It was not until he met that eye, an eye that made his soul tremble.
It was that eye, the timely appearance of that eye, that stopped such thoughts, letting him know that there were even vaster, more expansive heavens and earths in this world.
It was also His appearance that allowed him to see his own insignificance and rekindle the humanity that was just beginning to change and had not yet vanished.
Therefore… Kong Tai held a trace of gratitude for the owner of the eye he had inadvertently seen.
With the improvement of his strength and the corresponding broadening of his horizons, he developed different ideas for the years to come.
This idea was further amplified when he encountered the other shore and learned of a more real, more expansive world, and his perspective became higher.
With a higher perspective, the world of Pirates, which was incredibly vast in the eyes of ordinary people, gradually lost its original charm in his eyes, becoming a small fish pond that could be seen through at a glance.
Thus, the anticipation he had when he first set sail disappeared.
But the starry sky above was different.
The entire starry sky was so vast that one could not explore its edges or walk to its limits.
This would be another sea, a void, boundless, a sea of stars that contained not a trace of memory in his mind.
There were interstellar pirates, interstellar hunters, countless wondrous stories never seen or heard before, and a grandeur that made one yearn just by thinking about it.
Galaxies, black holes, aliens, mechanical civilizations, magical civilizations, even Dou Qi and cultivation civilizations.
Ant-men, water-men, electricity-men, fire-men, and all forms of tangible and even intangible beings, forming all sorts of lives.
All of this could be seen and felt if he wished, as if it were within reach.
He wanted to see, to experience, to feel, to embark on aimless yet more desirable unknown adventures.
Unlike the adventures where the future was known from the start, the known adventures when he first set out from the Isshin Dojo.
After learning of the other sea of stars, Shanks was excited, and he, for the upcoming unknown interstellar adventure, was of course even more excited and longed for it even more.
After all, with his strength, coupled with the other shore, and Kuina, who could break through world constraints under his influence, even in this starry sky, even if it were dangerous, the danger would not become an obstacle.
But there was no rush.
Things had to be done step by step.
In this world, he still had many things to do; the situation with Imu had not been clarified, and the slave system had not been abolished.
Oh, yes, and the Final Island Raftel, which his companions looked forward to but he had little thought for.
Of course, there was also the demon king right before him, who had not yet fully taken shape.
As if sensing the mood of the person beside him, Kuina put down her cup, extended her right hand, and held the boy's hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.
Remember, how could she not remember?
The first time the boy came to the dojo, he was brought back by his father.
But the boy at that time was clearly different from later.
The boy was very timid then, like a startled rabbit, wary of everything around him.
Even though his body was surrounded by a strange space, and no one could touch him, he did not let down his guard.
He was always alone, always sitting alone under the cherry blossom tree in the backyard, lost in thought. At that time, he did not seem like a 5-year-old child, but rather like an adult, or an old man.
Therefore, when the boy first arrived at the Isshin Dojo as a child, Kuina actually did not like him very much, feeling that they were not the same person at all.
And the peculiar boy became a freak in the dojo at that time, and freaks were not welcome anywhere.
What was it that changed Kuina's view of the boy?
She clearly remembered that it was also at sunset, just like today's sunset, Kuina, having just been defeated by an elder of the dojo, went to the beach to clear her head in low spirits.
Little did she know she had forgotten about the rising tide.
When she gradually came to her senses, she was surrounded by seawater. For the girl, who was only a little over four years old at the time, the feeling of being alone and trapped on a deserted island completely shattered her resilient and strong will from a young age.
Perhaps it was destiny's guidance!
The boy, hearing the crying, happened to be on a cliff behind the beach, enjoying the afterglow of the setting sun.
Seeing the little girl in distress, he did not hesitate. Relying on the abilities he had just begun to master, he stepped directly across the sea and rescued the girl.
The girl still clearly remembered the gentle eyes of the boy who stepped across the sea in the afterglow of the sunset, like a god, and the pair of large hands extended to her, which, in her eyes at the time, were full of security.
From then on, the boy became the girl's brother, and the girl, as she should, became the boy's inseparable shadow.
The story was simple, yet it was enough for a girl of four or five years old to remember for a lifetime, and in the years that followed, the boy's gentleness, consideration, and pampering were, of course, the most inseparable additions to this fated encounter.
Holding Kuina's hand, Kong Tai withdrew his gaze, the anticipation deep within his eyes hidden, and he turned his head to meet Kuina's gentle gaze, his azure pupils gradually being replaced by tenderness.
He was fortunate, more fortunate than anyone else in this world.
He had traveled through time and space, acquiring a physical constitution and a mutated spirit that even gods envied.
As soon as he appeared in this world, he met Koushirou, who was out procuring supplies, and was then brought to the Isshin Dojo, which was considered absolutely safe in the world of Pirates, and spent the most panic-stricken and desperate time of his life.
Family, friends, peaceful towns, and amiable villagers made his childhood in this world no longer lonely like his previous life.
After setting sail, due to his strength and his understanding of this world, his journey was smooth sailing without a single setback.
Pirates feared him, the Navy was wary of him, the World Government hated him, and of course, there were also the grateful citizens of places like Bass and Alabasta.
No matter what happened in the future, at least at this time and place, he was so happy.
He looked up, and together with Kuina, they gazed at their companions laughing loudly around the bonfire, as well as the crew members of the Red-Haired Pirates. Kong Tai and Kuina both wore the same smile.
As if in response to their mood.
The sunset, which had been obscured by clouds, at this moment seemed to experience a final burst of brilliance, piercing through the clouds and casting a magnificent glow.
This radiance fell amidst the broken ruins, and with the laughter of humans, it seemed to awaken this sleeping city, bringing a trace of vitality.
Of course, it was also as if it dispelled the darkness in the heart of the girl in the center of the stage, before the camera, and the last trace of gloom in her eyes completely disappeared.