Four years had passed since Koa discovered the Wapu Wapu no Mi, and he had not ceased his training since. In fact, he had intensified it. Now, he was capable of levitating a large hill for an hour straight without feeling any strain. Three years ago, he began honing his Observation Haki, wearing a blindfold that he still did not take off unless he was exploring, and by now, he could sense the presence of every living being across the entire island of God Valley, ensuring his complete safety.
His daily routine was relentless: swinging his twin axes, levitating massive objects, and turning himself invisible—all to exhaust his stamina and push his limits further. He also relied on the memories embedded within him, drawing from the teachings of Silvers Rayleigh and Hyogoro. From them, he understood that Armament Haki was a manifestation of will, something forged through real battle, through the clash of resolve against another's.
And that was his problem.
No matter how intensely he trained, no matter how far he pushed his body and mind, he had never truly fought an opponent. He had never been in a real fight for survival against another will. Because of that, despite all his progress, Koa still could not use Armament Haki.
Koa had also taken to exploring nearby islands, swimming freely across the sea without a care for the sea beasts lurking beneath the surface, much like how Rayleigh once swam through the Calm Belt. Over the past four years, he had traveled back and forth between islands, curious to see if anything interesting was happening beyond God Valley.
During these excursions, he had somehow managed to acquire two additional Devil Fruits. The discovery confused him. Devil Fruits were supposed to be rare, legendary treasures scattered across the seas. Yet here he was, with three Devil Fruits safely stored in the cabin he called home. After examining each one, he confirmed they were all Paramecia-type, a strange coincidence that only deepened his curiosity.
Koa also spent those four years mastering his own Devil Fruit—the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Ruaumoko. It granted him the ability to create devastating shockwaves, manipulate the earth, summon lava and magma, and even influence the weather. Among all these abilities, he focused most on shockwave and magma manipulation—two of the most formidable offensive forces known in the world of One Piece.
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Now, Koa floated high above God Valley, his makeshift blindfold in place and a chunk of an island, taken during one of his excursions, hovering beside him. His invisibility was active, causing his stamina to drain and fatigue to build far more quickly than before. In each hand, he gripped a twin axe; each axe head carried two weights, each weighing one kiloton. This was the measure of his strength after four years of relentless training—he believed himself already stronger than Kaido in his early twenties.
'I hope this strength is enough for what's to come. I still can't use Armament Haki, but that isn't my main concern,' Koa thought, continuing to swing his axes. He knew that this was the year the God Valley Incident would occur. Excitement, pride, and a hungry curiosity filled him—he would finally see firsthand how formidable the peaks of legend truly were, and discover just how far he still had to go.
While he trained, his Observation Haki remained fully active, covering the entire island, much like how Enel monitored the Sky Islands for intruders. Koa was doing the same. Suddenly, his senses picked up a presence—a boat docking at the official port reserved for kings and nobles. The auras were unfamiliar, unfamiliar enough to prompt caution. Koa stopped his training, deactivated his floating platform to conserve stamina, and strengthened his invisibility in case he needed to follow and observe.
Once everything was in place, he silently moved toward the newcomers' location. He saw them heading directly for the castle of God Valley's king. Maintaining his invisibility, Koa arrived at the castle and positioned himself to eavesdrop on the conversation.
The strangers were dressed in formal coats, their posture rigid and authoritative. One of them spoke with a tone of entitlement, clearly identifying himself as someone of influence.
"The Nobles of Mary Geoise have decided to visit this kingdom for some recreational hunting," the man in a suit said, his voice carrying a sneer of disrespect. "As a king unaffiliated with the World Government, you should understand the rarity of this opportunity—and the honor it brings to your... modest country."
The King, despite the insult, responded with practiced humility. "Of course. Our kingdom welcomes the World Government with all our hearts. May I ask when they are expected to arrive? So that we may prepare a feast worthy of their nobility."
The situation was upside-down. Despite being royalty on his own land, the king bowed to these men, who, from their tone, behavior, and clothing, were clearly agents of Cipher Pol. That meant only one thing: the incident Koa had long prepared for was drawing near.
He listened carefully as they discussed logistics, until one crucial detail reached his ears: the Celestial Dragons would arrive in one week.
Koa stopped listening to the conversation between the King and the Cipher Pol agent, as their discussion had shifted to planning entertainment for the incoming "guests." He then compressed his Observation Haki, narrowing its range to cover only the castle. This allowed him to perceive details more clearly—a technique he had discovered through rigorous training over the years.
He was now searching for the royal treasure vault. Koa was curious to see if any Devil Fruits were stored within, and if there were, he had every intention of stealing them.
Eventually, he located the vault. It was heavily guarded, but that didn't concern him. He simply waited patiently for someone to open it, whether to retrieve something or perform routine maintenance. After three hours of silent observation, someone finally approached. A minister had come to retrieve funds to prepare for the visiting nobles, and he ordered the vault to be opened.
Koa took the opportunity. The moment the door creaked open, he slipped inside unnoticed, using his invisibility. Inside, he immediately spotted four Devil Fruits displayed within. Without hesitation, he made them invisible and snatched them up, then exited as quickly as he had entered.
The entire heist took less than a minute, quicker than the time it took the unsuspecting minister to count the funds he had come for.
As Koa vanished into the shadows of the castle walls, the stolen Devil Fruits safely tucked away, he felt a rush of satisfaction—but also urgency. The countdown had begun.
In just a week, the Celestial Dragons would arrive. The legendary God Valley Incident was drawing near, and with it, the collision of giants—Rocks D. Xebec, Roger, Garp, and countless others whose names would echo through history.
And Koa?
He would be right in the middle of it all.