Sea Circle Calendar 1498, Sabaody Archipelago.
Sakura stood by the shore, eyes closed, her mind sharply focused.
Her Observation Haki radiated outward from her, picking up the rhythm shared by all things—the sea breeze, the crashing waves, the chirping of birds.
It was called the Breath of All Things.
In her hand, the supreme-grade blade Ace hummed softly, its radiant glow bursting from the edge.
As Sakura swung the blade down, a slash dozens of meters long tore through the air, slicing the sea itself in an instant.
"Finally nailed it, huh?"
A man sitting on a tree root behind her raised a bottle of wine, taking a hearty swig.
"Thanks, Uncle Rayleigh!"
Sakura sheathed Ace at her waist.
"By the way, you sure you don't want to go to Loguetown?"
Next to Rayleigh lay a newspaper detailing the Pirate King's world-shaking final words before his death.
It also included the World Government's attempts to debunk the existence of the One Piece, alongside opinion pieces from scholars insisting it was a myth.
"I already said my goodbyes properly. Besides, I believe Captain Roger's not really gone!"
Sakura turned, her cherry-pink hair fluttering in the breeze, revealing a bright, beaming smile.
She pointed a thumb at her chest.
Rayleigh looked at her, and for a moment, his eyes glazed over.
He could almost hear Roger's bold laughter echoing from the day they parted.
"I'm not gonna die, brother!"
Rayleigh pushed up his glasses with two fingers, chuckling loudly.
"Yeah, no way that guy would go down so easily!"
By the shore, Sakura spun around, the sound of air rushing past her as she appeared at Rayleigh's side in a flash.
Hands on her hips, she started laying into him.
"Uncle Rayleigh, thanks for looking out for me all this time."
"Captain Roger's journey is over, so it's about time I head home."
"You're gonna be on your own in Sabaody now, so take care of yourself—and don't drink too much!"
Though he was getting an earful from his junior, Rayleigh didn't show the slightest bit of annoyance.
Instead, he set down his bottle and listened earnestly to every word.
"So, see ya, Uncle Rayleigh!"
"Sakura!"
Rayleigh raised a fist.
Sakura clenched her own fist and bumped it against his.
'System! Activate the traversal function!'
[Notice: Host is carrying an item—Supreme-grade Blade Ace. Transporting it across worlds requires additional achievement points.]
'What? You greedy thing, why don't you just charge me for the clothes on my back too!'
[Notice: Restricted by relevant platform creation rules and regulations.]
'Damn… you money-grubbing system, were you made by Tencent or something?'
[Notice: Yes!]
'Fine, fine, deduct it already!'
[Notice: Deducting 10 points for world traversal, 100 points for item transport.]
[Commencing traversal!]
In the next instant, a torrent of blazing light engulfed Sakura.
After a moment of stillness, the light faded. Rayleigh, watching Sakura vanish into it, sat stunned.
Then, shaking his head, he drank himself into a stupor.
---
Konoha Year 57, East Side of Konoha Village—Commercial District.
"Hey, hey, I'm talking to you! You listening?!"
Snapping out of her daze, Sakura opened her eyes, finding herself leaning against a wall in an alley.
A flash of red glowed in her eyes as her Observation Haki spread out like radar, scanning everything within range.
Ten meters… a hundred meters… a kilometer. Every rustle of leaves, every whisper of wind was crystal clear to her.
Including the three girls standing in front of her, their faces dripping with mockery.
"Haki… normal. Physique… normal. Swordsmanship… normal. Abilities… normal."
Sakura ignored them, using her Haki to check her own condition.
[Notice: Supreme-grade Blade Ace has been stored in the system inventory.]
"What's with all the muttering, Wide-Forehead? You're not crying, are you?"
The lead girl sneered, reaching to pinch Sakura's face.
But the Observation Haki honed through life-and-death battles at sea wasn't something a kid like her could outmaneuver.
Sakura didn't even counter—just tilted her head slightly, and the girl's hand missed, scraping against the rough wall and drawing blood.
"Ow, that hurts!"
The unnamed girl yelped, clutching her hand.
"Miko!"
One of the other girls stepped forward, shielding her friend and shouting at Sakura.
"How dare you hurt Miko!"
"Whoa, whoa, she's the one who reached for me, okay?"
Sakura started matching their faces to her memories, realizing these were the girls who always teased her about her forehead.
Their parents were shop owners in the commercial district, and they loved throwing their weight around, bullying others with their families' modest wealth.
"We don't care about that! Don't underestimate our bond!"
The two girls clenched their fists, shouting about friendship and bonds as they charged at Sakura.
Sakura felt utterly exhausted. She'd just returned from the perilous seas to the safety of her village.
And what welcomed her? The same old bullying from her fellow villagers.
Man, what can I say?
"Too loud. Quiet down."
Sakura's gaze sharpened, her overwhelming aura surging outward.
A single look made these naive girls feel the weight of the blood-soaked seas she'd crossed.
It was a gap in dimensions.
For the first time, the girls realized the chasm between themselves and Sakura.
Their legs trembled, frozen in place, too scared to move an inch.
"Listen up. Come after me again, and it won't end like this."
Sakura glanced at the wet stains spreading on their pants, then stepped out of the alley.
Walking through the commercial district she hadn't seen in two years, nothing seemed to have changed.
Or maybe her two years at sea were just a fleeting moment here?
Lost in thought, Sakura headed toward a familiar place.
She climbed the stairs of an apartment building, finally standing before the most familiar door.
Reaching out, she gently pushed it open.
Tears welled up unknowingly, sliding down her porcelain-like face.
Because before her was the home she'd been away from for so long.
Soft light danced across old furniture, brushing past green plants by the window and a woman's apron.
A pink-haired man in a kimono lounged on the sofa. The summer breeze slipped through an open window, flipping the corners of the newspaper in his hands and teasing the wind chimes.
In the night, wisps of smoke rose from the kitchen.
The scent of home-cooked meals seemed to burn away the bloodshed, schemes, and malice of the seas.
The clouds of danger and madness had parted.
At the end of her fantastical journey, the warmth of home remained.
The two people in the room noticed the door and turned.
"Oh, Sakura, welcome home! (Okaeri nasai!)"
"Yeah, Mom, Dad, I'm back! (Tadaima!)"
---