Ever since the balance of power in the New World had stabilized, Sakazuki had been quietly laying his plans across the Four Blues. The seas slipped into an uncanny calm.
Time crept forward to the year 1495.
For three years, neither pirates nor Marines made any major moves. The three titans of the New World focused on consolidating their territories, halting expansion. Two years ago, the Roger Pirates had suddenly appeared at Twin Cape, then blazed a trail straight into the New World. Their unusual momentum caught the attention of Marine high command, who watched and speculated—what was Roger really after?
But the Marines were beginning to feel the strain. The unification of New World forces meant they now faced a single, colossal threat. Garp was locked in pursuit of Roger. Sakazuki held the first half of the Grand Line. Sengoku kept the G-1 Base in the New World under tight control. The new generation of Marine monsters was rising, making names for themselves across the Four Blues. But with their top brass stretched thin, the Marines simply didn't have the strength to break into the New World.
After much debate between the Holy Land's upper echelons and Fleet Admiral Kong, a new plan was put on the table—the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" initiative.
The idea: select seven promising up-and-coming pirates, grant them government-sanctioned plundering rights and special privileges, and set them loose to clash with the New World's giants—hoping to keep those monsters in check.
But the notion of legal plundering sparked fierce opposition from many Marine officers. The plan stalled, stuck in endless debate.
Meanwhile, Karol continued her tours of the Four Blues with Enel. Countless soldiers she'd trained from childhood were quietly placed in branch offices. Somehow, every year, a few branch commanders in the Four Blues met their end at the hands of pirates...
This eerie peace lasted—until Roger returned to the New World.
And then, everything changed.
———
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sakazuki had just rushed back from G-1 Base. Before he could even step off the ship, alarms blared across the base. In a flash, he sped straight for the Fleet Admiral's office.
Inside, several high-ranking officers were already gathered. Fleet Admiral Kong nodded at Sakazuki, signaling him to take a seat.
Moments later, a Marine clerk hurried in, breathless with news.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, there's been contact between Roger and Golden Lion Shiki in the Edd War Sea!"
Kong nodded. "Regarding Roger and Shiki..."
Before he could finish, Garp shot to his feet and strode for the door.
"Haha! Here's my chance!"
A vein bulged on Kong's forehead. "Wait, Garp! I haven't finished—!"
Garp just grinned. "But I'm done listening!"
He swung the door open.
Kong slammed a fist on the desk. "Stop—!"
SLAM!
The door banged shut, cutting Kong off mid-sentence.
All Kong could do was sigh in exasperation at Garp's antics. Still, with Sengoku already deployed and Garp in pursuit, things shouldn't spiral out of control.
With the Roger and Golden Lion matter in motion, only one issue remained.
He turned to the rest of the room. "Let's talk about the Seven Warlords of the Sea proposal. Anyone have thoughts?"
The office erupted like a powder keg.
"No way! Legal plundering for pirates? That's a joke!"
"They're pirates! If we make plundering legal, what does that make the Marines?"
"We can't possibly allow this!"
"Since when do the Marines need pirates to keep the seas in check?!"
"Absolutely not—!"
Kong massaged his temples, headache growing. He slammed a palm on the desk. "Enough! Quiet!"
He turned to Sakazuki, who'd remained silent throughout. "Sakazuki, what's your take?"
The room fell silent, all eyes on him. As the Marines' acknowledged "Fourth Power," Sakazuki's opinion carried weight.
After a moment's thought, Sakazuki spoke.
"The Seven Warlords proposal has its merits. Just keeping the New World's pirate giants in check could save countless Marine lives. But the Warlords' authority is far too broad. There must be limits. For example, this 'legal plundering' right—it's too vague. If they start looting warships, are we supposed to just let it go?"
"If we don't set clear boundaries, they'll become impossible to control. We need strict treaties—define exactly what they can and can't do. Then, infiltrate, monitor, and even help them grow—but only as our dogs, not as equals to the Marines. As long as a dog can bite, that's enough. If they refuse to obey, we put them down. There are plenty who'd rather be dogs than face death."
"No need to indulge them. It'd be best to keep the Warlords concentrated in the first half of the Grand Line. With Marine Headquarters backing them, they can definitely check the New World's giants. Lock those monsters down in the New World and stifle their growth."
The officers considered his words. They made sense.
Kong's eyes lit up. "Well said. I'll bring this to the Holy Land. Meeting adjourned!"
"Oh, and Leopol—check the latest records. Find out who's closest to Jaya Island. Have them apprehend that Ohara group as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir!"
Sakazuki sat, expression unreadable.
———
Elsewhere.
Garp had barely left the Fleet Admiral's office when a laid-back young man appeared behind him.
Hands in his pockets, Kuzan called out in exaggerated admiration, "Garp-san, turned down another promotion, huh? That's so cool!"
Garp grinned. "If you want real freedom, you don't need a fancy title."
He glanced at Vice Admiral Tsuru beside him. "Hey, Tsuru, give me a ride when you ship out, will ya?"
Tsuru shot him a look. "We haven't even received deployment orders yet. Besides, you'll just wreck the ship. No way I'm letting you on board."
Garp burst out laughing. "Aw, don't be like that! That Roger guy—he's mine to handle."
The group headed for the bustling harbor.
On a nearby warship, Sengoku was assigning tasks to Borsalino and the others when he spotted Garp approaching. A bad feeling crept over him.
"Garp! We're already handling the Shiki situation! Get back here!" he roared.
Garp just laughed and boarded a different ship. "Don't worry about it, Sengoku! You can have all the credit! Hahahaha!"
Sengoku's veins throbbed as he bellowed, "That's not what I meant, you idiot!"
———
Buru buru~ Buru buru~
The Den Den Mushi rang on a warship somewhere along the Grand Line.
Years of experience had made Dragon even more composed. He picked up the receiver as a voice came through:
"Is this Rear Admiral Monkey D. Dragon?"
"This is Dragon. Go ahead."
The communications officer reported, "We've spotted that group you were hunting—the ones researching government taboos—near Jaya Island. You're the closest, so Fleet Admiral Kong has ordered you to apprehend them at once. We're transmitting the files now."
"Understood," said Dragon, relaying orders to the helmsman.
Within moments, the data was recorded on paper. Dragon frowned as he read the report.
"Historians..."
———
In a quiet corner of headquarters, Sakazuki used his Observation Haki to monitor everything happening in the communications room. He let out a faint chuckle.
"Dragon…"
"Fate, huh?"
The time had finally come…
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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