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He had assumed Hannyabal's information was outdated, but he hadn't expected someone to be even more clueless.
"Magellan," Arashi said, clapping him on the shoulder, "this time, you'll come with me and see the outside world."
As a user of the Venom-Venom Fruit, Magellan's strength was formidable. Keeping him confined here any longer would be a waste of time.
"What about me, Fleet Admiral?" Hannyabal asked eagerly.
"You?" Arashi smiled. "You'll remain Warden of Impel Down."
"Yes, sir!" Hannyabal exhaled in relief, his face lighting up with joy. Serving as Warden had always been his greatest dream, and as long as he wasn't demoted, he was satisfied.
"Yes, sir," Magellan echoed with a nod. He was quiet and not one for conversation, but to Arashi, he was an exceptionally reliable subordinate.
Two years ago, during the great Impel Down breakout, Magellan had still been Warden. Alone, he had defeated Straw Hat Luffy, Revolutionary Army officer Ivankov, Inazuma, and others. He only faltered when forced to face the Blackbeard Pirates and countless Level 6 escapees.
Arashi could sense that Magellan had grown even stronger since then—sharpening his resolve and refining his powers. He had become a true Marine powerhouse.
Hannyabal, however, remained oblivious. In Arashi's eyes, his standing was far below Magellan's, yet he kept trying to strike up a conversation, his grin forced and his words awkward. Too many years spent in this sunless prison had dulled his wit and reflexes.
Arashi didn't mind. Everyone had their place in the world. Hannyabal was timid and weak, but he had his strengths. In critical moments, he could summon the courage to fight without hesitation. For that reason, leaving him as Warden of Impel Down posed no real problem.
They descended through Level 4 and Level 5, finally reaching Level 6. Unlike two years ago, the Eternal Hell was now brightly lit, torches burning along both sides of the corridor.
The arrival of Arashi and his entourage immediately drew the attention of the prisoners.
"Arashi?!" a voice shouted in shock.
Chains clattered as a massive figure stepped to the bars, eyes locking onto the Fleet Admiral.
"Diamond Jozu," Arashi said with a smile. "Looks like prison life hasn't treated you too badly."
"Hmph." Jozu snorted. "Why would a big shot like you come here?"
"I'm here to see Newgate," Arashi replied, making no effort to hide his purpose.
"To see Pops?" Jozu's expression shifted. He wanted to press further, but Arashi and his group had already walked past, heading deeper into Level 6.
"Don't tell me…" Jozu's eyes widened in horror. "They've come to execute Pops?!"
The silence of Eternal Hell was shattered. One by one, the Whitebeard Pirates imprisoned since the Summit War stirred, their eyes burning with rage and disbelief.
For them, time had ceased to exist; it felt like they had been here forever.
"Arashi!"
"Let me out! Let's fight again!"
"What are you doing here?"
The voices of the prisoners rose, but Arashi ignored them, walking until he stopped before a vast cell.
Chains rattled. Then came the sound of loud gulps—someone drinking deeply.
A towering figure, sitting cross-legged yet still massive, tilted back an entire jug of sake. His Adam's apple bobbed with each swallow, exuding raw power.
Moments later, the jug hit the ground with a dull thud, empty.
"Gurarara!"
"Hannyabal, you brat! I told you to bring me speciality sake from the East Blue! Instead, you give me excuses about storms and rain. And now you bring me North Blue sake?"
"Do you even know the difference, boy? Ever been to the North Blue? Go fetch me East Blue sake!"
His words were sharp, filled with a domineering pressure. At the back of the group, Hannyabal broke into a cold sweat, frozen in terror.
Arashi glanced at him with a half-smile that said everything.
It's over! The Fleet Admiral knows I've been spoiling a prisoner! He's going to fire me! Hannyabal screamed inwardly.
But Arashi said nothing, his gaze settling on Whitebeard instead. Compared to two years ago, the old man looked healthier—disturbingly so. His cell was littered with bones, empty sake jugs, and spotless plates. Clearly, Hannyabal had been treating him well. Too well.
Even from behind, Arashi could see the love handles at his waist. The World's Strongest Man… had gained weight.
For a moment, Arashi hardly recognised him, questioning whether this man could truly aid in the coming war. An Edward Newgate with a belly—it was unbearable.
Clearing his throat, he drew Whitebeard's attention. The old man startled, turning his head slowly.
"Arashi?!" Whitebeard's eyes widened. "You brat, you've come too!"
Arashi's eyelid twitched. Seeing Whitebeard's rounder face, he turned and shot a furious glare at Hannyabal.
The love handles were bad enough. But a double chin? Whitebeard's once-proud jawline had vanished.
