An Oni in God's Valley

As the year passed, the others grew stronger through their daily sparring sessions with each other. Brogy and Dorry had now reached a level even greater than their former peaks, thanks to the immense pressure Koa brought during their matches. Koa's natural strength continued to increase over time, forcing both Dorry and Brogy to evolve as well. To keep up, they began copying the exercises that Koa had been teaching to both Kuzan and Greenbull—routines that greatly enhanced their physiques and elevated their already immense strength to an even higher level, strong enough to destroy entire countries with little effort.

Koa also introduced them to Rokushiki, curious to see which techniques the giants would take to. Interestingly, both Dorry and Brogy naturally gravitated toward Tekkai and Soru, which compensated for the main weaknesses of giants—speed and vulnerability. Intrigued and motivated, they also expressed interest in learning the rest of the martial arts style, prompting Koa to write out the full Rokushiki manual on a massive sheet of paper to accommodate their size.

Kuzan's progress focused primarily on developing his physical strength, as he diligently followed the routine Koa had taught him. Naturally gifted, Kuzan improved rapidly and continued training his Devil Fruit as well. He became increasingly efficient at freezing boiling substances and would even practice near erupting volcanoes, waiting for them to erupt so he could freeze the magma mid-air. The violent force of the eruption, combined with the extreme temperature, made the perfect conditions for him to enhance both his freezing ability and his durability.

Under Koa's guidance, Kuzan also learned the basics of Haki. Through constant sparring, he eventually awakened both Observation Haki and Armament Haki. It was during this training that he came to understand just how powerful Koa truly was. He had grown accustomed to the dense, pitch-black Armament Haki Koa wielded—so dark it resembled Vantablack—and assumed that was the normal appearance of Haki. However, when Kuzan finally awakened his own Armament Haki, he realized that Koa had been massively holding back the entire time. Every strike from Koa could have been devastating—or harmless—depending solely on what Koa intended. This realization left Kuzan in awe of his captain's control and power.

Joichiro's progress was the most visible to everyone. Having never trained a single day in his life before joining the crew, he was now forced to survive and keep up with Koa—an experience that revealed another hidden talent: he was an exceptional fighter, especially with swords. Unconsciously, he had been following the true path of swordsmanship. As a chef, he had always needed to cut through every type of ingredient he came across. Due to his initially limited strength, he unknowingly awakened the Breath of All Things, allowing him to slice through any ingredient—no matter how tough the hide, muscle, or even bone—with clean, precise cuts.

When he began sparring with Koa daily, the intensity pushed him to break past all his previous limits, both physically and mentally. He reached a level of strength and skill he never thought possible for someone who once saw himself only as a cook. Over time, Joichiro awakened both his Observation Haki and Armament Haki, though his awakening came slightly later than Kuzan's.

Like Kuzan, Greenbull's training mainly focused on two things: his Devil Fruit abilities and physical strength. He persisted with the intense routine Koa taught him, while also working to improve the durability of the trees he summoned. He would create a tree and punch it with his full strength—without using his Devil Fruit powers to assist—then summon another if the first one became too damaged. He repeated this process during all his free time after sparring with Koa, constantly adjusting the toughness of the wood to match his growing strength.

Despite not facing any real challenge, Koa also continued to grow stronger. His Lunarian and Oni heritage worked in his favor, causing his natural strength to increase steadily as he aged.

By the end of their year in Little Garden, all four had grown significantly in size: Kuzan reached a height of three meters, Joichiro grew to four meters, Greenbull stood at two meters, and Koa—who had originally been four meters tall—doubled in size to a towering eight meters. This, however, created a new problem: Koa no longer fit on their current ship. As a result, he set his sights on visiting Water 7 to commission a ship that could accommodate his massive size, perhaps something on the scale of Big Mom's ship.

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Now, we see Koa and his crew standing on the shore, beside their ship—now extended and reinforced with the wood Greenbull had crafted to ensure it could fit all of them. Koa held the Log Pose in his hand, which had finally reset, signaling that it was time to restart their journey through Paradise. Their next destination: the sky island of Skypiea.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Koa asked both Dorry and Brogy, with whom they had shared a deep bond during their year-long stay in Little Garden. Though he had already been refused once, Koa still extended the invitation to join his pirate crew—more out of respect and formality than expectation.

"Yes! Gyagagaga! We still haven't decided who the real winner between us is," Brogy laughed, shaking his head. "But if we meet again, treat us to that high-quality food you're always eating!" Dorry silently nodded in agreement, a smile on his face.

"Thank you for everything you taught us, Boss Dorry, Boss Brogy!!!" Greenbull suddenly shouted, bowing deeply. He had often turned to the two giants for advice during difficult times—especially when he didn't want Koa to know he was struggling. They had helped him stay focused on his goals.

"Take care, Dorry, Brogy. If we meet again, we'll drink to our hearts' content," Kuzan added with a smirk.

"Don't worry," Joichiro chimed in, "I'll cook for you next time—and I promise it'll be the greatest thing you've ever tasted."

As everyone exchanged their goodbyes, Dorry and Brogy also expressed their fondness for the crew, grateful for the time they had shared. Then, Koa, Kuzan, Greenbull, and Joichiro boarded the ship once again, ready to continue their adventure after the long pause.

They had no idea what was happening in the world beyond Little Garden—no News Coo had dared venture into the island during their stay. But with the Log Pose set and their strength renewed, they were finally heading back into the unknown.