Red Line —
The land that cuts across the world,
splitting the seas into two.
Upon its heights stands a city of unmatched grandeur and extravagance—
the very center of the world,
home to the so-called descendants of the gods:
the Celestial Dragons.
This is Mary Geoise.
Beneath its gleaming splendor lies a darkness deeper and bloodier than any pirate's cruelty.
…
Inside a resplendent, gold-laden grand hall—
the chamber of the world's highest authority—
five aged men gathered, either seated or standing.
The Five Elders, whose will represents supreme power over the outside world,
all had their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the massive screen in front of them,
which was broadcasting a live feed of the current war.
Even Sabaody Archipelago had a live transmission of this Summit War—
naturally, the very heart of the world, Mary Geoise, would not be without one.
The war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates was, after all, set in motion by the World Government itself—
of course they would be watching closely.
At first,
the mood in the council hall was lighthearted, almost jubilant.
The Five Elders sipped fine wine, sampled exquisite fruits,
and prepared to enjoy the moment when the final remnant of a bygone era would meet his end.
Whitebeard, the world's strongest man?
So what.
This battle was being fought on Marineford's home turf.
The Whitebeard Pirates faced not only the full might of Marine Headquarters,
but also the combined power of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The preparations had begun more than a month ago—
elite forces summoned from all across the globe.
In sheer numbers alone,
the Marines' 100,000 elite troops were twice that of Whitebeard's main crew and its forty-three allied captains combined.
In terms of top-tier combat strength,
Whitebeard was just one old, ailing relic from a past age—
while the Marines could field three active Admirals in their prime,
plus three legendary veterans from the previous era:
Fleet Admiral Sengoku
Hero of the Marines Garp
And, unexpectedly returning to the field, former Admiral Zephyr.
Even if Whitebeard truly was the world's strongest man,
there was simply no way he could stand alone against six of their finest.
In fact, they calculated, only two Admirals would be needed to wear him down and finish him off.
The Marines had prepared with meticulous care—
this battle's outcome had been decided from the very beginning.
Today, Whitebeard and his entire fleet would be wiped from the seas.
There was no doubt about it.
That's how it should have been—
—until an unexpected third force appeared.
Not long after the fighting began,
the Fifth Emperor, Monkey D. Luffy, and his Straw Hat crew smashed into the battlefield,
shaking the war to its core.
Even the Five Elders, from their lofty seats of power, were taken aback.
But the surprise lasted only an instant.
The next moment, they smiled knowingly—
sharing the same thoughts as certain spectators back on Sabaody.
In their eyes,
this so-called "Fifth Emperor" and his ragtag crew were nothing but fools charging to their deaths.
They would serve as nothing more than convenient cannon fodder,
their presence doing nothing to change the war's outcome.
Like a single drop of water falling into the ocean—
perhaps creating a brief splash,
but quickly swallowed by the tide, leaving not even a trace.
If they were lucky enough to be captured alive,
the Elders mused,
perhaps they could be handed over to the Roswald family of Celestial Dragons,
giving those insufferable nobles a small diversion.
That was the extent of their consideration.
But then…
What happened next shattered the composure of the grand council chamber.
Vice Admiral Dalmatian—
a seasoned veteran of Marine Headquarters—
was defeated in an instant!
Even these rulers, who had weathered countless storms and never flinched in the face of glory or disgrace,
found themselves stunned.
Eyes widened as if they had just seen a ghost;
wine spilled from lips left hanging open.
And that was only the beginning.
Right after Luffy's crushing blow to Dalmatian,
the Straw Hats' second representative, Yamato, stepped forward—
and defeated Vice Admiral Strawberry in similarly overwhelming fashion.
While her victory wasn't quite as instantaneous as Luffy's,
it was still utterly one-sided.
In barely a minute, another long-standing Vice Admiral had been forced to retreat.
To so decisively overpower Marine elites at that rank…
was a level of strength already brushing against that of the Yonko.
The evidence kept piling up.
Luffy injured Admiral Aokiji with a single punch.
Zoro and Sanji, fighting side-by-side, drove back Admiral Kizaru.
The balance of high-level combat power was shifting.
The Marines no longer held overwhelming dominance.
And all of this—
all of it—
was because of a crew they had dismissed as irrelevant.
If it had been only Whitebeard's reinforcements,
the Five Elders would not have been troubled.
Even with extra top-tier fighters,
the Marines would still have held the advantage—
the cost of victory would simply have been higher.
What truly unsettled them—
what even inspired fear—
was the possibility of an earth-shaking secret lurking behind these events.
The Straw Hat Pirates, this year's super rookies…
The Five Elders knew them well.
They had been watching ever since the Alabasta incident.
In the end, it all came down to the Straw Hat captain—Monkey D. Luffy—and the power of his Devil Fruit.
Eleven years ago, in the East Blue, it had been found and—under orders from CP9—secretly escorted by a prodigy.
Eight hundred years ago, that very same fruit had belonged to a man named Joy Boy.
His strength had been immeasurable, and at one point, he had come dangerously close to toppling the World Government itself.
Afterwards—
In order to erase all record of the fruit's original name from history—
the World Government had deliberately given this Mythical fruit a completely different name:
The Gomu Gomu no Mi.
