A Change

In the year 1513 of the Naval Calendar, the fifteenth year of the Great Pirate Era, a year had passed since the Red-Haired Pirates defeated the Demon Pirates.

The situation in the New World stabilized, and the widespread chaos did not last long. The territory of the Demon Pirates was quickly divided up, and of course, a fierce battle ensued. Old pirates fell, and new pirates rose.

The territory that originally belonged to the Bondy Pirates has become a Chaos Sea where various forces gather and intersect, the most powerful of which is the Hunting Pirates established by Alex.

However, Alex's strength is insufficient to conquer the surrounding forces, and the development potential of this sea area is not great. It used to be the peripheral territory of the Flying Pirates, and the core territory had long been moved to the Sky Kingdom. Now it has been swallowed up by the Night Pirates.

Geographically, the west is dominated by the Big Mom Pirates, and the south is occupied by the Whitebeard Pirates. Sandwiched between the territories of two of the world's top pirate crews, it would be difficult to survive without the strength of a top-tier overlord like Byrnndi World.

Once it emerges and becomes a threatening force, it will likely face joint suppression from the Big Mom Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates.

Furthermore, the vast sea area in the northeastern corner of the New World, which originally belonged to the Flying Pirates, is now very famous and feared.

The name of the Sea of Death and the Sea of Solitude resounded throughout the New World.

The main reason is that there are too few islands in this vast sea area. There used to be Sky Island in the sky, but now there are nothing, only some small islands that Flying Pirates don't care about.

In such seas, without the Eternal Pose, it's common to wander in and not encounter an island for months. Loneliness can drive a person mad, especially with the scarcity of supplies. Many pirate crews have suffered internal strife and self-destruction as a result.

Under Saga's guidance, Garron also grew accustomed to life inside the Combat Pyramid.

At fixed times, Garron would also ask Rediat questions about swordsmanship.

The two brothers, who looked identical and were nine and eight years old respectively, had also made a name for themselves at the bottom of the Combat Pyramid.

During this time, he also met many people. Thanks to an encounter when he first arrived on Pagila Island, Garron also met two young swordsmen, Kuina Zoro.

As fellow swordsmen of similar age, they had sparred and become acquainted after several encounters. Saga, who was with Garron, naturally also knew these two swordsmen.

Of course, one reason is that Zoro and Kuina knew Garron's identity. Seeing Garron's appearance and relationship with Saga, they naturally guessed Saga's identity as well.

While they were surprised, they kept it to themselves and didn't tell anyone.

Having friends to talk to is a good thing, including Sanji and Reiju, both members of the Vinsmoke Family.

The food street at the Combat Pyramid is a place everyone goes to; the aroma is so enticing, you feel like you could fly just by standing there.

Sanji is a frequent visitor here, often staying for extended periods to savor various delicacies and, more importantly, to observe and learn from the world-class chefs' skills, even assisting them in their cooking.

Needless to say, Sanji has already demonstrated his culinary talent and is quite well-known in the chef circle of the Combat Pyramid. Although he is far behind them in terms of cooking skills, having such a clever kid as an assistant makes things a bit easier for them.

Moreover, Sanji's affiliation with the Vinsmoke Family is no secret in the Combat Pyramid. As an affiliated force of the Night Pirates and the royal family of the Germa Kingdom, the Vinsmoke Family is a force that most people dare not offend.

Therefore, they would not refuse Sanji's request.

In the Combat Pyramid, apart from some secret sauces, there are no other secret techniques.

This is also an advantage of his status; Sanji is now surrounded by the Vinsmoke aura.

As they continued to fight and demonstrate their physical potential, the five would often return to the island that the Night Pirates had given to the Vinsmoke Family, now the Germa Kingdom, for physical examinations.

With increased capabilities, scientists place greater trust in data.

Through continuous testing, Gaji paid more and more attention to Sanji. More importantly, he discovered the special nature of Sanji's genes, or Lineage Factor.

Sanji is not a failed product of genetic modification, unlike his brothers who gained superhuman physiques through modifying their Lineage Factor.

His Lineage Factor was also successfully modified, except that the Lineage Factor representing his superhuman physique was invisible and needed to be activated later.

