-Broadcast-
After causing such an uproar on Dressrosa Island, now wasn't the time for leisurely reunions. With most of the witnesses unconscious from the earlier Conqueror's Haki display, the Straw Hat Pirates prepared to make their escape with the two samurai in tow.
"Running on foot will take too long," Nami declared, her hand already moving to summon her Devil Fruit powers. "We need speed. Sonic Cloud!"
The navigator's Kumo Kumo no Mi (Cloud-Cloud Fruit) manifested a massive white cloud from thin air, its edges crackling with barely contained energy. She gestured for everyone to climb aboard. "This is going to be fast, so hold on tight."
Momonosuke gripped the cloud's surface with both hands, skepticism clear in his young features. After 5 years of grueling training with Douglas Bullet, he'd developed confidence in his physical abilities. How fast could a cloud really be?
Sanji settled behind Nami with practiced ease, turning to address the pink-haired boy with a knowing smirk. "First time on one of Nami-san's clouds, kid? I made the mistake of underestimating the speed back at Fish-Man Island—ended up taking an unexpected dive into the ocean."
"We'll be care—" Kin'emon began, but his words were lost in the thunderous crack that split the air.
The Sonic Cloud launched forward, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. The resulting sonic boom echoed across Dressrosa's plaza like thunder, jolting awake every citizen who had been knocked unconscious by the earlier Conqueror's Haki. By the time they groggily lifted their heads, the Straw Hat Pirates were already a distant speck in the sky.
"WAAAAAHHHHH!" Luffy's delighted scream mixed with the rushing wind.
Momonosuke's eyes were wide as dinner plates, his earlier confidence shattered. "So fast... So fast!"
"SLOW DOWN!" Usopp wailed, his face stretched back by the tremendous speed.
"MOTHER!" Kin'emon cried, his dignified samurai composure completely abandoned.
While four grown men shrieked in terror, Nami remained perfectly poised atop her creation, her hair flowing elegantly in the wind. Sanji, naturally, maintained his cool beside her. In less than two minutes, the familiar lion figurehead of the Thousand Sunny came into view.
"All aboard the Nami Express," the navigator announced with satisfaction, bringing the cloud to hover over their ship's deck. "End of the line, everyone off!"
One by one, she unceremoniously dumped her passengers onto the Sunny's grassy deck below. Luffy hit the lawn with a bounce and a laugh, while the others landed in various states of dishevelment. Only when everyone else was safely deposited did Nami gracefully descend with Sanji and their shopping supplies.
"What's all the commotion?" Robin emerged from the library, Chopper at her side. Both had returned from their own exploration of Dressrosa just in time to witness the spectacle.
The archaeologist's mature, melodious voice immediately caught Momonosuke's attention. However, instead of his usual inappropriate behavior, the young heir straightened his posture and offered a proper bow—a gesture that spoke to the discipline beaten into him during his training years.
"My name is Kozuki Momonosuke," he said, his voice carrying the weight of his heritage despite his youth. "Forgive our sudden arrival."
Robin's eyebrows rose slightly at the familiar surname. "Kozuki? As in Kozuki Oden?" Her voice carried genuine curiosity rather than mere politeness.
The question hit Momonosuke like a physical blow. His shoulders sagged, and for a moment, the confident young man trained by legends looked like the scared child he truly was. "Kozuki Oden was my father," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the ocean breeze.
Kin'emon, still recovering from their aerial journey, struggled to his knees in a formal seiza position. "Forgive my lord's distress," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "The mention of the late daimyo brings back... difficult memories."
Nami's expression softened as she observed the pain in both samurai's faces. "Wano Country... isn't that under Kaido's control now?" The question was gentle, but it struck like lightning.
At the mention of that name, Momonosuke's composure cracked entirely. His hands clenched into fists, trembling with a mixture of rage and terror. "Kaido..." The name left his lips like a curse.
"Lord Momonosuke attempted to reclaim our homeland," Kin'emon continued, his voice heavy with shame and grief. "We launched a direct assault on Onigashima, believing that surprise and determination could overcome any obstacle."
The retainer's face twisted with the memory. "His Highness, in his magnificent dragon form, charged the Beast King directly. But Kaido... that monster struck him down with a single blow of his kanabo. It wasn't just Armament Haki—it was something beyond our understanding. White energy coating the weapon, surrounded by crackling red and black lightning. The very air seemed to tear apart under its power."
Robin's eyes widened in recognition. "Advanced Conqueror's Haki coating combined with advanced Armament," she murmured. "That level of technique..."
"Is standard for him," Momonosuke finished bitterly, his voice hollow. "Every casual swing carries that much power. I realized that what I thought was his full strength was merely him holding back out of boredom."
The young heir's face contorted with humiliation. "He didn't even try to kill me. After I recovered, he had his subordinates heal my injuries and invited me to challenge him again. And again. And again." His voice broke slightly. "Each time, I lasted a little longer. One hit became two, then three, then four. By the tenth attempt, I could withstand his casual attacks for a few exchanges."
Luffy listened intently, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by focused attention. He recognized the look in Momonosuke's eyes—the same desperation he'd felt facing overwhelming power.
"But being treated like a training dummy by the man who murdered my parents..." Momonosuke's hands shook uncontrollably. "The humiliation was worse than the physical pain. Every day, I felt my resolve cracking a little more."
"Lord Momonosuke refused the eleventh challenge," Kin'emon continued when his lord couldn't speak. "Instead, we stole one of the Beast Pirates' ships and fled to Dressrosa, hoping to rescue our captured comrades. It was there that we encountered you."
The deck fell silent except for the gentle lapping of waves against the hull. Even Luffy seemed subdued by the weight of their story.
"Momo," Luffy said quietly, using the familiar nickname that only he was allowed to use, "is Kaido really that strong?"
Momonosuke looked up at his friend, his eyes red-rimmed but no longer flowing with tears. "Even if you and I fought together, even if we brought five more people at our level... no, even ten people like us wouldn't be enough. His strength has grown beyond what anyone could have imagined. If my father were to be resurrected tomorrow, I don't believe he could last more than a few exchanges against what Kaido has become."
The admission hung in the air like a death sentence. For someone who had spent 5 years training under Douglas Bullet and Buggy, who had pushed himself to inhuman limits alongside Monkey D. Luffy, to admit such complete powerlessness spoke to the true scope of their enemy.
From conversations with other crew members who had followed their captain's journey, the Straw Hats learned that Momonosuke's life for the past 5 years had been rigidly structured: training, eating, sleeping, and studying. The routine had been broken only by Luffy's occasional individual lessons with Buggy the Clown, during which the two young men would share stories and dreams.
Interestingly, Luffy had never spoken much about his crew during these sessions, which explained why Momonosuke seemed unfamiliar with the people who now surrounded him. It was a peculiar oversight, but perhaps not surprising—Luffy had always lived in the present, focusing on the person in front of him rather than dwelling on those who were absent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGarudaYou'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~