I made it back.

  Sinking the ship wasn’t hard—just a few Storm Kicks, and it vanished beneath the waves.

  But the only thing I felt afterward was sadness. I hoped the person I’d helped survived. Maybe they did. Perhaps they didn’t. I couldn’t think about it anymore. I had to deal with my own pain before I drowned in it.

  A few weeks went by before we finally finished preparations for Luffy and Sabo’s funeral.

  That was when the weight of everything truly hit me.

  Before the ceremony, Ace handed me a letter—one Sabo had written for both of us. He talked about dreams. About freedom. About wanting a life that belonged to him.

  But did he ever truly get that freedom?

  Was that really too much to ask?

  His letter’s final request was almost painfully simple:

  The irony of it twisted something deep in my chest. His fight for freedom had cost him everything.

  And now he was gone.

  He even asked Ace to look after Luffy.

  We were his older brothers…

  But those words would never come to pass.

  I held myself together during the funeral—but barely. Everyone came. The mountain bandits. The villagers. Makino. Dadan. Even people who barely knew the boys.

  But a few didn’t show up.

  Shanks wasn’t there, of course.

  He was out at sea, probably laughing with his crew, having adventures Luffy had always dreamed of.

  I didn’t blame him at all.

  Sabo’s parents never came.

  Honestly? That was a blessing.

  If they had shown up… I don’t know if I would’ve held back. I don’t know if I

  When the funeral ended, people drifted back to their lives. I couldn’t blame them. Without the weight we carried, maybe I would’ve done the same.

  But Ace and I stayed.

  Just the two of us.

  That night, we drank sake together.

  We poured two cups of liquid onto the graves, allowing it to soak into the earth.

  And together, we made a promise—to live the dreams our brothers never got to.

  I even vowed to become the Pirate King.

  Not for power. Not for a crown.

  Not to dominate. I didn’t want to conquer the world.

  I wanted to live in it.

  To experience everything it offered.

  To build a world where people could chase dreams without fear.

  A world where freedom wasn’t a luxury.

  I wanted to take everything this world had to give and turn it into something bigger. Something better. Maybe then, I could fill the emptiness left behind.

  I vowed to protect the dreams of my future crew. Their dreams would matter as much as mine.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I proclaimed all of this to Ace.

  To Luffy’s grave.

  To Sabo’s.

  And for a moment, under the moonlight, it felt like something steady had formed inside me.

  I still smile when I remember that night.

  But as the sake dried on the graves, doubt crept in.

  Could I really succeed?

  Could I build a world where freedom reigned?

  Or would I become something else entirely?

  What if the power I pursued twisted me into a tyrant—

  Someone who trampled his own crew’s dreams, who put his desires above everyone’s safety, who sought submission instead of liberation?

  The idea terrified me.

  Sometimes I feared the darkness inside me was stronger than the dreams I held. I didn’t know what I’d do if that day ever came.

  So I wrote it down—here. If my crew ever reads this… I’m placing a heavy burden on you.

  But I trust you.

  If I ever become that monster—

  Stop me.

  Take me down.

  No matter what it costs.

  Weeks blurred together.

  Each day felt like the last.

  I couldn’t eat.

  Couldn’t sleep.

  Couldn’t care.

  Every second without Luffy and Sabo felt like a betrayal.

  Every step felt like it might be my last. My legs shook as they did during Master Naguri’s training—days of running until my bones felt hollow. Shame crawled up my spine. He’d told me not to let emotions rule me.

  And here I was, drowning in them.

  A hundred swords and kunai felt like they were lodged in my chest.

  People in town greeted me like always: Warm smiles, Friendly nods.

  “Handyman of Goa!”

  And all it did was make me feel filthy.

  They praised me… while in my old world, people had suffered because of me. What were the odds of me getting reborn? What were the odds any of ended up in a place like this?

  How do you live with that kind of luck?

  How do you live with two brothers dead, knowing you could’ve stopped one of them if you’d just dropped the damn sword on your hip?

  I buried my anger. Couldn’t let anyone see it. Couldn’t let them worry. I came to town because Makino needed a delivery—some motor parts. The details didn’t matter.

