An Oni in God's Valley

The news of the newly updated bounties finally reached the Koa Pirates a week after their narrow escape from the Marines. After traveling for seven days submerged beneath the sea to avoid detection—especially since they had no shipwright on board and didn't want to risk relying on Tom again—the crew resurfaced. As their submarine breached the surface, sunlight poured over the deck, prompting the entire crew to relax and stretch out under the open sky, grateful to feel the sun on their skin once more.

It wasn't long before a News Coo flew overhead. Jhin, out of habit, whistled and waved it down, tossing a coin for the newspaper bundle. The moment he opened it, his eyes widened.

"KOA! KOA! Look at this!" Jhin shouted, sprinting over to where Koa was lying lazily on the deck, basking in the sun. He handed over the paper, filled with freshly printed bounty posters and a bold headline detailing how Koa had matched the legendary Marine hero, Monkey D. Garp.

The rest of the crew quickly gathered, particularly Kuzan and Greenbull, who were already bickering over who would have the biggest bounty increase.

Koa laughed heartily as he read the headline. "Matched the Marine Hero, huh?" he muttered with a smirk, then flipped through to find his bounty poster, passing the others to their respective owners.

Greenbull immediately puffed up with pride when he got his.

"Hey, hey! Look at my bounty! RAHAHAHA!" he shouted, flashing it around triumphantly. Despite being only 14, he had already received a substantial increase, and he wasn't about to let anyone forget it.

"Oi, Greenbull, don't get cocky," Kuzan said, holding his own poster but keeping it close to his chest.

"What's the matter, Kuzan? My bounty too high for you to catch up to? RAHAHAHA! It's okay, I'll teach you how to get stronger. Just say 'Master Greenbull' from now on!" Greenbull teased, basking in the attention.

Then, with a smug grin, Kuzan casually revealed his bounty. The second Greenbull saw the number, his grin froze, and he went completely silent. The rest of the crew burst out laughing.

Kuzan leaned in with a mockingly identical tone, "Why the face, Greenbull? Is my bounty something you couldn't reach? RAHAHAHA! It's alright, it's alright... I'll teach you how to get stronger too. Just say 'Master Kuzan' from now on—RAHAHAHA!"

"HAH?! You wanna go?!" Greenbull barked, charging at Kuzan. An ice block met him square in the face before he could land a hit. The two immediately broke into a brawl, yelling and trading blows as the others either laughed or ignored them, focusing on their posters.

"Wow, Enel, your bounty's really high. Congrats!" Jhin said, handing Enel a respectful nod.

Enel, beaming, began parading his bounty around like a trophy.

"Don't let it get to your head," Koa called out from his spot, not even opening his eyes. "That bounty's because of your Devil Fruit. It's one of the strongest out there—that's why you got the number you did."

"Of course, BOSS!" Enel shouted back. Even with all his bravado, he knew deep down he couldn't compare to what Koa had pulled off in the battle. He hadn't even managed to defeat his opponent without backup.

Meanwhile, Joichiro stood silently off to the side, glancing at his bounty. He wasn't concerned about the number. What gnawed at him was how easily he'd been matched by Bogard during their fight—despite his powerful Devil Fruit. That frustration simmered quietly beneath his usual calm.

Urf, on the other hand, held his poster like it was treasure. His eyes sparkled as he carefully tucked it away, already planning to pin it up in the personal room Koa had given him. To him, it was proof that he belonged.

Most of the crew was satisfied with their bounties. The only one who voiced any complaint was Greenbull—and only because Kuzan's was higher than his.

As the laughter and chatter died down, the group turned to look at Koa's bounty. He handed his poster over without much thought, letting them see the figure.

And then, silently, the same thought echoed through all their minds:

Isn't this... low?

With Roger and Whitebeard having bounties in the 4-billion range, and considering that Koa had gone toe-to-toe with Garp—who had famously hunted the Pirate King—it didn't quite add up.

Still, none of them said it aloud. If Koa didn't mind, then neither would they. For now.

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Meanwhile, aboard the Oro Jackson, one young member of the Roger Pirates was staring intently at the newly printed bounty poster of Koa. His name was Douglas Bullet, just 17 years old—a prodigy and firm believer in the supremacy of strength. He had joined the Roger Pirates only because Gol D. Roger had managed to defeat him in battle. Ever since then, he had devoted himself to surpassing every limit, chasing strength above all else.

But there was one person whose name seemed to constantly echo in the mouths of his crewmates—Koa.

Even in his first year among the Roger Pirates, Bullet noticed something peculiar: the older members always perked up at any whisper of Koa's name. They'd scramble for newspapers, search the fine print for even the slightest mention of him. But there was rarely any news. Koa, for all his ability, had spent years in the shadows.

One day, Bullet's curiosity could no longer be contained. He approached three former comrades of Koa—Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov—and asked them plainly:

"Who is Koa?"

What followed was a flood of stories—tales of when they first met him, his silent growth, the unshakable aura he carried, and finally, the moment he chose to part ways and form his own crew. Each of them spoke of him with a mixture of admiration and reverence. Even Ivankov, usually flamboyant and brash, spoke with rare sincerity.

Still unsatisfied, Bullet sought answers from the strongest on the ship—Silvers Rayleigh and Gol D. Roger himself.

Roger's response stunned him.

"Koa will be the strongest person to ever sail these seas," Roger said without hesitation. "Someday, no one will be able to face him alone. Not even me. It'll take all the strongest pirates and Marines, united, to even stand a chance."

Those words etched themselves into Bullet's mind. They didn't spark fear—they ignited resolve.

If that was Koa's destiny, then Bullet had found his mountain to climb.

But there was one contradiction he couldn't understand.

Despite his strength—despite Roger calling him a man who could stand alone—Koa still surrounded himself with a crew. Powerful allies. Trusted friends.

Why?

Bullet couldn't grasp it. He believed in pure, individual strength. Bonds were a weakness. Attachments made you vulnerable. So why would a man like Koa—someone who was destined to stand above all—tie himself to others?

He didn't want to challenge Koa just for glory or pride anymore.

He wanted to meet him—to ask him.

Why, with all that power... did he choose to walk forward together?