Marineford – Marine Headquarters.
The battle raged with unrelenting ferocity.
Holy Land – Mary Geoise.
Beneath the glittering surface, undercurrents swirled ominously.
At the same time—
Across the East, West, North, and South Seas… and the entire Grand Line—
The oceans were restless.
The world was shaking.
One week earlier—
The Navy and the World Government had announced to the world the public execution of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division Commander—Fire Fist Ace.
That announcement had sent shockwaves across every sea.
From that moment on, everywhere in the world—
in the streets and alleys,
in every gathering place—
people spoke of nothing but the upcoming Summit War.
Would the Whitebeard Pirates really risk everything, starting a war with the Navy, just to save a single crewmate?
And if they did…
What would be the final outcome?
Underground crime syndicates wasted no time.
They set up massive, illicit betting pools, drawing in gamblers from all walks of life.
The common folk were just as captivated.
As the execution day approached, the whole world's eyes turned toward the battlefield.
But because of the Grand Line's chaotic magnetic fields,
it was impossible to broadcast the battle directly to the entire world.
Only in certain locations—such as the Sabaody Archipelago, close enough to Marineford—
were large projection screens set up for a live feed.
Everywhere else,
news of the battle would be gathered at Sabaody by reporters from every major newspaper,
then transmitted back to their headquarters before being printed and distributed to the rest of the world.
Within just half an hour of the war's start,
the first breaking headlines were already racing across the seas.
Two dominated the front pages:
1. "The Four Emperors – Whitebeard Pirates Make a Haki-Fueled Entrance!"
That headline alone shook the entire world—
nowhere more than in the East Blue.
After all, five members of the Straw Hat crew hailed from there…
---
East Blue – Floating Restaurant Baratie
"Head Chef Zeff! Bad news!"
"H-hey… the Straw Hats…!"
"S-Sanji… Sanji, that little punk—!"
"He actually… he actually…!!"
The fighting cooks crowded around the freshly printed newspaper,
still warm and smelling of ink.
Eyes bulged, jaws dropped, and words tumbled out in a jumble.
Even the legendary "Red-Leg" Zeff, usually calm and unshakable, froze in place.
He knew Sanji had talent.
He knew the boy had potential.
But even he could never have imagined—
that in less than a year—
Sanji would grow to this level.
The cooks slowly recovered from their shock.
"This is insane—absolutely insane!"
"That's really Sanji? And the Straw Hats?!"
"No matter how you look at it, this is way too over the top!"
"Sanji… that brat is actually fighting on equal terms with an Admiral! Do you know what that means?!"
Some began to doubt.
"That masked guy… is that really Sanji? And the Straw Hats—weren't they destroyed by an Admiral just ten days ago…?"
WHACK!
A heavy blow from Zeff's wooden leg shut him up instantly.
"Idiot! No matter how you look at it, that's Sanji! He's one of our Baratie fighting cooks!"
Though his voice was gruff, his eyes gleamed with pride.
When the news of the Straw Hats' supposed destruction reached him ten days ago,
Zeff had kept a straight face—
but in the quiet of the night, he had shed countless tears.
Now, seeing them alive and together again,
he was overcome with relief and joy.
"That's right—Sanji's one of ours!"
"If it were that easy to take him down, we'd lose all our Baratie pride!"
"And what's with that stylish 'smart' look of his?!"
"I still think his round wanted poster picture was cuter!"
"Hah! We've got a chef who's Admiral-level—let's see who dares look down on us now!"
Laughter and cheerful chatter filled the restaurant.
Zeff's gaze softened, though a faint glimmer of tears remained.
Sanji… you must have endured so much to get here.
---
East Blue – Cocoyasi Village
This tangerine-producing island had once suffered under eight years of Fishman oppression—
until the Straw Hats arrived and liberated them half a year ago.
Now, in the village office—
"That idiot Nami!!!"
Genzo, the scar-faced but kind-hearted sheriff, slammed a hand on the wall beside a huge poster of Nami.
"She finally made it through all that, and now she's gone to such a dangerous place—Marine Headquarters! That's not somewhere pirates can just walk into!"
"And now of all times, there's a war between monsters going on there! If she gets caught in the crossfire—!!"
Genzo clutched his head, unable to imagine it.
Ever since Bell-mère's death eight years ago,
he had taken on the role of Nami's father figure.
Ten days ago, the Sabaody news had nearly crushed him.
Now…
"Come on, Genzo," Nojiko said gently. "Don't panic. Look at the paper—Nami's stronger now. And not just her—the whole crew can be trusted. Ten days ago she made it out safe, and this time she will too."
Her voice was steady, her faith unshaken.
---
East Blue – Syrup Village
"Kaya! Kaya, look!"
"It's Captain Usopp! He looks so cool!"
