūjō shook his head slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Hunting pirates is the duty of the Marines. You don't need to thank me for doing my job. As long as I'm stationed at G2, I'll protect this region—your kingdom included—no matter how many times pirates come knocking."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"By the way… a few days ago, didn't the Stevenson Pirates attack your kingdom? Do you know which direction they fled?"
The question made Yasis's expression darken. He took a deep breath before answering.
"That's… actually the other reason I came here."
"A week ago, Stevenson's crew raided our kingdom. They even took the most precious treasure of the royal family from our vault—a Devil Fruit."
Kyūjō raised a brow.
"What kind of Devil Fruit?"
"The Uma Uma no Mi, Model: Unicorn. A Mythical Zoan," Yasis said slowly, enunciating each word.
"…A Mythical Zoan?"
Kyūjō paused. Even in the Grand Line, such Fruits were exceptionally rare and immensely valuable.
"Then why didn't your kingdom consume it and turn it into a defensive asset?"
Yasis lowered his head, as if ashamed.
"The Fruit only appeared in our territory recently. We intended to offer it to the World Government as Heavenly Tribute… in hopes that Mora would be accepted as a member nation. But now… it's too late.
Kyūjō exhaled quietly. He didn't fully agree with that choice—but Yasis didn't seem like a bad man, just someone clinging too tightly to a fragile system.
To Kyūjō, real security came from power you held in your own hands. Plenty of member nations had still fallen to pirates. The ones that hadn't… all shared one thing in common: the strength to defend themselves.
He met Yasis's gaze.
"I'll go after Stevenson. If they haven't eaten the Fruit, I'll take it back."
Then, in a calm but firm tone, he added:
"But in that case… it'll be my spoils of war. I won't return it to you. What I can promise is this—as long as I'm stationed at G2, I'll protect the Kingdom of Mora with everything I have."
Yasis could only bow his head in agreement. He had no grounds to refuse. He was the ruler of a small island. Kyūjō was a Vice Admiral with authority over dozens of such territories.
Even if Mora joined the World Government, the force protecting them would still be… the Marines.
— — —
One Week Later – Border Waters Between G2 and G7
The Blue Dragon slowed as it approached the edge of G2's jurisdiction. Hina—her pink hair tied neatly, her Marine uniform crisp—strode to the rail.
"Vice Admiral Seiryu," she said seriously, "Vice Captain Amos asked me to confirm—Stevenson's crew has crossed out of G2 waters. Are we still pursuing?"
Kyūjō looked out over the endless horizon. Technically, without orders from HQ, he wasn't supposed to leave his jurisdiction. But…
"Letting them run free… doesn't sit right with me."
He turned to Hina.
"You all stay here. I'll chase them down myself."
Hina frowned.
"I want to come. I'm not a burden."
Kyūjō's smile was faint but genuine.
"Of course you're not. Come along—your strength will be useful."
Without further explanation to Amos, Kyūjō wrapped an arm around Hina's shoulders and stepped into the air.
In the blink of an eye, they shot upward, streaking through the clouds like a bolt of lightning, straight toward Stevenson's last known location.
Hina went red in the face in his arms.
Why was she letting him carry her like this? She could use Geppō, after all.
As if reading her mind, Kyūjō glanced down at her.
"I'm worried they've already gotten too far. My aerial movement is faster than Geppō. You don't mind, do you?"
Hina ducked her head, flustered.
"…No. Hina doesn't mind."
— — —
Minutes Later
From above, Kyūjō's senses picked up the presence of Stevenson's ship. Inside, he could feel a strange, potent aura—unmistakably a Devil Fruit.
A thin smile formed on his lips.
"Good. It hasn't been eaten yet."
He turned to Hina.
"Stay in the air. I'm sinking their ship. You're a Devil Fruit user—it's too risky for you near the water."
Hina nodded, activating Geppō to hover at a safe height.
On Stevenson's ship, the crew—seasoned Grand Line fighters—looked up as a heavy impact shook the deck.
A towering figure, nearly three meters tall, stood amidst splintered wood. His crisp Marine uniform was immaculate, a long katana at his hip, and the coat of justice billowed behind him.
Tachibana Kyūjō had arrived.
Silence swept over the pirates. He didn't even need to speak for tension to grip them.
Only monsters carried themselves like that.
Kyūjō drew Rairyūken—now an Ō Wazamono-grade blade thanks to his mastery of Busoshoku Haki. Black-and-red lightning patterns rippled naturally along the steel.
"You're surrounded," he said evenly. "Drop your weapons, hands up, kneel."
The pirates stared blankly.
"…This guy's an idiot, huh?"
Even if an Admiral showed up, Grand Line veterans wouldn't just roll over. They were survivors forged in storms and hell.
Kyūjō chuckled. He wasn't serious.
Sensing Stevenson below, he raised his blade and unleashed a slash.
A bright blue arc tore through the air, slicing the ship clean from bow to stern.
It wasn't meant to kill—only to prevent the Fruit from being eaten.
Sure enough, Stevenson still had it tucked in a cloth pouch under his cloak. He didn't even recognize its value.
From above, Kyūjō confirmed it: Stevenson didn't know it was a Mythical Zoan.
By the time Stevenson realized what was happening, most of his ship was already in pieces.
He stepped forward, face dark, gripping his sword tightly. He knew—if he couldn't defeat this man, he wasn't getting away.
The two swordsmen faced each other on drifting wreckage.
Kyūjō. Stevenson.
Two masters of the blade. Two formidable Haki users.
Stevenson glared from across the debris.
"You're the new Vice Admiral at G2, right? I'm outside your waters now. Why are you still chasing me?!"
Kyūjō shrugged.
> "You're a pirate. I'm a Marine. That's enough reason."
"Since when did Marines need permission to catch pirates?"
He didn't wait for an answer. Kyūjō moved—lightning-quick.
Stevenson swung to meet him. Their blades clashed, Haki colliding.
Stevenson's sword was coated in pitch-black Busoshoku. But Rairyūken—wreathed in crimson-violet lightning patterns—crushed it effortlessly.
One strike was enough to decide the fight.
Stevenson was blasted backward, blood dripping from his torn palms.
Shock… and fear… twisted his face.
"…This man… he's a Great Swordsman…"
Since when did the Marines send monsters like this after him?
Had he offended a Celestial Dragon?
Why… to this extent?!
— — —
Note:
A Great Swordsman is someone with exceptional mastery over the blade. The range is broad—some rival Admirals or even Yonko, others are closer to figures like Gion or Vista. The true measure is their understanding of Haki and the philosophy of the sword itself.
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