"These two words aren't worthy of the contradiction that is the Navy."
"Take your men and begin reconstruction at the Sabaody Archipelago and Fishman Island."
With that, Naruto turned and left.
Below, many of the Marine soldiers who had come with Momousagi dropped their weapons the moment they saw her captured.
No one would be spared if they continued to resist.
As Naruto departed, Kizaru and Sentomaru emerged from the crowd.
"Old man... just as you said."
Kizaru shook his head. "Take me up. I have something to say to Momousagi."
Among the Navy's high-ranking officers, very few still hold truly righteous positions.
In comparison, the Neo Navy resembles true justice more than the current institution ever could.
Or perhaps, most naval soldiers only act with conviction because they're unaware of the deep rot festering at the top.
Naruto understood this.
He was trying.
This world reminded him too much of that famous story from his previous life.
If things were truly hopeless, he wouldn't have bothered to summon the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Corruption always starts at the top.
As Kizaru and Sentomaru ascended the platform—
"Admiral Kizaru?"
Taotu looked up in shock.
"Yo~"
"Taotu."
"I didn't think they'd send you here…"
Meanwhile, on Amazon Lily…
A massive blue Gundam-like form descended with thunderous force.
Boom. Boom—!!
Moments later, the complete blue Susanoo slowly fell to one knee.
"I'll be handling air dominance on the left flank of the Grand Line," declared Uchiha Madara, tossing down a tactical map.
"I see," said Hancock, catching it casually. "If Naruto's decided to go all in, then I'll fight alongside him against the world!"
She handed the map to her sisters.
"Girls, prepare for war!"
"Yes, Lady Snake~!"
Buzz—
On Amazon Lily, nearly every female warrior boarded the warships.
Kaguya followed slowly behind them.
She now carried within her not only the power of the Ten-Tails—but also a more refined force gifted to her by Naruto.
Three Days Later — Naval Headquarters
From the port, the Navy's formation was imposing.
At the front lines stood three infamous warlords—the remnants of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Hancock's title had already been revoked.
The current roster:
Donquixote Doflamingo, Gekko Moria, and Dracule Mihawk.
And below the execution platform stood the Navy's ultimate power—
The Admirals.
Flutter—
Two silhouettes stood atop the battlements, watching the quiet ocean before them.
Aokiji (Kuzan) and Akainu (Sakazuki), two of the Navy's three Admirals.
Looking up—
On the execution platform—
Ace knelt silently, head bowed.
At his sides stood two marines, their blades crossed in front of him.
Not far from him knelt another prisoner, bound in seastone shackles—wearing a straw hat.
Below them, standing still and silent, was the legendary Marine Hero—Garp, eyes closed.
Approaching him was the Fleet Admiral of the Navy—Sengoku, ascending the stairs.
"Garp. If you're not ready, step down."
"I can guard this place alone."
Garp's voice was deep and steady. "I'm ready."
"You know what will happen if you lose control," Sengoku warned. "Taotu hasn't reported back yet. Don't make this worse."
A second later, tears rolled down Garp's face.
"I was the one who broke both of their legs!"
"Sengoku, I—!"
Bang—!!!
Sengoku kicked him, sending Garp crashing backward.
"Get a hold of yourself!"
"If you lose control again, you know better than anyone what it will cost the world!"
"Uwahhh…!" Garp fell to his knees, covering his face in anguish.
Sengoku exhaled slowly.
"Garp… you and I have given our lives to the Navy. Even if it's no longer what we once believed in, we've fought for it for too long."
"There are things we just can't change."
"And because of that, we must protect what little we still can. Otherwise, our version of justice is meaningless."
"We can't let this fall into chaos. Even the worst order is better than total disorder."
Bang—!
Garp punched himself hard.
"I know... I know…"
"Sengoku… Let me stay. If I so much as move…"
"You must stop me—even if it means killing me."
Sengoku looked at him for a moment and sighed deeply.
At that moment—
A cold wind swept across the sea.
A heavy fog rolled in.
From the sentry tower above the Marine Headquarters, a soldier narrowed his eyes and adjusted the focus on his telescope.
Soon, a silhouette emerged through the dense mist.
As the shape became clearer, a man wearing a red turban came into view—perched on his shoulder was a baboon.
"Knight of the Sea, Doma!!"
A startled cry echoed from another sentry post.
There, a different lookout spotted a broad-shouldered, middle-aged man with a thick blond beard and wild hair.
"Thunder Lord McGuy!!"
More shouts rang out in rapid succession.
"Decalvan Brothers!!"
"Maelstrom Spider Pirates!!"
"Damn it!"
"These aren't just any pirates—these are elite captains, each one notorious across the New World!"
"Total count—forty-three pirate ships!!!"
As the shocked murmurs spread among the sentries, one of the three figures at the forefront—sporting short blond hair, a pink feathered coat, and dark sunglasses—laughed aloud.
"This is getting interesting~!"
"Thrilling, isn't it~?"
Donquixote Doflamingo smirked as he turned to glance at Gekko Moria.
The two exchanged a silent nod.
Clearly, neither intended to dive into the conflict directly—they had no interest in being caught in the crossfire of what was coming.
"Hmph."
"Exactly as expected."
Akainu stood with arms crossed, a cigar clenched between his teeth.
