Several months later.
Time passed quietly.
The New Year had just ended, and the date for the handover ceremony of the Marine Fleet Admiral had already been set.
The entire world seemed to be immersed in the joy of welcoming the new year.
Across the Four Seas.
The Revolutionary Army, having recently carried out a massive purge of internal parasites, suddenly began to withdraw its forces, stationing troops along the edge of the world and sealing off sea routes.
On islands from which no news could leak out, the Revolutionary Army erected one factory after another.
Not only were they producing advanced machinery, but also a number of weapons that, though discarded by the Marines, were still several times more advanced than those commonly found on the seas.
Those islands that had relied on human labor for farming over generations were gradually being replaced by convenient machines, which greatly liberated their workforce.
And that liberated manpower was continuously being absorbed and trained by the Revolutionary Army...
...
Inside the Government.
Because of Dragon's massive purge and the sealed sea routes, intelligence on the Revolutionary Army had been practically cut off.
However, those fearless agents still kept trying to break through the Revolutionary Army's defenses, attempting to obtain critical intelligence for the Government.
And before the new Fleet Admiral Sakazuki officially took office.
He had gone to the Holy Land and held a private meeting with the Elders for a full day.
No one knew what support he had gained...
...
On the pirate side.
The great war between the Four Emperors that had raged in the New World for months.
Came to a sudden halt after the Marines announced their new Fleet Admiral—Sakazuki—and the upcoming promotion ceremony.
The battle over territorial interests abruptly stopped.
Then, led by Red-Hair, the four sides gathered on a certain island to negotiate.
Afterward, the island was erased from the maps, the Four Emperors withdrew their forces, and based on their current territories, they redrew the lines of influence.
The one who suffered the greatest losses was Knock, followed by Red-Haired Shanks—both their business and territories had shrunk.
Only Charlotte Linlin and Kaido made a fortune.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. With Sakazuki ascending to Fleet Admiral, it was certain things wouldn't stay peaceful for long... full preparations for war had already begun.
...
Grand Line, Alabasta.
Rainbase, top floor of the Rain Dinners Casino.
There were still three days left before Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral.
Crocodile stood by the window, staring out at the endless yellow sandstorm, lost in thought.
On the desk behind him lay a newspaper.
The huge headline read:
"New Marine Fleet Admiral—The Brutal Sakazuki! Is the Great Pirate Era Coming to an End?"
The article then detailed and analyzed Sakazuki's career, laying out how his promotion might impact the world.
The author of this article was none other than the president of the World Economy News Paper, Morgans, who had personally written it.
This issue's sales record directly surpassed the last ten years.
The previous time such a record had been broken was when Roger had been crowned Pirate King...
Click—
The sound of the doorknob turning echoed.
Robin walked in, wearing a sun hat, black shorts, and a short-sleeved leather jacket, carrying a stack of documents in her arms.
She glanced at Crocodile by the window with slight puzzlement. That expression...
"BOSS, the profit and loss statistics for this month are out."
"Do you want to take a look?"
Crocodile kept staring out the window, his voice completely flat:
"Put it down."
Robin placed the documents on the desk, then turned to look at Crocodile.
"That's rare."
"I never thought I'd see that kind of expression on your face."
"To think something could actually trouble Crocodile-sama."
Hearing the faint teasing in Robin's tone, Crocodile snorted coldly and turned around.
"What, you have nothing better to do?"
"I've noticed your mood's been pretty good lately."
"Nico Robin..."
Hearing Crocodile call her by name, Robin knew he was truly irritated...
She shrugged and tactfully walked out...
Crocodile returned to the desk and sat down.
That huge headline on the newspaper was an eyesore.
"Sakazuki..."
That man had already become Fleet Admiral, and he was still standing still... playing the detestable role of a so-called hero, year after year...
Irritation surged up inside him. He took a few deep breaths.
Then walked back to the window, pushed it open, and leapt out.
"Pluton... Pluton..."
The wind and sand of Alabasta howled even fiercer...
Just as Robin entered the main hall of Rain Dinners.
She sensed Crocodile's sudden departure and chuckled softly, melting into the crowd.
Crocodile wasn't wrong—she had indeed been in high spirits lately.
Even Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral, her sworn enemy, hadn't extinguished that flame of joy.
She had originally planned to contact the Revolutionary Army for a trial approach, but unexpectedly, she gained something more.
From Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, she learned—
He had once been to Ohara.
The books that had been rescued from the flames by the scholars, her mother, and the others—
Were now stored somewhere else in the world, carrying on the will of Ohara.
Ohara had not perished!!!
Her lips unconsciously curved into a smile she couldn't suppress.
A life long shrouded in darkness was now filled with light.
With firm resolve and a clear direction, she handed over all the knowledge Lorka had taught her to Dragon and the Revolutionary Army without reservation...
"Mom, Professor, Saul..."
"And... Lorka..."
"I will live carrying all of your wills."
"Until the birth of a new world..."
The blazing sunlight shone down on her.
But to Robin, it felt warm for the first time in a long time...
...
New World, Sabaody Archipelago.
Evening.
Five ships carrying Marine soldiers and officers from various parts of the Grand Line were about to arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Sabaody Archipelago, Marine Branch.
Enel sat on the sofa in the Base Commander's office, yawning:
"Ha—"
"Everyone's here?"
Demora stood respectfully to the side and said:
"Almost, Enel-sama."
"The last patrol squad is on their way back."
Although they were both Vice Admirals, as one of Sakazuki's trusted subordinates, Enel was someone Demora wouldn't dare slack off around, serving him with the utmost respect...
Enel stood up.
"They're back. Let's go."
Through his Observation Haki, he sensed the last team rushing back. As soon as the gates closed, the soldiers on guard posts quickly assembled at the plaza.
The personnel registry had been completely checked.
On the vast base plaza, rows upon rows of Marines filled every corner.
Demora respectfully led the way to the plaza, then turned to the crowd below.
"Silence!!!!"
"Please listen to Vice Admiral Enel's address!"
He then stepped aside respectfully.
Enel's lips curved into a smirk as he walked forward.
"Everyone's here. Good."
"500 million Volt... Thunder Net..."
Zzzt—
Lightning burst out from his body, spreading out like a massive net made of thunder, covering every Marine...
No survivors.
Caught completely off guard, Demora's pupils shrank sharply.
"You..."
Puchi—
A golden short staff pierced straight through his heart... he died filled with unwillingness...
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Morning.
Two days remained until Sakazuki's promotion.
Sakazuki was already working in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku was there too, sorting through documents for the handover.
But just then, an intelligence officer entered. Seeing both the new and old Fleet Admirals in the room, he looked conflicted... not knowing how to speak.
Sengoku glanced at him.
"What is it? Speak."
The intelligence officer took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
"Reporting to Fleet Admiral."
"Last night, all personnel stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago branch, including Vice Admiral Demora, were slaughtered by Vice Admiral Enel..."
"After that, troops assembled from all parts of the Grand Line took over the Sabaody branch..."
That was why the intelligence officer was so troubled. It was clearly the handiwork of the new Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, yet Sengoku hadn't stepped down officially yet...
He'd offend someone no matter whom he reported to...
Sengoku froze.
"What?!"
His expression sank slightly as he turned to the officer.
"You may leave."
The officer breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes, sir!!!"
He hurriedly ran out.
Sengoku took a deep breath and looked at Sakazuki.
"Give me an explanation, Sakazuki."
Sakazuki sat on the edge of his desk, flipping through the documents.
"Just cleaning out the rot."
Sengoku looked at him in disbelief.
"Don't tell me every soldier at that base was rotten."
Sakazuki lifted his head.
"Actually, that's exactly right. Under Demora's leadership, there wasn't a single soldier in that base with a clean record."
"Cleaning them out also makes way for you, Sengoku-sama."
"You wouldn't want to lead a bunch of corrupt, gambling, drunk soldiers into battle, would you?"
A Marine of Sengoku's level couldn't just walk away even after stepping down. He still needed a position.
But since Sengoku had already stepped down as Fleet Admiral, it wasn't possible for him to become an Admiral again, and a Vice Admiral would be inappropriate.
So they had temporarily created a new position—Inspector General. Its duty was to oversee the top brass. A perfect fit for Sengoku.
Sengoku frowned slightly.
"Hmm?"
He was a bit confused. His original plan was to enjoy his retirement… but judging by Sakazuki's expression, it didn't seem like he intended to let him rest...
Sakazuki flipped open a new set of files.
"In troubled times, heavy measures are necessary."
"The curtain on the destruction of pirates has only just risen."
"Sealing the New World… is only the first step."
...
New World, Egghead Island.
One day before Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral.
The island was unusually quiet.
Enel and Law were out on a mission.
The government's agents had mysteriously vanished… probably fed to some sharks somewhere.
For once, Vegapunk wasn't doing research. He just sat in front of the massive screen, watching the equipment operate.
If it were any other time, he wouldn't have been idle for this long.
After a long silence...
Vegapunk took out the Den Den Mushi and dialed.
Buru buru~ buru buru~
After only two rings, the call was picked up.
The voice of the Revolutionary Army's leader, Dragon, came through.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Will you join us?"
Vegapunk chuckled.
"You're overthinking it, Dragon."
"Although I do agree with your ideals, I still believe Sakazuki is the one who can truly save this world."
Dragon fell silent for a moment.
"I see…"
"Alright then."
"What's this call for?"
Vegapunk and Dragon had known each other long before Dragon was captured.
But they hadn't had much contact… not until their accidental encounter at Ohara.
At the time, Dragon's ideals had amazed him, but Vegapunk hadn't thought too much of it, because he'd known Sakazuki for much longer.
Compared to Dragon's idealism, Sakazuki's vision was more realistic—and more achievable.
And besides, there were things here he couldn't let go of...
Vegapunk sighed softly.
"This will be the last time we speak."
"Because I've realized I made a mistake."
"When I handed over those blueprints for the weapons, I didn't think too deeply about it."
"But after seeing your moves... I realized I was wrong."
"I can't guarantee those weapons won't end up aimed at Marine soldiers."
"That would be a betrayal of the Marines… a betrayal of Sakazuki."
"And I couldn't forgive myself for that."
"I've already confessed everything about our connection and our exchanges to Sakazuki."
"He didn't say anything."
"But I no longer have the courage to see him again..."
Dragon stayed silent for a long time on the other end of the line.
"Sorry..."
It wasn't until he inherited Robin's knowledge that he truly began to value industry and technology... and so he'd gone to Vegapunk for some technological weapons.
But he hadn't expected Vegapunk to have such a deep connection with Sakazuki...
Vegapunk gave a faint laugh.
"That's all then, Dragon."
"Oh, and tell Bartholomew Kuma to be careful."
"Goodbye."
Click—
The call ended.
Vegapunk collapsed back into his chair, letting out a long breath.
In a lifetime, how many true friends could one have… and now, another was lost.
But he couldn't pretend nothing had happened. The guilt was too heavy...
With a wave of his hand, the massive Kuma came lumbering over from afar.
He picked up the private Den Den Mushi from the table, crunch crunch, and swallowed it down.
Then Vegapunk stood up and returned to his endless, sleepless research...
...
On the day of Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral.
In every Marine branch across the world, all the soldiers stood silently, a rare sight.
Since dawn, they'd been standing on their bases' parade grounds.
Waiting for the figure to appear on the giant screen...
Even the soldiers at sea stood in neat formations.
Excitement filled the air as they awaited the start of the live broadcast through the Den Den Mushi...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
On the plaza, nearly ten thousand soldiers stood in perfectly ordered lines.
Excitement lit up every face. The man they revered was finally ascending to the top.
He was… their faith.
Countless reporters had rushed in from around the world, waiting early at the viewing stands, eager to report the news first-hand.
All across the world, countless islands and people who had once been saved by Sakazuki gathered in front of homes with Den Den Mushi...
Even pirates were staring intently at the broadcast...
...
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Kaido held his gourd of sake, drinking as he watched the broadcast...
...
Whole Cake Island...
Charlotte Linlin sat at a massive table, surrounded by desserts, eating as she watched...
...
Steam Pirates' base...
Red-Haired Pirates aboard the Red Force...
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sakazuki stood behind the promotion platform, the Fleet Admiral's cloak draped over his shoulders.
Few people surrounded him—Sengoku, Karol, Zephyr, and Ward Morris.
Even Bullet and Enel weren't there—they had already been dispatched to the New World by Sakazuki. If not for Sengoku needing to hand over responsibilities...
They would already be at their destinations.
Karol glanced at his watch and smiled.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, it's time."
The corners of Sakazuki's mouth lifted slightly.
"Let's begin."
Karol immediately went down to begin the preparations.
With a single command...
WOOO—WOOO—WOOO—WOOO—
A chilling, warlike siren blared across the base.
The onlookers froze. Was someone really causing trouble at this time?
But when Sakazuki and Sengoku slowly stepped onto the stage, they realized—it was ceremonial music.
The reporters at Headquarters exhaled in relief. Their lives weren't in danger… and they were thrilled.
A Fleet Admiral's promotion heralded by a war siren. It was obvious—this new Fleet Admiral's methods would be ruthless. Was the world war about to begin?
He hadn't even started his speech, but the sound of camera shutters was already constant. No one dared miss a single moment.
On the promotion platform...
Sengoku took the Fleet Admiral's medal and handed it to Sakazuki, pinning it onto him.
They nodded to each other. Sengoku slowly stepped back.
