Originally, Admiral Zephyr's defection wasn't supposed to happen until years later—after the Paramount War, when the Navy and World Government were rebuilding and recruiting new Warlords of the Sea.
But thanks to Chiyu's arrival, the entire timeline got thrown off, and everything started happening way ahead of schedule.
Zephyr, disillusioned by the rise of pirates, had planned to resign and wage his own war against them. But the Navy convinced him to stay, assigning him to train the next generation. In truth, he shaped more than half of the current Navy's elite.
Then came the breaking point: the Navy offered a Warlord seat to Edward Weevil—aka "Whitebeard Jr."—the same pirate who killed Zephyr's students and cut off his arm.
That was the last straw.
Zephyr turned his back on the Navy, took his loyal students and soldiers, and formed a new militant faction: Neo Marines. With brutal tactics and unwavering resolve, they launched their own crusade against pirates—and started hunting for a way to end this chaotic era.
In a way, his ideals weren't that different from Chiyu's. And soon, their paths would collide—setting events in motion that no one could predict…
…
At that same moment, Chiyu and his crew finally landed at Sabaody Archipelago.
The place sat right near Marineford—the Navy's headquarters—and just beneath Mary Geoise, the seat of the Celestial Dragons and the center of global power.
To reach the New World, the second half of the Grand Line, there were only two real options:
1. Take the Red Line route through Mary Geoise and change ships—tedious, but the safest method. Pirates, of course, don't even get the option.
2. Dive beneath the Red Line and head to Fish-Man Island, 10,000 meters below sea level.
But even that required special ship-coating, and the only place to get it done was right here—at Sabaody. That made the island a mandatory checkpoint for anyone aiming for the New World.
Naturally, it was bustling.
Massive mangrove trees split the island into zones—shopping districts, amusement parks, shipyards, coating stations, parks, hotels, and even a Marine outpost.
It was a melting pot. Criminals, merchants, nobles, pirates—you name it. Without the Marines here, the place would've devolved into chaos long ago.
But Chiyu knew better than to be fooled by the glamorous exterior.
Underneath it all, Sabaody was one of the darkest corners of the entire world.
Human trafficking, slavery, racism, murder, genocide, exploitation—it all happened here. Constantly. Silently.
Why? Because this place was home to the Celestial Dragons.
The truth was, the entire world was their playground.
As Chiyu and his group stepped onto Sabaody soil, Rear Admiral Hina, Nami, and Franky couldn't help but look around curiously.
Even Hina—despite her high rank—was here for the first time.
From the outside, Sabaody looked like a polished, futuristic megacity.
Despite their Navy supplies, the Uchiha ship still needed gear and essentials. Franky, who had been secretly researching the ancient weapon Pluton, was on a mission to find rare materials—like the legendary Treasure Tree Adam.
Hina and Nami, meanwhile, took the chance to unwind and shop for clothes and necessities.
Chiyu, however, went straight to his real objective:
The legendary right-hand man of the Pirate King, Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King himself.
Nowadays, he lived incognito as a coating mechanic. But once a pirate, always a pirate. Especially one like him.
Chiyu remembered he was most likely at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, owned by a former pirate named Shakky.
Chiyu went alone. He approached the bar but sensed no powerful presence inside—not like what he expected from someone of Rayleigh's caliber.
Still, he walked in.
"Welcome," a lazy voice called without even looking up.
It was Shakky—former pirate, now bartender. She couldn't care less about customers or profit.
Then she felt it—an aura.
She looked up fast, eyes narrowing.
"You... you're—"
Uchiha Chiyu.
His name had become infamous across the seas. In Sabaody—the very heart of the world—no one could not know him.
And Shakky had another job on the side: info broker. She stayed very well-informed.
"Uchiha Chiyu?" she said.
Chiyu didn't answer directly. He just asked, "Where is he?"
He didn't say who—but Shakky understood immediately. No need to play dumb.
She shrugged, took a drag from her cigarette, and replied casually, "Out. Maybe wandering around. Maybe swam out to sea."
Chiyu believed her. That old guy could swim across the Calm Belt solo.
"You planning to arrest him?" she asked.
Chiyu didn't reply.
Shakky blew out smoke. "You're known as the Navy's God of Slaughter. Ruthless against pirates. But from what I hear, you don't exactly go easy on your own side either."
"You showing up here… the scum of Sabaody won't know what hit them."
She poured him a drink and slid it across.
Chiyu downed it without hesitation.
Shakky raised a brow. "You just drank that without question? What if I poisoned it? I was a pirate once… and you're here for that old bastard."
"Doesn't matter," Chiyu said, flat.
Shakky laughed. "You really live up to the hype."
"A guy like you working for the Navy... That's something."
"Well, since Rayleigh's not here and you're not here to kill me—how about another round?"
She poured more drinks.
By now, the other customers were starting to stir.
Sabaody was full of pirates and lowlifes. Some slipped away the second they heard Chiyu's name. Others—foolishly—decided to try their luck.
Shakky noticed it but didn't say a word.
Moments later—
"Die, Navy bastard!"
"Uchiha Chiyu! Your bounty's worth a billion berries!"
More than ten pirates launched a surprise attack, striking from all directions.
But Chiyu didn't even flinch.
A flash of lightning exploded from him, slicing through all of them in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, their corpses hit the ground.
Shakky sighed. "Idiots... but here? You'll never run out of them."
Chiyu nodded. "Then I'll keep killing."
Shakky froze, then gave a bitter smile. "You're terrifying…"
"But honestly, the worst people on this island aren't even them."
She turned toward the window.
Down on the street, something was happening. Pedestrians froze, cleared the path, and dropped to their knees—
She shuddered.
Speak of the devil.
They'd arrived. The most disgusting beings of all.
Chiyu sensed them too—along with Hina and Nami nearby.
He downed his drink, tossed some money on the counter, and walked out.
Shakky watched him go. "Please don't do anything stupid…"
She opened the window and looked outside.
Down on the road, a grotesque figure rode forward—Saint Charlos, one of the Celestial Dragons.
He sat proudly on the back of a human slave. Fat, snot-nosed, ugly, and entitled. Surrounded by Marine guards.
Wherever he passed, people stayed silent or got beaten. Those who blocked his way were shot.
Shakky recognized him. Even among Celestial Dragons, Charlos was among the most loathed. He killed for sport, kidnapped women, and if you resisted? Your entire family was doomed.
And now, he spotted something new.
"Hm?"
Wearing his protective bubble (because he refused to breathe the same air as commoners), Charlos stared at two figures—Hina and Nami.
They'd just finished shopping and were caught in the clearing crowd. Hina reacted fast, trying to pull Nami down to kneel—but it was too late.
"I like those two. Send them to my estate," Charlos mumbled, pointing like it was a divine right.
"Yes, sir!" the Marine guards shouted, rushing toward the women.
Hina was furious. "What did you just say?! I'm a Rear Admiral!"
Charlos scoffed. "Rear Admiral? Admiral? You're all just our dogs. You dare talk back?"
"Being my slaves is a privilege!"
Nami exploded. "You sick bastard! I'll knock your fat face into the ground!"
Hina panicked. "Nami, don't—!"
Charlos sneered. "I was going to keep you around as a pet, but you've got a mouth. Time to die."
He pulled out a pistol and fired.
BANG!
The bullet shot straight at Nami.
Everyone watching gasped, thinking the girl had just been killed.
But she hadn't.
Thanks to her Slip-Slip Fruit, the bullet slid right off. No damage. Not even a scratch.
She whipped out her iron staff, activated her power, and in a flash—sped past every Marine guard and brought it crashing down on Charlos's head—
"Die!!!"