__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Built like a fortress.
Eight solid abs carved into his abdomen like slabs of granite. His back looked like something out of a nightmare, muscles coiled tight with savage strength. His arms carried the power to uproot mountains, his legs thick and explosive like a tiger ready to pounce.
The severed right wrist—restored.
The neck he had sliced open himself—healed.
Even the exhaustion that had pushed him to his limit not long ago had vanished completely.
Standing before Sengoku and Zephyr was Kyle in perfect condition.
Still at his peak.
The sight was chilling.
Everyone who saw him at that moment thought of the same word.
Monster.
Mary Geoise
"Unkillable… truly unkillable?"
An old voice murmured in disbelief.
"The severed wrist… the broken neck… all restored."
"Even his stamina appears fully recovered."
"What kind of creature is this…?"
The five elders stood in silence, the weight pressing down on them.
"How do we capture him?"
"Our earlier declaration of erasing him now sounds like a joke."
A heavy sigh echoed through the palace hall.
"Let's keep watching."
"Perhaps this ability has limits. A number of uses… or some other restriction."
After a pause, one of them spoke again.
"Notify the God's Knights. Prepare for deployment."
"If even the slightest flaw in his immortality appears, they are to move immediately and eliminate him completely."
The command reverberated through the grand chamber before fading into silence.
Yet none of the five could hide the grimness on their faces.
They understood all too well—Kyle's immortality might be his greatest weapon.
Fatal wounds meant nothing. He revived instantly. Even his stamina returned to perfection.
And his combat strength alone was already terrifying.
Capturing someone like that? Nearly impossible.
Otherwise, they would never have abandoned the chance to study his lineage factor.
Frozen Sea Near Ohara
The wind howled across the icebound ocean.
The battle resumed.
This time, the tide gradually turned against Sengoku and Zephyr. The man standing before them was Kyle at full power.
They held nothing back.
It became a fight to the death.
A day and a night passed.
Sengoku's abdomen was torn open by a lightning spear, blackened flesh exposed and smoking. Zephyr bore a deep slash across his chest.
Kyle stood untouched.
Lightning crackled around the spear in his hand. His body was flawless, his expression calm, even energized.
During that single day and night—
He had died twice.
Time rolled forward.
Seven days. Seven nights.
The battle did not stop.
Kyle still stood.
He looked at the two Admirals before him. Steam rose from their battered bodies. Fatigue clouded their eyes.
He inhaled deeply and spoke, voice low and steady.
"Shells. Bullets."
"Blades piercing my flesh. Poison flooding my veins."
"Drowning. Burial alive."
"None of it can kill me."
He stepped forward slowly until he stood directly before them.
"This is who I am."
"How exactly do you plan to defeat me?"
He looked down at the two men, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.
"The World Government sent you to deal with me."
"What was the point?"
"Even if the entire Navy were deployed—"
"Even if the God's Knights stood right here—"
"Why would I fear them?"
His voice rang across the frozen sea.
In the distance, watching Marines swallowed nervously.
"Vice Admiral Kyle… he's terrifying…"
A breeze passed between the three men.
The two Admirals exchanged a glance. In each other's eyes, they saw the same thing—a bitter, helpless smile.
Then—
Thud.
Both collapsed heavily onto the ice.
Seven days and nights. Countless punches thrown. Countless coordinated attacks. They had even managed to shackle him repeatedly with Seastone in attempts to restrain him.
Every time, his immortality broke the stalemate.
It was too difficult.
He was like some ancient demon lord that would never fall.
They had killed him with crushing blows more than once—
And still lost.
Kyle exhaled slowly, looking down at the two men who could no longer stand.
He stepped forward—
A flash of golden light erupted beside them, dragging the two Admirals away in an instant.
"It's your victory, Kyle."
Borsalino spoke calmly.
"You're worried I'll finish them off?"
Kyle asked suddenly.
Borsalino pressed his lips together, watching him carefully without answering.
Kyle laughed.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten who I am."
He shook his head, turned around—
Lightning flashed.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared aboard a distant warship.
The Marines on deck recoiled in terror, stumbling backward.
Kyle ignored them.
He leaned toward the Den Den Mushi transmitting the live feed.
"Five Elders. I know you're watching."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"If you want to erase me, go ahead."
"But if you fail—"
His eyes turned ice cold.
"Then don't blame me when I storm Mary Geoise and pluck the five foolish heads off your shoulders."
The Den Den Mushi exploded in an instant.
Kyle vanished just as suddenly, disappearing from the Marines' sight.
Mary Geoise – Palace Hall
"Five foolish heads…"
"Foolish heads…"
The echo lingered in the air before fading.
The expressions on the five aged faces were visibly dark.
"Bastard!"
One of them roared in fury.
The other four remained silent, their faces unreadable.
Threats meant nothing to them.
Everything in this world required weighing gains and losses.
