"What the hell has that guy been doing lately?"
Inside the office of the former Navy G1 Fortress—now the Navy Headquarters—Sengoku set down the Den Den Mushi, rubbing his forehead wearily.
Compared to before, his hair had grayed significantly, and he looked twenty years older.
Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru were also present.
Garp, as usual, remained as carefree as ever, seemingly unaffected by the recent war. But a closer look would reveal deeper wrinkles etched across his brow.
"According to the latest intel," Tsuru began solemnly, "Kaelen has been targeting users of Devil Fruits. He's reportedly shown several abilities himself."
She paused, her expression grave. "My guess is that he possesses a method to steal powers from others—similar to Blackbeard's, but potentially more dangerous."
As the Navy's Chief of Staff and one of the most intelligent minds on the seas, Tsuru had pieced this theory together through a comprehensive analysis of recent intelligence.
Crunch... Crunch...
Garp munched on his senbei and spoke nonchalantly, "I say don't overthink it. That brat doesn't seem to bear malice toward the Navy. It's those trash you need to watch out for."
Sengoku: "..."
Tsuru: "..."
They both knew exactly who he meant by "trash."
But did he really have to say it out loud?
"Garp, you senile relic, show some restraint!"
"Hey! Don't snatch my senbei, dammit! Leave me some—!"
As the two veterans bickered, Tsuru could only sigh with a headache. It used to be just Garp stirring up chaos, but now even Sengoku had begun loosening up.
Following the war, Sengoku had submitted his resignation to the World Government. He would officially step down once a new Fleet Admiral was chosen.
But the succession itself had triggered conflict. The World Government favored Admiral Akainu, while Sengoku and others endorsed Admiral Aokiji.
The internal struggle had turned Headquarters into a boiling pot of shifting allegiances and open confrontations among high-ranking officers.
Their discussion about Kaelen was interrupted when a rear admiral burst into the room, panic written across his face.
"Urgent report! Marshal Sengoku, Admiral Akainu and Admiral Aokiji have left Headquarters and are currently dueling on Punk Hazard!"
"..."
The room fell silent.
Sengoku didn't even scold the man's lack of decorum.
"Damn it! What are they thinking? This isn't a game where a simple duel decides the Fleet Admiral!"
After a few stunned moments, Sengoku exploded in fury, slamming the desk as spit flew from his mouth.
Tsuru narrowed her eyes. "Calm down, Sengoku. It's already too late to stop them."
Even Garp had sobered up. "If that's their decision, then we old-timers should stay out of it."
"Maybe… it's the only way to settle this."
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged glances, nodding reluctantly. Garp's words made sense—interfering would only cause further instability. Left unchecked, this could fracture the Navy beyond repair.
Garp's expression turned more serious. "By the way, keep a close watch on Zephyr. He's been acting strange lately."
The moment Zephyr's name was mentioned, both Sengoku and Tsuru fell into silence.
They owed a lot to that man.
As the three veterans exchanged troubled thoughts, the rear admiral stood stiffly at attention, visibly trembling.
Sengoku waved him off. "Go. Keep monitoring Punk Hazard. Report back the moment there's a result."
"Yes, Marshal Sengoku!"
---
Time flowed quickly. Days passed.
With the newest issue of the newspaper, a tidal wave of news rocked the Grand Line.
First, it was announced that Admiral Akainu would take over as Fleet Admiral. Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku had officially become Grand Inspector of the Navy.
Second, Admiral Aokiji had left the Navy altogether, vanishing without a trace.
Third, to combat the rising age of piracy, the World Government issued a global conscription order.
Fourth, 'Whitebeard Jr.' Edward Weevil and 'Joker' Buggy had been appointed as new members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Four announcements—each like a torpedo detonating in the deep—sent shockwaves across the entire world.
Even the densest minds could sense it.
The times were changing.
Ever since Gol D. Roger started the Great Pirate Era, the world had been building toward this. Two decades of unrest, then the quake of Whitebeard's fall.
The final act felt inevitable now.
In this shifting storm—Navy, Pirates, Revolutionary Army—no one would be spared.
No one, except perhaps Kaelen Tsukishiro, who remained apart from it all.
From the beginning, his ambitions were never confined to the pirate-infested seas.
Unbeknownst to the world, this explosive newspaper had one crucial detail omitted:
Zep, former Admiral and the Navy's chief instructor, had defected. He'd taken a battalion of elite recruits with him.
The Navy's structure now bore serious gaps, particularly in its foundational forces.
The consequences of these changes—within the Navy and the World Government—were incalculable.
But one thing was clear: war was coming.
Every force in the world would begin preparing for the storm ahead.
And Kaelen?
He was already walking a path beyond any of them.
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