East Blue, Syrup Village, early morning.
"Pirates are coming!!"
The long-nosed boy shouted as he ran through the quiet village.
As he passed, doors swung open, people rushed out of their homes, and cursed at his retreating back.
"Usopp, you brat! Can't you let me get a decent night's sleep! Even just for one day!"
"You damn kid, stop running if you dare! I'll give you a swollen head!"
"Usopp! Stop right there!"
And so, early in the morning, the village was thrown into chaos.
"Hahahaha!"
The long-nosed boy ran until he reached a steep cliff edge at the village boundary.
Feeling pleased with his successful prank, he climbed up a large tree, swinging his legs and laughing uncontrollably.
After laughing for a while, his expression gradually became downcast.
Staring at the endless sea before him, the boy's eyes held a hint of confusion.
But soon, he raised his hands and vigorously slapped his cheeks to regain his spirit.
Then, supporting himself on the tree trunk, he stood up straight, took a deep breath, and shouted toward the distant ocean,
"One day, I'm going to set sail too!!!"
He was going to find his father!
The Straw Hat Pirates (The Red Hair Pirates are referred to here as the Straw Hat Pirates, due to Shanks currently possessing the Straw Hat.) had been out of sight for a long time, and the boy was genuinely worried about whether something had happened to his father.
So, he had made up his mind that when the time was right, he would set sail to search for his father's trail.
After shouting and venting the pent-up emotions in his heart, the boy brushed off his backside and prepared to head back.
He still had to go tell stories to the young lady of the manor.
But just at that moment, he suddenly saw a patch of dark clouds.
Far, far away in the sky, a mysterious dark cloud suddenly appeared.
"Is a storm coming?"
The boy pulled out his telescope and looked toward the distance.
Then.
He suddenly saw a flash of light.
From within that patch of cloud at the edge of the sky, a beam of light suddenly descended.
"Huh! Is that lightning?"
The boy was a little confused.
But lightning didn't seem to be that color.
Then.
Rumble!!
The island suddenly began to shake violently.
"Eh? An earthquake??"
The boy was almost shaken off the tree. He quickly wrapped his arms around the trunk to maintain his balance.
Even so, he was scared stiff.
This island had never experienced any disasters like earthquakes in all the years he'd been here!
Before the boy could recover, a fierce roar suddenly echoed from the distance.
It was an earth-shattering boom, like a volcanic eruption, that made the boy's ears ache.
"Woah!!"
Because his ears were ringing with pain, he instinctively raised his hands to cover them. But this caused him to lose his grip, and he tumbled straight off the tree.
Even worse, he fell directly off the cliff, rolling down the steep face until he crashed heavily onto the sand below. Half his head was buried in the sand, his backside pointing skyward—a truly sorry sight.
"Ouch ouch ouch ouch!!"
The boy pulled his head out of the sand, grimacing and yelling in pain.
It was clear that the boy's physique was extraordinary; even after rolling down from such a height, he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
Contrast that with a certain unlucky fellow who fell down the stairs and died instantly.
Rumble!
The boy heard another violent roar and felt the ground shaking again.
He looked up, somewhat bewildered.
On the distant sea, a white line was rapidly approaching.
The boy's eyes gradually widened, and cold sweat began to bead thickly on his forehead and back.
Rumble rumble!!
The boundless sea suddenly gained an edge—it was a surging, monumental wave, charging forward like ten thousand horses!
"The sea, the sea…"
The boy felt his body go limp, but the next instant he remembered something, immediately springing to his feet and turning to run toward the village behind him.
"A tsunami is coming!!"
A tsunami! A giant, sky-devouring tsunami, rushing from the far edges of the ocean with an all-crushing momentum!
Wave after wave of immense size, like mountains suddenly rising from the sea, blocked out the sky and the sun, severing the boundary between life and death!!
The boy ran, running forward desperately.
He had to quickly tell everyone this news, he had to get everyone to evacuate immediately!
He told himself this in his heart.
But.
Boom!!
The loud crash was already upon them.
He dared not turn back, dared not look even for a second.
He was afraid to see the surging wave already right there, about to swallow everything on the island.
Thus, he didn't see the shocking giant wave towering hundreds of meters high behind him, seeming ready to engulf the entire world.
"The tsunami is here! Run!!"
The boy screamed himself hoarse.
His faint voice was utterly insignificant amid the thunderous roar, and no one could hear it.
Moreover, his warning was no longer needed.
Everyone living on this island could clearly see the sky-obscuring giant wave on one side of their island!
Crash!
Like an ordinary person crushing an ant, the surging giant wave swallowed the entire island in the very next moment.
The island couldn't even serve as a speed bump; it did nothing to slow the colossal wave. The massive tsunami continued its relentless surge forward without stopping.
