Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
The warship glided into the crescent-shaped harbor, finding its berth among rows upon rows of docked vessels—at least thirty or forty by a quick count.
No sooner had they moored than a waiting messenger hurried over, summoning Sakazuki to the conference chamber. After ordering his men to resupply, Sakazuki made his way toward the tallest building in headquarters, exchanging nods and brief greetings with familiar officers along the way.
Though never much of a socialite, the notebook Jollyson had given him back in the day had proven invaluable. Within the hawkish faction, Sakazuki was starting to make a name for himself.
"Hey, Sakazuki! Over here!"
A man with a cigar waved him down—Vice Admiral Ward Morris, the hawk faction's leader, and for the past two years, Zephyr's main rival for the last open Admiral seat.
Currently, Marine HQ had Admiral Sengoku—the universally acknowledged powerhouse, though Garp, despite his qualifications and strength, stubbornly refused promotion. That left one Admiral slot unfilled, with Zephyr and Morris locked in a tense contest.
But the outcome was anything but certain. It wasn't just about strength or seniority—the higher-ups weighed everything. Setting aside Fleet Admiral Kong, both Sengoku and Garp were firmly in Zephyr's camp. Tsuru, the leader of the female officers, was close with all three—they'd all enlisted the same year. As for Morris's ambitions, Tsuru neither opposed nor supported him.
Above them, the Five Elders of the World Government barely cared, so long as the Admirals were useful. Only the Fleet Admiral post truly mattered to them. After all, if a Fleet Admiral couldn't keep the Admirals in line, what was the point?
Based on what he knew from his previous life, Morris was never going to make Admiral—but his strength was undeniable, placing him among the Navy's elite.
Sakazuki nodded in greeting. "Vice Admiral Morris."
Morris gestured to the seat beside him. "Come on, take a load off."
Once settled, Sakazuki asked, "Vice Admiral, any idea why headquarters called this sudden assembly?"
"Bah, it's those sea rats again." Morris snorted. "Rocks has been rallying his forces for months now. The New World's pirates are all but united."
"We've had word from our spies—the Rocks Pirates are on the move. Their destination? West Blue—God Valley."
"God Valley? Isn't that the Celestial Dragons' palace?"
At this point in history, God Valley could still be found on nautical charts. Sakazuki remembered seeing it marked as a Celestial Dragon estate.
Morris took a long drag on his cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke. "That's right. Supposedly, there are five Celestial Dragons on the island right now, along with a horde of slaves."
"Rocks is using Golden Lion Shiki's Float-Float Fruit to race toward West Blue. The Five Elders sent an urgent order—assemble all available forces to protect the Celestial Dragons at God Valley."
Sakazuki's brow furrowed. Everyone knew—if you wanted to kill a Celestial Dragon, you could just wait at Sabaody Archipelago and take your pick. Flying all the way from the New World to West Blue just to hunt a few was madness.
Seeing his confusion, Morris leaned in and lowered his voice. "There was more in the Five Elders' message. If it comes to it, we're to launch a Buster Call and erase God Valley from the map."
Sakazuki's pupils narrowed. Rocks was going all-in for this. The World Nobles would rather see the place destroyed than let it fall.
Noticing his shock, Morris reassured him, "Don't worry. Sengoku, Garp, and the others have already set out for God Valley. We're to assemble our forces and stand by for the Buster Call, ready to support them at a moment's notice."
As more officers arrived and the seats filled, Fleet Admiral Kong strode in, breathless, and issued the official orders for the Buster Call—assigning commanders and duties. No sooner had he finished than he hurried out, accompanied by a mysterious, uniformed, masked figure.
Suddenly, both vanished from Sakazuki's Observation Haki.
A Devil Fruit power? The depths of the World Government's hidden strength…
A storm was brewing, and everyone felt its weight. In silence, the Marines mobilized, preparing to sail for West Blue at full speed.
New World.
Countless floating ships raced through the sky toward West Blue.
On the largest, a wild banquet raged in the great hall. At the head of the table sat a man with untamed hair, guzzling sake—Rocks D. Xebec.
Tables lined either side, filled with infamous pirates:
Golden Lion Shiki.
Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin.
Silver Axe.
Wang Zhi.
Captain John—all officers of the Rocks Pirates, all with bounties in the hundreds of millions.
Slamming down his bowl, Rocks let out a manic laugh.
"As you all know—God Valley is the palace of those sniveling pigs. But we've gathered the world's mightiest here tonight!"
"Let's kill to our hearts' content. Drag those self-styled gods down from their thrones!"
"From this moment, our conquest of the world begins! Zehahahahaha!"
His mad words sent the pirates below into roaring laughter. They drank deep, not caring about the real stakes—no one would spoil the mood here.
The world, huh… Whitebeard mused with a smile, draining another bowl. But what I want most is family…
The world… The eyes of Shiki, Linlin, and the other pirate kings flashed with hidden ambition. All of them had the makings of rulers—how could they tolerate a king above themselves? And the thing that could conquer the world…
The feast went on, wild and loud.
Oro Jackson.
Not long ago, Roger had reached Lodestar Island. But instead of heading for the legendary final destination, he'd ordered a course for West Blue.
Night had fallen.
Stepping out onto the bow, Roger let the sea breeze wash over him, lost in thought.
"What's on your mind?"
Rayleigh, ever the reliable vice-captain, strolled up with a bottle in hand, taking a swig as he joined Roger at the railing.
He leaned back, setting the bottle on the rail. "Well?"
"Rayleigh, that thing… Whether it ends up with the Celestial Dragons or Rocks, it's a disaster either way. Should I… try to stop this?"
"So that's what's eating you. But you already know your answer, don't you?" Rayleigh chuckled, leaning against the rail.
A slow grin spread across Roger's face, crescent-moon wide.
"Yeah. I do."
"Ahahahaha! Momora! More food! Let's eat and drink our fill tonight!"
"Hey, hey, my booze!"
Still laughing, Roger grabbed Rayleigh and hauled him back toward the banquet hall.
As he was dragged away, Rayleigh reached desperately for the bottle he'd barely touched. "What a waste…"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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