"Check out those muscles—he's a real man now!"
Usopp's little pirate gang—Onion, Carrot, and Pepper—were beside themselves with excitement, waving the paper.
Under the shade of a tree,
Kaya, her long golden hair swaying in the breeze, smiled softly as she gazed at the photograph.
"Please… come back safe."
---
East Blue – Shimotsuki Village
"Master Koushirou!"
The sword-wielding duo Johnny and Yosaku burst into the dojo, waving the paper.
"Zoro's in it—he and the Straw Hats are fighting in Marineford!"
"And they're holding their own against an Admiral!"
"I've seen it," Koushirou said with a serene smile, setting aside his own copy.
He looked toward the sky.
"Zoro… have you already begun to fulfill the promise you made to Kuina? I'll be watching you climb to the very top."
---
East Blue – Foosha Village
In Makino's bar, the atmosphere was tense.
Since early morning, a certain group had taken over the place—
Curly Dadan and her band of mountain bandits.
"Makino, stop pouring—take a break!"
"Yeah, boss!"
"Dadan, we still don't know how it's gonna end. Just wait a bit longer."
"Shut it!" Dadan snapped, smashing an empty bottle on the floor.
"Ace… my Ace… they're going to execute him! How do you expect me to stay calm?!"
She glared at them through misty eyes.
"Yeah, I griped about him, complained all the time… but after all these years together…!"
Her voice cracked.
"Maybe he'd never admit it… but I'm his mother. What kind of mother can stay calm when her son's about to be executed?!"
Makino placed a hand gently on her back, her own eyes reddening.
"Don't worry, Dadan. With Garp there, Ace will be fine," she said softly—comforting both Dadan and herself.
"Really? You think so? That old geezer Garp will…?" Dadan choked, unable to finish.
BANG!
The bar's front door burst open.
"Boss!"
"Dadan!"
Gurar, Magura, and even the village mayor Slap rushed in, out of breath.
"We've got news! The Whitebeard Pirates haven't abandoned Ace—they've brought a massive force to rescue him! The battle's already begun!"
Dadan's head snapped up.
"…Really?"
"Hah…"
Inside the mountain bandits' tavern, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
"Wait—there's even better news, Boss! Everyone, look at this!"
The small-framed female bandit Gurar unfolded a freshly printed newspaper and thrust it toward the group.
"Luffy! All of them are not only safe and sound—"
"They've actually stormed Marine Headquarters to rescue Ace!"
"Wooooaaahhh!"
The cramped little bar erupted into a chorus of strange, excited cries.
"Boss, look! That brat Luffy's really going places!"
"H-he… he's actually fighting on par with an Admiral now!"
"This is amazing—absolutely amazing!"
"I've got a feeling—Ace is definitely going to be saved!"
"There's nothing left to worry about!"
The mountain bandits cheered, raising their cups in celebration, their voices overlapping in joyful chaos.
Even though there was still no word of Ace being freed, they had absolute faith that everything would turn out fine.
"This is great—truly great! Right, Dadan, Mayor?"
Makino, who had held back her tears until now, finally broke down.
She wept freely, unable to stop the downpour.
"Hmph, those little punks—always causing trouble and making us worry. When they get back, I'll beat them senseless!"
Mayor Slap spoke gruffly, then downed his drink in one gulp to calm his nerves.
The news of Luffy's disappearance, combined with Ace's looming execution, had worn on him far more than he'd admit.
"Boss Dadan, look at this—this headline says there are two Luffys fighting in the war? Could it be Luffy has a long-lost twin brother?"
One of the bandits, after the initial excitement, noticed the strange detail in the paper.
The group crowded around, rereading the article again and again.
None of them had ever heard of Luffy having a twin.
They simply assumed the newspaper had made an error.
"Maybe it's Sabo's spirit, coming down from heaven to help save Ace, haha!"
Dadan laughed heartily, pouring herself another drink.
---
North Blue – Germa Kingdom
"What on earth is going on?"
"As expected, Straw Hat is running with that useless Black Leg Sanji!"
"Damn him—Sanji, that guy! He was the disgrace of the family, and now he's making a spectacle of himself?!"
The three curly-browed brothers—red, blue, and green—spoke with sneering contempt.
"The real question is—how did Sanji get the Number 3 Stealth Black raid suit? Who gave it to him?"
Sparking Red Ichiji's voice was cold.
"I already confirmed with Father—the Number 3 suit is still here in the kingdom,"
said Dengeki Blue Niji.
"Then how?!" Winch Green Yonji frowned in confusion.
"No idea. But once the Navy captures Sanji and brings him back here, the truth will come out," Ichiji said with a cruel smile.
"Sanji… please, just be safe," whispered Poison Pink Reiju, clenching her fists, her face full of worry.
---
Grand Line – Twin Cape
"Gyoooo! Gyooo! Gyooo!"