Damn it, Hannyabal. Have you been raising a pig in here?
"Edward Newgate," Arashi said through clenched teeth, "you've… certainly filled out."
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard roared with laughter. "I like the life here! Marine food isn't half bad. For decades, my body was worn down by battle, but these two years have healed me. Look at me!"
He slapped his belly with a resounding smack. The soft flesh jiggled.
"I've even gotten fat!"
A dark cloud hung over Arashi's head. Smoker and the others twitched at the sight. The once-mighty Whitebeard, now resembling Thor after his fall—it was almost comical.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard's laughter finally faded, his tone sobering. "But, Arashi… you didn't come here just to see my new figure, did you? As Fleet Admiral, you must be busy. Why waste your time on an old man like me?"
Arashi's expression hardened.
"I'm here to take you out," he said after a deep breath.
Whitebeard froze. His gaze sharpened. "Out? What kind of joke is this?"
"Newgate," Arashi's voice rumbled, "the era has changed."
Whitebeard studied him for a long moment before breaking into booming laughter. "Then tell me—what has the world outside become?"
Arashi's eyes locked on his. A smile crept across his lips.
"The Age of Pirates is over. Now… I call it the Age of the Final Battle."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. "The final battle? Against who? Kaido? Big Mom? Red-Hair? Which of those brats is closest to becoming Pirate King now?"
Arashi shook his head. "I told you. The Age of Pirates is over. The world outside is not as you imagine."
"It's the World Government."
Whitebeard's pupils contracted. His massive body shuddered.
"What?" His voice thundered. "You intend to fight the World Government?!"
He scanned the Marines present, shouting in disbelief. For them to release him… something monumental must have happened.
His mind raced. What had become of the outside world? Did the Whitebeard Pirates still exist? What of Ace, Marco, and his sons? Were they still alive?
"Tell me, Arashi! Quickly!" Whitebeard's huge hands slammed against the seastone bars.
"The Marines," Arashi said, his voice solemn, "have issued a supreme command. All forces from the four New World military districts—one million troops—along with the elites of the Four Seas and the Grand Line, are being assembled."
"Declare war on the World Government… and launch the greatest decisive battle in history to overthrow their eight-hundred-year reign of darkness!"
It was not Arashi who spoke, but Smoker. His voice was low, yet it carried immense power.
Whitebeard's massive frame trembled. He looked at Arashi in disbelief. "Are you insane? The Marines are declaring war on the World Government?"
Arashi only smiled. "Whether I'm insane or not, you'll understand once you step outside Impel Down. So tell me—do you want to stay here, clinging to what remains of your life, or go out with your sons and witness a world that has completely changed, Whitebeard?"
The question left Whitebeard stunned. He had no real choice—or rather, only one path lay before him. After a long silence, a grin spread across his face.
"Do you even need to ask, brat? To let this old man shine one last time… that's a thrilling prospect indeed!"
Arashi smiled and waved his hand. The Marines stepped forward and unlocked the shackles.
As the Seastone cuffs clattered to the ground, a light flared in Whitebeard's eyes. He stared at Arashi with a smile. "You're the most peculiar Marine I've ever met."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Arashi replied with a smirk.
"And my boys…" Whitebeard's gaze hardened.
"This war will need their strength as well," Arashi affirmed.
"Interesting. Truly interesting." Whitebeard laughed heartily. "What's the outside world like these days? You brat, I bet you've turned it upside down while I was gone."
Arashi smiled calmly. "It's been more than two years since you entered Impel Down. The world outside…" He paused briefly before continuing. "Chaotic, to say the least. The Four Emperors have fallen. The Age of Pirates has ended. Even the Revolutionary Army has disappeared, reorganised into a special unit within the Marines."
Whitebeard's shock when he stepped outside and heard the full truth was something no words could capture.
The next steps were simple. Every captured member of the Whitebeard Pirates from the Summit War was released.
When Arashi walked out of Impel Down again, a massive crowd followed behind him.
The butt of a bisento struck the steps with a sharp crack. Whitebeard strode forward, eyes narrowed, his expression a mix of complex emotion and renewed vigor.
He had thought he would die in prison, but the world had changed too much in just two years—and now he was walking out a free man.
The sound of his bisento echoed behind him, and Jozu and the others struggled to contain their joy. Their composure faltered; faced with freedom again, they were overcome with excitement. If not for the presence of Arashi and the other Marines, they would have roared to vent two years of pent-up frustration.
The sunlight was dazzling. After a brief discomfort, Whitebeard opened his eyes.
He saw the blue sky, the endless sea ahead, the neat rows of warships docked at the shore, and the prison guards standing stiffly at attention.