  I sat on the docks, wallowing, when Ace checked on me. I snapped at him. Didn’t regret it then. I was too angry, too blind to realize he was hurting just as much.

  A ship docked beside me, and I almost got brained by the gangplank. People carrying crates walked right over me. Eventually, I managed to shout that a child was being crushed under their feet.

  Then, something impossible happened—my neck stretched farther than it should have.

  Comically far.

  The fishermen pulled me out of the water, soaked and shivering, then demanded I sign a receipt confirming their arrival time.

  Paperwork.

  Logistics.

  I hated it.

  That was my sister’s specialty.

  I was just the muscle.

  They told me to bring the forms to the mayor. His home was empty, and he always ended up at Makino’s bar anyway, so that’s where I went.

  The old doors creaked—the same sound from when Higuma barged in… or when Shanks first walked through. Nostalgia punched me in the chest.

  Makino noticed me immediately. Concern flickered across her face. She always read me too well. Maybe she was thinking about Sabo. She’d given him clothes not long ago. She’d liked him.

  She asked how I was.

  I lied.

  Told her about the gangplank incident. Got a laugh out of the bar.

  Then something snapped inside me.

  A memory hit me—

  My old world.

  My office chair.

  A truth-seeking orb turning into a pen. Me failing at the simplest electrical work while my sister hovered behind me.

  And the girl.

  The blonde one.

  The one who didn’t know who I was—what I was capable of.

  She laughed.

  I snapped.

  I killed her with that same pen, again and again, covering her mouth as her breath hit my palm.

  No thought.

  No guilt.

  Just instinct.

  Violence.

  Pleasure.

  My secretary cleaned the body. My sister screamed at me afterward, furious I’d killed someone over something so petty.

  Makino’s hand on my shoulder yanked me back to reality.

  I forced myself to say I was fine and passed her the papers. She skimmed them.

  “The mayor’s in the capital,” she said. “Negotiating with the nobles.” Of course he was. He represented us.

  He had to kiss up to them. But a sick thought burrowed into my mind:

  Is this because I killed that Celestial Dragon?

  Does the world already know?

  I drowned the fear in a cup of extra-sweet mango juice. Makino always added more sugar for me.

  It reminded me of home. My sister loved sweet things. I loved it bitterly. We were opposites, yet always tied together.

  Cold drinks always calmed me.

  Liquor, too—mostly because she hated alcohol.

  Drinking it felt like rebellion.

  And it tasted better.

  Outside the window, smoke still rose from the ruins of Gray Terminal.

  “Are they alive?” I asked.

  Makino smiled softly—a kind lie. She said everyone escaped. No bodies found. But she didn’t believe it. And neither did I.

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  What else was there to say?

  The smoke twisted in the wind. For the briefest moment, I wondered if the worst had already passed. If peace might finally settle over us.

  But the thought didn’t last.

  Deep in my gut, I felt it—

  Something terrible was coming.

  Something I couldn’t see.

  Something inevitable.

  And the part that scared me most?

  I didn’t feel scared at all.

  After that, something inside me unraveled. I started looking for fights—real ones. Where I was outnumbered. Where my opponents were stronger. Where I should have lost.

  I to lose.

  But I didn’t.

  No matter how reckless I got, I always won.

  The world wouldn’t even let me die properly.

  So I tried something else.

  A cliff.

  A leap.

  One final escape.

  Every dream suddenly felt like a lie.

  I didn’t plan to live long enough to chase any of them. But what happened next—what spiraled out from my choices, my grief, my rage—

  Changed everything.

  That day, the last day I ever tried to throw myself from that cliff…

  would later be known as the Great Goa Disaster

  do have a lot of thoughts. I just get stuck wondering what you’d want to hear. So I’ve decided to start something new and fun: a Fun Fact Corner.

  What I was doing there was a twist on a common Naruto fanfic trope: the “dark Naruto who rules everything” scenario. It shows up in fanfiction a lot, but what I don’t see very often is a full multiversal transfer. So I thought it would make for a strong opening.

  no idea what I was doing. I still don’t fully know—just slightly more than before. But I wanted the death to matter, not happen instantly for convenience.

  Boruto—but before Kawaki ever appeared—just to give you an exact point in their timeline.

  See you in the next chapter!