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Silence.
The hall, filled with some of the most notorious and powerful pirates in the world, was now so quiet it was chilling. Many hadn't even processed what had just been said.
"Declare war… on who?" Daifuku of the Big Mom Pirates asked blankly.
He turned to his siblings, only to see the same expression mirrored across their faces—shock, and a heavy gravity that weighed on the air.
"Hahahahaha!"
In the midst of that tense silence, a cheerful laugh suddenly rang out.
"Luffy…" Shanks sighed.
The one laughing was none other than the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy.
"This is so interesting!" Luffy grinned, his voice echoing through the hall. There was no fear, no hesitation—only raw excitement.
His laughter sliced through the suffocating atmosphere like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Even the stern face of the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, softened. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"This is indeed… very interesting."
Declaring war on the World Government.
Arashi's audacity was staggering. Yet countless ambitious men and women had dreamed of the same thing for generations.
Even in the previous era, the "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World had fantasised about erasing Mary Geoise with a single cannonball.
The world had never lacked ambition. What it lacked was someone with both the will and the strength to make it a reality.
Now, without a shred of doubt, Fleet Admiral Arashi possessed both.
"Arashi… for you, a Marine, to go this far…" Benn Beckman said with a wry smile. "Quite ironic, isn't it?"
Though mocking in tone, there was admiration in his eyes.
For a Marine to take up arms against the World Government was to cross a line no one had ever dared approach.
Defying power was one thing—but defying the heart was another.
"Using the great empire we've built in the New World as a foundation," Arashi began, his voice calm but commanding, "we will expand across the entire globe."
"A new era will rise—an era to replace the World Government. This is what comes next." His faint smile lingered as he swept his gaze around the room.
"For this, I need an army of powerful individuals. I need more hands. More strength." His words thundered across the hall. "This is your only chance to leave here alive."
"Join me in this war. Crush the World Government completely. And if we succeed, your names will be etched forever into history."
He spread his arms wide, his voice brimming with conviction.
"Become heroes!"
The final words struck deep. As pirates, their lives had revolved around treasure, freedom, and dreams.
But the word hero carried a magic unlike any other. Who hadn't once dreamed of being admired, remembered, eternal?
To overthrow a dynasty, to topple the World Government itself… was that not the greatest heroic dream of all?
Blood stirred in the hall. Shackled hands trembled. Chains rattled as a fire rekindled in hearts long numbed by despair.
"I'll join the Marines! I'll take on the World Government!"
"This is even better than Kaido's dream of being Pirate King!"
"Freedom and glory—we can have both!"
"I'm in!"
The first voices came from the Beasts Pirates, their loyalty to Kaido already replaced by hunger for freedom. Their cries sparked the flame.
Arashi's lips curved into a smile. With a wave of his hand, he gave the order:
"Unshackle them. Feed them well."
"Yes, sir!"
Marines moved quickly, unlocking the chains of the cheering pirates. With that precedent set, the dam broke. The Big Mom Pirates soon followed.
One by one, shackles clattered to the floor.
"Katakuri," Perospero whispered, licking his dry lips.
"Do you want to join them too?" Katakuri asked, calm as ever.
"I don't want to rot here until I'm bones," Perospero sighed. "And neither do our brothers and sisters."
His gaze swept over the others—their eyes burned with desperate hope.
"I'd rather be a hero," Daifuku muttered. "Compared to declaring war on the World Government, chasing the Pirate King's throne suddenly feels… empty."
"Katakuri, make the call!" Cracker urged. "We don't have a choice."
Katakuri's eyes narrowed as he studied Arashi. Cracker was right. Trapped here, they had no other options.
"Should I die here for nothing?" he thought. "Or should I take this chance, join the Marines, fight in a world-shaking war, and carve the name Katakuri into history itself?"
The thought made his heart pound.
The word hero carried a weight he couldn't deny. A man who stood tall. A man whose back never touched the ground. That was the man he wanted to be.
Finally, Katakuri raised his head.
"Very well, Fleet Admiral Arashi. My siblings and I will become Marines. We will join you in overthrowing the tyrannical rule of the World Government."
A roar of approval erupted behind him.
Arashi's smile deepened. "Good. Then let the world tremble at the sound of your names in the coming war. History will not forget those who sacrifice for revolution."
With another wave of his hand, their shackles fell.
His gaze shifted. "Dragon."
Dragon exhaled slowly, a faint smile curling his lips. "I always knew you would spark a war that would engulf the world. But even I didn't think it would come this soon. Your boldness… even I find it daunting."
