The New World, within a certain country's borders.
Seated at the top floor of his headquarters, Umit, the King of Shipping who controlled the lifeline of global maritime transport, stared intently at an invitation placed before him.
This was an invitation from the Fleet Admiral of the Marines—yet it was also a death warrant.
Because after today, those who received this invitation would have to make a choice: either attend the meeting at the specified location or pretend they never saw it and await the Marines' retaliation.
As the king of the underworld and the one who controll the vital shipping routes of the Grand Line, Umit had never imagined things would come to this.
After all, in the past, he not only commanded a vast fleet spanning the seas but also dealt in arms, slaves and other forbidden goods—anything, as long as the buyer could pay.
He guaranteed delivery without fail.
It was no exaggeration to say that without his shipping network, figures like Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, or any of the other emperors of the New World would have found it ten, even a hundred times harder to expand their influence and dominate these waters.
Yet just as he dreamed of growing stronger by monopolizing the Grand Line's shipping routes, gradually encroaching on the territories of other underworld kings to become the sole ruler of the underworld—this invitation from the Fleet Admiral shattered his illusions.
Had it been the previous Fleet Admiral, he wouldn't have cared.
After all, controlling the Grand Line's shipping meant he didn't just work with pirates—even the Celestial Dragons of Mariejois relied on his services.
It was this very connection that emboldened him.
Under the tacit approval of two of the Five Elders, he had boldly sided with the Beasts Pirates during their war against the Marines.
Even after Kaido's execution and the annihilation of the Beasts Pirates, neither he nor Peclo, the Underworld's "King of the Funeral," had worried much.
They defiantly chose to continue opposing the new Fleet Admiral.
But they never expected this young Fleet Admiral wouldn't immediately move against them.
Instead, he stormed Mariejois and unleashed an unprecedented purge against the Celestial Dragons with ruthless efficiency.
In this thunderous cleansing, hundreds of Celestial Dragons—including two former Five Elders—were slaughtered, their family assets seized and repurposed as Marine funds.
Most crucially, this world-shaking event was forcibly suppressed by Mariejois itself.
This meant even the Holy Land could no longer restrain this young Fleet Admiral.
Or rather, Mariejois now answered to him.
With their protectors gone, the so-called "kings of the underworld" had only one option left—to wait with bated breath for the Fleet Admiral's blade to fall.
"True power lies not on the battlefield, but in the shadows of deals and schemes!?"
After staring at the invitation for a long moment, Umit suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.
He then turned his gaze to the city skyline outside the window and muttered belatedly.
"Before absolute strength, all conspiracies and schemes are nothing but decorations!"
Outside on the streets, a squad of Marines abruptly rounded the corner and swiftly rushed out.
Leading the charge was none other than Vice Admiral Strawberry, who had been ordered by the Fleet Admiral to bring the "King of Shipping" Umit, to the Land of Wano.
In no time at all, Strawberry and his Marine soldiers stormed into the building.
Soon, the elevator doors slid open and Strawberry stepped out, his gaze immediately locking onto Umit's office across the long corridor.
"They're here—the Marines!"
Seated calmly behind his desk, Umit looked down the hallway at Strawberry without a trace of fear,
his expression relaxed.
"Come in!"
Without hesitation, Strawberry strode into the office and stood before Umit.
"These are all my assets."
Before Strawberry could speak, Umit pushed a stack of documents towards him, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"I know exactly what your Fleet Admiral wants. When he sent us those invitations, it was never about anything but the wealth we control!"
At this, Umit suddenly stood up, his voice rising in a final, furious roar.
"Did you think we'd just sit back and wait for the end? Of course we had to fight! I am Umit—the King of the Underground's Shipping empire!"
Strawberry ignored his outburst, coldly picking up the documents one by one.
Each was a signed transfer agreement for Umit's entire fortune.
"If you had known this would happen, why resist in the first place?"
After scanning the papers, Strawberry handed them to his adjutant and looked back at Umit, his tone was cold.
"Had you simply waited quietly for the date on the invitation and gone obediently, the Fleet Admiral wouldn't have demanded all your assets. He might even have offered you long-term cooperation."
"A pity, you and Peclo chose to side with pirates instead."
"Now, you'll pay the price for that choice."
Without another word, Strawberry drew his pistol and fired three precise shots—two to the chest, one to the head.
[Bruh if you notice, the execution style the marines use is similar to narcos sicario's 😭]
****
At the same time, Vice Admiral Momonga led another squad of Marines into the headquarters of a funeral services company.
The moment they breached the building, gunfire erupted in a deafening barrage.
Unlike Umit, Peclo—the "King of the Funeral Parlor" who secretly ran a syndicate of assassins—had no intention of going down without a fight.
He had gathered every killer he had trained over the years, ready to fight Momonga's forces to the bitter end.
But his resistance was as futile as an egg striking stone.
The gunfire swept from the first floor to the top in minutes, ending in a one-sided slaughter.
In an office at the very top of the building, Peclo stood up gripping a scythe, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the closed door.
Beside him sat another ruler of the underworld—Stussy, the Queen of Pleasure.
"Stussy!"
"I never thought you'd be the one to stand by me in the end."
Peclo bared his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin.
"Let's carve our way out together."
Stussy smiled as she stubbed her cigarret and leisurely pulled a tube of lipstick from her handbag.
"Hmm?"
To think Stussy still had the mood to apply lipstick at such a critical moment.
Peclo pupils contracted slightly before he grinned, revealing his teeth.
"What? Trying to die with elegance? Don't worry, we're not dying today!"
Before Peclo finish speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the office door.
"They're here!"
The moment the footsteps sounded, Peclo expression instantly turned fanatical.
"I'll charge ahead, you cover the rear."
"No problem!" Stussy promptly stood up and moved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Peclo.
At the same time—
BANG!
The tightly shut door was smashed open as a swarm of Marine soldiers poured in.
Before Peclo could charge forward, Stussy—who had been standing beside him—suddenly grabbed the scythe in his hand.
Simultaneously, she parted her crimson lips to reveal two ferocious fangs that sank unerringly into his neck.
With a sickening squelch, the razor-sharp fangs pierced clean through Peclo neck, blood immediately welling up.
"Stussy!!"
Never in his wildest dreams did Peclo imagine Stussy would turn on him.
His pupils dilated in shock as he gasped, "You—"
Having succeeded in her ambush, Stussy decisively released Peclo.
Spreading a pair of black wings, she flashed to stand beside Momonga who had just entered the office.
Smiling sweetly at the wide-eyed Peclo she parted her lips and declare.
"Sorry. I'm a spy."
-----------------------------
I release a new whitebeard scientist fic : One Piece : Scientist of Whitebeard Pirates
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