An Uninhabited Island, The New World.
The Red Hair Pirates and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates had made a temporary stop. Countless Whitebeard crew members sat with their heads bowed, their spirits broken. An atmosphere of grief and sorrow hung heavily over everyone.
The war had been a catastrophic defeat. Not only had they failed to save Ace, but they had also lost their father, Whitebeard himself.
"That bastard Leo!" Diamond Jozu snarled, his teeth grinding audibly. "To strike down Pops at the very end... it's unforgivable!"
The Whitebeard Pirates had never had any dealings with Leo; their paths had never crossed. He still couldn't comprehend why Leo had suddenly turned on Whitebeard and delivered the killing blow.
"Teach, the Marines, and Leo... we can't let any of them get away with this!" Flower Sword Vista's face was dark, a venomous glint in his eyes.
Teach was the one who started it all, the instigator. If he hadn't betrayed Thatch, none of this would have happened. The Marines had inflicted heavy losses on them, and Admiral Akainu's provocations and attacks had led to their father's critical injuries. And Leo was the one who ultimately killed him!
"Leo's power is on another level. We shouldn't act rashly," Marco warned from where he sat on a large rock, his body wrapped in bandages. His voice was weary. Leo's strength during the war had been plain for all to see. Charging at him now would be tantamount to suicide.
"Marco is right."
At that moment, Shanks approached with his senior officers. All eyes turned to him.
Looking at the battered and bruised Whitebeard Pirates, Shanks let out a sigh. "Ace and Whitebeard are gone. You need to rest and recover. Revenge can wait for another day." While he didn't understand Leo's motives for killing Whitebeard, the man was dead. Dwelling on the 'why' was pointless now.
"You also shouldn't worry excessively," Benn Beckman added calmly, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. His gaze was steady and profound. "This time, Leo didn't just inflict heavy losses on the Marines. More importantly, this battle will cause the Marines' prestige in the eyes of the public to plummet. He has become a severe threat to the World Government's rule. So right now, the Marines and the World Government want Leo dead even more than you do."
"So we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing?!" Jozu retorted, his fists clenched, his face a mask of hatred.
Benn Beckman gave him a level look. "With your current strength, seeking revenge against Leo would be like trying to scale the heavens. It's better to wait and see how the situation develops. Go back, lay Ace and Whitebeard to rest properly. Then you can decide your next move." He paused, then added, "However... if you still seek vengeance in the future, you could consider seeking out the Revolutionary Army."
The Revolutionary Army?
Whitebeard Division Commanders like Blamenco and Rakuyo frowned slightly.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Lucky Roo said through a mouthful of meat. "Dragon won't refuse you."
It was well-known that the Revolutionary Army's leader, Dragon, was the son of Marine Vice Admiral Garp. Furthermore, the straw-hat-wearing boy, Luffy, was Dragon's son. Both his father and his son had been killed by Leo. No matter what his principles were, Dragon couldn't remain indifferent to that.
"Luffy…"
The image of a grinning, straw-hatted boy with a wide, carefree smile flashed in Shanks' mind. He had bet his own arm on that boy's future. Unfortunately, fate had other plans, and Luffy had died at Leo's hands.
Could it be... that Leo is the man Captain Roger spoke of? The thought sent a shiver of disquiet through Shanks.
"We'll consider your suggestion," Marco said, and the others nodded their gratitude to Benn Beckman.
Benn Beckman gave a slight nod and said no more. Out of respect for the relationship between Shanks and Whitebeard, he had said all he needed to. What they did next was the Whitebeard Pirates' own business.
10,000 Meters High, in the skies of the Grand Line.
A fleet of over a dozen massive islands floated serenely, arranged in a loose formation. In the center of the largest island stood an ornate palace.
"Keehahahahaha! Indigo! How goes the progress on the IQ research?"
The booming laugh preceded the arrival of a magnificent, golden-haired figure, floating on two legendary swords. This was the former rival of Pirate King Gol D. Roger and the "Strongest Man in the World," Whitebeard—the "Flying Pirate," Admiral Shiki. To this day, he remained the only man to ever escape Impel Down on his own. His legend was still told across the seas.
Shiki was a man of many grand titles. But he also bore a mark of shame he could never erase: the large rudder embedded deep in his skull. Twenty-five years ago, during the famous Battle of Edd War, his fleet had Roger cornered. At the critical moment, a freak storm—a "miracle"—sank Shiki's armada, and a piece of a ship's rudder had lodged itself in his head. Removing it would have been fatal, so it remained there to this day.