He raised his hands, chains clinking, and his commanders followed.
"Unshackle them," Arashi ordered.
"This is what we agreed long ago," Dragon said.
"Back in Loguetown, when we parted ways… I never thought there would come a day when you and I would fight side by side."
"Then look forward to it," Arashi replied. "That day isn't far."
"No," Dragon said quietly, a rare note of emotion in his voice. "It isn't."
The Red-Haired Pirates stepped forward next. "In some ways, you're more of a pirate than any of us, Fleet Admiral," Shanks remarked with a grin.
Arashi chuckled. "Perhaps. But I will never be a pirate."
One by one, the shackles fell. And with them, so did an era.
Luffy, now free, was overjoyed. He rushed to embrace Ace and Sabo, laughing with reckless joy. Usopp and the others gathered around Sanji.
"We're Marines now, too, Sanji! Life is full of surprises."
"No more pirates, starting today… strange, isn't it? The Age of Pirates is really over…"
Their words faded into sighs, their expressions heavy with unspoken feelings. The God's Knights, however, remained silent.
Saint Figarland Garling's face was grave as Arashi's gaze fell on him.
"You want me to raise my sword against my own people?" he asked bitterly. "Do you really think that's possible?"
Arashi's smile was faint, unyielding.
"Think of it as leaving a seed for your people. You know better than anyone how despised the Celestial Dragons have become."
Garling's face paled. Sweat trickled down his brow. After a long silence, he finally exhaled.
"…Fine. But you must keep your word. Leave a seed for the Celestial Dragons."
"Under my rule," Arashi said coldly, "a privileged race like the Celestial Dragons will not exist."
Garling fell silent. He understood. His people might survive—but their age of privilege was over. Once gods, they would fall to earth and live as mortals.
And deep down, he knew Arashi would succeed.
Pluton itself… under his control?
"This is a nightmare for Mary Geoise," Garling muttered. He closed his mouth and resisted no further.
The Marines removed his chains. His knights followed, silent and subdued.
Arashi watched them all, his smile unreadable, his eyes as deep as the sea.
The tide of history was shifting.
The Marines, the Revolutionary Army, the Emperors, the God's Knights—together under his command.
For the World Government, it was tantamount to a death sentence.
Three days later, the orders went out.
The Big Mom Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, the Straw Hat Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates—once enemies of the world were now officially part of the Marines.
At the same time, Marines from the five great regions were mobilising, forming an elite force of over a million troops.
Countless warships converged on Dressrosa from every direction, an awe-inspiring display of power.
......
Meanwhile, the ship slipped quietly through the Gates of Justice, heading toward Marineford's port.
Ripples spread across the surface as the warship cut steadily through the waves. At the harbour, the stationed Marines stared in disbelief as the vessel slowly approached.
"Why does that ship look so familiar? The figurehead… It's a golden sceptre…"
Murmurs spread rapidly until realisation struck them like thunder. "It's the Fleet Admiral's ship!" one Marine cried, his voice trembling with shock and awe.
Ever since Marine headquarters had relocated to Dressrosa two years ago, Marineford had been reduced to a secondary base.
Fleet Admiral Arashi himself had rarely returned. Command over the Grand Line and the Four Seas had been entrusted to one of the Five Admirals—Douglas Bullet.
The sudden reappearance of the Fleet Admiral's personal warship was nothing short of earthshaking.
A sea breeze swept through, as if snapping the garrison out of their stupor.
The Fleet Admiral had returned! Excitement and nervous anticipation lit up their faces. For Marineford, this moment was monumental.
A powerful figure in a Marine cap leapt down from the bow.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi!" a Marine shouted.
"It really is him!"
"The Fleet Admiral has returned!"
The port erupted into chaos, the garrison roaring with excitement. Even the normally composed officers could not restrain themselves.
Arashi strode forward, followed by the new generation of high-ranking officers: Rosinante, Smoker, Kuina, and Buggy.
Returning to this fortress stirred something profound within him. Marineford was, without a doubt, where he had grown up.
To him, it was no exaggeration to call this place home. The sight of the glittering bay, the vast plaza, and the towering headquarters filled him with nostalgic warmth.
Behind him, Smoker, Rosinante, and the others also wore complex expressions. Unknowingly, much time had passed since they had last walked these grounds.
Soon, Bullet emerged from headquarters, his expression grave.
"What a rare guest," he remarked with a faint smile. "I didn't think you'd still remember Marineford."
