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Marineford lay in ruins.
Kaido's rampage had torn through the naval fortress like a hurricane, leaving destruction in its wake. Nearly ten thousand Marines had died—one of the Navy's most devastating losses in decades, rivaling the Golden Lion's invasion years prior.
After battling Arthur nonstop for ten days, then being dragged across the sea without rest, even Kaido's monstrous stamina had finally collapsed.
Cornered by Akainu, Sengoku, and the Navy's other top brass, he had been subdued at last.
Grief hung over Marineford like a funeral shroud. The sounds of mourning became a constant, oppressive weight. And the target of all that sorrow, all that seething rage, was Arthur.
"So we finally bagged the Beast," Aokiji drawled, stretching lazily. "What is the plan? Same old routine? Try to figure out how to kill him?"
Kaido lay unconscious, encased in a massive block of ice. Aokiji kept a steady stream of freezing air flowing, thickening the prison. It would only hold temporarily. Once Kaido woke, he would shatter it like glass.
"Send him to the World Government," Sengoku said wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Their new scientists want to study him."
He could not believe this catastrophe had unfolded on his watch. All because of that damned Arthur.
"Chin up, Sengoku," Garp boomed, clapping his old friend on the shoulder with perhaps excessive force. "They died fighting evil. That is the highest honor for any soldier." He had seen too much death in his long career to be easily shaken.
Sengoku drew a deep, steadying breath. He glanced at Akainu, who stood nearby, features carved from stone and fury.
"I hope this does not happen again, Sakazuki. Anyone could see this was Arthur's scheme."
"Hmph." Akainu merely grunted, refusing to concede. Scheme or no scheme, a pirate was a pirate. His justice demanded eradication, not retreat. His conviction would not be swayed by words. Absolute Justice was his reason for living.
Just as the familiar argument between Doves and Hawks was about to reignite, a communications officer sprinted from the half-collapsed headquarters building, a Den Den Mushi clutched frantically in his hand.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! A call for you! It is Impel Down!"
"What? Impel Down?" Sengoku's brow furrowed instantly. A knot of ice-cold dread tightened in his stomach. The prison rarely called unless something dire had occurred. Trying to push back rising panic, he snatched the receiver.
"Moshi moshi. This is Sengoku."
"Fleet Admiral! It is Hannyabal! Thunder Emperor Arthur... he came back! While security was weakened... he broke out Red the Aloof!"
"HE WHAT?"
The news struck him like a physical blow. Sengoku felt his lungs would explode.
Every high-ranking officer nearby heard the words. Stunned, horrified silence fell over Marineford. The air grew thick and heavy, pregnant with unspoken fury—the calm before a volcanic eruption.
"Thunder Emperor Arthur... that bastard must die."
"Inform the World Government. From now on, any major pirate captured will be executed immediately. No exceptions."
Again and again, Arthur had made a mockery of Impel Down. His escape seven years ago. His return to free the prisoners who formed his crew. The Golden Lion's breakout. Now this...
Impel Down's reputation as an impenetrable fortress had become a global punchline. If word spread that Redfield had escaped... the World Government's authority, already strained, would crumble.
All this was unfolding amidst a storm of other crises—member nations suddenly seceding, whispers of a shadowy new force pulling strings behind the scenes... If they failed to project strength now, who would ever trust them again?
"Arthur!" Sengoku and the other officers ground their teeth, features twisted with impotent rage, wanting nothing more than to tear him limb from limb.
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Three days later, the news exploded across the world like wildfire.
[REBELLION SPREADS! MEMBER NATIONS ABANDON WORLD GOVERNMENT! SHADOWY FIGURE SUSPECTED!]
[KAIDO DEFEATED BY ARTHUR? BEAST CAPTURED AFTER MARINEFORD RAMPAGE! ARTHUR UNTOUCHABLE?]
[SHOCKING BREAKOUT! ARTHUR RAIDS IMPEL DOWN A THIRD TIME, FREES LEGENDARY RED THE ALOOF!]
[REDFIELD JOINS THUNDER GOD PIRATES AS FIRST MATE! ARTHUR REIGNS SUPREME!]
The headlines screamed across every newspaper, fueled by Morgans's relentless propaganda machine. Fear, hatred, envy, admiration—a whirlwind of emotions swept the seas. With Red the Aloof at his side, who could possibly stop Arthur now? The Thunder God Pirates were truly becoming the strongest crew on the ocean.
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New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
"Gurarararara! Redfield really lost it, joining that lightning brat's crew... 'Aloof'? What a damn joke!"
Whitebeard's laughter boomed across the deck, though a complex mixture of disdain and sorrow threaded through his voice. Had a man of his own era truly fallen so far? Stooping to serve a newcomer?
The clash between old and new was inevitable. The new always devoured the old. It was the eternal truth of the world.
'You have to live to chase your dreams,' Blackbeard thought from his corner, stuffing his face with cherry pie while playing the part of the loyal, humble son. 'Living is winning. What good are dreams to a dead man? Can they not even see that much...?'
He remained in the shadows, waiting patiently for his moment. It would come. Or it would not.
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Water 7.
The City of Water, famed for its intricate network of canals, gleamed like a jewel floating on the sea beneath the brilliant blue sky.
Yet its true renown came not from picturesque beauty, but from unparalleled craft. The shipbuilding techniques passed down through generations here were the envy of the world. A ship built in Water 7 was the ultimate prize for any sailor worth their salt.
Now, approaching this legendary city from the open sea... two figures walked on the water itself.
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