Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The burly Elder slammed the newspaper in his hand down in anger:
"Damn bastard, can't even stay quiet after death."
"That cursed D..."
"This is going to be a real problem."
The Elder wielding a sword wiped the blade clean:
"Getting angry won't solve anything. Let's think of a solution."
"Otherwise, if Imu-sama blames us..."
The Elder holding a cane in both hands spoke:
"Begin purging the remnants of the Roger Pirates immediately."
"At the same time, release news of Rayleigh's death and the Golden Lion's imprisonment."
"Divert public attention."
"Minimize the impact of this incident."
"As for what comes next..."
"We'll deal with it step by step."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."...
They couldn't foresee the impact the "One Piece" would bring, and by the time they realized, it would already be irreversible...
...
Grand Line, Alabasta.
Inside the royal palace, the young King Nefertari Cobra held the newspaper, a cold sweat sliding down his face:
"A terrifying era is about to be born..."
With his far-reaching vision, he could already foresee the chaotic and bloody seas of the future.
...
Grand Line, Enies Lobby.
At the main gate, two Marine officers were loudly reading the newspaper.
Above them, two giants who had been tricked into guarding the gate while searching for their chief were squatting, looking down at the officers.
"Looks like there'll be more pirates now, Oimo."
The fat giant Oimo laughed:
"They're not gonna attack here anyway."
"Ahahahahaha!"
...
Grand Line, Little Garden.
Suddenly, plumes of thick smoke burst from the island's volcanic range...
Then the ground began to shake violently!
Two giants, each over twenty meters tall, charged at each other with weapons in hand.
Clang!
Their shields intercepted one another's weapons.
A massive shockwave exploded from between them, spreading outwards, even causing waves to ripple across the sea...
"For glory!!!" x2
BOOM——!!!
...
Jaya Island
Years had passed. Now grown, Cricket had formed his own exploration alliance.
They searched for treasures across the sea while working to clear the name of his ancestor.
"Cricket! Roger left treasure and died!!"
"The legendary One Piece!"
"This is amazing!!!"
A junior member of the alliance, an adventure enthusiast, rushed over with the newspaper in hand.
Cricket put down the sea chart in his hand, took the newspaper, and smiled:
"Pretty romantic, isn't it?"
"Treasure and adventure."
"Ahahahahaha!"
...
Grand Line, a secret World Government training base.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
The future CP9 members were still just children, undergoing training here from a young age...
As they punched the air, the instructor shouted sternly:
"If you want to carry out justice—"
"You must become much stronger!"
The young Rob Lucci punched even harder, the little pigeon on his cap wobbling with each strike.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
...
Somewhere, a small unknown mountain village.
A burly middle-aged woman stared at the newborn child she had just given birth to.
Seeing the baby's rough features and curly eyebrows — unlike any ordinary infant — the woman burst into tears:
"How could this happen!"
"A cursed child has been born!"
"This is the curse of the Pirate Era!!!"
This baby would later become the model for Sanji's wanted poster... Duval.
...
Grand Line, Calm Belt, Amazon Lily.
The young Boa sisters huddled together.
The green-haired Boa Sandersonia asked curiously:
"The Great Pirate Era?"
"Can anyone become a pirate?"
The young Boa Hancock replied seriously:
"They say if you're not a powerful warrior, you can't even join a pirate crew!"
Her two younger sisters looked shocked:
"Eh!" x2
...
Grand Line, Impel Down.
Level 6 — Eternal Hell.
As news about Roger spread, the prison erupted into chaos.
"The Pirate King left behind a great treasure and died!"
"A new era of pirates is beginning!"
"I wish I could get out now! Damn it!!!"
"A new era!!!"
"An era!!! For pirates!!!"
"I want to head to the sea where it all begins!"
"Let me out now!"
Inside a solitary cell.
The Golden Lion lay sprawled out on the floor.
His legs were shackled with heavy Seastone chains.
Ignoring the noise outside, he stared blankly at the ceiling:
"Roger... why did you die?"
"What new era..."
"How boring..."
"Pirates are the rulers of the sea."
"One day, I'll make them all understand..."
...
East Blue, a Marine branch base.
Late at night, inside a dormitory.
A few soldiers with burning gazes looked toward their boss, who had just hung up the Den Den Mushi.
The burly soldier holding the Den Den Mushi took a few deep breaths, a smile he couldn't suppress spreading across his face.
"Finally, it's our turn. Time to get rid of those parasites."
The other soldiers grew excited. So it was finally beginning...
Scenes like this were unfolding in an orderly fashion across branches all around the world...
...
New World, Steam Pirates.
The members of the Steam Pirates were gathered together, each with a newspaper laid out in front of them.
The headline read: "Roger Pirates Annihilated, Golden Lion Captured and Imprisoned in Impel Down."
The images were split into three sections: a photo of Roger with his body pierced through, Rayleigh's dismembered corpse, and Golden Lion being escorted by Marine soldiers...
The subordinates murmured among themselves.
"Hiss!"
"This..."
"Since when did the Marines get this strong?"
"Terrifying."
"But... Golden Lion imprisoned."
"Then what about his territory..."
"Don't rush—wait for the boss to speak."
Knock puffed on his cigar, eyes slightly narrowed as he stared at the newspaper.
He found it hard to believe, but the photos of Rayleigh's corpse and Golden Lion were right there.
Before long, a panicked crewmember came rushing in:
"Boss!"
"Golden Lion has definitely been captured!"
"Over the past few days, the Marines have been rapidly taking over his territory."
Knock took a drag on his cigar.
"Do we know who's leading the operation?"
The crewmember answered nervously:
"Judging by the traces left at the scene... it was... it was Sakazuki."
He trembled slightly—this name was taboo.
Knock's Conqueror's Haki suddenly burst forth.
"That bastard..."
Heavy, furious breaths echoed in the room.
After a moment, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Abandon the plan to take over Golden Lion's territory."
"Attack Fish-Man Island instead."
"The Marines won't bother with that mess."
"As long as we gain control over that place, we can gradually recover the losses from these past years."
All the officers' spirits were stirred.
"Yes!!!"
...
New World, an unnamed deserted island.
Two groups had gathered here.
Charlotte Linlin's distinctive laughter rang out:
"Mamamamama!"
"Sakazuki, the Marines are reaching too far, don't you think?"