A crisp snap rang out.

Byrnndi World’s spine was forcibly broken, his body bent into an inverted V-shape.

The black Haki that had covered his entire body rapidly faded.

His eyes rolled back, body convulsing uncontrollably, exhaling more than inhaling.

Letting go with his right hand, his left hand grabbed Byrnndi World.

He activated his Devil Fruit power—the ground instantly turned into magma.

A massive magma cavity opened up.

It led straight to the underground fruit storage. Holding Byrnndi World, Sakazuki dropped down directly into the storage chamber.

Seeing the baskets of fresh fruit around him, Sakazuki lifted Byrnndi World with his left hand.

With his right hand cloaked in Haki, he grabbed the man’s throat and squeezed hard.

The bones and flesh inside Byrnndi World’s throat were ground into mush by the Haki.

His body spasmed violently from reflex, then completely lost all signs of life.

Sakazuki activated his Observation Haki, sensing for any changes.

His eyes locked on the surrounding fruit. Three seconds passed… nothing happened.

He let out a cold snort.

Holding Byrnndi World’s corpse, endless magma surged from his body and erupted, blasting up through the underground, bursting onto the surface.

The spot where the fruit stall once stood was now a several-meter wide and deep magma pit.

Dragging Byrnndi World, he began walking into the town, intending to meet up with Sengoku—until he suddenly stopped.

Among the scattered fruits on the street, an unusual oval-shaped fruit caught his eye.

Its green stem curved at both ends, and the surface was patterned with layered cloud-like swirls.

Sakazuki tossed aside Byrnndi World, walked forward, and picked up the fruit.

The crucial fruit tied to the plan… the More-More Fruit.

The corners of Sakazuki’s mouth curved upward. The most critical part of the plan was now secured.

Then magma stirred at his chest.

A hole opened on his broad chest, where magma quickly solidified and cooled.

It formed a temporary storage cavity for the fruit.

He placed the fruit inside.

Then the magma sealed up the chest—on the outside, nothing appeared out of place.

Still, Sakazuki’s slight smirk was enough to astonish anyone.

He rubbed his cheeks firmly, quickly adjusting his expression.

Because his senses told him Sengoku was on his way—it seemed things were wrapped up on that side.

Sakazuki walked forward, picked up Byrnndi World again.

Heading toward Sengoku’s direction, the two regrouped.

…

On the warship heading back, there were now several individuals dressed in black from CP.

These were spies previously planted on Byrnndi World’s ship.

Originally, the mission issued by the Holy Land was to try capturing Byrnndi World alive.

If that failed, then just like in the original timeline, he’d be captured by CP two years later.

But for some unknown reason, their plan didn’t succeed.

So he was simply frozen and imprisoned in Impel Down for 30 years.

It wasn’t until Blackbeard raided Impel Down that Byrnndi World escaped and plunged the world into chaos.

Unfortunately, this time he was killed outright by Sakazuki.

There was no alternative—they could only bring his corpse back to report in.

“Hope we won’t get punished…” the CP spies silently thought.

…

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Sengoku’s warship slowly pulled into the harbor. After a brief farewell,

Sakazuki leapt off the ship and headed toward the Marine Academy.

But at the principal’s office, he couldn’t find Vice Admiral Ward Morris or Enel.

He asked the gatekeeper, who told him Vice Admiral Morris hadn’t been to the academy in days.

Sakazuki raised an eyebrow, a dark line flashing across his forehead.

No way…

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and he quickly headed to Vice Admiral Morris’s home.

As he neared the residence,

Even from a distance, he could hear the laughter of Vice Admiral Morris and Enel.

Sigh…

He pushed open the door. The scene before him made Sakazuki feel a bit of a headache.

A dignified Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, principal of the Marine Academy, once the leader of the hardline hawk faction—

Was playing hide-and-seek with Enel.

This… how childish!

With a complicated expression, Sakazuki called out:

“Morris-san, Enel.”

Only then did the two, immersed in their game, notice Sakazuki’s return.

Vice Admiral Morris looked a bit embarrassed to be caught like this…

Enel, however, happily shouted:

“Sakazuki-san!”

Sakazuki nodded, then looked at Morris with a helpless tone:

“Morris-san, this…”

Morris chuckled:

“Enel just finished his training. He’s only playing for a short while.”

Yeah right… but when Sakazuki looked over at Enel, he did seem dirty all over.

His small body was more toned now—definitely stronger than when Sakazuki last saw him.

Sakazuki finally believed Morris’s words:

“Alright then. But I heard you haven’t been to the academy in days.”

Morris coughed twice, a little embarrassed:

“It’s mostly because of those teachers Fleet Admiral Kong brought in. I was worried they might not teach well, so I’ve been observing them.”

Sakazuki shook his head and made a suggestion:

“Why not set up a separate room at the academy? You can’t keep spoiling him like this.”

“What do you think, Enel?”

Enel paused, then nodded firmly and looked at Morris:

“Grandpa, I want to become strong—that way I can protect everyone… and you too.”

Morris stared at the determined Enel, briefly dazed.

A moment later, he came to his senses and patted Enel’s head:

“It was Grandpa’s mistake… A man’s journey should be out at sea.”

Morris looked at the resolute Enel.

If he kept shielding him, it would be extremely irresponsible—it would only harm Enel in the end…

Then he turned to Sakazuki:

“Thank you for the reminder, Sakazuki. These past few days, I…”

Sakazuki shook his head to show understanding, and the two shared a smile.

…

That evening, Sakazuki left Vice Admiral Morris’s home.

After spending the afternoon training with Enel, he walked through the small town of Marineford, heading home.

Back at his house, magma stirred at his chest. He pulled out the More-More Fruit and found a spot on the ground.

Activating his power, a several-meter-deep magma pit opened up. Once it cooled, he buried the More-More Fruit inside.

Then he solidified the magma again, sealing the hole and restoring the ground to its original state.

The next day, Sakazuki’s personal warship once again departed from Headquarters, patrolling the seas and hunting pirates.

…

Three years later…

Derlick Island.

The name Derlick Island originated 170 years ago during the founding of the now-extinct Kingdom of Derlick.

After the kingdom’s collapse, it split into two nations.

The Endless War and the Kingdom of Galzburg.

The war between the two has lasted over a century, with no victor yet—thus, the island’s name has never changed.

On this day, as a warship chasing pirates docked on the island,

One young boy’s life on the island would be forever changed…

—

(For each review +1 additional chapter, once we reach 10 reviews, I will publish 2 chapters per day)

read +100 chapters on Patreon tambeerg

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep