Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Foosha Village in the East Blue is a quiet, unassuming place. No one would ever suspect that it was the chosen retirement home for some of the world's most terrifying figures.
Inside Makino's bar, a crowd had gathered in a tight circle, shouting with boisterous excitement.
"Come on, Mr. Sengoku! You've almost got him!"
"Don't give up now, Mr. Garp! You can't lose a match like this!"
At the center of the cheering mob, Garp and Sengoku, two legends of the Navy, were furiously stuffing rice crackers into their mouths. They chewed with grim determination, glaring at each other with eyes full of competitive fire. If Bai Ye had been there to witness it, he would have undoubtedly complained, "You two weren't this serious during the entire Summit War!"
A moment later, the mountain of crackers on the table was gone.
"The match is over!" the village mayor, acting as referee, declared.
Makino, the official scorekeeper, announced the results. "In this contest, Mr. Garp finished in five minutes and thirty-nine seconds. Mr. Sengoku finished in five minutes and thirty-six and a half seconds. Congratulations to Mr. Sengoku on his victory!" She then added, "The current overall record stands with Mr. Garp leading, two hundred and one wins to one hundred and nine losses."
That's right. After officially handing over the title of Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had joined Garp in Foosha Village to live out his retirement. In the past three months, they had held three hundred and ten of these rice cracker eating contests—a testament to their unwavering persistence. Over time, watching the two old rivals compete had become a beloved local event. After all, a showdown between two former titans of the sea was a rare spectacle, even if it was just an eating contest.
"Hahahaha! You were pretty good this time, Sengoku!" Garp boomed, picking up his glass and downing it in one gulp, looking immensely pleased despite the loss.
"Hmph. Don't get too cocky, Garp. I'll surpass your record sooner or later," Sengoku, dressed in casual civilian clothes, retorted with a snort.
As the crowd dispersed back to their tables, the two men began to talk.
"Your son has been quite active lately," Sengoku remarked, picking up a freshly served donut. "In less than three months, he's brought nearly twenty non-affiliated nations into his fold. Even the former Warlord, Boa Hancock, has announced her allegiance to the Spark Alliance."
"Hahahaha! That's my boy!" Garp beamed, his pride obvious. Hearing his old friend praise his son was deeply satisfying. His expression practically screamed, See? My kid's better than yours.
"However, the World Government is growing anxious," Sengoku said, his tone turning serious. "More than one of those non-affiliated countries has simply... disappeared from the map."
Though there was no concrete proof, Sengoku was certain. These nations, inexplicably wiped out, were the clandestine work of the World Government's agents.
"Hmph. That's always been their way," Garp snorted with disdain. "They're just getting less subtle about it."
The situation across the seas was in tremendous flux. Over the past three months, both the Navy and the Revolutionary Army had completed their first rounds of global conscription and had begun methodically eliminating pirates within their territories. The Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line were now almost entirely free of pirate flags. To some extent, peace had returned.
In its place, a new flag was appearing on the horizon: the symbol of the Spark Adventure Guilds. While these ships were far fewer in number compared to the height of the Great Pirate Era, their presence marked a significant shift. The world was changing. Most citizens, now able to live and work in peace, had lost the daring dream of setting out for a life of adventure. When you have a family, a warm bed, and a full belly, the dangers of the sea lose their romantic appeal. This, in many ways, was how the world was meant to be.
Within the territories protected by the Spark Alliance, life blossomed. Freed from the threat of pirates and aided by the Straw Hats' network, islands that had once struggled for survival were now thriving. The Adventure Guild ships sailed freely in these waters, and the World Government did little to stop them—a stark contrast to the past, when any such vessel would have been branded as a pirate ship and hunted down. Bai Ye's ideological campaign had blunted their old tactics. Besides, the World Government had a much bigger enemy now: the Spark Alliance itself. They had no time or energy to waste on petty adventurers when they were busy suppressing rebellions in their own allied nations.
The two great powers—the World Government and the Spark Alliance—now held sway over the first half of the world. The Alliance, though growing rapidly, was still in its infancy. The Government, while stronger, lacked the ability to deliver a decisive blow against a well-defended and ideologically motivated opponent.
Inevitably, both factions turned their attention to the untamed second half of the Grand Line: the New World.
Once, the New World had been a "cage" designed by the World Government to contain the most powerful pirates. But now, with a new influx of pirates and the Blackbeard crew carving out their own empire, the cage was beginning to break. For years, the Government had subtly maintained a delicate balance between the Four Emperors, ensuring they kept each other in check. It prevented any one of them from growing powerful enough to find the One Piece or challenge the Celestial Dragons.
