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"I, SHIKI THE GOLDEN LION! HEREBY DECLARE WAR… ON THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!!!"
The final, defiant roar of the old era blasted from the video snails, echoing across the entire world, resounding over every sea.
On countless screens, the image of Shiki was frozen in a moment of pure, unadulterated madness. He looked down on the world with absolute arrogance, laughing uncontrollably.
"Jieahahaha! Just wait for me, World Government! I will finish what Roger started! I will accomplish the overthrow that he left undone!"
"Prepare yourselves. And then… prepare for destruction!"
The broadcast cut out.
But the image was burned into the minds of millions. They would remember that crazed figure, that legendary pirate from the previous age who had once nearly brought the New World to its knees.
Arthur watched the Golden Lion, whose will seemed to be burning like a physical flame.
Crazy. Unrestrained. Power incarnate. This was what a pirate from the old era looked like.
In Arthur's eyes, neither the living legend Whitebeard nor Redfield could compare to Shiki in this moment. They lacked his ambition. They lacked that specific brand of pirate insanity—the willingness to do whatever he pleased, consequences be damned.
"Jieahahaha! I can't wait, Thunder Emperor!" Shiki grinned, his eyes wild. "Give the World Government two months to prepare. And then… I will follow Roger's path and become a pioneer of history!"
With that, he shot into the sky, flying back to his base in the first half of the Grand Line.
He had two months. Two months to have Dr. Indigo use every biological enhancement at his disposal to restore Shiki to his absolute peak condition.
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Sabaody Archipelago.
The island was in an uproar. Pirates preparing to enter the New World were shouting and screaming, venting the restless energy in their hearts. Some were terrified by Shiki's madness, some were crushed by the gap in power, but many were filled with a fanatical worship.
This was likely the first time in history a pirate had formally declared war on the World Government.
There had always been resistance in the shadows. Even the Revolutionary Army operated in secrecy, building strength through guerrilla warfare. No one had ever chosen a frontal assault.
To overthrow an organization with eight hundred years of history and entrenched power was a task harder than ascending to the heavens.
Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Rayleigh stood up abruptly from his lounge chair. The man whose expression rarely changed was now visibly shaken.
"Has he lost his mind? Shiki!!"
The World Government had stood for eight centuries. Even a man like Roger hadn't attacked them directly; he had used a roundabout way to inspire others to take to the seas. Shiki had nothing left. What gave him the right to declare war?
This trip… it was a guaranteed suicide mission.
"It's because of Roger," Shakky said, smoke swirling from her cigarette, obscuring her face.
"What?" Rayleigh turned, confused.
He had fought Shiki for decades, but he didn't understand the man the way Roger had. Shiki was crazy, yes, but he didn't have the military might to wage a war anymore. This wasn't ten years ago. The Battle of Edd War had been a fatal blow to his armada.
"The moment Roger died, Shiki died with him," Shakky said, analyzing it from an outsider's perspective. "What's walking around now is just a corpse. His ambition, his dreams, his fighting spirit—they were all ground to dust years ago. He wants to chase after Roger… and he wants to do it in the same way: under the gaze of the entire world."
"So that's it…"
Rayleigh slumped back into his chair, as if all his strength had left him.
"Another old friend… is about to disappear."
The Moby Dick.
Whitebeard sat on his massive throne, silent. He lifted a giant jug of sake and drank deeply, saying nothing.
His sons watched him with worry, but none dared to interrupt.
"This drink… is for your journey, Shiki."
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The news was a tidal wave. News Coos blanketed the oceans, dropping newspapers on every island they could reach.
[SHOCKING: LEGENDARY PIRATE SHIKI DECLARES WAR ON THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!]
[OPENING A NEW ERA: LEADING THE FANBOYS OF THE SEA!]
Morgans had his World Economic Journal printing presses running hot. Under Arthur's instructions, the news was spread even to places the video snails couldn't reach.
Perhaps a new era really had arrived. With the first person to openly declare war, even if he failed, he would be remembered as a pioneer.
Once the seal was broken, countless madmen would follow, scrambling to join the camp of resistance.
The Calm Belt.
On a massive island teeming with giant beasts, thousands of nautical miles from Impel Down.
This was the new headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. With the Calm Belt as a natural barrier, an endless supply of Sea Kings as guards, and no magnetic field to lock onto, it was a natural fortress.
Inside the conference room.
Dragon, Kuma, Inazuma, Ivankov, and dozens of other Revolutionary leaders were gathered. Fisher Tiger and Hack, whom Arthur had intentionally released, were also present.
"Shiki declaring war on the World Government… I believe this is our greatest opportunity," Dragon said calmly, waving the newspaper as he addressed the room.
"Shiki's actions will draw the full attention of the World Government. For the next two months, the defenses at Mary Geoise will be stronger than ever. All the deep-cover agents we drew away will be recalled."
"However," Dragon continued, his eyes sharp, "—once Shiki actually descends on Mary Geoise, every guard and every top-tier combatant will focus on repelling his invasion. That moment… Fisher Tiger, that is your time."
"Good!" Tiger crossed his arms, nodding firmly. "When their eyes are on the Golden Lion, the security around the slave quarters will be lax."
"Regardless of race, every slave will be freed!"
The Revolutionary leaders stood up in unison, their eyes burning with resolve. "For freedom and equality! Success or failure depends on this one move!"
Releasing the slaves would be the Revolutionary Army's opening shot, a way to broadcast their ideology and attract more like-minded comrades.
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A few days later, the Navy-affiliated newspapers struck back under the direction of the World Government.
[THE FOOLISH ARROGANCE OF THE GOLDEN LION!]
[THE PIRATE LEGEND WILL END AT MARY GEOISE!]
The papers savagely mocked Shiki's overconfidence, predicting his immediate capture the moment he appeared. At the same time, they aggressively propagandized the invincibility of the World Government and the futility of piracy.
In short: Justice will defeat Evil, and the World Government will lead the people to a happy life.
But it was useless.
Even though Shiki had mocked them as "fanboys," the pirates of the new era saw something else in him. They saw absolute fearlessness.
A true pirate does whatever they want, fearing nothing and no one!
The sea began to panic. The countdown had begun.
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