Months later.
Time inexorably marched forward.
The New Year had barely passed, and the date for the Fleet Admiral's handover ceremony was already set.
The entire world seemed to be immersed in the joy of welcoming the new year.
Within the Four Seas.
The Revolutionary Army, after a thorough purging of internal traitors, inexplicably began to consolidate its forces. They moved troops to the fringes of the world and blockaded the sea routes.
On islands from which no messages could be sent, the Revolutionary Army erected numerous factories.
These factories not only produced advanced machinery but also weapons that had been phased out by the Navy, yet were still several times more advanced than what was commonly used at sea.
Islands that had relied on manual farming for generations saw their labor gradually replaced by convenient machinery, significantly freeing up manpower.
This liberated labor force was then steadily absorbed and trained by the Revolutionary Army.
Within the Government.
Dragon's extensive purges and the blockade of sea routes had effectively severed the government's access to intelligence about the Revolutionary Army.
However, special agents, undeterred by the threat of death, continued to breach the Revolutionary Army's defenses, attempting to obtain vital information for the government.
Meanwhile, prior to the new Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's assumption of command.
He visited Mary Geoise and engaged in a day-long secret discussion with the Five Elders.
The support he received from this meeting...
On the Pirate Front.
The chaotic war among the Four Emperors in the New World, which had raged for months, came to an abrupt halt.
Following the sudden announcement of Sakazuki as the new Fleet Admiral and the imminent promotion ceremony, the conflict over spoils and territory inexplicably ceased.
Subsequently, led by Shanks, the four factions convened on an island for discussions.
Afterward, the island was erased from the charts, and the Four Emperors began to withdraw their forces, reorganizing their spheres of influence based on their current territorial holdings.
Hail.Noir suffered the greatest losses, followed by Shanks. Both their businesses and territories saw a contraction.
Only Charlotte Linlin and Kaido profited handsomely.
However, there was no time to dwell on such matters. Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral likely meant turbulent times ahead. Full preparation was paramount.
-----------
The Grand Line, Alabasta.
Rain Country, the top floor of Rain Dinners Casino.
It was three days before Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral.
Crocodile stood by the window, gazing at the endless expanse of yellow, lost in thought.
On the desk behind him lay a newspaper.
A massive headline proclaimed:
"New Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, Known for His Brutality! Will the Great Pirate Era Usher in Its End?"
The article went on to analyze Sakazuki's career and the potential impact of his promotion on the world.
The author of this piece was none other than Morgans himself, the head of the World Economic Journal, who controlled all the news coo-coos.
This issue had already surpassed the sales records of the past decade.
The last time such a record-breaking newspaper was published was when Roger became the Pirate King.
*Creak—*
The sound of a doorknob turning echoed.
Robin entered, wearing a sun hat and a black leather outfit consisting of shorts and a short-sleeved top, carrying a stack of documents.
Seeing Crocodile standing by the window with such an expression, she looked puzzled.
"Boss, this month's profit and loss statement is ready."
"Would you like to review it?"
Crocodile stared out the window, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Leave it."
Robin placed the documents on the desk and turned to face Crocodile.
"This is quite rare."
"I never expected you to wear such an expression."
"Is there something that troubles the great Sand Crocodile?"
Hearing Robin's slightly teasing words, Crocodile let out a cold snort and turned around.
"What, are you bored?"
"You seem to be in quite a good mood lately."
"Nico Robin..."
Hearing Crocodile call her name directly, Robin knew he was genuinely annoyed.
Shrugging, she wisely exited.
Crocodile returned to his desk and sat down.
The huge headline on the newspaper was so glaring.
"Sakazuki..."
This man had become Fleet Admiral, while he remained stagnant, playing the role of a detestable hero year after year.
A wave of restlessness washed over him. He took several deep breaths.
He walked back to the window, pushed it open, and leaped out.
"Pluto... Pluto..."
The sandstorm of Alabasta intensified.
Robin, who had just entered the Rain Dinners hall, sensed Crocodile's departure. She let out a soft laugh and melted into the crowd.
Crocodile was right; she had been very happy lately.
Even Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral hadn't dampened her spirits.
She had initially intended to contact the Revolutionary Army to explore possibilities, but she had gained an unexpected reward.
From the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, she learned that he had visited Ohara.
The books that Professor Clover and others had managed to rescue from the flames were now located elsewhere in the world, continuing to pass on Ohara's legacy.
Ohara had not perished!
Her lips curved upward unconsciously, a smile she couldn't suppress.
Her previously bleak life was now filled with hope.
Having made up her mind, she identified her direction and, without reservation, shared the knowledge taught to her by Saul with the Revolutionary Army and Dragon.