Crossing his arms, his sharp gaze swept over Buggy and the others, making them flinch unconsciously. Their instinctive fear of him was unmistakable.
"I've come on important business," Arashi said firmly.
"The troops are gathering," Bullet replied, narrowing his eyes. "But the Grand Line and the Four Seas are vast. Even at full speed, it will take a month to assemble them."
"It's not about that," Arashi shook his head. "I want to see Whitebeard."
Bullet froze, his pupils shrinking as realisation struck. Whitebeard. Of course, he knew what that meant—and what Arashi intended.
"That's a momentous decision," Bullet said quietly.
"That's why I came myself," Arashi replied.
In the plaza, Arashi looked out at the countless young Marines gathering after hearing of his return.
Among them were humans, Fish-Men, and other races. As Supreme Commander of the Marines—and one of the most famous men alive—he was rarely seen by ordinary soldiers.
For many, this was their first time seeing him in person.
"Whitebeard is imprisoned on Level 6 of Impel Down," Bullet reported.
"Thanks to Marine medical care, he's been surprisingly healthy these past two years. Some of his old wounds have even healed."
Arashi nodded with a faint smile. "So, in a way, he's been enjoying his retirement."
"The only pirate to ever retire peacefully," Bullet chuckled. "Even if it's inside a Marine prison."
They weren't wrong. In the outside world, Whitebeard would never have known such peace.
Though confined in Eternal Hell, Arashi had ensured he was well-fed and cared for, living in a comfort almost befitting a retired Marine officer.
"We need his strength," Arashi said softly.
"Only by uniting the strongest individuals in the world can we strike a fatal blow against the World Government and reshape this era."
As he waved to the young Marines, cheers erupted across the plaza. Arashi smiled faintly.
His ideals of equality and justice had clearly taken root—many of the new generation already carried them as their creed.
"Well then, I won't keep you," Arashi said, his tone turning serious.
"Marineford's mission is critical. You must deploy forces around the Red Line to ensure the Celestial Dragons cannot escape once the war begins."
"Understood," Bullet replied with a grim nod. Of the five Admirals, his jurisdiction was the largest, overseeing the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
Once the war erupted, his task would be to encircle Mary Geoise itself. The scale was immense, the challenge undeniable.
Leaving Marineford, Arashi took the Thunderer toward Impel Down. The great prison was not far, and they arrived swiftly.
Waiting at the gate was Hannyabal, who had been promoted to Warden two years earlier.
Upon seeing Arashi, Hannyabal's face lit up as he rushed forward. "Fleet Admiral Arashi! It's been far too long! You're as handsome and dashing as ever—time hasn't touched you at all!"
The flattery was so thick it nearly dripped into the sea.
Arashi raised an eyebrow, amused. "Two years, and you're still the same, Hannyabal. Doesn't seem like you've grown any stronger."
Hannyabal's smile froze. "Compared to a great man like you, sir, no matter how much I train, I'll always be far behind."
Arashi didn't bother pointing out the obvious truth—that the man hadn't trained at all. Combat ability had never been Hannyabal's strength.
His gaze shifted past him, landing on the figure behind.
"It's been a while, Magellan," Arashi said.
The former Warden stirred. "It is good to see you, Fleet Admiral," he rumbled.
Life in Impel Down was monotonous and cut off from the world.
Magellan looked healthier than Arashi remembered—perhaps he had finally overcome the side effects of his Devil Fruit.
As they walked through Level One, Arashi suddenly asked, "Magellan, have you been following the news from the outside world?"
Magellan blinked. "No."
Arashi smiled faintly. Hannyabal, however, nearly jumped out of his skin. "Vice Warden! How can you neglect such important affairs?"
Magellan remained silent.
"You know the news, then?" Arashi turned his gaze on Hannyabal. "Why don't you tell me?"
Hannyabal froze, sweat instantly beading on his forehead. He didn't know much either—Impel Down was practically a world of its own.
Forcing a smile, he blurted out, "Congratulations, sir, on defeating Kaido and Red-Hair, and making great strides in the New World! Truly, the Marines have entered a glorious new era."
The moment he finished, Smoker and the others exchanged strange looks. A smile tugged at Kuina's lips.
Hannyabal noticed and flushed red. "W-Was I wrong?"
Kuina was about to correct him—that news was nearly two years old—when Magellan suddenly stiffened, eyes wide.
"What? The Marines have already defeated Kaido and Red-Hair… and entered the New World?"
Arashi almost laughed aloud, while the others could only look on in exasperation.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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