New World, an unknown sea area.
A massive pirate ship cut through the waves, its rugged design, muted colors, and the bull-horned pirate flag declaring its allegiance to the Hundred Beasts Pirates.
"Lord King, we've spotted 'The Red Force' ahead!"
"Oh?"
Standing on the deck, clad entirely in black, with obsidian-feathered wings stretching from his back and gloved hands covering every inch of skin, King, the infamous All-Star of the Hundred Beasts Pirates, slowly raised his gaze.
"What is he doing here? This isn't Red Hair's territory."
"Not sure, but they don't seem to be preparing for battle."
The pirate reporting to King quickly added, "They're just drifting on the surface. 'Red Hair' Shanks seems to be waiting for us to approach."
"Hmph. Then let's see what he wants. Does this upstart think he can block our way?!"
"Yes, sir!"
'Huā Lā La!'
The pirate ship surged forward, slicing through the white-capped waves. Within minutes, the two colossal vessels drifted into formation, side by side, one on the left and one on the right.
King strode to the deck's edge, leaning against the railing with arms crossed as he sized up the legendary figure ahead.
"Red Hair, what do you want?!"
King knew better than to underestimate Shanks.
Anyone who could claim the title of Yonko amidst the countless pirate factions of the New World was no ordinary man. Strategically, he could belittle him, but tactically, he had to treat him as a genuine threat.
"I…"
Shanks, perched casually on the railing of his ship, lowered the gourd of sake in his hand and glanced back in the direction from which King had come.
"Is it just you, King? No Kaido? No Plague?"
"What are you implying?" King's brow furrowed.
"I mean, you guys have some serious nerve… 'hic!'"
Shanks took a swig and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Right up ahead is what used to be BIG MOM's domain—Totto Land. Now it belongs to the Marines' G-11 branch. And you're just waltzing in all alone?"
"You must be joking!"
King's voice thundered as his grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. Behind him, the Hundred Beasts crew bristled, raising their weapons toward Shanks.
But they weren't alone in their hostility. On 'The Red Force', Yasopp— his single arm steady— oversaw his crew as they readied their cannons in return.
"I heard you bested the Azure Dragon and stole the Pure Gold… and now you think you're invincible?!"
"Pure Gold…?"
A faint smirk tugged at Shanks' lips as he shook his head. He took another sip and, unfazed by the aimed weapons, spoke casually.
"Relax. I didn't come here to fight."
"I just caught wind of your movements and wanted to see what Kaido was up to."
"But since he's not here… it looks like you won't be making much of a stir after all."
"Well then, I suppose this is where we part ways."
With that, Shanks turned, ready to leave.
"You think you can just walk away?!"
'BOOM!'
A searing, golden inferno erupted from King's body as he slowly drew his massive katana. The blade shimmered, encased in roaring flames. An intense wave of heat spread outward, raising the temperature dramatically.
Yet Shanks remained unshaken. Tilting his head slightly, he mused, "Instead of wasting your energy on me, maybe you should be more concerned about what's lurking behind you."
"Foolishness has its limits."
"What?!"
King's eyes narrowed in alarm as he spun around.
Sure enough, in the distance— hundreds of meters away— something dark and massive abruptly 'Shuā!' disappeared beneath the waves.
"Trying to slip away, are you?!"
King's gaze hardened. In a flash, he swung his flaming blade in a mighty arc.
'Cremation: Burning Mountains, Boiling Seas!'
'Shuā!'
A dazzling crescent of fire slashed through the air, crackling and roaring as it blazed forward. The ocean itself hissed in defiance, steam billowing into the sky as the searing flames met the water's surface. The night was illuminated in an eerie orange glow, turning the sea into a vision of hellfire.
Though not a Logia, the sheer power of King's flames rivaled any natural disaster.
'BOOM! Huā Lā La!'
The fiery arc stretched for hundreds of meters, crashing into the sea and setting the world ablaze in its wake.
The sea erupted into a towering column of steam and fire, sending tons of seawater cascading down in all directions. Even from a distance, the scorching heat was palpable.
