A sharp crack echoed through the air.
World's spine shattered completely, folding his body into a grotesque inverted V. The black sheen of Armament Haki that had covered him faded at once. His eyes rolled back, body twitching uncontrollably. He was barely breathing.
Sakazuki let go with his right hand but kept gripping World with his left. Activating his Devil Fruit power, the ground beneath them turned molten. A wide pit of lava opened, melting straight through the floor and into the fruit storage basement below. Sakazuki, dragging World along, dropped directly into the storeroom below.
Surrounded by crates of fresh fruit, Sakazuki lifted World with his left hand. His right hand, cloaked in Armament Haki, clamped tightly around the pirate's throat and squeezed.
The flesh and bone inside World's neck pulverized in an instant. His body convulsed violently once, then went completely limp—lifeless.
Sakazuki activated his Observation Haki, scanning the space for any immediate changes. His eyes swept over the scattered crates and baskets. Three seconds passed... nothing happened.
He let out a cold snort.
Still gripping World's lifeless corpse, he erupted upward in a burst of magma. They shot out from underground and landed back on the surface.
Where the fruit stand once stood, a deep, wide pit of lava had replaced it. Sakazuki dragged World's body and began walking toward the center of town to regroup with Sengoku.
But he suddenly stopped.
Among the scattered fruit on the street, one strange oval-shaped fruit caught his eye. Its green stem curved at both ends, and cloud-like swirls patterned its surface in rings.
Sakazuki tossed World's corpse aside and stepped forward to pick up the fruit. A slight smirk tugged at his lips. The most critical part of the plan was now in place.
The magma on his chest began to shift. A cavity opened in his muscular chest, where lava quickly cooled into a solid chamber. It formed a secure compartment to temporarily store the fruit. He placed the fruit inside. Then the magma closed back over the opening, sealing it seamlessly. From the outside, there was no trace of anything unusual.
But the slight curve of Sakazuki's smirk would've startled anyone who saw it. He rubbed his face hard, quickly adjusting his expression. His Observation Haki told him Sengoku was approaching, It seemed things had been wrapped up on that side too.
He walked over, lifted World's body again, and headed toward the approaching admiral.
...
Aboard the returning warship, a few new passengers stood out. Dressed in black and silent as shadows, they were agents of CP—spies who had been embedded within World's crew.
The original mission from the Holy Land had been to try and capture World alive. If that failed, his path was expected to follow the one from the original story—captured by CP two years later, though what they intended to do with him back then was never clear. Whatever the plan was, it hadn't worked.
World was frozen and locked away in Impel Down for thirty years. He only escaped when Blackbeard attacked the prison, and from there, he plunged the world into chaos.
This time, the outcome was different. Sakazuki had executed him on the spot. The agents could only carry his body back and report the result.
'Hopefully, we won't be punished for this,' thought the CP agents silently.
...
Marine Headquarters. Marineford.
Sengoku's warship sailed into port. After a short exchange of words, Sakazuki disembarked and made his way toward the Marine Academy. But when he reached the principal's office, it was empty. Neither Vice Admiral Morris nor Enel was present.
He questioned the gatekeeper, who informed him that Morris hadn't shown up for several days.
Sakazuki's brow furrowed as he guessed the reason. 'No way...'
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Without wasting time, he turned and headed straight to Morris's house.
As he neared the home of the vice admiral, even from a distance, Sakazuki could hear Morris and Enel laughing.
He sighed and pushed the door open, the scene inside made his head ache a little.
There they were—a vice admiral of the Marine Headquarters, the principal of the Marine Academy, once the face of the absolute justice faction—playing hide-and-seek with Enel.
'Is this... not a little too childish?'
Sakazuki's expression turned complicated as he called out, "Vice Admiral Morris. Enel."
Only then did the two, lost in their game, notice his presence.
Morris looked a little embarrassed to be caught like that. Enel, on the other hand, shouted cheerfully, "Uncle Sakazuki!"
Sakazuki gave a slight nod, then turned toward Morris and said with helplessness in his voice, "Vice Admiral... really..."
Morris scratched his cheek and said, "Enel just finished training. I let him play for a bit."
'Yeah right...' Sakazuki thought. But when he looked at Enel again, he did seem filthy from head to toe. His small body was a bit more solid now—clearly stronger than when he had left.
Only then did Sakazuki believe Morris's explanation.
"Fine. But I heard you haven't been to the academy in days."
Morris cleared his throat and replied, a little sheepishly, "Fleet Admiral Kong assigned some new instructors. I was just making sure they're doing their jobs properly."
Sakazuki shook his head and suggested, "Why not set up a private room at the academy instead? You shouldn't spoil him like this."
He turned to Enel. "What do you think, Enel?"
The boy blinked, then nodded firmly and looked up at Morris. "Grandpa, I want to become strong. That way I can protect everyone. And you too."
Morris stared at the determined look on Enel's face and spaced out for a moment. Then he came back to his senses and gently patted the boy's head.
"You're right... I was wrong. A real man's journey should be on the sea."
He looked at Enel, whose expression remained firm. If he kept sheltering the boy, it would only hurt him in the long run. That would be irresponsible.
Morris then turned to Sakazuki. "Thank you for the reminder, Sakazuki. These past few days, I..."
Sakazuki shook his head, showing he understood. The two shared a brief, knowing smile.
...
Later that evening, Sakazuki stepped out of Morris's home.
He had spent the entire afternoon training with Enel. Now, under the fading light of dusk, he walked alone through the quiet streets of Marineford. When he reached his own house, the magma in his chest stirred.
He reached in and took out the More-More Fruit. After choosing a suitable spot on the floor, he activated his Devil Fruit power. A deep pit of magma opened beneath him, several meters down. Once it cooled, he placed the fruit inside. Then, he used his magma to cover the hole and restored the surface to its original state.
The next day, Sakazuki's personal warship set sail once more from headquarters. He resumed his mission at sea—hunting down pirates.
...
Three years later.
Derrick Island.
The island was named after the founding of the Derrick Kingdom, a nation that had vanished 170 years ago. Following its collapse, the territory split into two rival nations: the Kingdom of Malakar and the Kingdom of Galzburg.
The two had been locked in conflict for over a century, never reaching a true resolution. Because of that, the island's name remained unchanged.
On this particular day, as a Marine warship docked at the island while chasing pirates. A young boy living there unknowingly stepped off the path fate had originally laid for him.
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