But that balance was shattered. In their hunt for Blackbeard, the Whitebeard Pirates were now recklessly charging into the territories of the other Emperors. Whitebeard's own resurgent power had put the others on high alert, creating a sense of crisis. In just three months, several major wars had erupted, one of which dragged in three of the four Emperors. If the World Government didn't intervene, the New World would cease to be their cage and would instead become a time bomb of their own making.
The Spark Alliance had a clearer goal: find the truth of history that Roger left on Laugh Tale. The only reason the two powers remained in a cold war was because the World Government still maintained a veneer of prestige. If the Alliance uncovered the history of the Void Century, they would use it as a sword to tear away the ugly mask of the World Government once and for all.
And so, as the world's great powers prepared to intervene in the escalating chaos of the New World, another group was finally ready to make their move.
-----
Outside the Sabaody Archipelago, the Sunshine Merry was coated and ready.
"Uncle Rayleigh! Sister Shakky!" Camie the mermaid called out from the ship's railing to the two figures standing on the shore. "I'll be back to the bar as soon as I get Luffy and his crew to Fishman Island!"
Rayleigh and Shakky smiled and waved back. On the deck, Luffy stood, his eyes locked with Rayleigh's. A silent understanding passed between the old king and the future one.
The entire Straw Hat crew was assembled, all sporting brand-new clothes courtesy of Nami and Robin. The reason was simple: a fresh start for the journey ahead.
"Hahaha, this outfit is great!" Luffy said, admiring his new red, open-front cardigan and blue shorts. It was a clear upgrade from his old, tattered look. Nami and Robin had chosen clothes that perfectly matched each crew member's personality.
"It really is," Bai Ye agreed, pleased with his new, deep blue Taoist robe. "Girls are just better at this sort of thing."
Just as in the original timeline, the Straw Hats were getting new gear before heading to Fishman Island. It was a different kind of world-bending, a parallel echo. Zoro now wore a green robe with a red sash, looking every bit the master swordsman. Sanji's suit was made of finer material with subtle, stylish details. Usopp had finally ditched his old bandana for a fisherman's hat and new goggles, his muscular physique on full display in his yellow overalls. Chopper was even more adorable in a cute new shirt and hat. Brook sported a flamboyant performance costume. Even Merry, the ship's spirit, had a fashionable new hooded cloak.
Franky's new look was the most troublesome. In the end, Nami and Robin had just bought him a few stylish coats to wear over his new, more robotic body.
As for Nami and Robin themselves, one look at the fountains of blood erupting from Sanji's nostrils said everything.
"Sanji, calm down! You're going to bleed to death!" Chopper yelled, transforming into his Heavy Point to block Sanji's view.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sanji roared, a look of pure terror flashing across his face as he recalled his time on Momoiro Island, followed by a look of beatific resolve. "TO SEE THE LADIES IN SUCH DIVINE ATTIRE, I CAN DIE WITH NO REGRETS!"
"Hey, isn't your dream to find the All Blue?" Usopp deadpanned.
On the other side of the deck, Luffy, Merry, and Usopp were gathered around Franky, their eyes shining with awe. He looked even more like a cyborg than before.
"SO COOL, FRANKY!" they yelled in unison.
"You can definitely shoot lasers now, right? Tell me you can shoot lasers!" Luffy pleaded.
"SUUUUPER! Hold my nose for five seconds!" Franky said, his voice now sounding even more robotic.
Usopp obliged. Five seconds later, Franky's buzz cut transformed into an upright, spiky hedgehog style. It wasn't a laser, but it was enough to send Luffy's crew into fits of excitement. Their cheers were cut short by the late arrival of Nami's iron fist. Three loud thumps later, the trio was lying on the deck in a heap.
"We're about to depart! Be serious!" Nami scolded, her chest heaving with anger, which caused another nosebleed from Sanji.
"Yohohoho," Brook chuckled, picking up his violin. "It's just that it's been so long since we were all together." He then turned to Nami with a serious expression. "Speaking of which, since it has been a long time, might I see your—"
BAM!
Nami's kick sent him flying. "The answer was no before, and it's no now, you idiot!"
After the chaos finally settled, Luffy stood at the prow of the Sunshine Merry, a wide grin on his face. He looked back at his crew, his family.
"Anyway," he said, his voice full of gratitude. "Thanks for letting me be selfish for so long."
Bai Ye and the others smiled back.
"There's a lot I want to say," Luffy continued, "but for now—"
He raised his arms, his voice ringing out with the authority of a true captain.
"LET'S GO, EVERYONE! TO THE NEW WORLD!"
"YEAH!" they roared back as one.