However…
"Tch, did they escape?!"
King narrowed his eyes, watching intently as the white smoke gradually faded. Yet, no wreckage surfaced— the enemy had retreated deeper than expected. His attack hadn't reached them.
After all, he wasn't a Logia. Despite his formidable strength, his attack range couldn't compare to a true Mera Mera no Mi user.
Five or six hundred meters was his limit. He had to pinpoint his target, while the enemy had the advantage of maneuvering freely beneath the sea.
"Those were just scouts, King."
Shanks observed calmly from 'The Red Force'. "The Marines already know you're here. You'd best tread carefully."
With that, 'The Red Force' raised its sails and departed, drifting off into the horizon.
"Lord, should we…?"
A Viking-clad crew member of the Hundred Beasts Pirates approached cautiously.
"No need!"
King sheathed his sword, the flames on his body gradually fading.
He cast a final glance at 'The Red Force' before turning his attention toward their target. "Since the Marines are aware of us, there's no point in hiding. We charge straight in!"
"Tell everyone to be battle-ready at all times!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
''New World, Dressrosa, Royal Palace.''
Back in his chambers, Rowen massaged his stiff facial muscles, his brows furrowing slightly.
Maintaining composure in front of others was more exhausting than it seemed.
"I didn't expect things to be like this."
Doflamingo, despite being a Celestial Dragon, didn't have access to every secret. He had only stumbled upon fragments of truth.
Rowen suspected that only Im, the enigmatic figure in the Room of Flowers, truly knew everything.
What Doflamingo had uncovered had little to do with the Void Century. Instead, he had discovered something the World Government had been safeguarding for the past 800 years— something capable of overturning the world and dethroning the Celestial Dragons from their so-called divine pedestal.
Deep within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, inside the Room of Flowers, there existed a well-hidden 'national treasure'.
Its true nature remained obscured, veiled behind an ominous crimson curtain. But the words inscribed on that curtain were unmistakable:
"This relic belongs to the True God of all beings and must be returned."
"Mortals must remember this to prevent catastrophe."
Surrounding these words were the emblems of the twenty royal families that had founded the World Government.
It was a flag.
A flag unlike anything Rowen had ever seen or heard of before.
Isn't it ironic?
The Celestial Dragons, who claimed to be the descendants of the so-called 'God Who Created the World', had inscribed on this flag that they were 'mortals'?
Of course, they were mortals. That was undeniable.
But this was a direct rejection of their supposed divinity—a contradiction written by their own ancestors!
The implications left him deeply unsettled.
Even more disturbing was the question that lingered in Doflamingo's mind: if the Celestial Dragons were mere mortals, then who was the 'True God of all beings' that the inscription referred to?
Could it really be a 'god'? And if so… what kind of god?
And most importantly—what was the relic that needed to be returned?
Before Doflamingo could gather more clues, a warning voice from outside the Room of Flowers had forced him to flee through a hidden passage.
At the time, he had been just a child. The revelation haunted him for a few days before gradually fading into the recesses of his memory.
The events that followed were well-known.
His father, Saint Homing, had been unable to accept the truth and chose to abandon his status as a Celestial Dragon, reducing himself to a commoner—a decision that would ultimately give rise to the monster known as 'Heavenly Yaksha'.
While sifting through the remnants of his fallen lineage, Doflamingo had stumbled upon a small, unassuming box—an heirloom his father had refused to part with, even after relinquishing everything.
Inside, he had found a final letter.
Saint Homing, having witnessed the burning hatred the world harbored for the Celestial Dragons, had foreseen his own demise. And so, he had left behind the truth.
Through the words in that letter, long-buried memories surfaced once more.
Only then did Doflamingo understand why his father had renounced his title. The secret was one that only the heads of Celestial Dragon households were privy to—a secret that had a name.
A name that signified a turning point for the world.
Its name was: ''God Returns''.
By the end of the Great Pirate Era… this truth would shake the very foundations of history.
''(End of Chapter)''
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