Grand Line, G-1 Branch – Frontline Dictate Division.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Bring up the rest of the ammunition; now is not the time to be frugal!"
"Logistics! The Pacifistas on board are heavily damaged, we need repairs immediately!"
On the broad frontline, figures rushed about in every direction. Yet under the iron discipline of Marine law, the chaos carried its own order. Not a single wasted word escaped the soldiers' lips; every order and report was relayed instantly to where it needed to go.
Battleships armed with the Super Electromagnetic Cannon served as mobile fortresses. Backed by Vegapunk's perfected Pacifistas, even ordinary Marines now had the firepower to stand against Sea Kings.
"I understand. Get back as quickly as possible. Report again when you reach the coordinates." Akainu hung up the receiver and stepped out from his private chamber.
"How's the situation?" he asked tersely.
"No major problems so far." Vice Admiral Tsuru flipped through the thick stack of reports piled on the desk. Once finished, she tossed them aside and pulled another file into her hands, speaking while she skimmed.
"At first, their digging went fast because the World's bombardment had already cracked the foundations. It was like poking at bubbles, touch them and they collapse. But once we realized what they were doing and dispatched troops to interfere, their progress slowed significantly."
"At their current pace, it will take them at least a month to dig through the Red Line." Akainu exhaled a long breath of relief.
"Good. If we can't stop the Sea Kings within a month, then we might as well give up struggling altogether."
But what would happen if they really dug through the Red Line?
First of all, the route between the First Half and the New World would become wide open, without barriers, crippling the Marines' ability to choke off pirate movement.
But in this age… how many pirates still dreamed of conquering the New World? Most were already content with simply surviving another day.
The second effect was far more immediate: earthquakes in the Holy Land.
The Sea Kings were burrowing along the exact fissures left behind by World's earlier bombardment, directly beneath the Holy Land itself. Tremors spread upward from the shortest possible distance, shaking the sacred city with terrifying quakes.
Still, it wouldn't bring true destruction.
The Red Line's sturdiness was beyond question. Its bedrock would never crumble simply because it was being tunneled through. Its very composition was what allowed it to span the entire Grand Line like a colossal natural bridge.
At worst, a few substandard buildings might collapse. Nothing more.
That was why Orrick's first remark had been: "The Sea Kings just want to give the pampered nobles of the Holy Land an unforgettable afternoon," rather than "They intend to destroy the Holy Land itself."
But the third consequence… was the most dangerous of all.
It would shake the very authority of the World Government.
The Red Line was the symbolic boundary between the Marines and the Holy Land. If it were breached, the blow to government prestige would be incalculable.
How many ambitious vultures across the seas would rise in rebellion? Impossible to predict. The government was confident it could confront Orrick's coalition, but could it truly stand against the entire world?
No kingdom in history, no ruling dynasty anywhere, ever could.
The powerful can always crush a single "figurehead." But when the masses rise as one, even the mightiest empire will fracture and collapse.
That was why, in Akainu's eyes, a month was not long. It was far too long.
If they failed to crush the Sea Kings swiftly and decisively, war would spiral out of control, another unstoppable tide in the so-called "end of the Pirate Era."
Then, all would hurl themselves toward that supreme throne. The seas would drown in fire and smoke, leaving nothing but corpses and despair.
"Akainu," Tsuru suddenly asked, breaking the heavy silence, "have you ever heard the legend?"
Akainu's brow furrowed.
"You mean… the Mountain Ancestor?" He knew exactly what worried her. Shaking his head, he replied coldly: "That's nothing more than a bedtime story for children. No need to take it seriously."
"Pure Gold and the Giant Anglerfish were just 'bedtime stories' too, weren't they?" Tsuru countered sharply. Her words made Akainu's voice falter.
"And you're well aware of the geological oddities in the West Blue. Do you remember why Ohara became the center of archaeological research, instead of North Blue, South Blue, or even the Grand Line? Because fossils of the same era kept surfacing across so many of its islands. It drew scholars in droves, seeking answers."
"Some even whisper that the Ancient Weapons were created by the ancients precisely to combat the Mountain Ancestor."
"…So what are you suggesting?" Akainu narrowed his eyes. "If the Mountain Ancestor is real, what are we supposed to do?"
Tsuru fell silent.
Because the truth was, if the legends were accurate, then even if the greatest Marine heroes of history returned to life, defeating such a being would still be impossible.
