The bustling square of the Newkama Land was alive with energy.
Pirate Yujin raised his cup toward the Okama King, Emporio Ivankov.
"Thank you for taking me in. I guess you could say my seven years of imprisonment have finally come to an end."
Ivankov clinked cups lightly with Yujin, drained his drink in one gulp, then smashed the cup to the ground.
With a graceful leap, he spun a full 360 degrees in the air, landing in a perfect gymnastics pose.
"Hee-hee~" Ivankov spread his arms wide, clearly delighted, as his subordinate handed him a microphone.
"Let's begin a day full of meaning!" he announced.
"Starting with this song."
"Beautiful, Okamas~ Hee-hee~"
Ivankov sang, while a group of Okamas danced alongside him, some echoing his lyrics. The square was lively and festive.
At the edge of the square stood Inazuma, a Revolutionary Army officer, half male and half female, holding a glass of red wine.
Seeing this, Yujin approached.
He raised his cup. "To my savior—I toast to you."
Inazuma waved it off, but their glasses clinked together with a crisp clang.
"You don't need to dwell on it," Inazuma said. "If you and Shiryu keep fighting over there, the passage to Impel Down might be exposed to him."
Of course, that was easier said than done. Without Inazuma's Scissor Fruit ability to help trim the passage, Impel Down Warden would have to renovate the Freezing Hell entirely, removing the top of the Eternal Hell, just to find the Newkama Land on level 5.5.
Yujin understood the implication and didn't press further.
"By the way," he said, "have you ever thought about escaping?"
"Escape?" Inazuma shook their head. "We still need to stay hidden here. Until then… I can't say more."
Yujin realized the things Inazuma couldn't say were likely related to the Revolutionary Army, so he let the matter drop and quickly changed the subject.
"Savior, there isn't much for me to do here in the Newkama Land. I've heard that in the New World, there's a power that can strengthen one's own abilities. Using it, you could even attack those with Logia-type Devil Fruit users."
"Attacking Logia users? Forget it," Inazuma said, dousing Yujin's hopes with cold reality.
"Those who have eaten Logia-type Devil Fruits—you'll hardly see them here in Impel Down. As far as I know, there are only four within the Navy itself."
Yujin gave an awkward smile.
"Then… strengthening my own defense and power is fine too. Can I learn from you?"
Inazuma shook its head.
"I have many things to take care of here in Impel Down."
"If you truly want to learn Armament Haki…"
It glanced toward the singing and dancing Okama Queen, Emporio Ivankov.
"I don't know if she'll teach you, but you can try asking."
Before the prison break officially began, Pirate Yujin still had plenty of time to prepare.
If he wanted to survive in this pirate world, learning Armament Haki was something he absolutely couldn't avoid.
Without Armament Haki, no matter how strong he became, he would still be helpless against Logia‑type users.
So no matter the cost, he had to learn it.
When Ivankov finally finished her energetic singing and dancing performance, Yujin rushed forward, striking while the iron was hot.
"Queen! I want to learn Armament Haki!"
"Fufufu~" Ivankov twisted her hips in strange motions.
"And why do you want to learn Armament Haki?"
Yujin understood clearly—whether he could learn it or not depended entirely on this Okama Queen's mood.
As someone who could fight Magellan, the Poison Man, to a standstill, Ivankov was far stronger than those two skeletal prisoners he'd met earlier.
Learning Armament from her would definitely be much faster.
To make sure his plan succeeded, Yujin suddenly dove head‑first into a pile of food.
With a loud thump, he fell to his knees.
His body trembled slightly as he clutched his hair with both hands, his face twisted with a mix of pain and deep emotion.
Ivankov thought he was drunk.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Did you drink too much?"
"Queen…" Yujin's voice was hoarse but filled with overwhelming emotion.
"Do you know what has kept me going in this lightless prison?"
"It's Kaori… that beautiful girl, as gentle as moonlight."
"Before I was thrown into this place, her smile was carved deep into my heart."
Yujin raised his head.
Tears shimmered in his eyes, as if he was reliving every moment of the past.
"When I parted from Kaori, I was just a powerless seven‑year‑old boy."
"These seven years of imprisonment… every minute, every second has been torment."
"In this endless darkness, the memory of her is my only comfort."
"I've met her countless times in my dreams… but every time I wake, all I see is the cold wall of my cell."
His voice tightened, choked with emotion.
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Every day I don't see her, the longing grows wildly in my mind like weeds—heavier and heavier."
"I can't go on like this."
"I must escape."
"I must leave this place that cages me."
"I must become strong—strong enough to break through everything—so I can hold Kaori again."
Yujin's emotions surged.
He suddenly stood up, glancing around with a trace of madness in his eyes.
Then he spotted a durian sitting nearby.
Without hesitation, he rushed over, grabbed the spiky fruit, and raised it over his head.
Ivankov was shocked.
"What are you doing?!"
But Yujin didn't hesitate at all.
He slammed the durian down onto his own head.