This also means that Sanji is a more perfect creation, and his potential is even greater than that of other children who have already shown superhuman abilities.

Upon arriving in the New World, Kaji also broadened his horizons and realized the immense potential of an individual.

Judge indulges Sanji's hobbies, but Sanji also has higher expectations of him and must endure even more terrible trials to activate the dormant Lineage Factor within him.

Electric shocks, burning flames, and brutal physical training are the norm; combat is merely the most common and ordinary method.

"Come and try this, it's my golden fried rice." Sanji placed two large bowls, each as big as a basin, in the center of the round table.

As one of the few friends they knew well, Sanji would sometimes cook for Saga and the others, letting them taste his improved culinary skills and newly learned dishes.

However, with Sanji's current skills, he doesn't even qualify to open a restaurant in the Combat Pyramid.

The entire Combat Pyramid belongs to the Night Pirates. The land in each area is extremely valuable, and the Night Pirates have provided these top chefs here for free.

These chefs can gain reputation and a large amount of Beli.

As a crucial part of the Combat Pyramid, the Night Pirates can reap substantial benefits.

This is a mutually beneficial arrangement, so the Night Pirates place great importance on selecting chefs. Unless they possess exceptional skills to make ordinary ingredients taste delicious, they must at least have a unique culinary specialty.

"Hey! Moss Head, where did Miss Kuina go?" Sanji frowned as he noticed the empty space next to Zoro.

"Didn't I tell you not to call me 'Moss Head'? You blond pervert!" Zoro got angry as soon as he heard that and shoved his head in front of Sanji.

Perhaps the two were simply incompatible, because they soon started arguing.

"Moss Head!"

"Yellow-haired pervert!"

"Do you want to fight?!"

"Come on! Who's afraid of who!"

"I'll give you a two-handed advantage!"

"I'll give you two kicks!"

"Ahem!" Seeing the two arguing more and more heatedly, their tempers rising, and with many onlookers around, Saga coughed lightly twice. "Quiet down."

The two fell silent immediately. Although Saga was two years younger, Saga dominance was still very strong.

Zoro knew Saga's identity, and Sanji could also tell that Saga's identity was extraordinary.

More importantly, Saga was stronger than them; both of them had been defeated by Saga before.

Zoro glared at Sanji before returning to his seat. "Kuina has gone to the top floor to watch Esdeath's battle."

Hearing this, everyone else understood.

They all knew that Kuina idolized Esdeath and often went to watch Esdeath's battles, finding that watching videos was far more immersive than watching live.

They are not yet qualified to fight at the top level, but they can still go to the top to watch the battle. However, compared to others, those who register to fight in the Combat Pyramid also have certain restrictions on going to higher levels, and need to consume points.

In the Combat Pyramid, points are extremely valuable, especially since they can be exchanged for various precious items, even powerful Devil Fruit.

That's what makes striving for higher levels enjoyable.

This kind of behavior—wasting points to watch the battle from a higher level—is considered extremely foolish by most people.

However, aside from the tempering of battle, Kuina didn't want anything else. She didn't care about money. She already had a sword, Wado Ichimonji, ranked among the top twenty-one swords, which was enough to accompany her for a lifetime.

The only thing she needs is Devil Fruit that can enhance her strength, Kuina isn't considering that in the short term.

Who can stop a fanatic?

At just seventeen years old, Esdeath has already reached the top of the Combat Pyramid. Her true age is still under seventeen, making her a superstar in the Night Sea Domain and even the entire world.

All the major powers on the seas know Esdeath's name; she is undoubtedly a monster, and not yet a Devil Fruit user. Once she obtains the power of the Temperature Fruit, the Night Pirates will surely gain another Demon General, or even a Demon King.

Such monsters put enormous pressure on the Navy and other forces. The Beasts Pirates are better off, as they have a few Ancient Species users who haven't fully matured yet.

The Big Mom Pirates have given up; among their younger members, only Snack and Smoker are worth mentioning.

Under Big Mom's intense pressure, Smoker's potential was fully unleashed. At a young age, she had already surpassed many of her older brothers and was second only to Katakuri in strength.