"We're out."
"So this is the outside world…" Whitebeard murmured, an excited smile spreading across his face. "It really brings back memories. For a moment, I can feel my blood pumping again."
Arashi waved to a waiting officer.
"Sir!" The officer snapped to attention, then led his squad forward. Each man carried a brand-new Marine uniform.
"Reporting, sir! The new Marine uniforms have been delivered!"
Arashi nodded and turned to Whitebeard. "Put them on. Starting today, you all have a new identity."
Whitebeard was stunned. "You want me to be… a Marine?"
"The era has changed. There are no more pirates. This is the era of the Marines," Arashi said calmly.
"Ace, Marco, Vista, and the others are now officers in the Whitebeard Division of the Marines."
Whitebeard's eyes widened. Then he took the oversized uniform and laughed. "You really have done something incredible, brat. I can't imagine how you convinced my sons to follow you."
"We all share a common goal," Arashi said with a faint smile. "Take down the World Government, and a new era will begin. When that time comes, how we build the world will be entirely up to us."
Whitebeard ripped off his prison clothes, donned the massive new uniform, and draped the white Justice coat over his shoulders. The sea breeze tugged at the fabric, making it billow behind him.
Arashi turned to look at him and nodded in admiration. "Not bad. The World's Strongest Man looks sharp in a Marine uniform."
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard roared with laughter. "In all my life, I never thought I'd wear these clothes."
Behind him, the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates also stripped off their rags and changed quickly. In an instant, a brand-new Marine division had formed.
"Well then… now we can begin our plan," Arashi said, his eyes narrowing.
With the addition of the pirate crews, the Marines' strength had reached an unprecedented peak. Everything was ready—only the final signal remained.
Three days later, in Dressrosa, countless warships crowded the port. From the newly built harbour, one could not see the fleet's end.
In the gentle breeze, the waters sparkled between the ships. Above, the sky was dotted with countless black specks—flying warships. Lightning flashed faintly across the formation.
At the centre of the vast armada, a single black warship rested in eerie silence. A hundred-meter gap separated it from the rest, creating a vacuum. Its black cannons pointed in every direction, its silhouette monstrous and suffocating.
"This is… Pluton?!" Whitebeard's booming voice carried disbelief.
The massive man walked the deck, awe written across his face. The presence of Pluton was unlike anything he had ever felt—it was not a ship, but a weapon of war. From the moment it was built, it was destined for battle.
"That's right," Arashi said, arms crossed, smiling. "This is Pluton—rebuilt by Vegapunk and the master shipwright Tom. Its power and performance now surpass even its legendary prime. You could call it… the New Pluton."
"The New Pluton…" Whitebeard muttered, his gaze roaming over its hull and the strange patterns etched into its surface. "So… what's your next move? A world war is no easy feat. Even assembling this army must have been unimaginably complex."
The Summit War—the greatest battle Whitebeard had ever fought—was nothing compared to what lay ahead.
Arashi's eyes glinted. "We'll start with Mary Geoise. Pluton has yet to fire its first shot."
The quiet words stunned Whitebeard. Then he saw Arashi pull a Golden Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"Prepare to begin the operation."
That calm sentence set off a chain reaction.
"Make way! Vanguard, prepare for departure!"
Ten seconds later, a command thundered across the fleet. The warships parted, opening a wide channel.
The Pluton beneath Whitebeard's feet shuddered. Blue arcs of electricity danced across its hull.
A low whistle rose. Whitebeard hurried to the bow and looked down, eyes widening.
The sea was collapsing. Seawater surged into a massive intake beneath Pluton, then blasted out of its stern in a roaring torrent.
Pluton was moving.
From a crawl to a surge, it accelerated in seconds, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. In minutes, it had broken ahead of the fleet, leading the charge like a solitary titan.
Suddenly, a golden light streaked from the sky and landed on the deck.
"Pluton's debut… exciting and terrifying," a voice murmured.
Whitebeard looked at the newcomer. The light faded, revealing a familiar, laid-back figure.
"Kizaru."
"Whitebeard—Edward Newgate," Kizaru said with a rare note of admiration. "Another legend returns to the game."
"Gurarara!" Whitebeard laughed. "Seeing you here, Borsalino, is certainly novel."
Kizaru, however, was serious. His gaze was fixed on Arashi. "Fleet Admiral Arashi… have you already chosen Pluton's test site?"
The sheer scale of the fleet made this look far more than a simple test.
"Of course," Arashi said with a hearty laugh. "We're heading toward the target now."
"The target? Where is it?" Kizaru asked gravely.
Another figure stepped from the cabin, voice deep and steady. "The Red Line. The target is the Red Line."
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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