The Grand Line, first half.
"Captain, we've got trouble!"
"Marines! That Marine warship's on our tail again!"
"What?! Step on it—faster, faster!"
Panic swept across the pirate ship. Just yesterday, after raiding a town, they'd been feasting and celebrating on deck—only to cross paths with a patrolling Marine warship. Cocky and eager to rack up a bigger bounty, they'd barely had time to charge before the Marine ship accelerated straight at them.
And then—magma bombs rained from the sky.
Explosions tore through the deck, sending pirates flying and sobering the drunkest among them. If not for the Grand Line's sudden, chaotic weather, they'd have been in chains by now. But even after fleeing all night, that Marine ship refused to let go.
On the other side—
As the warship surged forward, the Marine major in charge of the cannons turned to Sakazuki.
"Rear Admiral Sakazuki, we're in range. Should we open fire?"
Sakazuki's voice was cold as steel. "Fire."
"And accelerate. Prepare for boarding."
As the gap closed, both sides unleashed a volley of cannon fire.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Half the Marine shells slammed into the pirate ship, nearly halting it in the water. The pirates, panicked, fired wildly—most of their shots missed, with only a handful heading for the Marine ship.
But before those could land, a figure leapt from the deck, skimming across the air with Moonwalk toward the incoming cannonballs.
A blade flashed—shing!—and several cannonballs were sliced clean in half, tumbling harmlessly into the sea.
Sakazuki nodded. "Nice work, Doberman."
Landing lightly, Doberman grinned at the praise.
Doberman was someone Sakazuki had rescued during his elite class graduation exam. Training camp had been a whirlwind—far more intense than the later elite classes. The world was in chaos, especially with the rise of the Rocks Pirates and their relentless raids. There was barely any time for peaceful training. Once recruits hit the minimum standard, they were shipped out early to hunt pirates.
It was during one of these missions that Sakazuki found Doberman in a small town. Impressed by his potential, he brought him back to headquarters for further training. Compared to the original timeline, Doberman had joined the Marines and the elite class years earlier.
This year, with the Rocks Pirates making big moves, Marine HQ was on high alert. All the academy instructors had been dispatched, leaving the new elite class students without guidance. So Fleet Admiral Kong made a snap decision: distribute the students among various officers' ships for hands-on training.
When choosing his team, Sakazuki picked a few hawkish recruits and set out to wipe out pirates.
Over the course of a year, they'd taken down plenty of pirates—but left not a single survivor. Zephyr had noticed. He'd tried to talk with Sakazuki several times, but neither man could convince the other...
BOOM!
The warship rammed the battered pirate ship, nearly splitting it in two. Water poured into the hull.
"Finish this quickly," Sakazuki ordered.
Marines and cadets swarmed onto the pirate ship, blades drawn.
"No one retreats! Fight them to the end!"
"Kill!!!"
Spurred by Captain Spring Lenko's roar, the pirates' savagery ignited. They charged the Marines, swinging massive blades.
"Spring Punch!"
Lenko's arm morphed into a coiled spring. He drew it back and unleashed a devastating punch—any Marine too slow to dodge was struck down on the spot.
Sure, people in this world were tough… but against someone stronger, they were just as breakable as anyone else. Like a stone tied to a spring—stretch it out, let go, and it smashes right through.
"Spring Rush!"
Compressed springs blurred through the air like lances, stabbing out again and again. Marines were sent flying, coughing blood.
Nearby, Doberman saw the chaos and charged in, blade flashing.
"Sword Bite!"
He slashed—a crescent of sword energy shot forward, a phantom beast roaring within the arc as it crashed down on Lenko.
Lenko spun to block, but the force drove him back a dozen steps. Seizing the opening, Doberman pressed the attack, blade whistling through the air.
Lenko was forced onto the defensive, barely parrying blow after blow. Several cuts landed, but his movements didn't slow—Doberman's attacks weren't quite strong enough yet. Still, Lenko couldn't counterattack, only defend. That was the difference between a self-taught pirate and someone trained by the Marines.
Still, Lenko had grit. He'd clawed his way up through countless battles, and even at a disadvantage, his body was tough as iron. He took hit after hit, but kept fighting.
Suddenly, Doberman switched tactics. With a feint and a slash, as Lenko raised his guard, Doberman's left index finger shot out.
"Finger Pistol!"
He jabbed for Lenko's eye.
Squelch!
"AAAHHH!"
Lenko's left eye burst, and he screamed in agony, stumbling back, clutching his face.
Doberman went in for the kill, blade swinging for the neck. The sword bit halfway through before Lenko, adrenaline surging, grabbed it with his free hand.
He knew he was finished—and snapped.
"DIE, DAMN YOU!!!"
With a howl, he wrenched the blade aside, pulling Doberman in close. At this range, Doberman couldn't dodge. Lenko's right arm, now a coiled spring, drew back for a final punch—
But a bullet of magma whistled through the air, fired from Sakazuki's fingertip.
It shot between them, struck Lenko square in the chest, and exploded—BOOM!—in a torrent of molten rock.
"GAAAH!"
One last scream, and then silence. All that remained was a pool of magma, smoke curling from the scorched deck.
At some point, Sakazuki had appeared just a few steps behind Doberman.
This was real combat—casualties were inevitable. But the ratio had to be controlled. With a flick of his finger, more magma bullets flew, cutting down most of the remaining pirates. The survivors, terrified, threw down their weapons and surrendered.
"Tend to the wounded," Sakazuki commanded.
The Marines moved with practiced efficiency—some treating the injured, others gathering supplies from the pirate ship. The rest returned to the warship, then herded all the prisoners back onto the battered pirate vessel.
A group of shell-shocked pirates huddled together, whispering:
"Hey… are they letting us go?"
"No way."
"But they all went back to their ship…"
"Let's wait. When the Marines leave, we'll make a run for it."
After all, who'd ever heard of being captured and then dumped back on your own ship?
On the other side—
"Report: all prisoners secured. Also, message from headquarters—every officer of rear admiral rank and above is to report to HQ immediately."
"Understood."
Sakazuki listened to his aide's report, expression unreadable.
So… it's finally happening.
He stared coldly at the pirate ship. His right arm transformed, magma surging and twisting into a massive, smoking fist.
"Great Eruption!"
BOOM!
"Set course for headquarters."
"Yes, sir!"
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1484. As Rocks' ambitions grew ever greater, the world was about to be shaken by the God Valley Incident…
(Note: The God Valley arc here is creative interpretation, since Oda hasn't depicted it yet.)
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