As Koa watched the battle, his eyes gleamed with the possibilities that lay ahead. The strength of the three legends—especially Rocks—was nothing to scoff at. Even Garp and Roger, who were past their prime and physically worn, displayed power that was beyond incredible.
Witnessing such a display, Koa's focus sharpened. One thought consumed his mind:
He would surpass them.
He would become the strongest being in the world, so powerful that no one would ever dare to provoke him. And in that moment of resolve, as if the world responded to his ambition, something unexpected happened.
An aura burst from within him—undeniably Conqueror's Haki.
It was intense. Potent. Sovereign.
Koa's ambition wasn't limited to surpassing the three greatest figures of this era. No—his goal reached further. He aimed to eclipse every name that had ever left a mark in history, even the mysterious Imu and the fabled Joy Boy—whose Haki once terrified Imu himself.
The burst of Haki didn't go unnoticed. Across God Valley, powerful figures turned their heads as they felt its presence:
The God Knights,
The remnants of the Rocks Pirates,
And the Roger Pirates.
"Huh? Who is this?"Whitebeard turned toward the source of the aura. He didn't recognize the Haki, but it was incredibly strong. For a moment, he mistook it for someone newly arriving on the island.
"Is this another obstacle?"Shiki, preparing to depart, paused in the air. His senses locked on the direction of the pulse. The other remnants of the Rocks Pirates had already fled, having secured what they came for. They knew Rocks wouldn't survive this war, and provoking the Celestial Dragons further would only bring annihilation.
Meanwhile, directly beneath Koa, two men stood frozen—one with blond hair, the other with black. Silvers Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban had just concluded their battles and were heading toward the Oro Jackson, expecting someone might have tried to steal it amidst the chaos.
But they were halted by a sudden surge of Haki, directly above them.
They looked up.
And there, suspended in the sky, was a figure they did not recognize. Floating, radiating an overwhelming presence, with features that bore signs of two distinct races they both knew well.
They stared in silence, watching the boy with the intense, unblinking gaze—focused not on them, but on something far beyond.
After a moment, Koa snapped out of his trance, his Observation Haki warning him of the two strong presences nearby. He looked down and immediately recognized them.
Two old men.The right and left hands of the Pirate King.Members of the Roger Pirates.
Koa floated down slowly, descending toward the two legendary pirates with calm determination. He had no hostile intent he was preparing to say something unexpected. His eyes were steady, and his resolve clear. He wanted to speak to them—to express his desire to join the Roger Pirates and perhaps learn what it meant to become truly strong.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh and Gaban stood alert, eyeing the boy as he approached. Their bodies were still tense from the recent battles, their instincts honed for combat. They prepared themselves mentally, expecting an ambush or at least a challenge.
But then, the boy landed and spoke with no hesitation.
"Please allow us to join the Roger Pirates!" Koa declared, his voice clear and unwavering.
The sudden request caught them both off guard. They had expected aggression—maybe a fight. Instead, the "enemy" just wanted to join their crew.
"What?" Gaban blinked, surprised. "Why should we let you join?" he asked, his tone becoming more inquisitive, as though conducting an impromptu interview.
Rayleigh, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes slightly, having caught something odd in the boy's phrasing.
"Us?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"There are three others besides me who want to join," Koa replied honestly. "I want to join the Roger Pirates because I want to get stronger. But before I form my own crew, I need to see the world and learn as much as I can. I don't want to lead anyone into danger while I'm still weak."
The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. There was no trace of arrogance—just clarity.
"Where are these others?" Gaban asked, scanning the area and briefly using his Observation Haki. But he sensed no one nearby.
"They're already on your ship," Koa said casually. "I sent them there while I went to watch the battle—and I also brought something as payment for letting us board."
He was referring, of course, to the treasure he had collected and sent to the Oro Jackson.
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow but didn't object. "Let's go meet your friends first," he said. "We can't let strangers onto the crew without getting a sense of who they are. And ultimately, only Roger can decide whether you join us or not."
Gaban nodded in agreement, and the three of them began walking toward the shore where the Oro Jackson was anchored. Along the way, Gaban glanced over at Koa again.
"How old are you?" he asked, puzzled by the boy's height and presence. He was nearly Gaban's height—far too tall for a child.
"I'm nine this year," Koa replied calmly.
"What?!" Gaban exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You've got that kind of strength and you're only nine?" He was visibly shocked, though deep down, he suspected the truth. He's an Oni… just like one of the kids from the Rocks crew.
After a pause, Gaban remembered something.
"Oh—before I forget. What's your name?"
"Maui D. Koa," Koa answered.
Both Rayleigh and Gaban froze in their steps for a brief moment. The "D" in his name caught their attention. They didn't know exactly what it meant, but they knew Roger had it. And they were certain: if Roger heard that this boy carried the same initial, he would likely accept him without hesitation.
They continued walking, eventually reaching the shore. There, Ginny, Ivankov, and Kuma were already waiting by the beach near the Oro Jackson. The ship loomed in the background, scarred but intact.
Other members of the Roger Pirates were there too, bandaging wounds and catching their breath after the chaos of God Valley.
Suddenly, a figure fell from above, crashing onto the shore with a heavy thud. His body was covered in wounds, soaked in blood, and bearing the signs of an intense battle. The moment he hit the ground, he fainted, unconscious from sheer exhaustion.
Koa's eyes widened in recognition. There was no mistaking him—the aura, the presence, the sheer will that lingered even in his unconscious state.
It was Gol D. Roger.
The man who would go on to become the Pirate King, the one who would ignite the flames of the Great Pirate Era, and the very man who would one day inspire Monkey D. Luffy to chase after the One Piece.
He lay there, broken yet alive, a living legend at the end of a titanic clash.