Beside him, Aokiji leaned lazily against the railing, though his expression had turned slightly more serious.
Gurgle—!!!
Suddenly, bubbles churned violently on the sea's surface.
Akainu's ear twitched.
He lifted a hand to adjust the brim of his cap, squinting into the mist ahead.
At that same moment, Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, narrowed his eyes.
Something was off.
He turned to Garp, standing beside him.
"We've lost contact with several outposts…"
"It's likely they've already made their move."
"And it's not just the Whitebeard Pirates we need to worry about anymore…"
Sengoku's voice dropped as he scanned the swelling tide of ships.
"That other one who just appeared—Uzumaki Naruto—he's a wild card."
His gaze swept over the sea—already teeming with pirate ships.
"I'll go up. I'll be the last line of defense."
Without waiting, Sengoku leapt onto the execution platform.
From up there, his view expanded fully.
The ocean wind whipped against his cloak—the Justice insignia on his back fluttering with gravity and pride.
Behind him knelt three prisoners:
Portgas D. Ace, son of the Pirate King.
Straw Hat Luffy, the son of Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army.
And Garp's own grandson.
Puff—!!
Suddenly—
A massive bubble breached the surface of the circular sea surrounding Marineford.
It burst violently.
Waves radiated outward in all directions.
Sengoku's gaze dropped. His brow furrowed, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Could it be…?"
Crash—!!!
Without warning, a pirate ship coated in bubbles burst up from beneath the surface.
The sentries raised their telescopes again, hearts pounding.
"That's… the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"First Division Commander Marco!!"
High on the deck, Marco stood in a pink jacket, arms resting on his hips, his expression unreadable as he looked upon Marineford.
As the camera of the world's attention zoomed out—
"All fourteen Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates… have arrived!!"
A deadly silence swept across the Marine ranks.
Many drew in a sharp breath.
This—this was the power of a Yonko.
Above them, Akainu dropped his half-smoked cigar, still stone-faced, arms crossed.
Aokiji crossed one leg over the other, his mood darker than before.
What they didn't yet realize—
Was that far across the Grand Line's first half, figures were already in flight, rapidly approaching the battlefield.
At this point, they no longer needed high-end reinforcements to take the frontlines.
Capturing the first half of the Grand Line within five days was practically assured.
From then on, reinforcements from the Red Faction would continue to stream in without end.
Clatter—
Clatter—!!
Clatter—!!!
A rhythmic sound echoed across the still air.
Every Marine present turned toward the sound of metal striking metal.
A figure slowly stepped up from a ship's cabin, ascending toward the deck.
Each step came with the clang of iron against wood—the noise was not from the person, but from the weapon they carried.
The Murakumogiri—one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades—rested in his hand.
As for the identity of the man who had arrived… it was already unmistakable.
A man uninterested in becoming Pirate King, who only sought a family at sea.
A man his crew called "Dad"—Whitebeard.
All eyes locked onto him.
This was the legendary Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea.
A titan of a man with a crescent-shaped white mustache, a towering frame, and muscles as solid as iron.
He stood tall on the deck of his ship, staring down the Marine Headquarters before him.
On the massive wall behind them, two bold kanji stood tall—"Justice".
"Gurararara~!"
That odd, rumbling laugh echoed across the bay.
Behind him, his massive captain's cloak flared in the wind—like a parody of the Marines' own "cloak of justice."
"We haven't seen each other in decades, huh…"
His voice was deep, calm—like a storm waiting to break.
"Sengoku."
"Whitebeard...!" Sengoku growled, beads of sweat trickling down his face.
"Is my dear son doing well?" Whitebeard narrowed his eyes as he looked up.
"Dad!!"
Ace was stunned.
He never imagined Whitebeard would come, not when the whole thing reeked of a trap.
His eyes filled with tears.
He couldn't hold back the shout.
"Gurararara~!"
Whitebeard laughed again, releasing the hilt of the Murakumogiri.
He stepped forward, raising his arms to the sky.
"Hold on, Ace... I'm coming!"
Suddenly, he pulled his arms back, crossed them tightly in front of his chest.
His eyes snapped open, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, locked onto Sengoku above.
With a roar, he flung his arms wide and clenched both fists.
"Gu Bo—!!"
A strange, resonant sound echoed.
Snap!
Thin white cracks spread across the air surrounding Whitebeard's fists, as if the very fabric of space was shattering.
The fractures rapidly spiderwebbed outward—clearly visible to the naked eye.
This was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit capable of generating massive shockwaves.
By striking the air itself, Whitebeard could crack the atmosphere, shatter the sea, shake the skies, and summon tsunamis.
His seismic force could even be condensed into spheres of shock, which he could attach to his weapons or fists.
Wherever he struck, reality itself cracked.
Now, Whitebeard had only one goal—to call forth a tsunami to drown the battlefield.
Below the execution platform, Admiral Aokiji stood from his seat, shaking his head.
"This lineup really is full of monsters…"
Meanwhile—somewhere beyond the battlefield...
"Captain, are we going to make our move?"
"No. Not yet," came the calm reply. "If we show up now, we'll only make the battlefield more chaotic."
"But… what about that Uzumaki Naruto who just arrived?"
"And Luffy—he's there too!"
Red-Haired Shanks fell silent for a moment, then said softly:
"...We'll appear when it matters most."
...
TN:
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