"Mother, Professor, Sauro..."
"And... Mr. Saul..."
"I will live well, carrying your legacy."
"Until the birth of the new world..."
The scorching sun shone upon her, but to Robin, it felt wonderfully warm.
-----------
New World, Sabaody Archipelago.
Evening.
Five Navy ships, gathered from various parts of the Grand Line, were en route to the Sabaody Archipelago.
At the Marine Branch on Sabaody Archipelago.
Enel sat on the sofa in the base commander's office, yawning.
"Haa—"
"Are the people not all here yet?"
Demola stood respectfully beside him and replied,
"Almost, Lord Enel."
"The last squad on duty is on their way back."
Although they were both Vice Admirals, Demola dared not show any disrespect to Enel, Sakazuki's confidant, and served him with utmost deference.
Enel stood up.
"They've returned. Let's go."
Through his Observation Haki, he sensed a squad of soldiers rushing back. After the main gate was secured,
The soldiers on guard duty quickly moved to the plaza.
All registered personnel had been accounted for.
On the vast base plaza, soldiers stood in dense formation.
Demola respectfully led the way to the plaza and then, looking at the crowd below, announced,
"Silence!"
"Vice Admiral Enel will now address you!"
He then stepped aside, standing respectfully to the side.
Enel's lips curved into a slight smile as he stepped forward.
"Everyone is here. Excellent."
"Five Hundred Million Volt·Lightning Net..."
*Zzzzzzt—*
Electricity erupted from him, spreading like a net of lightning, enveloping every soldier.
Not a single soul survived.
Demola, caught off guard and electrocuted, his pupils dilated in shock.
"You..."
*Phut—*
His heart was pierced by a golden short staff, and he died filled with extreme disbelief.
-----------
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Early morning.
Two days before Sakazuki's promotion.
Sakazuki was already at work in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku was also present, organizing documents for the handover.
At this moment, an intelligence officer entered. Seeing both the outgoing and incoming Fleet Admirals present, he appeared somewhat troubled, unsure how to proceed.
Sengoku glanced at him.
"What is it? Speak."
The intelligence officer took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and reported,
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral."
"Last night, all the soldiers at the Sabaody Archipelago Branch, including Vice Admiral Demola, were slaughtered by Vice Admiral Enel..."
"Subsequently, soldiers gathered from various parts of the Grand Line took over the Sabaody Archipelago Branch..."
This was the intelligence officer's dilemma. It was clearly Sakazuki's doing as the new Fleet Admiral, yet Sengoku was still two days away from relinquishing his post.
Now that it had happened concurrently, he was bound to offend one of them, regardless of whether he reported it.
Sengoku froze in disbelief.
"What?!"
Recovering his composure, his expression darkened as he looked at the intelligence officer.
"You may leave."
The intelligence officer exhaled in relief.
"Yes!"
He scurried out.
Sengoku took a deep breath and turned to Sakazuki.
"Give me an explanation, Sakazuki."
Sakazuki sat at his desk, flipping through documents.
"Just clearing out vermin."
Sengoku looked incredulous.
"Don't tell me every soldier in that base was a vermin."
Sakazuki looked up.
"You're quite right. Under Demola's leadership, not a single soldier in that base had a clean record."
"Removing them also makes way for you, the new Marine Grand Inspector."
"Surely you don't want to fight alongside a group of corrupt, drinking, gambling soldiers."
A Fleet Admiral, even upon stepping down, could not completely leave the Navy; they had to be assigned a post.
However, Sengoku was stepping down as Fleet Admiral, so he couldn't be a Marine General, and Vice Admiral wouldn't be fitting.
A temporary position, Grand Inspector, was created for him, with the duty of overseeing high-ranking officers, which was suitable for Sengoku.
Sengoku's brow furrowed.
"Hmm?"
He looked somewhat confused. His original plan was to enjoy his retirement. But judging by Sakazuki's demeanor, it seemed he wasn't planning to let him rest.
Sakazuki opened new documents.
"Harsh measures for chaotic times."
"The prelude to the pirates' demise has just begun."
"Blockading the New World is merely the first step..."
-----------
New World, Egghead Island.
One day before Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral.
The island was enjoying an unusual period of calm.
Enel and Law were both out on missions.
Government agents had mysteriously vanished, possibly fed to sharks somewhere.
Vegapunk, uncharacteristically, was not conducting research. Instead, he sat before a large screen, watching the equipment operate.
At any other time, he wouldn't be idle.
After a long while,
Vegapunk picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
*Ring, ring, ring, ring—*
It was answered after just two rings.
Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, spoke from the other end.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Are you going to join us?"
Vegapunk smiled.