The joyful cries of a whale echoed across the sea.
"Laboon, I knew my feeling wasn't wrong. That skeleton with Luffy and his crew in the news… he's Brook, from the Rumbar Pirates!"
Crocus's voice trembled with emotion.
"Gyooo! Gyooo! Gyooo!" Laboon's calls grew even more delighted.
"This is wonderful! Truly wonderful! Laboon—this time, you might finally see the Rumbar Pirates again!"
Crocus wiped at the tears gathering in his eyes, then looked up at the sky.
"Roger… are you watching too? Let there be no regrets this time."
---
Drum Island – Sakura Kingdom
"Dr. Kureha."
The new king, Dalton, brought urgent news to a corner of the castle.
"That idiot… that stupid son of mine."
The nearly 150-year-old Dr. Kureha's eyes reddened as she looked at Chopper's photo in the paper.
"If anything happens to my foolish son in this war, I won't forgive you all!" she threatened, voice fierce.
If Chopper truly came to harm, she swore she'd go Super Saiyan and blow up Marine Headquarters herself.
---
Alabasta – Royal Palace, Alubarna
King Cobra, Igaram, Chaka, and Pell stood together, brows furrowed as they read the headlines.
The fact that Ace was the Pirate King's son was shocking enough.
But the Straw Hats reuniting so soon—
that stirred both surprise and joy.
Two different Luffys appearing on the battlefield was baffling.
And the fact that Crocodile was now free left them uneasy.
"King Cobra, we must make preparations immediately," Pell advised gravely.
While the ministers debated, elsewhere in the palace—
Princess Vivi, dressed in a blue gown, lay on her bed, idly kicking her bare feet in the air.
Beside her lounged Carue, the giant super spot-billed duck.
"Carue… don't you think Luffy and the others… feel a little different somehow?" she murmured.
She didn't care at all about Crocodile's escape.
Her mind was entirely on the Straw Hats—particularly the ones who looked… older.
"Quack-quack-quack!" Carue flapped his wings in agreement.
"If that last Luffy we see is the current one… then the others—Nami, Zoro, Sanji—they all look like they've grown… like they're from the future."
Through some deep, almost telepathic bond, Vivi had come dangerously close to the truth.
---
Water Seven – Galley-La Company Dock 1
"Oooh-ah! Oooh-ah!"
"Waa-hoo! Waa-hoo!"
Franky's gang of shipwrights were making monkey-like cries, waving their arms wildly.
"No mistake!"
"Absolutely no mistake!"
"That style—that's our big bro Franky!"
"Not only is he fine—he's upgraded his gear!"
"He's super cool!"
"As expected of our Franky!"
They were just as impressed by the rest of the Straw Hats.
"To stand equal to an Admiral—that growth is insane!"
Zambai and the Franky Family rushed around, spreading the word.
Even the main shipwright crew joined the excited discussion, boasting about their past adventures with the Straw Hats.
Not far away, Iceburg's young eight-year-old secretary glared suspiciously at the rowdy group.
She thought to herself that dangerous people like that shouldn't be allowed in the dockyard… though she knew Iceburg would never approve kicking them out.
Up in Iceburg's office—
"The real bombshell news hasn't even dropped yet, Kokoro," Iceburg mused.
"Hahaha, that's right," the mermaid bartender chuckled.
"When that legendary man appears, the whole world will shake three times over. But these two Luffy brats… that's plenty interesting already!"
Iceburg sipped his drink thoughtfully.
"If Roger came from the past… could these Straw Hats have come from the future? Not long ago, they were crushed by an Admiral, and in just ten days, they've grown this much. It doesn't make sense."
"Maybe so. The world's already been thrown into chaos by this war. Let's wait and see how much the World Government regrets what comes next," Kokoro replied.
Near Marineford – Aboard a small two-masted ship
"Dragon! Everyone! Look at this!"
Koala's excited voice rang across the deck.
"The latest report says there are two Luffys on the battlefield! Two of them!"
"I knew it! That one fighting evenly with an Admiral must be the Luffy from two years in the future!"
"Just like Sabo predicted! The Fifth Emperor from the future is here! This changes everything—we've got a much better chance now!"
Koala was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Luffy…"
On the upper deck, Dragon stood facing the wind, eyes fixed in the direction of Marineford.
"You've truly grown."
Somewhere in the Grand Line – An uninhabited island
A group of people were wasting their days in idleness, having lost both their captain and their purpose.
Until—
A News Coo swooped down, dropping the latest paper.
"Alvida!"
"Mohji!"
"Cabaji!"
"Everyone, look at this!"
"Big news! Huge news!"
"Buggy—Captain Buggy—is in Marineford, fighting in the Summit War alongside the Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
"Whaaaaaaaaat?!"