"Captain, the IQ research is showing promising results. Give me a little more time, and I can begin large-scale cultivation of various brutal monsters," Dr. Indigo replied, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Keehahaha! Excellent!" Shiki nodded in satisfaction, a dangerous glint in his narrow eyes. Once the IQ experiments succeeded, he would lead his army of monsters to destroy the East Blue. Then everyone would remember the power of Shiki the Lion.
"Indigo! What are you so engrossed in?!"
After indulging in a brief fantasy of the East Blue's annihilation, Shiki floated over on his swords, "Oto" and "Kogarashi."
"Captain, we really should pay more attention to the outside world! So many major events have happened recently!" Indigo said, his voice full of shock as he handed the newspaper to Shiki.
"What is it?!" Shiki raised an eyebrow and took the paper. The next second, his eyes widened in disbelief, the cigar falling from his mouth unnoticed.
"Ace was Roger's son?!"
"Garp was killed by Leo?! Whitebeard was killed by Leo too?!"
"Wait... who is this Leo?!"
After finishing the paper, Shiki stood frozen like a statue, his face a picture of utter incredulity. Since his escape from Impel Down and his discovery of IQ, Shiki had secluded himself with Indigo, completely absorbed in their research and ignoring the outside world. If they hadn't needed to resupply and descended from the sky, they might never have seen this news.
Shiki's expression shifted unpredictably as he slowly processed each earth-shattering headline.
"Leo…" he finally murmured, the name rolling off his tongue. While the revelation about Roger's son was the most shocking, Ace was already dead. There was no point dwelling on that past. But this Leo... to have killed both Garp and Whitebeard at Marineford, in front of the entire Marine leadership and the Whitebeard Pirates... that was no ordinary feat.
Shiki scratched his head near the rudder, a fiery interest burning in his eyes as he stared at Leo's photograph.
"Keehahahaha! To have killed those two old bastards... not bad at all."
"Captain... you aren't getting any ideas about this Leo, are you?!" Indigo asked, his heart sinking. He thought Shiki was getting ideas of recruitment. He very much wanted to remind the Lion that he wasn't the powerhouse he once was, but he didn't dare.
Shiki waved a dismissive hand. "Do you take me for a fool?! If anyone knows the true strength of Garp and Whitebeard, it's me!" As one of the old guard from that era, Shiki was intimately familiar with their power. He and Whitebeard had once been fellow division commanders on the Rocks Pirates. In his youth, he'd also clashed numerous times with the Marine, Garp.
"That's a relief," Indigo said, patting his chest and letting out a sigh.
"These new-generation brats... they're something else," Shiki muttered, glaring at the newspaper before spitting in disgust. "Once the IQ research is done and I've destroyed the East Blue, I'm retiring. This era... it's no longer my era."
Holy Land, Mary Geoise. The Chamber of Authority.
Five Elder Stars, Commander-in-Chief Kong, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Aokiji—nine men in total—sat around a large, circular table. The expression on every face was grim, and the entire hall was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
"Sengoku, have the Marine casualties been tallied?" The sword-wielding Elder Star broke the silence first.
Sengoku looked up, his voice heavy. "Nearly forty thousand Marine soldiers dead or wounded. Over a hundred officers casualties. Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Kizaru... confirmed killed in action."
"BASTARD!!"
BAM!
The moment Sengoku finished, the most hot-tempered, blond Elder Star slammed his fist onto the table. The first two points he could stomach, but hearing of Garp and Kizaru's deaths made his heart bleed. As a Celestial Dragon, he didn't truly care about Garp or Kizaru as people. But the Marines were the face of the World Government, the tool used to maintain the Celestial Dragons' rule. With Garp and Kizaru dead, the seas would inevitably fall into chaos, directly threatening their governance. That was the source of his fury.
"There's... one more thing," Sengoku said, his expression pained as he looked at the Elder Stars.
"Out with it. Don't stammer," the long-bearded Elder Star said, his displeasure evident. What else could they possibly have to hear that was worse than Garp and Kizaru's deaths?
Sengoku straightened up slightly. "While the Marines were engaged with the Whitebeard Pirates... Leo paid a visit to Impel Down." He hesitated, then forced the words out. "The entire prison staff, including Chief Warden Magellan... were all killed."
His voice grew quieter with each word.
"What did you say?!" The blond Elder Star shot to his feet. "Sengoku! What exactly is the purpose of the World Government funding you Marines?! You fail us again and again! You useless wretches! How can trash like you hope to protect Mary Geoise? To protect the Celestial Dragons?! And you're only reporting this now?!" His face was red with rage as he pointed a trembling finger at Sengoku and berated him.
