Chapter 437: Two Years Later
Marine Headquarters · Admiral's Office
Click—
The heavy wooden door was pushed open slowly, accompanied by the sound of steady footsteps.
Law, wearing a crisp Vice Admiral uniform, walked in holding a thick stack of documents. His expression was as calm as usual, but his elevated status added a touch more authority to his presence.
He walked up to the desk and spoke softly, "Admiral Roy, Ace and Luffy have departed."
Behind the desk, Roy was buried in official paperwork, the tip of his pen scratching rhythmically.
Hearing this, he looked up, the sharpness between his brows softening slightly. He rubbed his temples and said, "Ah... those two brothers. When they stay at Headquarters, they turn the place upside down every single day."
"Letting them out to cause a ruckus actually gives me more peace of mind."
A rare smile appeared on Law's face as he placed the documents on the desk.
"Indeed." He paused, his expression turning solemn, his tone steady: "In the blink of an eye, two years have passed. Pirates on the seas have practically gone extinct."
The office fell silent for a moment. Only the morning light spilled in through the window, illuminating the thick carpet and stacks of paperwork, making the atmosphere feel even heavier.
Law continued, lowering his voice slightly: "However... 'Adventurer Groups,' led by the Blackbeard Adventurers, are rising to take their place. They don't fly pirate flags, but they are secretly swallowing up factions and expanding their resources. Their friction with the World Government is becoming increasingly frequent."
He looked up at Roy, his gaze profound: "Now, the seas are free of pirates, but a new prototype of 'independent armed forces' has emerged. Though, judging by the current situation, there hasn't been any rampant pillaging or slaughter of civilians."
He paused, his tone growing even heavier: "Moreover, without the threat of pirates, many countries have started refusing to pay the exorbitant Heavenly Tribute... Instead, they've chosen to maintain close ties with our Marines."
"Although the World Government is anxious, they can't come up with any countermeasures."
"Especially... after you decided to take the position of the 'Fourth Admiral of the Marines,' publicly declaring it a free-roaming, independent seat."
The air in the room seemed to stagnate.
Roy closed the file, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Heh... those five old geezers have started getting restless lately, haven't they?"
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes deep, his tone unhurried: "Shanks, on the other hand, managed to claim the position of 'Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights' within a year. That actually surprised me quite a bit."
At this, he chuckled, a hint of amusement in his tone: "After all... that position was supposed to be a sure thing for his older brother."
Law pondered for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly before speaking: "Speaking of which..."
"Intelligence from Mary Geoise indicates that Saint Shamrock secretly departed a while ago, heading for Elbaf with an unknown objective."
Roy lowered his head again, opening another thick document. His pen slowly traced across the paper, his expression remaining calm and indifferent.
"Let him go."
His tone was flat, yet it carried a sharp chill: "That new king of Elbaf... won't cater to his whims."
Only the sound of flipping pages and the scratching of a pen remained in the quiet office.
New World Waters
The sea churned with deep blue and white foam. A bizarrely shaped small boat tore across the surface like a shooting star, the flames jetting from its rear trailing a blazing ribbon of light.
At the stern, Ace's legs had transformed into scorching flames. The fire around his ankles burned and expanded like turbines, directly turning the small boat into an extension of himself.
Flames roared behind him, boiling the seawater into mist.
Luffy squatted lazily on the edge of the boat, his mouth stuffed with a massive chunk of roast meat. The aroma of meat mixed with the sea breeze as he chewed and asked vaguely:
"Ace—you said you were taking me out to play. Where are we going this time?"
Ace looked back, the firelight casting a particularly sharp and stern outline of his face.
"Lately, Blackbeard's crew has been getting more and more arrogant. They've re-occupied Hachinosu and plan to use it as their main base."
Luffy almost dropped his meat into the sea. "Hachinosu? Isn't that where the Warlords were executed? I thought half of it was blown to pieces!"
Ace nodded, his tone darkening: "The Intelligence Department indicates that Teach somehow got his hands on the Shima Shima no Mi (Island-Island Fruit). Combined with his Swamp-Swamp Fruit, reshaping half an island isn't impossible for him."
Luffy's eyes sparkled like two little stars. He jumped excitedly next to Ace, his fists clenched tight: "So we're going to beat them up?!"
Ace's smile was instantly swallowed by the firelight, leaving only battle intent in his eyes: "I've been sick of that guy for a long time. If Big Brother Roy hadn't ordered us to hold back back then, I would have gone over there ages ago."
"This time, his people crossed the line, which just so happens to give me a legitimate reason—to give him a proper warning."
He paused, his voice low and deep: "Zoro and Kuina accepted my invitation too; they should be on their way."
Luffy patted his chest and shouted: "Awesome—we can finally go wild!!!"
"I've been getting beat up by Grandpa every single day for the past two years, I can't take it anymore!!!"
The flaming boat whipped up scorching waves, speeding toward the reshaped Hachinosu, leaving only a long trail of fire and their two silhouettes on the sea.
Hachinosu · Blackbeard Alliance Headquarters
The reshaped Hachinosu looked like a giant beast slumbering on the sea.
Broken crust and mud intertwined, the ruined walls and newly formed landmass splicing together into a bizarre outline, like the body of some twisted, reconstructed monster.
At the center of the island, in a grand yet gloomy hall, torches flickered, and the air was thick with the smell of dampness and blood.
Teach sat high on the main seat, shadows swallowing half of his face. His eyes were deep and ruthless, glaring at the people below like a venomous snake.
Suddenly, his right arm stretched out violently, extending bizarrely like rubber!
With a swish, he instantly grabbed a squad leader by the throat and yanked him forcefully right in front of his face!
"What did you just say?!!"
Teach's voice was low, carrying unconcealable fury. Every word crashed against the stone walls of the hall like thunder.
The squad leader's face went deathly pale, his legs kicking wildly. His eyes were filled with terror as he cried out in panic: "B-Boss! I didn't mean to!!!"
"That Sea Train cargo ship was just slowly wobbling right past my eyes... I-I just couldn't hold back for a second—"
Before he could finish, Teach roared abruptly, his voice like a roaring beast: "ARE YOU F*CKING LOOKING TO DIE—!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
He violently slammed the squad leader into the ground. The solid stone tiles instantly fractured, sending debris flying.
The squad leader's skull was nearly shattered. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth, and his limbs spasmed and twitched.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.
Teach stood up slowly. His massive silhouette was cast in the firelight, looking like a demon walking straight out of hell.
"You bunch of absolute bastards!!!"
He raised his arm and flung it viciously. The squad leader was tossed away like a ragdoll into a corner, smashing heavily against the stone wall with a dull thud, his life or death unknown.
He looked down at the entire hall, his voice like a howling gale and raging tide: "I already told you—!!"
"If you want to rob World Government ships, go ahead! If you want to plunder underground black markets, do it all you want!! BUT—"
He slammed his hand against the armrest of his chair, making the stone pillars of the hall tremble.
"THE SEA TRAIN!! That is a civilian livelihood project fully supported by the Marines!!!"
"That is the lifeline the common people depend on to survive! And you dare to touch it?!!"
"How is this any different from being a pirate?! Do you want to be wiped out by the Marines just like the pirates?!!"
The torches flickered violently, casting long, menacing shadows behind him like a berserk evil spirit.
The air was oppressive to the extreme. Everyone held their breath, not even daring to make a sound by swallowing.
It felt as if in the very next second, the entire hall would be ignited by his sheer fury.
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