New World, Edd War Sea.
High above what was once an unremarkable deserted island, the land itself had vanished—replaced by a volcanic crater nearly a kilometer wide.
Once everything was in place, Sakazuki dropped into the roaring mouth of the volcano, using his powers to force the magma downward. Just as seawater threatened to swallow the crater whole, he shot back out.
All that remained was a patch of boiling sea, the only clue to the devastation that had taken place. No one would ever know where that towering tsunami had come from—after all, who would care about a missing island that never even had a name?
Sakazuki surveyed the erased crime scene and nodded with satisfaction, then rocketed skyward to rendezvous with Barrett.
———
Grand Line, Jaya Island.
By the time Monkey D. Dragon's warship arrived, several other Marine vessels were already docked at the port—a clear sign this was an emergency deployment.
The island was small, and it was obvious at a glance that Marines had the entire place surrounded, combing through every corner.
At the harbor, Spandine—draped in a striped cloak—was deep in discussion with several Marine officers. As Dragon's ship docked, they waved him over.
Dragon approached and greeted them with polite formality. "Rear Admiral Leo, Rear Admiral Kit, Vice Admiral Field."
The officers nodded in return. Field gestured to the man beside him. "Dragon, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Spandine, commander of CP9 under the World Government."
Dragon extended his hand, shaking Spandine's. "A pleasure."
"Likewise."
Introductions done, Dragon got straight to business. "Vice Admiral Field, according to the files, our target this time is a group of scholars. Why mobilize so many forces?"
Spandine interjected smoothly, "Allow me to brief Rear Admiral Dragon. These scholars are no ordinary illegal organization. Their sole purpose is to research government taboos. The group itself numbers over a hundred, and many more have been brainwashed into joining. They pose a grave threat to global security. This operation comes directly from the Five Elders themselves—that should tell you how dangerous they are."
Dragon nodded, thoughtful. "I see. No time to waste, then. I'll join the search teams."
With a quick word to the others, he strode off toward the heart of town. The officers watched him go, a bit stunned. Field chuckled, "Young folks sure are full of energy. Eager to make a name for himself. You two should take notes!"
"..."
———
Inside a modest house in town, a figure in a white suit and simple white mask was rifling through the corpses on the floor, searching for something. Suddenly, he froze—sensing a presence.
He immediately suppressed his aura, gliding noiselessly to the window to scan outside. After a moment, finding nothing, he turned back to the bodies, pausing as if frowning beneath his mask.
With a flick of his finger, Shigan—finger guns—fired, shredding the scattered documents into confetti. He slipped out the door, kicked off the ground, and vanished into the sky.
A gentle breeze swept through the now-silent house.
Minutes later—
Swish!
The white-suited CP agent landed atop a nearby roof. After confirming the coast was clear, he blurred away, disappearing once more.
Time passed.
A faint wind gathered in the empty house, and Dragon's figure materialized. He frowned, staring at the spot where the CP0 agent had vanished.
"So, even CP0 is involved now?"
Using his Devil Fruit powers to scout the area, Dragon had stumbled upon this place by chance. Something felt off, so he'd concealed his presence and investigated—only to find the CP0 agent was every bit as cautious. Fortunately, he'd kept his powers active the entire time. Only after the agent completely slipped from his senses did Dragon reveal himself.
Inside, he eyed the shredded paper. A swirl of wind gathered the scraps into his hand. Among the fragments, a few words stood out: "government," "truth," and more.
"Government, huh…" Dragon murmured, lost in thought.
He was no longer the young, hot-blooded Marine he'd once been. Years of witnessing darkness and helplessness had shaken the values he'd grown up with. Some, when confronted with evil, take action. Others simply complain and give up.
He wanted to change things, but how?
"Will you show me the answer…?"
Gazing at the scraps in his palm, those scattered words seemed to point him toward a path. The most important thing was to act. Only by taking action would he uncover the truth—and find a way forward.
He tucked the scraps into his pocket. Footsteps echoed from outside—he couldn't linger.
As he turned to go, something caught his eye: a backpack that the CP0 agent hadn't searched or destroyed. A corner of a notebook peeked out.
He hurried over and pulled it free.
"'Oppression and Resistance'…"
He read the title softly. No time to examine it—the footsteps were getting closer. Dragon stuffed the notebook into his jacket, transformed into a gust of wind, and vanished.
"Captain!"
"There are several bodies here!"
"What?! Where, where?!"
"Quick, search the area for anything useful!"
"Hurry!"
———
In a distant high-rise, the white-suited CP0 agent stood behind a window, watching the chaos below. He'd seen everything—including Dragon taking the notebook.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
After a few rings, the call connected.
Sakazuki's voice: "Status, Karol?"
Karol let out a soft laugh. "All done."
Sakazuki: "You weren't discovered, right? Was the suit useful?"
Karol: "No one noticed a thing. The suit worked perfectly—completely blocked Observation Haki. Didn't expect those materials from the Sky Island ruins to be this handy."
Sakazuki: "Good. Get out of there. Just in case."
Karol: "Understood."
She hung up and vanished from the building. A streak of white flashed across the sky, flying away from Jaya Island.
Far away, shreds of white fabric drifted down from the clouds, dissolving into the sea and disappearing without a trace...
———
Meanwhile, New World.
Within Golden Lion's territory, Sakazuki hung up his Den Den Mushi and turned to Barrett and his Roaring Assault Team.
"Go for decapitation. Destroy as many of Golden Lion's subordinate forces as you can, as fast as possible. Wipe out everything you can. Retreat in three days."
Barrett and his men donned pitch-black uniforms. "Yes, sir!"
Sakazuki nodded. "Move out."
Swish swish swish…
With a flurry of movement, Barrett and his entire squad vanished into the night.
———
Sakazuki retrieved a large, bulging pack from the speedboat—stuffed to the brim with fake newspapers.
The front page headline screamed:
"Gol D. Roger Battles Pirate Admiral Golden Lion! Flying Pirate Fleet Annihilated, Golden Lion Dead!"
Below, a collage of blurry wreckage photos.
Sakazuki chuckled quietly, slung the bag over his shoulder, and, activating his powers, shot off toward the border waters between the Big Mom Pirates and the Steam Pirates...
———
At a gathering point for Golden Lion's subordinate forces:
Barrett eyed the massive gate and grinned savagely.
Vmm—
Oni Aura mode activated instantly. His skin turned blue-green, eyes burning crimson—utterly monstrous.
Behind him, elite assault troops lined up in two precise ranks.
A crazed, bloodthirsty shout rang out:
"Crush them!!" ~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
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