The giant whirlpool where God Valley once stood was slowly calming down. The dark, oppressive clouds in the sky had finally dispersed, allowing the long-lost sunlight to shine down on the deck of the Oro Jackson. Still, the warm rays couldn't quite burn away the thick stench of blood and gunpowder that hung heavy in the air. On the chaotic sea, the few surviving ships, their hulls battered and broken, scurried away in all directions, eager to escape the legendary graveyard.
Leaning against the ship's rail, Kyle watched them go.
He saw "Golden Lion" Shiki, standing on the bow of a ship that was somehow still floating, laughing like a madman at the empty expanse of sea. His laughter was filled with a mix of frenzy and bitter disappointment. He saw Charlotte Linlin stomping around her deck, furiously calling out Kaido's name but receiving no answer, her eyes burning with a hunger that looked ready to devour someone whole. He also saw a young Edward Newgate, standing silently at the prow of a small boat, his broad back as imposing as a mountain as he sailed away from the wreckage of his former crew.
The Rocks Pirates, the monstrous crew that had once held the entire world in a chokehold, had completely fallen apart in a single day. 'What a show,' Kyle thought wryly. 'Everyone's acting their part, but in the end, Rocks was the only one who truly lost.'
"Hey, you little rascals! I'm back!"
A powerful voice, full of sunshine and unshakeable confidence, shattered the grim silence on the deck. Everyone whipped their heads around to see Gol D. Roger, covered head to toe in blood, climbing onto the Oro Jackson from a floating piece of wreckage.
With a loud thud, Roger and his sword landed on the deck. He stumbled for a moment before casually pushing himself up, spreading his arms wide, and flashing a smile brighter than the sun. "It's time for a feast!"
"Captain!"
"Roger!"
The crew swarmed him instantly, their hands reaching out to help him up.
Rayleigh frowned, pulling a roll of bandages from inside his coat. "You absolute madman, you should at least deal with your wounds first… Ah, never mind, forget I said anything." He began to skillfully wrap Roger's injuries with the practiced ease of someone who had done it a thousand times. But Roger had already impatiently snatched a barrel of rum from a crewmate and was chugging it down with gusto. The crushing fatigue and searing pain from the battle seemed to melt away, replaced by the pure joy of victory.
Soon, the deck was filled with barrels of wine and freshly roasted sea king meat. The injured crew members found spots to sit, tending to their wounds while loudly recounting the thrilling and unbelievable battle they had just survived.
"Hahahaha, you should have seen it! The look on Rocks's face at the very end was priceless!"
"Garp's punch was on another level! I swear I felt the whole island shake from all the way out here on the ship!"
"But if we're talking about who really made out like a bandit this time..." Jabba, while bandaging his own arm, shot a knowing look toward the corner where Kyle was leisurely sipping on orange juice. "I think our 'Hunting Expert' here probably had the most profitable day, wouldn't you say?"
Instantly, every eye on the deck turned to Kyle, and then to the small mountain of sacks piled up behind him.
Roger slammed down the now-empty barrel, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and let out a booming laugh. "Kuhahahahaha! You're damn right! Kyle, you did a great job! While we were here fighting for our lives, you went and cleaned out the Celestial Dragons' entire home base!"
Kyle just shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Professional matters should be handled by professionals. You guys fight, and I make us rich. It's called a tactical division of labor." After all, Roger's only job was to defeat Rocks. Kyle's, on the other hand, was far more complicated.
"Oh, cut the crap!" Jabba couldn't wait any longer, rubbing his hands together greedily as he approached the pile. "Hurry up and open them! Let's see what kind of goodies you snagged!"
"Yeah! Open them up!"
"I want to see what's in the Celestial Dragons' treasury!"
Amid the excited cheers, Kyle smiled and gave one of the sacks a kick. "Alright, alright. To the victor go the spoils."
His crewmates let out a collective whoop and immediately swarmed the pile. Glistening golden Berries, magnificent jewels, and diamond-encrusted works of art were poured onto the deck like common trash. The sheer brilliance of the treasure, glittering in the sunlight, was almost blinding.
"We're rich!"
"Now we can finally get new weapons!"
The crew members excitedly dove into the pile of treasure like a pack of happy children. Kyle paid them no mind, letting them divide the loot as they saw fit. His gaze swept over the ornate boxes he had "borrowed" from the World Nobles' estates. Most were filled with standard gold and silver. 'I'm not even interested in money,' he thought with a silent, theatrical sigh.
Just then, however, Roger was struggling to pry open a particularly luxurious box, one inlaid with pearls and trimmed with gold.
"Hey, why is this box so damn heavy? There must be something huge inside!" he shouted, waving over a few crewmates to help him.
"One, two, three, open!"
With a combined effort, they heaved the heavy lid open. But the expected mountain of gold wasn't there. The inside of the box was lined with soft, plush velvet. And resting quietly in the center of that luxurious fabric was… something else.
It wasn't a gem, a Devil Fruit, or even a Poneglyph.
It was a sleeping infant.
The baby's face was rosy, its tiny mouth slightly parted as it slept peacefully. A shock of vibrant, flame-like red hair stood out starkly against the velvet, making the sight even more surreal.
The boisterous noise on the deck died abruptly. Everyone froze, their eyes locked on the open box and the red-haired baby nestled inside. Time itself seemed to stand still.
"..."
"..."
"Kyle—!"
Rayleigh was the first to snap out of the trance, his voice practically a roar. "You… you even steal babies?!"
'You're slandering me!'
"I didn't do it!" Kyle exclaimed, throwing his hands up in a gesture of pure innocence. He was just as stunned as everyone else. "I have no idea! How was I supposed to know someone stuffed a kid inside a treasure chest?"
He rushed over to the box and looked down at the sleeping child. The moment he saw that iconic red hair, his mind felt like it had been struck by lightning, and everything went blank.
'Wow… The Golden… No, the Red Legend!'
He had plundered God Valley, hunted Celestial Dragons, emptied their treasuries, witnessed the fall of Rocks, and watched the rise of Roger. But in the most absurd way imaginable, fate had just shown him that he was no mere witness to history.
He looked down at the baby in the box—the man who would one day become one of the Four Emperors, who would gift his straw hat to Monkey D. Luffy, who would end the war at Marineford with nothing but his presence. Then he looked at his own two hands, still dusty from a day of looting.
It seemed the MVP of the God Valley Incident wasn't Roger or Garp. It was him. The rest of them just took care of the final boss.
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