In just a single day,
Musend and the others unearthed all the hidden treasure troves once hoarded by the Celestial Dragons.
The wealth they recovered… could no longer be measured by mere numbers.
Staring at the mountainous piles of treasure, everyone's eyes bulged as wide as buns.
Especially those dozen or so Devil Fruits—they made everyone's gaze burn with desire.
Ghidorah handed over all the treasure to Musend to manage and tasked him with rebuilding Pangaea Castle.
In the days that followed, Pangaea Castle welcomed a new ruler, and the post-war reconstruction brought a glimmer of hope to the civilians of Mary Geoise.
The rebuilding of the disaster-stricken Holy Land progressed in an orderly fashion.
Three days later, Dragon's Revolutionary Army brought over a compiled report on volcanic islands to Pangaea Castle.
The one who came was none other than the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army—Sabo!
When Sabo saw Ghidorah, his eyes were full of shock.
He simply couldn't believe that this gargantuan beast lying before him… was the legendary "Uranus, the Heavenly King."
Thinking of the task Dragon had entrusted him with, he quickly pulled a file from his person—only to immediately freeze in awkwardness.
The beast before him was simply too massive. For a creature this size, a normal document probably wasn't even good enough to wipe with…
"You can just spread the documents out in front of you."
The colossal head leaned in toward Sabo, and with its breath came a wave of bloody, fishy wind.
Forcing himself to endure the discomfort, Sabo quickly laid out the files on the ground in front of him.
Those massive golden eyes scanned the documents once—and instantly remembered the island names and rough geographic locations.
Then, recalling a promise made to Dragon, Kaidora's left head opened its enormous jaws and placed a Devil Fruit before Sabo using its tongue.
"Dragon should have told you already,"
"Eat this, and you'll gain the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
Eat it?
Was this a joke?
Sabo's face turned green in an instant.
Never mind how strong the fruit's power might be…
You pulled it out of your mouth! Who could bring themselves to eat that?!
Due to the nature of his own fruit, Ghidorah couldn't revert from his beast form. So normally, he stored important items in a special space within the left side of his neck.
"You don't need to eat the whole thing—just one bite is enough."
Seeing the other hesitate, Ghidorah knew exactly what he was thinking. Still, he could only offer a well-meaning reminder.
Sabo, who had now recovered his full memory, was indeed deeply tempted by the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
But…
Deep inside, he still felt resistance.
After a long hesitation, he finally picked up the fruit, closed his eyes… and took a bite.
BLEGH!
A taste beyond description assaulted his tongue, violently overwhelming his senses.
Fortunately, only one bite was required. Any more, and he might've died from sheer nausea before even gaining the power.
Upon eating a Devil Fruit, the user instantly acquires its ability.
Looking at the faint black smoke rising from his hand, all of Sabo's prior discomfort vanished in an instant.
Like a child with a new toy, he excitedly experimented with his newly acquired darkness ability—absorbing nearby stones into the shadows and then releasing them again.
But as he continued testing, he realized something was off.
Despite being a Logia-type, the Dark-Dark Fruit didn't allow him to become intangible—and he felt a strange sensation growing in his heart that made him frown.
"You felt it, didn't you?"
Ghidorah spoke slowly as he watched Sabo's expression.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit may be classified as Logia, but it doesn't allow for element-based intangibility."
"Still, it possesses a unique trait no other Devil Fruit can match:
It allows the user to acquire a second Devil Fruit."
"I've got quite a few Devil Fruits stored here, but unfortunately, none are suitable for you."
"And one more thing… Don't be like that fool Blackbeard and try to forcibly take powerful abilities."
"That path is not for you. The only one that truly complements the Dark-Dark Fruit… is the Swallow-Swallow Fruit."
"From here on, keep an eye out for that one."
Just thinking about the fusion of the Dark-Dark and Swallow-Swallow Fruits—a product he himself once created—made Ghidorah visibly excited.
The Revolutionary Army didn't lack strong fighters.
What they lacked… was logistical support—someone who could create anything.
As for what powers might be born from combining those two fruits, no one could say for sure.
After all, the same Devil Fruit could yield very different results depending on its user.
There was no doubt about that—Luffy and Joy Boy had already proven it.
---
Time passed. Sabo spent two days in Mary Geoise mastering his new Devil Fruit powers, and then, upon hearing news about the Swallow-Swallow Fruit's current wielder, left in haste.
Meanwhile, the reconstruction of Pangaea Castle continued.
Ghidorah claimed the entire plaza area for himself and turned it into his own lair.
And far across the seas, in the New World, the G1 Naval Fortress was also undergoing expansion.
With the previous Fleet Admiral stepping down abruptly, Vice Admiral Garp had retired to Windmill Village, and Vice Admiral Tsuru had fallen ill from worry after the Navy's losses.
Among the new generation of Admirals, some had died, others had left—
Only Kizaru was left to hold up the entire force.
The last man standing becomes the boss!
Forced onto the stage, half-pushed, half-resigned, Kizaru was made the new Fleet Admiral.
Now sitting in his broad and modest office, head buried in endless paperwork, he looked utterly exhausted.
With Marineford having sunk, the Navy had to establish a new headquarters. The G1 Fortress in the New World had become the top choice.
Listening to the clanging of hammers and drills outside, Kizaru didn't feel any joy—only fatigue and gloom.
This man, who once swore by the motto "Pay me enough and I'll take down a Yonko," now found that a higher salary didn't necessarily mean a better deal.
He used to think drawing a salary while doing the bare minimum was the perfect life.
But now… not only had the paycheck grown, so had the workload.
And that wasn't even the worst of it—
The worst part was…
Whose side am I even on anymore?
Another step up, and he'd be among the Five Elders…
Wouldn't that mean going undercover on myself?
Holding the documents in his hand, his mind wandered off into bizarre thoughts.
---
"Fleet Admiral, we've received word from Mary Geoise."
"A few days ago, Pangaea Castle began reconstruction. Surveillance units reported sightings of Revolutionary Army members in the area."
At the mention of the Revolutionary Army, Kizaru involuntarily shuddered.
"Revolutionary Army, huh? Kowai ne…"
"Forget it. Pull the surveillance team out. That place… is far too dangerous."
"When compared to that terrifying monster… the Revolutionary Army isn't even worth mentioning."
The more he thought about that beast and the man who had contact with it, the more exasperated he felt.
Back when he was just an Admiral, none of this really weighed on him.
But now, as Fleet Admiral—with access to secrets he never knew before—his brain felt like it was constantly exploding.
---
"One more thing, sir."
"Recently, a few groups of mysterious individuals have appeared at the Grand Line's entry point. Some are even attempting to cross the Calm Belt directly into the New World."
"What kind of people?" Kizaru asked, eyes narrowing.
"We're not sure yet. They're unfamiliar faces. Their identities are currently unknown," the messenger replied.
"Alright, I get it…"
"What a chaotic time we live in…"
Kizaru slumped deep into his chair, lifting his head as his dull eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
He couldn't help but feel that he had stepped onto a path of no return…
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