That's how the Whitebeard Pirates are. They've reached their peak in every aspect. The peak of adopting sons has passed. No new talents have emerged. There are too many adopted sons, and Whitebeard doesn't even know some of them.

While suppressing the Grand Line, the Navy also focused its attention on emerging pirates, giving them more experience and supervision.

With the Inspection Department led by Sakazuki in place, troublemakers like Smoker won't be let off the hook. While they won't be severely punished, they'll certainly be put in solitary confinement quite often.

Their strength has also improved much faster, and they won't waste several years in a place like the Four Seas.

The World Government's grant of a large number of Devil Fruit has further enhanced the Navy's internal combat capabilities, at least in terms of its core fighting force, which has seen a significant recovery.

The military merit requirements for internal Devil Fruit transformation have been lowered considerably, with more opportunities being given to outstanding members of the new Marines.

The Night Pirates' newest force, arguably their top member, is something the Marine Headquarters can only envy, while secretly developing their own.

The pain inflicted by Bondy a will not heal so quickly.

Esdeath has now accomplished the task that Teach set for Saga and Garron.

Furthermore, Esdeath wasn't a Devil Fruit user, which put a lot of pressure on Saga and Garron. As the sons of the Dark Emperor, they couldn't afford to be outdone; they had to at least break the record Esdeath left behind.

He secretly raised his goals, reaching the top of the Combat Pyramid at sixteen and dominating Combat Pyramid at seventeen, becoming the strongest.

The more you compare, the more you need to prove yourself. He needs even stronger achievements to gain the recognition of the other members of the Night Pirates. His pride won't allow him to lose to a woman, especially since he's a member of the Night Pirates.

Both Saga and Garron were incredibly proud.

"Then she probably won't be coming back. Let's eat first; we have training this afternoon."

Saga's words made Sanji and Zoro nod in agreement. Life in the Combat Pyramid, once you get used to it, can't really be described as exciting or stimulating.

Training and combat are the main themes; food, enjoyment, and even powerful medical techniques are merely embellishments, though they are also an important part of it.

While eating, Saga couldn't help but think of Mijela. He hadn't seen Mijela for a while and really missed him.

Through video communication, it was learned that Mijela had gained powerful abilities. They hadn't seen each other for a year, and Mijela was familiarizing herself with and developing these new powers.

At the same time, he is also receiving closed training from Teach.

Teach is very strict with his Teach, banning Transponder Snail) for a period of time to avoid distractions, and requiring complete focus during training.

The sharp and ferocious Demon Claw tore apart the body of the beast in front of them in an instant.

Now, Mijela has transformed into his demon form and is honing his skills on a small, ferocious island. He exudes a chilling aura, and his claw techniques already show a hint of Teach's style.

As a Devil Fruit user in his Devil form, killing can accelerate the development of his Devil Fruit.

Not far away, Pito was eating snacks while watching the video playing in front of him.

Teach couldn't watch over Mijela all the time, the task of looking after Mijela was handed over to the very idle Pito, and Teach also found her something to do.

After all, Pito spends two or three hours exercising every day, and the rest of the time he's like a lazy bum, indulging in a sea of images, with a wide range of interests.

Although there are many ferocious beasts on this island, they are not particularly strong, and none of them pose a real threat to Pito.

Pito also very suitable for seeking advice and sparring. Her claw technique originally came from Teach's teachings, but with her own fighting talent, she has long since developed her own fighting style.

In comparison, Mijela is a better fit for Teach's claw techniques.

Teach's claw techniques were already extremely domineering, and he further altered the structure of his hands through the Life Return, creating claws that resembled those of a demon.

Mijela, as a demon form ability user, is a demon in himself, and his claw techniques are highly compatible with Teach's.

Mijela is one of the few who can inherit most of Teach's Claw Technique; he possesses this talent in himself, coupled with the right abilities.

Pito and Kaguya learned Teach's claw techniques, but ultimately only absorbed the skills, integrating the essence into their own combat systems.

In its current form, coupled with the aura of slaughter, Mijela looks exactly like a little devil, with deep, dark blue eyes that are cold and ruthless.