The weight of the conversation with Garp lingered in my mind long after he left my office. It was as if the future of the world itself rested on our shoulders, and I couldn't escape the knowledge that there would always be more battles to fight.
The next few weeks felt like a blur. Despite our victory against Rocks, there was no time for peace. The Marines were stretched thin, and the seas were more dangerous than ever. Pirate crews scrambled to fill the void left by Rocks, some seeking to claim his throne while others aimed to assert their dominance in different ways. Yet, in the back of my mind, I could feel something even darker looming on the horizon.
As I moved through my duties—coordinating strategy meetings, commanding Marine forces in the pursuit of rogue pirates, and overseeing the rebuilding of what had been lost—I found myself becoming more distant. The reality of the endless war we were fighting seemed like it would never end. Even though we had dealt a significant blow to the pirates by eliminating Rocks, there was always someone ready to take his place. A new, stronger opponent, waiting to challenge us.
But something kept me going, a nagging feeling that we were on the edge of a new era. The world was changing, and the events set in motion by Rocks' death were rippling through the very foundation of everything we knew. As much as I tried to avoid thinking about it, I couldn't ignore the question: What would happen when the inevitable power shift came? Would the balance tip in favor of the pirates, or would the Marines hold strong?
The question plagued me during a quiet evening, long after most of the Marines had retired for the night. I found myself back in my office, staring at a map of the world. The East Blue, the Grand Line, the New World… all of them were teeming with conflict, each place its own battleground in the greater war that had become our lives.
I didn't realize how long I had been lost in thought until a knock on the door broke my reverie. I looked up, and there stood Sengoku, his expression as stern as ever. Behind him, Zefa and Kong entered the room, both with grim faces.
"Gojo," Sengoku said, his voice heavy. "We need to talk."
I motioned for them to sit. The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. Whatever they had to say, it wasn't going to be good.
"What's going on?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral, though I felt the familiar weight of impending trouble.
"We've received intelligence," Kong began, his eyes narrowing. "Rocks' influence might have been eradicated, but a new force is rising in the shadows. The Blackbeard Pirates."
I leaned back in my chair, absorbing the name. Blackbeard—Trafalgar D. Teach, a man who had once been an ally of Whitebeard but had since betrayed his captain. His rise in power had been swift, and now he was rumored to be gathering an army in the New World.
"The man is dangerous," Zefa added, his tone laced with anger. "He's already taken down several prominent pirate crews. If he continues on his current path, he could become the next emperor of the seas."
I crossed my arms, my mind racing. "What's his goal? Why would he rise now, after everything that's happened with Rocks?"
Sengoku's expression darkened. "He wants power, plain and simple. And he knows that in this post-Rocks world, there's an opening. He's hunting for the Devil Fruits of the fallen, trying to build an empire of his own. If we don't stop him soon, he could destabilize everything."
I stood up, my hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of my sword. "Then we stop him. We go after him before he gets too strong."
Kong gave a small nod. "That's why we've called you here. We need to send a team after Blackbeard before he can gather more forces. We can't afford to wait."
The weight of the decision hit me hard. I had already fought some of the most dangerous pirates in the world, but Blackbeard was different. His cunning, his ruthlessness—it was something I couldn't ignore.
"I'll lead the team," I said firmly. "Prepare the forces. We leave immediately."
With that, the meeting came to a close, but my mind was far from settled. Blackbeard was no small threat, and if he was left unchecked, he could rewrite the rules of the world. But there was one thing that kept gnawing at me—the rising uncertainty in the world. Rocks was gone, but new dangers were emerging. And soon, we would face the greatest challenge of all: one that would decide the fate of the seas.
As I stood before the map of the world, I couldn't shake the feeling that this would be the turning point, the moment where everything would change forever. Would we be able to stop Blackbeard before he became too powerful? Would we be able to maintain the balance of power in a world on the brink of chaos?
The answers were still out of reach, but one thing was certain—I would face whatever came with everything I had. For the sake of the Marines, for the sake of the world, and for the future that we were fighting to protect.