The battle had dragged on for what felt like an eternity—neither side able to fully overpower the other.

Ten days of nonstop fighting, draining each other’s stamina little by little.

And yet, if one were to judge their current state, Big Mom—deep in her Hunger Pangs-induced rampage—was slightly ahead.

Why?

Simple.

She had lost all sense of consciousness… and with that, any sense of fatigue.

— — —

Their clash continued through the day and into the night, as if time had lost all meaning.

Even Big Mom, driven solely by instinct now, began to slow down. The fierce crimson light that once burned in her eyes had begun to dim.

And that was when it happened.

The Blue Dragon Battleship—which Kyūjō had contacted yesterday in the brief moment he’d carved out mid-battle—finally entered his Observation Haki’s range.

Without hesitation, Tachibana Kyūjō—now swaying on his feet—leapt skyward, using Geppo to launch himself through the air.

Yes, Geppo.

But in his current state, even something as basic as air-stepping was pushing his limits.

And Big Mom?

No need to ask. Zeus, her lightning cloud, was barely holding form anymore. She couldn’t give chase even if she wanted to.

In truth, this battle hadn’t reshaped the world. It hadn’t changed the balance of power among the Four Emperors.

But for Kyūjō, it was a fight he had to endure.

Only through this could Big Mom feel his strength.

Only through this would she understand that from now on, it was in her best interest to coexist peacefully as neighbors…

…rather than ever crossing him again.

If she dared cause chaos like the Malt Island incident again, she needed to know—Tachibana Kyūjō wasn’t someone she could mess with lightly.

If she had the foresight, it would save her endless trouble.

And it would allow Kyūjō’s new base—Marine Fortress G-11—to grow in peace, uninterrupted.

Truthfully, wiping out Big Mom’s crew entirely would require an absurd amount of force.

Even dealing with her top commanders would be a nightmare.

And without support from Marine Headquarters, Kyūjō simply didn’t have the means to pull off something that massive.

More importantly… he had no interest in it.

Throwing himself into that kind of suicide mission—for no reward—would be a fool’s game.

— — —

At the same time, a slim silhouette with long pink hair stood at the bow of the Blue Dragon Battleship.

The girl gazed across the endless sea and the darkened sky beyond it.

Up close, her worried expression was clear. Her brows furrowed with silent concern, lips slightly parted as she whispered something to herself.

Suddenly, a heavy breath sounded behind her.

Hina turned sharply.

Before she could speak, a large, trembling hand gently rested on her shoulder.

Then came the voice—weak, but unmistakable.

“Hina… it’s me.”

Recognizing that voice, Hina instantly supported the tall, hulking man behind her and asked with deep worry,

“Mm! Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Kyūjō shook his head slowly. A faint smile formed on his lips as he responded with calm assurance,

“No need to worry… I’m just out of energy. No serious injuries.”

“Hina, tell the kitchen to prepare all the remaining Sea King meat we have on board.”

“After I get some sleep… and a proper meal… I’ll be back to normal.”

And with that, his massive body—towering over three meters tall—leaned to the side and collapsed onto her.

Fortunately, Hina was no fragile girl.

After months of rigorous training under Kyūjō’s personal guidance, her strength had increased tremendously. She now stood on par with most Vice Admirals.

Not only had her Devil Fruit mastery evolved, but both her Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki had begun to awaken as well.

Carrying Kyūjō’s body was well within her ability.

With care, she led him to his personal quarters.

There, she prepared two large basins of warm water and gently began removing his worn and torn Marine uniform.

His body—solid with muscle and radiating masculine strength—made Hina’s face flush bright red.

But Kyūjō had already slipped into a deep sleep.

Unaware of her reaction, and that alone gave her a sense of relief.

Fighting her embarrassment, Hina carefully began washing away the dirt and battle grime from his body.

— — —

The next morning.

The tantalizing aroma of Sea King meat filled the air.

And with that…

Kyūjō woke up.

“…Tch.”

He let out a groan. Every muscle, every joint ached with dull pain.

Understandable, really.

Ten full days of nonstop combat—against one of the strongest women alive, no less.

That his body hadn’t turned to dust was already a miracle. Steel or iron would’ve crumbled long ago.

But the rumbling from his stomach reminded him:

“If I don’t eat… I will die of starvation.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he threw on his clothes—didn’t even bother washing his face—and followed the scent straight to the warship’s kitchen.

— — —

In the mess hall.

Mountains of Sea King bones were piled up several meters high. Dozens of chefs rushed around nonstop, preparing fresh portions one after another.

Thick cuts of rich Sea King meat—dripping with flavor—were laid out in front of Kyūjō in endless waves.

Hina had arrived earlier to check on him, only to find him devouring dish after dish without pause.

She stood frozen… speechless at the sight.

— — —

Eventually, when every cell in his body had been fed and satisfied…

Kyūjō set down his final chunk of meat.

A surge of energy pulsed through him.

And more than that—

Every small wound and internal injury from the battle…

…had completely healed.

All thanks to a hidden technique: Life Return – Stomach Control.

— — —

In the world of One Piece, the technique known as Life Return allows a person to consciously control every part of their body—even down to their hair and internal organs.

It’s a secret technique derived from Kami-e (Paper Art)—one of the Six Styles of the Marines (Rokushiki).

Kyūjō had mastered it in no time.

Why?

Because its principles were nearly identical to the Transparent World from the Breathing Techniques he learned in a different world.

Both relied on one thing: the will to exert complete, conscious control over the body.

Most people could only manage control over a single body part.

But Kyūjō?

He could now regulate everything.

His stomach. His muscles. His joints. His bones. His blood vessels. His very pores.

There was no part of his body he couldn’t command.

— — —

Characters like Monkey D. Luffy and Lucky Roux are known as “Big Eaters” in One Piece.

But it’s not just their appetite that’s astonishing—it’s how efficiently their bodies convert food into power.

Luffy, even after suffering critical wounds, could recover almost instantly just by eating meat.

Lucky Roux—senior officer of the Red-Haired Pirates and their head chef—possessed immense strength and top-tier mastery of Busoshoku Haki.

And while both were undoubtedly blessed with incredible talent…

Life Return played a huge role in unlocking their full potential.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep