After putting on a true combat spectacle for Hades — as well as for everyone watching the broadcast through the Heartless…
Krieg had just finished his final battle under the roaring cheers of the coliseum. Across the seas, civilians, pirates, and even Marines remained frozen in front of the floating glowing screens, unable to look away from the methodical slaughter they had just witnessed.
The final fight had left a far greater impression than the previous ones. Hades, clearly pleased, had chosen Cerberus as the final champion. The gigantic three-headed infernal hound had emerged into the arena through green flames, making the stands tremble with a single roar.
And yet…
Krieg crushed it.
Quickly.Brutally.
Every strike from his blades was coated in Armament Haki, and even the least experienced spectators could feel the difference. The more knowledgeable ones — certain vice admirals, veteran pirates, and Grand Line fighters — immediately understood that this "new Don Krieg" had absolutely nothing in common with the pathetic pirate of East Blue.
Cerberus tried to overwhelm him through sheer brute force…
But Krieg moved with almost terrifying precision.
His chains cracked through the air like metallic serpents, his daggers tearing through the beast's infernal defenses before he finally brought it down in an explosion of dark flames.
The silence that followed…
Was immense.
Then Hades burst into laughter.
"AND THE WINNER IS THE CHALLENGER!"
The god of the underworld teleported directly beside Krieg, raising one arm like an overexcited announcer.
"So tell me, champion… what's your name?"
The massive Heartless slowly lifted his head before raising all four arms toward the sky.
"I AM THE NEW DON KRIEG!!!"
His voice echoed throughout the entire coliseum.
And across the whole world.
Zeus then slowly descended from the sky, visibly amused by the scene's enthusiasm.
"Very well! Here is your reward!"
He threw four daggers toward Krieg. The weapons spun through the air, covered in ancient engravings and radiating an almost divine metallic glow.
"Forged by my son Hephaestus."
Krieg caught them with his metallic tails.
The instant the weapons touched his body—
The daggers fused directly with him.
The old metallic tips of his appendages were replaced by these new divine blades, thinner, more elegant… but above all, infinitely more dangerous.
Even Hades slightly raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad…"
I then stepped forward under Sora's appearance, immediately drawing the attention of the cameras.
"It's time to leave."
I slightly turned my head toward the screens broadcasting across the world, a dark smile spreading across my lips.
"I think I'll go visit an island in the Grand Line… to have a little fun."
Then—
The transmission abruptly cut off.
Silence fell over the coliseum once more.
Hades then let out an amused laugh.
"You're honestly terrifying when you put your mind to it…" he said, lightly shaking his head. "It's unsettling seeing that kid's face become so evil."
Zeus crossed his arms with a gentler smile.
"I agree with my brother on that point."
He looked directly at me.
"Sora looks much closer to who you really are… unlike this dark version you're playing."
He shrugged slightly.
"But I understand. It's just a mask to protect yourself."
Hades then summoned a dark necklace into his hand, covered in thin green inscriptions.
Instinctively, I glanced toward Zeus.
The god of lightning briefly examined it before shrugging.
"Nothing dangerous."
Krieg grabbed the necklace and placed it around his neck.
The effect was immediate.
His enormous body began to shrink, his metallic mass slowly decreasing until he reached a human size. His appearance changed completely: he now looked like a muscular, cold-looking man dressed in gladiator armor that covered very little.
He still carried an intimidating presence…
But now, he could pass as human.
I then removed my own transformation necklace, returning to my normal appearance before walking over to him.
"From now on…"
I pointed toward his four blades.
"Your fighting style will be presented as the power of a Devil Fruit."
Krieg slowly nodded.
And honestly…
With the way he looked now…
No one would question that story.
At Marine Headquarters, the atmosphere had become electric.
The giant screen installed in the meeting room had just gone dark after the broadcast from Hades' coliseum, but nobody had moved for several seconds. A heavy tension weighed over the room, reinforced by the unusual emptiness left behind by the many officers who had abandoned the organization after recent events.
Akainu's fist nearly shattered the desk.
"THIS IS AN OPEN PROVOCATION!"
His voice thundered through the room as crushing heat spread around him. Thin glowing cracks appeared along the armrest of his chair under the effect of his magma.
"We need to eliminate that madman immediately!" he roared. "This Sora is even more dangerous than Dragon!"
Even after the broadcast had ended, he had still destroyed the small Heartless in the room, the creature immediately throwing itself at him once the transmission stopped. All that remained now was a scorched black stain on the floor.
Vice Admiral Doberman crossed his arms, his stern face even harsher than usual.
"We need to immediately place an official bounty on this Heartless called Don Krieg."
He raised his eyes toward Sengoku.
"And above all… we must assume that Sora also possesses Haki."
Silence followed that statement.
Most of the officers present had seen the battle against Cerberus. Even through a projection, some of Krieg's attacks had clearly demonstrated the use of Armament Haki.
And if a mere "champion" already possessed that level…
Then their leader became even more terrifying.
Sengoku slowly rubbed his forehead, visibly exhausted. The room felt far emptier than before. The recent departures had left absences impossible to ignore.
An entire section of the Dove faction had fled toward East Blue to escape retaliation from their former comrades. Some officers had even deserted alongside their full crews.
And the situation was getting worse.
The Hawks, the Marine faction with the most radical ideology, had attempted to pursue several dissident ships.
They lost vessels.
Entire crews.
The Heartless attacked relentlessly.
And unlike pirates…
They did not negotiate.
"Increase the bounties on those two immediately," Sengoku finally declared in a grave voice. "And mobilize CP0."
His gaze settled on the now-black screen.
"I want to know where Sora intends to go."
His expression hardened further.
"If he's heading for the Grand Line…"
He paused.
"We may lose an entire island."
Akainu immediately straightened up.
"Then let's prepare a Buster Call as soon as the target is identified."
Silence fell brutally.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
A thin layer of frost began spreading across the walls as Kuzan slowly raised his head, his gaze turning ice-cold.
"You're completely insane, Sakazuki."
His voice was calm.
But dangerous.
"You want to destroy an entire island… and slaughter civilians… just because creatures might appear there?"
Akainu held his gaze without backing down.
"The necessary sacrifices"
"Don't start that again."
The floor cracked under the ice spreading around Kuzan.
The atmosphere immediately became suffocating.
Tsuru intervened before the situation could escalate any further.
"I refuse to approve a Buster Call for this situation."
Her much calmer voice immediately cut through the confrontation.
She slowly placed her teacup down on the table.
"It's pointless."
All eyes turned toward her.
"Government agents and the Marines have already confirmed multiple times that when an island becomes infested with Heartless… they become practically infinite."
Her gaze settled on Akainu.
"Destroying the surface of the island changes nothing."
She frowned slightly.
"They come back."
Silence fell over the room once again.
And for the first time in a long while…
Even some veteran officers truly began to understand the scale of the problem.
Wano — Main Hall of the Beasts Pirates
The gigantic hall of Onigashima echoed with laughter, music, and drunken shouting. Pirates collapsed over tables while others roared war songs, entire barrels of sake rolling across the room.
At the center of the chaos…
Kaido was laughing so hard it looked like his jaw might come off.
"WORORORORO!!"
His monstrous laughter shook the building's pillars as he poured yet another enormous jug of sake down his throat.
"Now that's a good brat!!" he roared, slamming the table hard enough to crack the massive wood. "Not like all those Supernovas showing up every year thinking they can change the world!"
He vaguely pointed toward the now-vanished screen above the Heartless chained in the corner of the hall.
"That guy… he's already devastated the Marines without even starting a war!"
Queen burst out laughing as well, his huge body shaking wildly.
"Fufufufu~ I gotta admit, that was stylish."
In one corner of the hall, a humanoid Heartless was tightly chained to a stone pillar, covered in reinforced chains and seastone plates.
For several weeks now, Heartless smuggling had exploded across the New World. Owning one of those creatures — even captured — had become a sort of symbol of power or wealth.
And now…
Those things were broadcasting shows.
Queen leaned slightly toward the creature with a twisted grin.
"I never thought these things would end up being living televisions."
Jack, meanwhile, seemed far less interested in the technical aspects.
His eyes still burned with excitement.
"That arena…"
He clenched his fists.
"I want to go there."
Queen laughed even harder.
"You?! You just wanna punch things until they explode!"
"Exactly."
Meanwhile, King remained silent.
Standing in the shadows.
Arms crossed.
His gaze fixed on the empty space left behind by the glowing screen.
Lost in thought.
Moby Dick — Whitebeard Pirates Crew
On the deck of the Moby Dick, the atmosphere was much calmer.
The commanders were still watching the final images from the coliseum with interest, while the small Heartless sitting near the main mast nervously scratched at the wood under the wary gazes of several pirates.
Marco let out a quiet sigh.
"This world is getting really weird…"
Ace, meanwhile, wore a huge grin.
"Honestly? That Sora guy is cool."
"Ace."
Marco's tired look made him laugh awkwardly.
But even the other commanders seemed intrigued.
Vista stroked his mustache thoughtfully.
"That Don Krieg was clearly using advanced Armament Haki."
Jozu crossed his arms.
"And he was only a subordinate…"
Silence settled for a moment.
Then a deep laugh echoed across the ship.
"Gurararara!!"
Whitebeard himself was watching the horizon with amusement.
"That brat's got guts."
He took a long drink of alcohol before smiling.
"Challenging the World Government in front of the entire world…"
His gaze hardened slightly.
"He reminds me of someone."
Marco sighed internally.
…Please, not that story again.
Totto Land — Whole Cake Chateau
"MAMAMAMAMA!!"
Big Mom laughed loudly from her enormous throne while several Homies trembled around her.
"What an interesting boy!"
Perospero calmly observed the newspapers spread across the table.
"Mama… the information about the Heartless is becoming problematic."
"Problematic?!"
Big Mom grinned from ear to ear.
"They're appearing everywhere! It's fun!"
The small Heartless captured inside the castle was currently locked inside a reinforced candy cage, with several ministers keeping their distance.
Katakuri, meanwhile, silently stared at the empty space left behind by the projection.
His Haki was telling him something.
Something unstable.
Dangerous.
"…That Sora is hiding far too many things."
Big Mom tilted her head slightly.
"Do you think he's strong?"
Katakuri remained silent for a second.
"Yes. But I don't think he's Emperor-level. Otherwise, with that many creatures, he could have destroyed Marineford."
Then his thoughts drifted toward the mental image of the giant crocodile seen during certain past battles.
"I think there's a connection between Sora and Jordan. That crocodile looks far too similar to this Krieg."
"Maybe he just received something from Sora too," Smoothie said, thinking about Jordan with a hint of desire in her eyes. "I can't wait for him to arrive here."
Somewhere in the New World — Red-Haired Pirates Crew
Aboard the Red Force, the atmosphere was strangely relaxed despite recent events.
Shanks was quietly laughing with his crew while Lucky Roux devoured an enormous piece of meat.
"So now… even monsters are organizing tournaments?"
Yasopp burst out laughing.
"It's getting hard to keep up."
The small Heartless sitting on the deck was currently hiding behind a barrel, nervously watching Beckman smoke beside it.
Shanks, however, kept smiling.
But his gaze…
Was serious.
"Sora, huh…"
He took a sip of sake.
"He's interesting."
Beckman slowly exhaled smoke.
"Do you think he really wants to destroy the Government?"
Shanks gently shook his head.
"No."
His eyes lifted toward the sky.
"I think… he mostly wants to change the rules of the game."
A brief silence followed.
Then Lucky Roux burst out laughing.
"In the meantime, his coliseum looked fun!"
All the tension instantly vanished in another wave of collective laughter.
The passage carved through the Red Line echoed with the sound of waves and the dull impacts produced by the Heartless as they continued slowly widening the corridor. Beside me, the former Don Krieg — now under his new human appearance — walked calmly, his double chains equipped with daggers floating slightly behind him like living serpents.
I observed him for a few seconds before speaking.
"You need another name. 'Krieg' is too tied to the Heartless now."
The massive man thought for a moment, his deep, rough voice echoing against the rocky walls.
"How about… Kratos?"
He slightly raised one of his blades.
"That's the name associated with this appearance, right?"
A faint smile crossed my face.
"Kratos it is."
The man in question simply nodded, visibly satisfied.
"In the meantime, take off that necklace."
I put mine back around my neck myself, my appearance immediately reshaping into Sora once more. My clothes changed, my gaze hardened slightly, and the colder aura of that persona naturally returned.
"We're going on a little trip through the Grand Line."
Kratos removed his necklace without protest and instantly returned to his colossal Heartless form before I absorbed him back into my shadow.
I took off.
The speed of my flight tore a violent air current behind me as I crossed the Calm Belt above the motionless waters. Beneath the surface, I could feel the gigantic presences lurking in the depths — entire nests of Sea Kings.
I didn't need to search for long before spotting a peculiar island in the distance. Enormous trees covered almost its entire surface, their giant leaves forming natural umbrellas over the forest. Even from the sky, the place radiated a strange atmosphere.
And above all…
I saw it immediately.
The lock.
Visible.
Accessible.
Far too easily.
I slowly descended toward the beach, my boots touching the black sand with a soft gust of wind. The instant the inhabitants noticed me, panic immediately spread across the shore.
"IT'S SORA!"
"RUN!!"
Civilians abandoned baskets and merchandise before fleeing toward the village, while others were already barricading themselves inside nearby buildings.
I remained perfectly calm.
Then I released Krieg from my shadow.
The gigantic Heartless appeared behind me in a mass of darkness, drawing fresh screams of terror from the few inhabitants who had not yet fled.
I slightly turned my head toward him.
"Tell me…"
I crossed my arms.
"You can tell good people from bad people too, right?"
Kratos silently observed the surroundings for a long moment before replying in a deep voice.
"Yes."
His glowing eyes swept across the fleeing civilians without aggression.
"Just like my men."
I slowly nodded.
Perfect.
"Then capture the bad people for me."
A cold smile crossed my face.
"And release as many pirate Heartless as possible using your abilities."
Kratos' chains slowly stirred behind him.
Then he smiled.
A disturbing expression on that monstrous face.
"Understood… boss."
Shadows immediately began pouring out of his colossal body, dozens… then hundreds of pirate Heartless appearing on the beach before scattering in every direction.
And somewhere on that island…
The hunt had just begun.
(Author's note: If you're trying to guess the island, it's Kyuka. And for Krieg's human appearance image, I'm posting it here ^^)