People around the world were a bit puzzled. Where was the rest of the ceremony?
Sakazuki stepped forward and picked up the microphone.
"Sengoku-sama still has tasks to handle."
"So we'll keep this simple."
"Everyone, war is about to begin."
"Make every preparation. Be ready to face it."
Sakazuki paused slightly to give people around the world time to react.
But… the world had already erupted.
No one expected the new Fleet Admiral to be this aggressive—his third sentence was already a declaration of war!
Countless enemies of Sakazuki unconsciously straightened their backs, waiting to hear… who he was declaring war on.
Pirates? The Revolutionary Army?
The reporters at Headquarters trembled, too excited to speak. Some even dropped their cameras...
Sakazuki began to speak slowly.
"On this vast blue sea..."
"There are breathtaking sights one could never finish seeing in a lifetime."
"We, who were born into such a beautiful world, should be the luckiest people alive."
"But..."
"There's a group of people out there."
"They take plunder as their joy."
"They slaughter villages and towns at whim. Every year, hundreds of thousands die because of them."
"They glorify massacre as 'brotherhood.'"
"For a few words or for their so-called 'comrades,' they slaughter nations and destroy islands."
"They brazenly ravage everything in this world, and call it adventure."
"They defy the Marines and the Government without fear, and call it freedom."
"The cancer of this world—pirates."
"The word 'pirate' can be traced all the way back to the founding of the World Government."
"Eight hundred years."
"This cancer has never been removed."
"And then came the sinner of the world—the so-called Pirate King, Roger."
"He plunged the world into a disaster that has lasted nineteen years."
"Millions of lives have been directly or indirectly destroyed by pirates."
"Tens of millions of civilians have been affected."
"This is the so-called 'Great Pirate Era' that these scum worship as legend."
"What a terrifying number."
"And what's even more shocking is that the numbers continue to rise."
"Every single day, people die under the blades of pirates."
"And that is why I stand here today."
"I can say this to the people of the world, and to the trash out at sea—"
"Eliminating pirates can't wait. There's no place in this world for such garbage!"
He paused briefly.
Then came the declaration of war.
"First."
"Starting today."
"Sabaody Archipelago will be under lockdown."
"All coating facilities will be forcibly taken over by the Marines."
"Commercial and cruise ships may pass through after registration."
"Sengoku-sama, former Fleet Admiral and now Inspector Generalr, will take command as the base's leader."
"Second."
"One-third of the forces from all Grand Line bases will be moved to the New World."
"Ten percent of the forces from the Four Seas branches will be transferred to the first half of the Grand Line."
"Strategic deployment in the New World."
"The front against pirate Knock will be commanded by Admiral Kuzan."
"The front against pirate Charlotte Linlin will be commanded by Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp."
"The front against pirate Kaido will be commanded by Admiral Borsalino."
"The front against pirate Shanks will be commanded by Enel, Admiral-candidate."
"A new position above Admiral will be created—Commander-in-Chief."
"Douglas Bullet, former Admiral-candidate, will take this post and guard the central line."
"The rest of the Vice Admirals will enter the New World in batches to be reassigned."
"Marineford will be reclassified as G-1 Branch."
"The original G-1 Branch in the New World will become the new Marine Headquarters—New Marineford."
"All Marine bases worldwide will enter a state of war readiness."
"After discussions with the Government, a three-year global draft will begin."
"The number of Admirals will be increased to four."
"During this period, those with sufficient strength may be directly promoted to Admiral."
Sakazuki nodded at Karol.
The massive screen in the plaza suddenly lit up.
On it appeared a small island, with countless warships sailing away.
"Third."
"The three End Points in the New World."
"The legend that they could destroy the New World has always been treated as a joke."
"But as Fleet Admiral, I can responsibly tell the world—that legend is real."
"Beneath those three End Points lies massive magma reservoirs."
"If all three are detonated, the chain reaction in the Earth's veins will annihilate the entire New World. No one will escape."
"Now..."
BOOOOM!!!
On the giant screen, the island exploded with a terrifying force. Even through the screen, it was enough to make people's hearts shudder...
"We just detonated the first one."
"When we launch the final war against the pirates, we'll detonate the second."
"And if we lose that war, we'll detonate the third. No pirate will escape the New World."
"On this vast blue sea, what should fill it are people's smiling faces—not those holding blades and guns, living off slaughter and plunder."
"The so-called Great Pirate Era is about to face its end."
Sakazuki took a deep breath.
"Justice!!!"
The soldiers standing in formation below, and Marine officers all around the world watching the broadcast, flushed red as they roared in unison:
"Victory! Victory!! Victory!!!"