Publicly chastised, Sengoku's face turned a dark shade of green.
"Enough!"
A cold shout cut through the tirade. The sword-wielding Elder Star released a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki that washed over the chamber. The blond Elder Star snorted coldly, suppressing his anger, and fell silent.
"Sengoku. The prisoners in Impel Down. What of them?" The sword-wielding Elder Star's gaze was icy.
Sengoku responded immediately. "Of the several thousand criminals imprisoned there... only about a hundred remain. According to the survivors, after Leo entered, he killed anyone who wasn't a Devil Fruit user."
The elder with a map-shaped birthmark on his face let out a small, relieved breath. Dead was better than escaped. If those thousands of criminals had flooded into the seas, it would have been a catastrophe.
"Sengoku, do not concern yourself with Impel Down. We will handle it," the sword-wielding Elder Star said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Ace and Whitebeard are dead. The Whitebeard Pirates are finished. The priority now is to deal with the problem of Leo," Kong stated coldly, his arms crossed. Leo had only been active for a few months and was already this troublesome. If they allowed him to grow further, it wouldn't be long before he tried to tear down Mary Geoise itself.
Hearing that infuriating name, a dark cloud seemed to pass over everyone's faces.
"First, increase the bounties on Leo and his crew, especially Hancock's," the long-bearded Elder Star commanded after a moment's thought. Given the threat Leo now posed to the World Government, a mere 4 billion Beri was far too low. Everyone nodded in agreement. There was no debate on this point.
"Ara ara~ Everyone, if the Marines encounter Leo again, the consequences will be... dire," Admiral Aokiji drawled, reverting to his usual lazy cadence, voicing the concern on everyone's mind. In a one-on-one fight, no one present was confident they could defeat Leo. If they were held up by Hancock and the others, allowing Leo to pick them off one by one, the Marines would be finished.
Akainu snorted beside him but offered no rebuttal. Truth be told, he himself had no certainty of victory against Leo alone.
"You need not worry about that," the long-bearded Elder Star said, waving a hand dismissively, a confident look on his face. They all looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I have received word that two of the Four Emperors, Kaido and Big Mom, are scouring the seas for Leo, especially Kaido. He does not come with peaceful intentions."
"And there is one more, crucial, point." The elder paused, looking at each of them seriously. "Both Garp and the straw-hat boy died at Leo's hands. I refuse to believe Dragon will simply stand by and do nothing. That damnable revolutionary, stirring up the common rabble against us at every turn... This is a perfect opportunity to redirect this trouble onto him, to stir up conflict between him and Leo. Let Leo and Dragon fight it out. Whoever wins, we benefit."
The others' eyes lit up with understanding. It was a brilliant plan.
"Indeed, a strategy that kills two birds with one stone," the blond Elder星 nodded in approval. Both Dragon and Leo were major threats to the World Government. Getting rid of either one was a net gain for them. They were certain Dragon would make a move. His father and his son were both killed by Leo. As long as Dragon was human, he couldn't just let that go.
"Sengoku, upon your return, immediately have the necessary articles written for the newspaper. You know what to write, correct?" the blond Elder Star said, his cold eyes sweeping over Sengoku.
Sengoku nodded vigorously.
"The Marines have suffered heavy losses. Besides dealing with Leo, the urgent task is to rebuild our forces and find suitable candidates to fill the two vacant Admiral positions," Kong stated. Two Admirals were simply not enough to maintain peace on the seas.
"Initiate a World Military Draft. It's the only way to recruit sufficient manpower to replenish our losses quickly," the sword-wielding Elder星 said, turning to Kong. "Kong, you will handle this."
"Understood," Kong replied.
"Do any of you have anything else to report?" the blond Elder Star asked, his cold gaze sweeping over Sengoku and the Admirals.
Sengoku looked hesitant, his mouth opening and closing. In the wake of this disaster, he had considered resigning as Fleet Admiral and moving to a background role. But then he thought about it—with Garp and Kizaru gone, the Marine high command was already stretched thin. If he stepped down, only Akainu and Aokiji would remain at the top. Whoever succeeded him would be a commander with hardly any officers to command. After a fierce internal struggle, he abandoned the thought.
"I have a matter to raise! It concerns the Warlord of the Sea system!"
Admiral Akainu suddenly stood up, his voice low and resolute.
"I believe it is time to abolish the Warlord system!"
He looked around the room, his statement ringing with finality.
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T/N :
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