"You're mistaken, Dragon."
"While I agree with your ideals, I still believe Sakazuki is the one who can save the world."
Dragon fell silent.
"I see..."
"Alright..."
"Why did you call this time?"
Dragon and Vegapunk had known each other for a long time, even before Vegapunk's arrest.
They hadn't interacted much before, until their chance encounter during the Ohara incident.
Although he was impressed by Dragon's ideals at the time, he didn't have many thoughts, as he had already known Sakazuki for a long time.
Sakazuki's ideals were more realistic and achievable than Dragon's.
Moreover, he couldn't abandon his current situation.
Vegapunk sighed slightly and said,
"This will be the last time I speak with you."
"Because I've realized I made a wrong decision."
"When I gave you those weapon blueprints, I didn't think much of it."
"But as you've acted... I see I was mistaken."
"I cannot guarantee that you won't use those weapons against Marine soldiers."
"This is a betrayal of the Marines, a betrayal of Sakazuki."
"And it makes it impossible for me to forgive myself."
"I have confessed our acquaintance and interactions to Sakazuki."
"Sakazuki said nothing."
"But I no longer have the face to see him..."
Dragon on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was silent for a long time.
"I'm sorry..."
After receiving knowledge from Robin, he began to prioritize industry and technology, and had sought some technological weapons from Vegapunk.
However, he hadn't expected the deep connection between Vegapunk and Sakazuki.
Vegapunk smiled.
"This is it, Dragon."
"Oh, and tell Bartholomew Kuma to be careful."
"Goodbye."
*Click—*
Hanging up the Den Den Mushi,
Vegapunk slumped back into his chair with a sigh.
How many friends does one have in a lifetime? And he had lost another.
But he couldn't pretend nothing had happened. He felt guilty.
With a wave of his hand, the distant Pacifista, Bartholomew Kuma, approached.
He picked up the special Den Den Mushi from the table and swallowed it with a crunch.
Vegapunk stood up and resumed his relentless research.
----------
On the day Sakazuki was promoted to Fleet Admiral.
Marine branches around the world were unusually quiet.
From early morning, all soldiers stood in their respective branch plazas.
Awaiting the appearance of the figure on the large screen.
Soldiers at sea also stood in neat formation.
Their faces filled with excitement as they awaited the broadcast via video Den Den Mushi.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
On the plaza, nearly ten thousand soldiers stood in perfect order.
Each face radiated excitement; the person they admired had finally reached the pinnacle.
He was their faith.
Countless reporters from around the world had gathered at the viewing stands, eager to report the freshest news.
Across the globe, on islands that had been directly or indirectly saved by Sakazuki, people gathered in homes with video Den Den Mushi.
Even pirates were watching the video Den Den Mushi intently.
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Kaido held his sake gourd, drinking as he watched the Den Den Mushi.
Whole Cake Island...
Charlotte Linlin sat at a huge table laden with sweets, eating as...
Steam Pirates' base...
Red Hair Pirates, the Red Force...
-----------
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sakazuki, clad in the Fleet Admiral's cape, stood behind the promotion stage.
Only a few people were around: Sengoku, Carol, Zeff, and Morris.
Even Barrett and Enel were not present; Sakazuki had dispatched them to the New World. If not for Sengoku's need to hand over duties,
They would have already reached their mission locations.
Carol checked her watch and smiled.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, it's time."
Sakazuki's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Let's begin."
Carol immediately went to make the necessary preparations.
At the signal...
*Bong—Bong—Bong—Bong—*
A series of alarms, filled with a sense of impending battle, rang out continuously.
Everyone watching was stunned. Was someone causing trouble at this moment?
But as Sakazuki and Sengoku slowly ascended the stage, people realized this was actually ceremonial music.
The reporters at headquarters breathed a sigh of relief; their lives were safe. They were also incredibly excited.
To be promoted to Fleet Admiral with alarms blaring, one could only imagine the ferocity of this new Fleet Admiral's methods. Was a world war about to break out?
Even before he spoke, cameras began to flash incessantly, unwilling to miss a single moment.
On the promotion stage.
Sengoku produced the Fleet Admiral's medal and presented it to Sakazuki, who affixed it to himself.
The two men nodded, and Sengoku slowly stepped down.
The world watched with some confusion. Where were the other segments of the ceremony?
Sakazuki stepped forward and picked up the microphone.
"Grand Inspector Sengoku has other duties."
"Everything will be kept simple."
"Everyone, war is about to begin."
"Prepare yourselves and await it."
Sakazuki paused briefly, allowing people around the world time to react.
But the world erupted.
No one had expected the new Marine Fleet Admiral to be so extreme; after only the third sentence, he had declared war!
