Sabaody Archipelago.
The Straw Hat crew had finally arrived.
At the same time, many other Supernovas were present on the island.
"This year's Supernovas are really arrogant, boldly gathering at Sabaody like this. They don't even know how they're going to die."
"What's going on this year? That mad dog Akainu hasn't been roaming the seas? That's why so many Supernovas survived?"
"Akainu has been busy securing his position as fleet admiral. He probably doesn't have time to deal with these rookie nobodies."
"These newcomers are so lucky. When I first set sail, just hearing about the situation in the first half of the Grand Line made me too scared to act recklessly. I didn't even dare to get a high bounty for fear of attracting the Marines' attention."
Pirates hiding throughout Sabaody Archipelago whispered among themselves.
"Aside from some minor dangers at the start, the Grand Line hasn't been as bad as people said. They called it a pirate's graveyard, but I think the old pirates were just too weak."
This year's highest-bounty Supernova, Eustass Kid, strode through Sabaody with his usual arrogance.
"We've basically conquered half of the Grand Line already," Usopp declared excitedly. "Luffy, once we get through the rest, you'll be the Pirate King!"
Luffy, uncharacteristically, looked a little embarrassed.
Zoro, having grown considerably, stood sharp-eyed and imposing.
"If I meet Kuina again, I definitely won't lose this time," Zoro murmured, filled with confidence in his current strength.
His bounty was now even higher than Kuina's.
Only Sanji seemed dejected.
Throughout their journey, he had yet to meet a woman who could compare to Nami.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
Before him stood a strikingly beautiful woman.
It was Jewelry Bonney, one of the Supernovas.
"A woman! That's the scent of a woman!"
Sanji, like a rabid dog let off its leash, charged madly toward Bonney.
Bonney, however, was distracted.
She had just noticed the other female Supernova, Kalifa.
Kalifa's usually cold expression shifted slightly as she hurriedly put away her transponder snail.
She had just received an urgent message from the World Government.
Leave Sabaody immediately.
"Damn, too late. I didn't even get to meet the Sun and Moon Pirates," Kalifa thought, gripping her mission tightly in her mind.
For ten years, she had endured brutal training under the World Government.
Her sole objective—infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirates.
With no time to waste, she dashed toward the harbor, leaving only afterimages in her wake.
Her strength far exceeded what it was in the past, and with the Devil Fruit granted to her by the World Government, she was among the top of the Supernovas.
"What's going on? Why is she in such a hurry to leave?" Bonney frowned.
She was about to follow when—
A blur of motion.
Sanji was charging straight at her like a lunatic.
Bonney reacted instantly, delivering a fierce kick that sent him flying.
"You bastard! What do you think you're doing!?" she growled, visibly irritated.
"Sorry, he's having one of his episodes," Zoro muttered as he dragged Sanji away.
"Idiot," Bonney scoffed, barely giving the group a second glance before turning back toward the direction Kalifa had disappeared.
But by then, Kalifa was already gone.
Bonney frowned.
"Something urgent must have happened."
Deciding not to dwell on it, she resumed looking for a restaurant.
As she ate, she recalled her journey.
"Kuma kept warning me that the first half of the Grand Line was dangerous. It really wasn't."
She thought back to when Kuma had told her to seek out the Sun and Moon Pirates, to join them.
"But those guys are so mysterious. Sure, they're one of the Four Emperors, but they're the least known. I'm already a Supernova now. Why would I need to join them?"
Bonney scoffed.
She didn't see the appeal of the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Meanwhile, as the Supernovas caused a ruckus around Sabaody, inside a certain tavern—
A group of men clinked their glasses together.
"Shanks, what brings you to Sabaody?" asked Rayleigh.
Shanks put down his glass.
"Rayleigh, I told you before about that kid I met in the East Blue. He finally set sail, and now he's here at Sabaody."
Excitement filled Shanks' voice.
After waiting for so many years, Luffy had finally made it to the Grand Line.
"The Straw Hat kid," Rayleigh mused, recalling this year's Supernova list.
Shanks nodded. "That's right."
"Becoming a Supernova is decent progress, but if he wants to do what Roger did, he doesn't stand a chance," Rayleigh said, disinterested.
After witnessing Kuke's rise, he found it hard to be impressed by anyone else.
Even miracles paled in comparison to what Kuke had accomplished when he first set out to sea.
Shanks' excitement faltered.
"You're right. Kuke holds the Road Poneglyphs. No one else even has a chance."
He sighed, feeling a pang of sympathy for Luffy.
"You're here to meet him?" Rayleigh guessed.
Shanks shook his head. "Not yet. It's still too soon. I just came to make sure he gets through Sabaody safely. The transition from here to the New World isn't easy."
"Akainu's busy becoming fleet admiral. He won't be coming this year. Besides, if you'd just told me earlier, I could have helped escort him myself," Rayleigh said confidently.
It wouldn't be the first time he had done something like this.
"I needed to stretch my legs anyway. I'm not afraid of Akainu."
Shanks grinned.
Then, suddenly—
Shanks and Rayleigh's faces changed.
In an instant, they were at the doorway, gazing out toward the distant sea.
Three warships were approaching.
"The Marines are here," Rayleigh murmured, intrigued.
"Wonder which big shot they sent this time?"
He took another sip of his drink.
"This year's Supernovas are lucky. With Red-Haired Shanks here, protecting them will be easy."
Shanks also seemed relaxed.
"Rayleigh, save me a seat. I'll be back for another round soon."
"Boss, something's wrong."
Yasopp had been scanning the fleet through a telescope.
Normally, using Observation Haki so openly might alert the enemy, so he refrained.
"You're being paranoid, Yasopp. So what if the Marines are here?"
The crew chuckled.
"Who did they send?" Shanks asked, unconcerned.
After ten years of honing his strength, there was only one man on the sea he considered a true rival—Kuke.
"Akainu," Yasopp said gravely.
Shanks' pupils contracted.
"And the two newly appointed admirals—Fujitora and Ryokugyu."
A wave of silence spread through the tavern.
Shanks' expression darkened.
"Three admirals?"
"This doesn't make sense. There's nothing at Sabaody worth mobilizing three admirals for. Just a bunch of rookies. What's the Marine's real objective?"
Ben Beckman's voice was serious.
"There's only one possibility."
"They're here for us," Beckman said.
Shanks exhaled slowly, his hand drifting toward the hilt of his sword.
"A war's about to start."
"Ohh," his crew roared in anticipation.
Three admirals.
Troublesome, but not impossible.
Rayleigh, who had just sat down, silently placed his drink aside.
Then, he reached for the sword hanging on the wall.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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