"…For now, we focus on the task before us. Do what must be done, and leave the rest to fate. Rowen was right about that much."
Akainu's voice hardened, as though to steady his own will. He was about to continue when the Den Den Mushi on the desk, the one marked with the World Government's white cross flag, suddenly rang out.
The two locked eyes. In each gaze, the same heaviness was reflected.
The morning's reports had already been delivered. There should have been nothing urgent. So why would the 'Gorōsei, the Five Elder Stars' be calling now?
Akainu picked up the receiver with deliberate gravity.
"This is Akainu."
…
Wano Country, Underground Rebel Base.
On the high platform, Kanjuro shouted down to his comrades, each one bandaged, scarred, and weary:
"Brothers! The time to rise has come! This is a heaven-sent chance! Kaido is gone, Orrick is gone, and even that butcher Lirisk has disappeared. Right now, the only one left in Wano is Kurozumi Orochi! Tell me, what should we do?!"
"..."
The thunderous roar of support he had imagined never came. Silence pressed down, until at last someone raised a trembling hand.
"M-Maybe… we should… take it back?"
"Exactly!" Kanjuro seized the opening, ignoring the awkward lull. His voice swelled with fire:
"I know what weighs on your hearts. Our last uprising ended in catastrophe, we lost everything, driven from our homeland!"
"But are you truly content with that?!"
"Our lord was falsely condemned and slain in disgrace. To preserve hope, our lady sacrificed her life to send the young heir twenty years into the future… only to be captured herself!"
"To me, that dreadful night feels as though it were yesterday. But you… You have borne this humiliation for twenty long years! And now, because of a single defeat, you would abandon it all?!"
"Then what right have you to call yourselves samurai of our lord? The crest of the Kozuki Clan is being dragged through the mud!"
"Kanjuro-sama, we are not afraid to die!"
A man stepped forward, fist trembling in the air. "But we don't want to throw our lives away for nothing, either!"
His eyes brimmed with tears.
"Wano is already poisoning its children with lies, teaching them to scorn Oden-sama as a fool and an idiot. We are the last who still carry the hatred of twenty years past. We cannot squander ourselves in vain!"
"But what can we do? Orochi is no ordinary foe. We… we can't defeat him."
Strength. That was the immovable wall before them.
This world had too many problems that could not be solved simply by "fighting harder." The revenge of Wano's samurai was one of them.
The Straw Hats had learned the same bitter truth. Back then, at G-10, when they faced the terrifying Rowen, all they could do was retreat in grief and fury.
From behind the rock curtain of the cavern wall, Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke, watching the broken samurai falter.
"They'll never find the courage to fight at this rate. Time to bring him out."
Rowen met the questioning looks and gave a slight nod.
"Do as you like, just don't expose me. I never counted on these men to begin with. This is little more than a formality."
Zoro frowned, his tone quiet but firm.
"Maybe. But if they can't take part in their own revenge, these samurai will never rest easy. So yes, it's necessary."
He turned to leave. "I'll fetch him."
Snap!
Usopp grabbed his collar before he could take a step. "Stay put."
Zoro: "…"
Clink… clink…
Chains rattled as Robin emerged from the shadows, gloved hands steady. Behind her walked Lirisk.
"I thought this might happen," she said calmly. "So I brought him early."
"Oh! As expected of Robin, you always think ahead!" Nami praised, relief in her voice. On this ship, it sometimes felt as if Robin was the only truly reliable one.
Rowen glanced at Lirisk, eyes narrowing. "You didn't try to escape?"
With his strength, as long as a single limb could still move, Robin would never have been able to restrain him. But Lirisk only let out a cold laugh. His face was unreadable as he strode past Rowen with a soldier's gait.
"No need. Whether it's you or him, I have no intention of being involved. You said you'd send me to prison, didn't you? Just make it quick."
He walked tall, his steps fierce and unwavering, not like a man about to be paraded before enemies, but as though he were marching home in triumph, cloaked in honor.
Rowen crushed his cigar against the stone wall, eyes narrowing to slits. "Don't worry. You won't be waiting long."
When Lirisk appeared on the platform, the crowd erupted in shock. Kanjuro immediately seized the moment, whipping their emotions higher, using the enemy's presence to prove that they could be challenged, that victory wasn't impossible.
But Rowen no longer cared.
He turned away, pulling out Luffy's Vivre Card.
"Get ready. By dawn, it'll all be over."
(End of Chapter)
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