Countless enemies of Sakazuki involuntarily sat up straighter, eager to hear who he was declaring war on.
Against the pirates? Against the Revolutionary Army?
The reporters at headquarters trembled, so excited they were speechless, their cameras even falling to the ground.
Sakazuki spoke slowly.
"On this blue sea."
"There lies a beauty that one can never fully comprehend in a lifetime."
"Born into such a beautiful world, we should be incredibly fortunate."
"However..."
"There are still those who..."
"They see plunder as pleasure."
"They slaughter villages and destroy towns at will, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths annually."
"They consider slaughter a matter of honor."
"To avenge perceived slights against their companions, they slaughter nations and destroy islands."
"They wantonly destroy everything in the world, calling it adventure."
"They defiantly provoke the Marines and the government, calling it freedom."
"The world's cancerous growth, pirates."
"The word 'pirate' can be traced back to the very establishment of the World Government."
"Eight hundred years."
"This world's cancer has never been eradicated."
"Even with the stirring of Roger, the world's sinner and so-called Pirate King,"
"This disaster has spanned nineteen years."
"Lives destroyed directly or indirectly by pirates, numbering in the millions."
"Civilians affected directly or indirectly, in the tens of millions."
"This is the Great Pirate Era, initiated by garbage revered as myths by pirates."
"How shocking these numbers are."
"What is even more astonishing is that these figures are still climbing."
"Every day, someone falls victim to the pirates' blades."
"This is why I stand here today."
"I can responsibly tell the citizens of the world, and those pieces of garbage at sea,"
"That eradicating pirates is a matter of urgency. There is no place for such trash as pirates in this world!"
His tone paused again.
Announcing preparations for war:
"First."
"Effective immediately."
"Sabaody Archipelago will be blockaded."
"All bubble-coating shops will be forcibly taken over by the Marines."
"Merchant vessels and cruise ships, after registration, may proceed to the New World."
"The head of the Sabaody Archipelago Branch."
"Will be the former Fleet Admiral, now Marine Grand Inspector, Sengoku."
"Second."
"From all branches in the first half of the Grand Line, one-third of the troop strength will be deployed to the New World."
"From the Four Seas branches, one-tenth of the troop strength will be drawn to reinforce the first half of the Grand Line."
"Strategic deployment in the New World."
"Against the pirate Hail.Noir, Admiral Kuzan of Marine Headquarters will serve as commander."
"Against the pirate Charlotte Linlin, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp of Marine Headquarters will serve as commander."
"Against the pirate Kaido, Admiral Borsalino of Marine Headquarters will serve as commander."
"Against the pirate Shanks, Vice Admiral candidate Enel of Marine Headquarters will serve as commander."
"Marine Headquarters, above the Admirals, a new position of Grand General will be established."
"Douglas Bullet, formerly a Marine General candidate, will assume this role, serving as the central defense."
"The remaining Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters will enter the New World in batches, under unified command."
"Marine Headquarters, Marineford, will be reassigned as G-1 Branch."
"The G-1 Branch within the New World will be reclassified as the new Marine Headquarters, to be called New Marineford."
"All Marine bases worldwide will enter a state of readiness."
"Simultaneously, after consultation with the government, a three-year, worldwide grand recruitment drive will commence."
"The number of Marine Admirals will be increased to four."
"During the world's grand recruitment drive, individuals of sufficient strength may be directly promoted to Admiral."
Sakazuki gestured to Carol.
The large screen erected on the plaza suddenly lit up.
The screen showed a small island, from which countless warships and vessels were departing.
"Third."
"The three endpoints in the New World."
"The legends that could destroy the New World are treated as jokes."
"But as Fleet Admiral, I can responsibly inform the entire world: the legends are true."
"Beneath these three endpoints lies a massive reserve of magma."
"Igniting these three points will trigger a chain reaction of the earth's veins, destroying the entire New World. No one will escape."
"Now..."
*BOOM!!!!*
On the massive screen, the island exploded with immense force. The terrifying power was palpable even through the screen.
"The first one has just been detonated."
"When we engage the pirates in the final decisive battle, the second will be detonated."
"If we lose that war, the third will be detonated. No pirate will be able to escape the New World."
"This blue sea should be filled with the happy smiles of people, not with these pieces of garbage at sea who brandish swords and guns, engaging in arson, murder, and plunder."
"The so-called Great Pirate Era is about to usher in the prelude to destruction."
Sakazuki took a deep breath.
"JUSTICE!!!!"
Below, the soldiers standing in neat formation, and the Marines worldwide watching the live broadcast, roared with flushed faces:
"VICTORY! VICTORY!! VICTORY!!!"