The ocean breeze that swept through Dressrosa carried with it an air of tranquility not seen in decades. High above the busy city from the palace where kings reigned, Solian rested on the balcony, arms crossed, gazing over the throngs of people below.
Laughter passed through children's lips, vendors shouted out their wares, and the citizens — his citizens — breathed without concern or worry.
But even with peace erupting everywhere on Dressrosa, Solian knew that it was but a fleeting season. Storm clouds always gathered on the horizon.
And he would be ready.
Inside the palace's huge training grounds, Itachi stood in the middle, silent and focused. Dark clouds revolved around him, low and heavy, following his will.
With a wave of his fingers, miniature storms snapped into being — whirls of angry wind and bursts of lightning flashing along his arms. His Sharingan whirled idly, following every motion of the stormy air.
Kael and Vance stood against a nearby stone wall, their mouths agape.
"Unbelievable." Kael said, arms crossed. "He's controlling weather like it's nothing."
That's only after a few months of training," Vance spoke in hushed tones, his voice low. "If he continues at this pace. he might be a force of nature himself."
Itachi exhaled slowly, and the dark clouds vanished as if they had never been there. He wiped away a sweat bead from his forehead, his stoic demeanor never wavering.
By his side, Solian was also receiving rigorous training.
He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his Observation Haki stretching far beyond palace walls. His senses became needle-sharp — he felt the beating heart of a sparring soldier three streets away, the cautious pacing of a merchant measuring a shortcut down the alleys, even the wings of birds on the thermal currents overhead.
His Observation Haki had grown stronger than he ever imagined when he started this quest. Now, it was second nature — a living, breathing aspect of his mind.
But Observation was not what put him to the test today.
Solian exhaled, standing up, his fists tightening.
Black, metallic sheen surrounded his hands — Armament Haki. It was powerful, solid, but still lacking something. something that he could only refine by sparring against fighters who actually stretched him to the limit.
"Need a sparring partner?" Kael called out, a grin playing on the corner of his mouth.
Solian forced a weak smile. "I could use someone who won't break after two blows."
Kael drew his sword, and Vance laughed as he retreated to the edge of the training grounds, clearing the path for the forthcoming destruction.
The sparring session began, raucous and fierce.
Kael's blade met Solian's hard-fisted blows, sending showers of sparks. Each assault probed Solian's Armament Haki, compelling him to reinforce his defenses, stabilize the flow of haki through his body, and find the openings in Kael's cadence.
Meanwhile, Milo and Sarin trained independently, becoming proficient with their Devil Fruit abilities.
Milo was all but unbreakable, using his Speed-Speed Fruit to dart between targets at velocities higher than human vision could follow, and Sarin perfected enhancing his abilities over earth, lifting stone pillars with ease off the ground and creating rapid shields in the midst of combat.
Across Dressrosa's military courtyard, the King's crew trained, refined, and readied themselves for what was certain to be unleashed.
Because they knew peace only existed for a short while.
As the sun began to set, painting the horizon with oranges and purples, Solian had his men sitting at the royal war table.
Maps of the Grand Line, headlines from newspapers, and spy reports covered the table.
"It's official," Milo snarled, slamming a crumpled letter onto the table. "The Celestial Dragons have sent a notice. demanding Dressrosa begin paying 'tribute taxes' to the World Nobles."
The room fell uncomfortably silent.
Everyone knew what it meant.
Paying tribute was not merely a tax.
It was submission.
Solian glared at the letter, his expression impassive.
At last, he spoke, voice cold and firm.
"Burn it."
Kael smiled ferally.
Sarin slammed a fist into his palm.
"Finally someone stood up to those leeches," Vance snarled.
Milo hesitated. "You realize denying this. it's a virtual defiance of the World Government. They'll call us enemies."
Solian's eyes blazed, his Conqueror's Haki seething beneath his surface, tiny cracks appearing on the marble floor around him.
"Good," he said. "Let them."
Five Months Later
Seasons passed.
Dressrosa flourished.
And so did its guardians.
Itachi stood upon the cliffsides, a hood of black cascading behind him, practicing mastery of the Storm-Storm Fruit. Now entire weather patterns held themselves in response to his demands. He might call rain onto the fields, summon ferocious gales to scatter enemy warships, or even create modest thunderstorms that would blind and confuse attackers.
He was not yet done mastering it — far from mastering it — but his progress was phenomenal.
Solian's Armament Haki had also been refined. Months of sparring with Kael, Vance, Sarin, and even Milo's blinding speed, his haki was able to encase his entire body in an iron-like armor without losing its strength.
His Observation Haki was even scarier.
He could now see moves almost ten seconds ahead of time against weaker opponents.
And when he let out his Conqueror's Haki? It enveloped the battlefield like a wave, knocking lesser foes to the ground senseless without even a single blow being landed.
Even Dressrosa's regular soldiers had been trained in a strict manner. With Vance to guide them, new battalions had been formed — elite guard trained in Haki basics and combat tactics.
Dressrosa was no longer healing.
It was preparing for war.
On one night, Itachi and Solian stood upon the palace parapets, watching the stars that flickered to life.
"Do you regret it?" Itachi spoke in a quiet whisper.
Solian turned his head, negative.
"We were never meant to bow," he spoke. "This world is putrid. The Celestial Dragons. the World Government. they preach of justice. But all they do is produce monsters.".
A low rumbling sound arose on the horizon — a tempest raging beneath Itachi's resolve, as if the heavens themselves agreed.
Solian smiled ferally.
"We'll carve our own place in this world," he said. "And if they try to stop us from doing that. we'll make them understand what power is."
The winds shifted.
A new epoch loomed over them.
And Solian Flare — Dressrosa's King — would reside at its center.