The ground trembled like a coiled dragon surging beneath the earth, kicking up clouds of dust.
Cracks spread with thunderous roars, ripping through the terrain. Within the swirling haze, a massive crater—dozens of meters wide—came slowly into view, a terrifying sight to behold.
Everyone on site stared in stunned silence, their eyes wide, jaws nearly hitting the floor.
"Th-this..."
"This is insane..."
"Unbelievably strong..."
"As expected of Admiral Sengoku..."
Ever since Sengoku gradually took over the core operations of Marine Headquarters from Fleet Admiral Kong, he had intervened in battle only a handful of times in recent years.
To many of the younger Marines, their impression of Sengoku—this "pillar" of the Navy—was that of a bespectacled old strategist, always seated at his desk, plotting, bickering with Garp-san, and occasionally swearing in frustration.
They never imagined that the man known for his "honest" and composed demeanor could become so terrifying when angered.
And his opponent wasn't just anyone—it was a pirate with a bounty over two billion Belly!
Douglas Bullet, the "Demon Heir"—his bounty alone surpassed the combined bounties of the other five Shichibukai!
Just unleashing his Conqueror's Haki had been enough to paralyze half the port.
And yet... a pirate that powerful, that ferocious, that overwhelming...
Had been slapped into the ground like a fly by Admiral Sengoku!
It was...
"...So freaking cool!!"
At that moment, Kuzan leapt down from the dog-headed warship, his face full of uncontainable excitement as he waved his arms toward the massive golden Buddha still hovering in midair.
Behind him, Tokikake instinctively shrank back.
Just thinking about how he'd constantly pestered Sengoku for sparring matches—and the exasperated look on Sengoku's face—made cold sweat bead on his back.
"Bwahahaha! It's been ages since I've seen Sengoku this fired up!"
Garp stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily.
Daren winced, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
Staff Officer Tsuru covered her face with both hands, her expression pained.
She knew Sengoku's thoughts too well.
He'd clearly been waiting for an excuse like this for a long time...
The other Shichibukai were also left twitching at the corners of their eyes.
Crocodile and Moria, in particular, felt a chill run down their spines as they recalled how they'd just dismissed Sengoku's authority without a second thought.
Now, as everyone turned their eyes toward Sengoku—some with awe, others with fear—he landed gently, returned to his human form, and felt as though every pore in his body had just opened in satisfaction.
Yes... this was the feeling.
His mind was crystal clear.
...
"You damn old man... you actually sucker punched me..."
A raspy voice broke the silence, followed by the sound of violent coughing from deep within the dust.
The wind blew through, scattering the smoke.
In the center of the crater, Douglas Bullet pushed aside a boulder pinning his body and slowly stood, swaying as he rose from the wreckage.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, eyes sharp and burning as he glared fiercely at Sengoku.
"You're not my opponent!"
He suddenly turned to Daren, voice sharp.
"Daren, what the hell is this!?"
"I agreed to join the Shichibukai, but not to fight some washed-up old geezer!"
Daren: …
He glanced at Sengoku's darkening expression and thought, Bullet, do yourself a favor and shut up.
After all, Sengoku wasn't the only "washed-up old geezer" here.
With Sengoku's fury flaring again, Garp itching for a fight, and Zephyr now standing atop the city wall alongside Gion and the other officers—having somehow arrived without anyone noticing—Daren quickly spoke up.
"If you're looking for a fight, I'll gladly take you on."
"But today's about officially inducting the Shichibukai. Let's take care of business first, Bullet."
Bullet narrowed his eyes at Daren, making sure he wasn't being brushed off. After a long pause, he snorted coldly.
"You said it!"
Then he casually dusted himself off and walked to the side like nothing had happened.
The nearby Marines watched in stunned silence, their eyes twitching at Bullet's monstrous physique.
Bullet sat down heavily on the ground, his aura murderous and wild—completely contrasting with the other Shichibukai members, who were subtly sticking together.
"Hey, Crocodile, you sure this freak is one of us?"
Feeling the oppressive bloodlust radiating from Bullet, Moria bumped Crocodile with his shoulder—so hard that Crocodile's arm crumbled into sand.
"Of course. Come to think of it... I fought him once. Ended in a draw."
Crocodile didn't want to respond, but as if recalling something, he muttered coldly.
As he spoke, he nodded toward Bullet.
Bullet returned the nod.
"No winner? Kishishishi, yeah right."
Moria scoffed, curling his lip.
"You're strong, but compared to that monster who's like a walking nightmare, you're still a tier below, aren't you?"
Crocodile didn't reply, his face stony.
But thinking back to the aura Bullet had just unleashed, a seed of doubt crept into his mind.
'Wait a second… how did I end up drawing with that guy?'
'Am I actually that strong... and just don't know it?'
Crocodile looked down at his hand and the golden hook, momentarily lost in thought.
...
"Alright, now that all the Shichibukai are here, let's get started."
At that moment, Sengoku clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, his face beaming.
He seemed to sense something, turning to glance toward the sea.
Under escort from a Marine warship, a fleet of merchant ships bearing the flags of major news outlets was heading toward Marineford in an orderly line.
On the lead ship, Sakazuki stood in a dark red suit, hands in his pockets, unmoving like a granite monolith, his cape flapping sharply behind him.
The Marines on the ground moved quickly, scrambling to clean up the battlefield as much as possible.
"You really went too far this time…"
Tsuru walked up beside Sengoku with a helpless expression, glaring at his barely concealed grin.
"Hahaha, this is the Holy Land of Justice. I couldn't just let those guys do whatever they want."
Sengoku laughed heartily, his beard practically bristling with pride.
He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice as if remembering something.
"Right, Tsuru—help me edit out the part where I took action earlier."
Tsuru blinked, then smirked.
"Alright, I get it. As a Marine Admiral, it wouldn't look good to be seen attacking the Shichibukai."
Sengoku was still as cautious as ever.
"No, I mean edit it and send it to the media. Have them play it on loop."
Tsuru's face darkened.
"…So this was personal."
She gave him a sharp look.
Sengoku chuckled sheepishly and didn't deny it.
Tsuru's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"In that case, the repairs and reconstruction for the military port are coming out of your salary. Ten years' worth should just about cover it."
The smile on Sengoku's face froze in an instant.
And Tsuru's cheerful grin came right back.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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