A heavy thud echoed as the durian collided with his skull.
His forehead swelled instantly, and a thin line of blood trickled slowly down his face.
But he seemed impervious to pain, his eyes filled only with determination and resolve.
"Your Majesty, can you understand this kind of suffering? This longing burns in my heart like fire. I'm about to be consumed by it. I must move forward. I want to marry Kaori. This is the only belief that keeps me alive!"
After saying this, Yujin's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees again, clutching his head as he wept bitterly.
His cries echoed across the empty field, filled with a yearning for freedom and love, stirring deep emotion in anyone who heard.
The surrounding Okamas were deeply moved by Yujin's passion and pain.
They watched his tear-streaked face and injured forehead, and the emotional walls they had built instantly crumbled.
Some covered their mouths with their hands, tears slipping through their fingers.
Others openly sobbed, their cries rising and falling, as if mourning Yujin's difficult fate and steadfast love together.
"What a touching love this is!" one Okama said through sobs.
"Yes, for the one he loves, he is willing to endure so much pain, even harm himself. It's incredible!" another echoed, their crying growing louder.
Okama Queen Ivankov tried to maintain a cold exterior. She cleared her throat lightly and said, "Go back to your room first. Calm yourself down."
Yujin slowly stood up and dragged his heavy steps toward his room.
As the door slammed shut with a bang, Ivankov could no longer suppress her emotions.
Her body trembled slightly at first, then her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, rolling about.
Tears gushed from her eyes like a broken dam, flooding out in an unstoppable torrent.
Before long, puddles formed across the small square, as if the entire area might be submerged.
Ivankov cried while clenching her fists tightly, silently swearing, "I must make Yujin stronger! He loves so deeply; I cannot let his love end with regrets! I will help him succeed in marrying his childhood sweetheart! Wuuuu…"
Her cries echoed across the empty field, mixed with the Okamas rushing to 'save the flood' with buckets. Yujin, through the door crack, let out a relieved breath.
Training in Armament Haki would begin.
The day of the jailbreak.
Was getting closer.
——————
The bustling Times Square was full of life. Marvel Yujin walked along, holding a Mexican chicken wrap.
"Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun."
"Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun~"
An Asian street vendor, holding a toy and speaking shaky English, passed by Yujin.
Yujin glanced at him, pulled out a $100 bill—the largest denomination he had—and handed it over.
"I bought it all."
The vendor froze for a moment, not taking the money. He clutched the toy in his hands, repeating over and over, "Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun… Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun."
Yujin shook his head in disbelief.
Where did this genius come from, learning just one English word and already doing foreign trade?
Luckily, Yujin had two one-dollar coins in his pocket. He handed them over. "Buy one."
The vendor looked at the money as if he had never seen them before and pulled out a banknote instead, mumbling, "Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun… Toy Rabbit Fun, Toy Rabbit Fun."
With the toy finally purchased, Yujin returned to Stark Industries in Manhattan.
Since the last time Tony Stark was targeted by the Ten Rings, his seaside villa had been bombed.
Now, on the top floor of Stark Industries in Manhattan—a district where every inch of land is priceless—Yujin, Tony Stark, and Thor had made their new home.
Riding the elevator to the penthouse, Yujin tossed the toy to Thor, who was lounging on the sofa, drinking.
The toy hit Thor with a thud.
"Ah~!" he yelped, spilling beer all over his pants.
"What was that for?" Thor grumbled.
"Looking at you like that, I couldn't help myself," Yujin said, pulling out his phone to snap a photo.
He pointed the camera at Thor. "Look at you. Do you really look like Odin's son? How are you any different from the dumb sons of North American farmers? Oh wait… there is a difference. You're an old bachelor."
Thor, like a tough slab of cured meat, ignored him. He opened another beer without changing his pants and sank back into the couch, leaving a perfect imprint of himself.
"Who cares about this but you? Hahaha~ I drink, eat popcorn, and watch TV. What else can I do?"
Yujin gave him a flat look. "Try calling Odin in your heart and ask him to give you your powers back. If he doesn't, you can't return to Asgard. Who's going to help me with the magical palace stuff?"
Thor sighed. "Father won't pay attention to me anymore. He's completely disappointed… he won't care. Not anymore."
He was about to sip his beer, trying to drown his sorrows, when suddenly…
A rainbow shot down from the sky and struck the rooftop of Stark Industries!
"Cough, cough, cough!"
The mighty Thor nearly choked on his beer.
Seeing the rainbow, he jumped up. "The Bifrost! The Bifrost! They've come for me!"
He tried to rush forward, but Yujin grabbed him.
"W-what are you doing?" Thor asked, confused. "You wanted magic from the palace, right? How will you get it if I don't go?"
Yujin twitched at the corner of his mouth. "You better hope that's the Bifrost coming to take you home, and not to send you to your doom."
Thor turned to look deep into the rainbow—and froze.
No… this was the ultimate weapon. The Destroyer?!
****
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