Even now, eight centuries later,
not even the highest authority in the world—the Five Elders themselves—
knew the fruit's true power.
For hundreds of years—perhaps even a millennium—
only Joy Boy had ever successfully awakened it.
And now…
Could that Straw Hat brat, Monkey D. Luffy, be the second?
Until now,
the Elders had never given the matter much thought.
But at this moment,
they could no longer avoid it.
Everything happening with the Straw Hats was simply too bizarre to ignore.
They knew all about the incident ten days ago at Sabaody involving the Celestial Dragons.
At that time,
the Straw Hats—Luffy included—were nothing more than small fry.
A single Admiral, Kizaru, had pushed them to the brink of annihilation.
At the last moment,
if not for Dark King Rayleigh and the sudden interference of Bartholomew Kuma,
the entire crew would have been captured and turned into slaves of the Celestial Dragons.
But now—
In just ten short days—
after being scattered by Kuma's paw—
not only had the Straw Hats regrouped,
but they had undergone a complete transformation, as if reborn.
Every member's strength had grown dramatically.
Luffy himself now fought at a level brushing against the Yonko…
and even his crewmates could go toe-to-toe with an Admiral.
It was a miracle among miracles.
And to the Five Elders,
there was only one power capable of producing such a miracle—
the Mythical Fruit itself.
"Damn it… we really underestimated that Straw Hat brat!"
The blond-haired, younger-looking Elder ground his teeth and slammed a palm down, splintering the corner of a heavy table.
"To think a mere upstart could awaken that fruit's miraculous power in such a short time… he's far too lucky!"
The Elder in white martial attire, holding the supreme blade First Kitetsu, furrowed his brow.
"Calm yourselves. We can't be certain yet that the fruit has truly awakened. You haven't forgotten, have you? An awakening would trigger certain… unique phenomena. At the very least, there's been no report of any disturbance from the giant elephant in the New World."
The Elder in a deep blue suit, long white hair and beard reaching his waist, tried to steady the mood.
"But if it's not the Mythical Fruit's power," the bald Elder with a birthmark said gravely,
"then how else do you explain the Straw Hats' complete transformation in such a short time?"
"Enough talking—look at the screen! Something's happening!"
The aristocratic Elder with curled hair cried out in alarm.
The Elders all turned—
On the battlefield, chaos reigned.
And then—
From the sky descended another squad—the Impel Down Straw Hat team, led by Monkey D. Luffy himself.
The entire world was stunned—
and even the grand council chamber of the Five Elders fell silent in shock.
Moments later—
"What?!"
The Elders' voices nearly shattered the air.
"Another Straw Hat brat?!"
"What in the world is going on?!"
"Could this… could this also be the Mythical Fruit's miraculous ability?"
Even these rulers of the world were at a loss.
"Could it be," the blond Elder said slowly, "that the one we've been watching all along was a fake… and this is the real Luffy?"
"If that's the case," the aristocratic Elder frowned, "why impersonate the Straw Hats? What benefit would it serve? And what top-class crew could pull it off? Even if you mimic appearances, Devil Fruit powers are unique—there can't be two of the same!"
"That one who injured Aokiji," the bald Elder cut in, "was absolutely using the Gomu Gomu no Mi."
"…Could it be," the martial Elder mused, "that they aren't impostors at all… but rather came from some unknown realm?"
The chamber fell silent as the idea sank in.
"…The future?" the Elder in the deep blue suit finally said.
"Could it be they came from the future?"
"No!" the aristocratic Elder shot back. "Impossible! Time only moves forward! Even a Paramecia-type time fruit could only push someone into the future—never bring them back!"
"You're not wrong," the blond Elder admitted, "but in this world, there are things beyond common sense… like miracles."
"Let's assume this: in our timeline, Marineford ended in total victory for the Navy. Fire Fist Ace died. In the future, Straw Hat Luffy awakened the Mythical Fruit's power—and used its mysterious ability to return here, to change the war's outcome. How's that?"
The Elder with the long white beard had come dangerously close to the truth.
The chamber sank into another heavy silence.
Finally—
"No matter how you look at it, it all comes back to that fruit's awakening," the bald Elder said grimly. "What should we do? Inform Imu-sama?"
"No," the martial Elder shook his head. "Eleven years ago, losing that fruit was our mistake. Now's the time to fix it."
"That's right," the blond Elder agreed.
"In this war, we end every possible threat in one stroke."
"No matter if it's the Luffy of this era… or the one who might have come from the future… we wipe them out completely!" the aristocratic Elder declared coldly.
"Agreed."
"Exactly."
"This should have been done long ago."
"Summon the strongest shield—CP0—to the battlefield. Target both Luffys!"
"Inform Sengoku: list both of them as the Navy's top kill priority—above Ace and Whitebeard!"
"If necessary, even if we have to let the Whitebeard Pirates escape—we must ensure the Straw Hat Luffys do not leave Marineford alive!" the Elder in the deep blue suit commanded.
"To prevent this… anomaly, we will spare no cost—none at all!"
"Begin the operation!"
"Operation: Total Eradication of Straw Hat!"