Two deadly slashes raced toward him at blinding speed.

But Tachibana Kyūjō, with a single breath and the barest shift in focus, opened his mind—and in that fraction of a second, countless visions of diverging futures bloomed vividly in his awareness. Like peering into an endless sea of branching timelines.

What Kyūjō saw wasn't some illusion.

It was the simulated output of his newly evolved sensory system—a fusion of Kenbunshoku Haki and Kenshin Tōmei—transformed into something far beyond either.

This new system analyzed every possible action he could take... and played out the consequences of each one, all within an instant.

In some branches, he tried evasive maneuvers—leaping, twisting, pivoting—each ending the same way: serious injury, followed by rescue from his master, Shimotsuki Kōshirō.

Other paths were worse. Some had him lose an arm, or a leg. One or two ended with his death—albeit rare, only if he panicked or made a fatal misstep before Kōshirō could intervene.

There were defensive options, too—meeting the attack with his blade, or trying risky counters.

But among the thousand futures, one stood out like a glowing star in the dark—

Stay still. Do nothing.

Let Kōshirō save him.

The simulation placed this option at 99.9% success. No injuries. No risk.

— — —

Kyūjō's eyes opened wide, shimmering with a strange, blazing light.

"This feeling... it's insane."

If you asked him what he would do now—

Of course, he'd choose to do absolutely nothing!

He had seen it for himself. As long as he stood there, unmoving, his master would intervene and save him.

Why act recklessly when the best outcome came from staying calm?

Sure, there were 36 other viable escape routes that left him unharmed—but even the best among them had less than 80% success. The worst? Just 3%.

And that's if he got out without a scratch.

— — —

When Kōshirō saw Kyūjō standing still, gazing at him with innocent, unblinking eyes—not even trying to evade—he was genuinely stunned.

But the critical moment left no time to question it.

Kōshirō vanished in a blur and appeared beside his disciple in an instant.

With a light swipe of Wadō Ichimonji, he canceled out both crescent-shaped slashes mid-air. They dispersed harmlessly, as if they had never existed.

Landing softly, Kōshirō exhaled deeply.

"...Unbelievable."

It wasn't disappointment in Kyūjō.

He was disappointed in himself.

"Maybe... I've placed too much hope on him," he murmured.

After all, Kyūjō was still only ten.

Just a child.

"Why was I expecting so much from him...?"

A heavy weight settled on his heart.

But then, a soft voice tugged him back to the present.

"Um… Kōshirō-sensei?" Kyūjō said carefully. "I think… I just awakened Kenbunshoku Haki."

His perception system had sent him a warning: if he didn't tell his master within one minute, there was a 96% chance he'd get beaten half to death.

After that first minute? His simulation couldn't see that far.

His ability resembled that of Charlotte Katakuri from the Big Mom Pirates—a power to glimpse the future.

But Kyūjō's version was broader, deeper.

He could simulate thousands of branches all at once.

Honestly, Kyūjō himself believed the ability was better suited for tactical research and technique development, not close-range combat.

Before he could dwell too much on it, his master—moments ago drowning in guilt—was now looking at him with wide, astonished eyes.

"You… you've awakened Kenbunshoku Haki?"

"That's incredible! But listen carefully, Kyūjō."

"Awakening it is just the start. For a swordsman, mastery and deep understanding of haki is everything. You'll need to train constantly to use it freely."

"Oh, by the way... how far can your range go now?"

Kōshirō had returned to his usual, patient mentor mode.

Kyūjō closed his eyes briefly, running a few internal calculations.

"About... fifty kilometers."

"…WHAT?!"

Kōshirō's voice shot up an octave, unable to suppress his shock.

Just awakened... and already sensing fifty kilometers?

He had never heard of anything like that in his entire life.

Seeing his teacher's stunned expression, Kyūjō offered a sheepish smile.

In his opinion, the range wasn't the most ridiculous part.

The true marvel was the ability born from the fusion of Kenbunshoku Haki and Kenshin Tōmei.

He'd named it—

Infinity.

At this point, just calling it "Kenbunshoku" or "Kenshin Tōmei" didn't do it justice. They had merged into something... new. Something undefined.

"I wonder... what should I name it officially?" Kyūjō muttered.

He sighed.

How he envied Roronoa Zoro sometimes—probably because he ate the mythical Nama-nama no Mi, the Devil Fruit that let you come up with epic names for anything on the spot...

— — —

The Year 1500 of the Sea Calendar.

A year filled with tragedy and history.

It was the year that Ohara, the homeland of Nico Robin, was wiped out by a Buster Call from the World Government, in an attempt to erase the truth of the Void Century. Only young Robin survived.

It was also the year Portgas D. Rouge, mother of Ace, gave birth to her son after carrying him for 20 months, just to protect him from the World Government.

And the same year, Shiki the Golden Lion—former member of the Rocks Pirates, commander of the Flying Pirate Armada, wielder of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi—escaped from Impel Down. The first prisoner to ever do so since the prison's founding.

In this turbulent world, Shanks the Red-Haired was just seventeen.

And Kyūjō?

He was only twelve.

But how long would this boy continue to hide his power in the shadows of the world?

— — —

Shimotsuki Village Shoreline.

Barry, one of the students from Dōjō Isshin, stood anxiously at the water's edge, gazing out toward the horizon.

"It's been hours… why hasn't Kyūjō-nii come back yet...?"

— — —

10,000 meters below the surface.

Kyūjō, holding a large net, swam through the near-total darkness of the deep sea.

He was hunting a creature no bigger than his palm—a crimson shrimp with crystal-clear shell and glowing red innards.

One of the rarest and most nutrient-rich delicacies in East Blue, especially prized for expectant mothers.

Because it lived in such extreme depths and only surfaced during spawning season, its price soared to astronomical levels.

So... why was Kyūjō down here chasing shrimp?

Simple.

Because his master's wife—"Shishō no Okusan"—was pregnant.

As the self-proclaimed "Main Disciple," Kyūjō felt he needed to offer something meaningful.

Thanks to his "Infinity" system—active for over a year now—he had even fast-tracked the development of his Breath of Thunder: Version 3.0 by two whole years.

With a single deep breath, his lungs could store enough oxygen to stay active underwater for an entire day—so long as he wasn't fighting.

If he did enter combat while breathing technique was active, his oxygen reserves would deplete rapidly.

Oh, and about Infinity?

That's the name he gave to the fusion-born system of Kenbunshoku Haki and Kenshin Tōmei.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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