On an uninhabited island in the Grand Line, a man suddenly appeared, frightening the nearby animals, which quickly fled.
The man was none other than Kamiki Eiji.
Dressed in tattered clothes, Eiji walked to a simple wooden cabin by the beach, opened the door, and collapsed onto a soft mattress.
"Huft... Garp's Iron Fist hurts so much. In his old age, he's still this strong; how powerful was he in his prime? No wonder so many of the Pirate King's rivals feared him."
The pain from Garp's punch was still etched in Eiji's memory.
It had been two months since he dueled Mihawk. In that time, he had challenged other powerful individuals like the Admirals (Kizaru, Aramaki, and Fujitora), Big Mom, Kaido, and others considered strong.
Of course, Eiji only used Haki when fighting them and relied on the Reverse Cursed Technique for healing, allowing the battles to last longer.
Without the Limitless Technique, he couldn't claim victory. At best, he could achieve a draw.
In the eyes of others, Eiji was a battle maniac, challenging any strong person regardless of their faction. Whether Marines or Pirates, he didn't hesitate to confront them.
His actions were seen as provocative, and after challenging the three Admirals, former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Garp, the World Government raised Eiji's bounty to 4 billion belly, putting him on par with the Yonko.
If it weren't for the fact that Eiji didn't have a pirate fleet like the other Yonko, he would be called the Fifth Emperor instead of Monkey D. Luffy.
"The D Family is similar to the Uchiha Clan in the Naruto world; both produce top individuals capable of influencing the course of the world."
Recalling his battles with Garp and Dragon, Eiji couldn't deny that father and son were strong due to the special traits carried by the D bloodline in their veins.
"Should I challenge Luffy? After all, I've already fought his father and grandfather..."
"No, Luffy isn't worthy yet. Even though he was given the title of Fifth Emperor, that happened because Morgan exaggerated the news until it went viral."
"Only after Luffy awakens the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika will he be worthy of a challenge."
Thinking of Luffy's current strength, Eiji wasn't interested in fighting him.
A few days after his battle with Big Mom, the World Economy News Paper reported that Luffy teamed up with Capone Bege to kill Big Mom at the Tea Party. Unfortunately, their attempt failed. However, both managed to escape from Whole Cake Island.
"Compared to Kaido, Big Mom is easier to negotiate with. Setting aside her past cannibalism, Big Mom actually manages her territory very well."
"Even though Whole Cake Island residents are required to pay a portion of their lifespan as rent, they live peacefully without fear of pirate attacks. Meanwhile, in Wano Country, Kaido's territory, the majority of the native population lives in hunger and misery."
"Kaido doesn't care at all about Wano. What matters to him is the production of Seastone and weapons, which has led to environmental damage from factory waste pollution."
Eiji had visited both Wano Country and Whole Cake Island, so he had a different impression of the two territories ruled by the Yonko.
Perhaps due to his reputation for attacking Mary Geoise and killing Kong, Big Mom was quite cordial toward him, even after Eiji stated his purpose.
Big Mom agreed to his challenge only if Eiji defeated her prized son, Katakuri.
Naturally, Eiji defeated Katakuri in a duel using only Haki. Afterward, he fought Big Mom on an uninhabited island, resulting in a draw.
Later, Big Mom hosted a Tea Party for Eiji and even offered her 17th daughter, Charlotte Melise, in marriage.
In appearance, Charlotte Melise looked like a teenager, but her actual age was 33!
Eiji wasn't fond of older women, so he politely declined.
Afterward, he traveled to Wano to confront Kaido.
Unlike Big Mom's hospitality, Kaido dismissed Eiji, treating him as a mere brat. He didn't even look at him and ordered his subordinates to handle him.
Kaido's arrogance irritated Eiji, so he began slaughtering the Beast Pirates who came for him.
When none of the subordinates could stop Eiji, Tobiroppo stepped in, but they couldn't hold him off either. Eventually, All-Stars like Queen, King, and Jack joined the fray, only to be thoroughly beaten.
Only after the All-Stars were defeated did Kaido personally fight Eiji.
In his battle with Kaido, Eiji was forced to use the Limitless Technique to fly.
There was no other choice, as Kaido in his Eastern Dragon form couldn't be reached without the Limitless Technique.
"Compared to Big Mom, Kaido's endurance and vitality are terrifying. The title of Strongest Creature is no joke. If my Busoshoku Haki hadn't reached an Advanced Level and I hadn't learned Ryuo from Hyogoro, I would barely have been able to wound Kaido with just Busoshoku Haki."
Like with Big Mom, Eiji could only achieve a draw against Kaido.
There was no other way.
Relying solely on Haki wasn't enough to defeat the Yonko. Otherwise, Garp in his prime would have already captured Big Mom and Kaido, throwing them into Impel Down.
"My Busoshoku Haki and Kenbunshoku Haki are already at advanced levels. The only thing left is Haoshoku Haki..."
"Should I meet Shanks and ask for his advice? According to Rayleigh, Shanks' mastery of Haoshoku Haki is even higher than his."
"It's decided. Let's go meet Shanks."
"First, I need to get the Eternal Pose to Elbaf."
"But no need to rush, I'm still tired after fighting Garp. That old man is way too enthusiastic in his old age; every punch he lands brings a painful sensation."
Since it wasn't an urgent matter, Eiji chose to relax.