Kyle was powerful. Immortal. Capable of defeating Sengoku and Zephyr together.
That level of strength alone was enough to shake the world.
"He cannot be killed."
"Even deploying the God's Knights carries no guarantee of success."
"And it may cost us dearly."
A low voice continued.
"Over the course of seven days and nights, the two Admirals killed Kyle fifteen times."
"When faced with unavoidable death, he committed suicide twelve times himself."
"Such frequent deaths…"
"And yet, we see no sign of consequence. No visible side effects whatsoever."
A heavy silence settled over the chamber.
"If someone like him can't be erased…"
"Then the only option is to win him over."
The words hung in the air, and the others' expressions shifted at once. No one objected.
They had stood at the summit of this world for longer than most could imagine. None of them were hotheaded youths. Faced with an exceptional situation, they understood exactly what choice had to be made.
"If we force Kyle into becoming our enemy, it will only harm the world."
"Even maintaining a superficial balance would be better."
A quiet sigh echoed through the chamber.
This battle had made one thing painfully clear to the five of them: Kyle was terrifyingly powerful.
Raw strength alone would not have made them hesitate. What truly unsettled them—what sent a chill down their spines—was his apparent immortality.
"Until we understand the peculiarities of his bloodline…"
"It would be wiser to take a softer approach."
"He belongs to the Nefertari family, doesn't he?"
"Tell him. Let him know his origins."
"We are not his enemies."
"Invite him to relocate to the Holy Land and join the God's Knights."
Their voices overlapped in the vast chamber. Within moments, a new plan regarding Kyle was settled. The idea of dispatching the God's Knights was quietly abandoned.
They would not act without certainty. If even the God's Knights failed, the consequences for the World Government would be catastrophic.
That was unacceptable.
"And the one in Pangaea Castle?"
A voice drifted through the void.
"That person should permit it."
"What happened eight hundred years ago with Nefertari D. Lily may have its doubts, but too much time has passed."
"What matters most is this."
"The strong have the right to choose."
For the first time, the five were in unanimous agreement about Kyle's strength.
The current tides of the sea did not favor the World Government. The rational choice was not to recklessly create another enemy and push him into opposition.
Most importantly, Ohara had already been destroyed. Publicly, they had achieved their objective.
As for everything else, it could be negotiated later.
Reaching terms acceptable to both sides would take time. But it was far better than tearing everything apart beyond repair.
The World Government needed time—time to clean up the messes of this era.
The Great Pirate Age Roger had ignited with his final words.
And the whispers of a newly rising force that sought to oppose the world itself.
——
On the shores of Ohara, a warship eased into port.
Standing at the bow, Kyle stared ahead, his face solemn.
Seven days and seven nights.
In just that span of time, the island that had once been lush, peaceful, and beautiful had been reduced to scorched earth. Only the island's center, packed tightly with books, had escaped serious damage.
"Where are the others?" Kyle asked quietly.
Fatigue lined his features.
It wasn't physical exhaustion. His body could endure it. But seven days and nights of continuous battle—against two Admirals no less—had tested his spirit to its limit.
"The civilians and scholars of Ohara have been relocated to G-18 Fortress," Crocodile replied, understanding his meaning.
There were faint cuts across his face.
Beside him, Bullet lay against the ship's railing, his body wrapped in bandages from head to toe, eyes half-closed as he rested.
"You alright?" Kyle asked, turning toward him.
"Heh."
"That bastard's more badly hurt than I am," Bullet sneered as he opened his eyes.
Kyle smiled faintly and looked away.
"Once we're back, have the men move all these books."
He paused, then his tone hardened.
"Not a single volume is to be lost or damaged."
Crocodile nodded.
When the warship finally turned and sailed back to G-18 Fortress, the base erupted.
Thirteen thousand Marines stood stunned—then burst into an uproar.
"Vice Admiral Kyle is back!"
"He's completely unharmed!"
"That was three monster Vice Admirals and two Admirals from Headquarters!"
"He's insane!!"
Gasps rippled through the ranks.
Alvida slowly let out the breath she'd been holding. When they had escorted the civilians back and learned who their commanding officer was facing, their hearts had nearly stopped.
Now, at last, they could relax.
Vice Admiral Kyle's strength was beyond imagination.
But soon, the worry crept back into her small, troubled mind.
Even if they'd beaten Headquarters this time… what about the future?
She hurried to Kyle's quarters, pushed the door open gently, ready to voice her concerns—
And froze.
On the bed lay the powerful superior she remembered, eyes closed, breathing steady. A faint snore rose softly from his nose.
Alvida blinked.
Then she quietly closed the door and turned away.
"He gives everything for justice."
"He's exhausted."
In that moment, something unspoken filled her heart.
The fears that had plagued her moments ago melted away, replaced by a quiet smile.
"Even if we have to stand against the entire world…"
"Alvida will follow a great man like you."
"Even if it costs me my life."
"..."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________