The endless sea.
The sailing ship Thousand Sunny cut steadily across the waves.
By now, two days had already passed since Admiral Kizaru's defeat.
A newspaper fluttered down from the sky, caught neatly by Usopp.
When his eyes scanned the front page, they bulged in shock.
"B-big news!! Luffy, Zoro, come and see this!"
The Straw Hat Pirates stirred at his shout, gathering around in curiosity.
As the crew read the newspaper, their expressions shifted from surprise to utter disbelief.
"Senior Mundo… he's that strong!?" Sanji muttered in awe.
Everyone nodded solemnly.
An admiral—one of the Navy's mightiest forces—had been defeated by Mundo. That fact alone was enough to shake the world.
"That uncle… did he really capture Admiral Kizaru?" Nami's voice trembled with disbelief.
Robin folded her arms, her voice calm yet heavy. "If this is true, the Navy won't sit still. A war may be inevitable."
"Luffy, should we go back and help?" Zoro asked.
But for once, Luffy wasn't impulsive. He shook his head. "No. We're too weak. Those enemies… they're far beyond us."
The crew fell silent.
Wasn't that the truth?
Even a single Pacifista had nearly crushed them into despair. Yet in front of Uncle Mundo, Pacifistas were nothing—destroyed with the flick of a finger.
The gap between their strengths was like heaven and earth.
Luffy's usual playful expression disappeared. His gaze swept over his crew, unusually serious.
"Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Chopper—everyone. Listen to me. We need to separate, to train, to become stronger! If we want to reach our dreams, if we want to survive in this sea—we have no choice."
He clenched his fist.
"Two years. Let's meet again in the Sabaody Archipelago, two years from now!"
These weren't words Luffy had just come up with. Since the incident at Sabaody, he'd realized one thing—without strength, there was no future.
An admiral alone had driven them to despair.
If not for Uncle Mundo's intervention, they would already be dead. How could someone like that ever become Pirate King?
The crew stared at Luffy in shock.
That he—the reckless fool who always acted first and thought later—would say something so calculated and wise was almost unbelievable.
And yet… when they thought about it, every word made sense.
In this world, the strong devour the weak.
If they possessed power on Mundo's level, would they have been forced into such humiliation?
"Luffy's right."
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke. His voice was calm. "The New World is even more dangerous than anything we've seen. With our current strength, we'd be slaughtered."
Zoro's expression hardened with resolve. "Then it's settled. Two years."
"I agree!"
"Yes!"
"Count me in!!"
Hands came together, sealing their pact.
Two years later—they would reunite.
—---
Amazon Lily – The Island of Women
"Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!"
The ground trembled as a massive figure thundered across the island.
A towering woman, her face oddly serpentine, sprinted straight toward the palace, clutching a newspaper in her hand.
The island's residents bowed deeply as she passed, none daring to stop her.
"Big sister! Big sister! Something huge has happened!"
Bursting into the palace, the giant woman halted in the grand hall.
Seated on the throne was a woman whose beauty defied description. Her allure was so overwhelming that no man alive could hope to resist her charm.
This was Boa Hancock—the captain of the Kuja Pirates, ruler of Amazon Lily, and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The Empress.
"Marigold." Hancock's brows furrowed at her sister's ruckus. "If you run like that, you'll crack the floor again."
"S-sorry, sister, but this is urgent!" Marigold panted, holding out the newspaper. "The Navy Headquarters… they've issued a compulsory summoning order. They want us to assemble at Sabaody to capture someone!"
Hancock's eyes narrowed. A mandatory call to arms from the Navy? That could only mean something monumental.
"Who?"
"Our benefactor," Marigold answered breathlessly. "Senior Mundo!"
"What!!"
The name struck Hancock like lightning. She shot to her feet, her flawless figure radiating intensity.
"Mundo…" she whispered.
That name was carved into her very soul.
Ten years ago, at Marineford, he had slain a Celestial Dragon on the spot—an act that had freed her from unspeakable torment.
Mundo was her savior. The one who gave her back her freedom.
For a decade, she had searched for any trace of him, never giving up hope.
She, once a broken slave girl, had become the Empress of Amazon Lily… yet his name had remained her dream.
"Ten years… Senior Mundo, you've finally returned." Excitement flushed her flawless cheeks.
"Sister," Marigold warned, "you mustn't get carried away. Senior Mundo is in grave danger."
Hancock's eyes sharpened. "Explain!"
Mary quickly relayed the reports—Mundo's sudden appearance at Sabaody, his defeat and capture of Admiral Kizaru, and even his slaying of another Celestial Dragon.
Hancock's lips parted in shock. To challenge an admiral was one thing, but to defy the World Nobles again… her heart trembled between admiration and fear.
"This is… monumental," she whispered, her voice unsteady.
But soon, her worry returned.
With such acts, the Navy and the World Government would never let Mundo go. No wonder they had issued a compulsory summoning.
"Sister, should we refuse?" Mary asked carefully.
"No," Hancock replied firmly.
Mary's eyes widened. "But Mundo is our benefactor!"
Hancock's gaze softened, her lips curving into a mysterious smile.
"Who said this Empress will obey the Navy's call to capture him?"
Her eyes gleamed with fierce resolve.
"We will answer their summons… but only to stand beside Senior Mundo!"