As for everyone on that island, one could only wish them good luck.
In a certain sea area, some distance from the island that had just been engulfed by the giant wave—the place where the long-nosed boy had seen the lightning strike.
This place now resembled the end of the world.
Thick dark clouds covered the sky, and dazzling lightning bolts continuously leaped, like silver snakes dancing wildly.
On the sea surface below, an immense vortex spun, and wave after wave of surging giant waves extended from this location.
But the terrifying part was the colossal, deep black hole at the center of the vortex.
It seemed to connect to the deepest part of hell, bottomless and pitch black.
Moreover, the seawater wasn't even pouring into it. Instead, the surrounding sea level had risen slightly!
It was as if gravity itself had been altered!
And above this enormous abyss, within the pitch-black clouds, a gigantic dark silhouette could vaguely be seen, accompanied by the leaping lightning.
It was a ship, as large as an island.
Inside this ship, in the area where the Marines were gathered.
"How could this be!!"
The blind Admiral was furious.
The veins on his forehead, which bore two intersecting scars, bulged. "An island has already been swallowed! All sound vanished instantly! Is this level of destruction necessary just to test the power of this weapon?!"
"Calm down! Issho!"
At this moment, Zephyr spoke up to restrain him. "I understand your anger, but now is not the time for impulsive action!"
"Mr. Zephyr!"
The Marine Admiral with the codename Fujitora turned back solemnly. "If we must sacrifice the lives of the populace for the greater good, then what difference is there between us and the people we despise?!"
Zephyr sighed. "Anyone can say beautiful words, but to defeat Roa, we can only rely on Imu."
"For the sake of more people, for true peace and tranquility, we must endure for now."
"…"
Fujitora was speechless, his fists clenched tightly.
What a pathetic world!
To crush the greatest scourge in the world, they had to rely on the power of another scourge!
No matter how much he upheld justice, no matter how much he prioritized the citizens, Fujitora had to admit that Mr. Zephyr was right.
"But Mr. Zephyr,"
Fujitora said earnestly, "Once that World King defeats Roa, what should we do then?"
Zephyr suddenly smiled. "For now, at least, we can only gamble on them both being severely wounded."
"…"
Fujitora was stunned again.
Then he shook his head helplessly. "Mr. Zephyr, has anyone ever told you that you are truly a madman? Even a gambler like myself can't help but feel faint-kneed when facing a gamble of this magnitude."
"I've been crazy for a long time!"
Zephyr grinned. "I went crazy more than twenty years ago, when that scum Roa killed so many Marines in front of my eyes!"
Fujitora remained silent.
Almost simultaneously.
In the deepest part of this sky city, upon the high throne.
Imu, who was cloaked in black robes as always, had a hint of excitement in their voice.
"Excellent, Vegapunk did an excellent job!"
The World King even had a smile in their tone. "The power has not diminished in the slightest compared to eight hundred years ago. Uranus is finally revived!"
"However, Imu-sama,"
The Five Elders were kneeling below the throne. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, one of the Five Elders, spoke respectfully with his head bowed. "Vegapunk said that if Uranus engages in high-intensity combat, one unit of energy may only last for one or two days!"
"It doesn't matter!"
Imu said dismissively. "We can just manufacture more energy, can't we? It's not something that disappears after a single use."
"Have Vegapunk hasten the production of more energy."
"At the same time,"
Imu's right hand, hidden beneath the black robe, gripped the armrest of the throne. "Hurry up and confirm the whereabouts of that scum, Roa."
"Yes!"
Warcury said respectfully as well. "According to Sengoku, Rocinante's infiltration work is very successful. He has gradually gained Doflamingo's trust."
"Although he still hasn't been taken to the headquarters of the Calamity Company, that day should not be too far off."
"Hurry up."
Imu urged. "Since Uranus has been revived, the time for the final battle has arrived!!"
As long as they could find the headquarters of Roa and his crew, one shot from Uranus could instantly turn that scum into ashes!
Door-Door Fruit?
Firing a shot from hundreds of kilometers away—even future sight wouldn't be able to react in time!
As long as they could find the whereabouts of Roa's group, victory was already guaranteed!
"Yes!"
The three old men heavily knocked their heads on the ground.
The final battle was about to begin!
This news had begun to spread through the floating city, and all forces were starting to mobilize.
"Is it finally starting?"
This was the gathering place for CP0. The top intelligence agents, all in white suits, wore various expressions.
"We have to fight those monsters again?"
The high-ranking CP0 members who had survived the Battle of Mariejois years ago looked complex.
Those who hadn't experienced that battle, however, were full of fighting spirit.
"That idiot Blueno would serve the enemy,"
The man whose eyebrows were very distinct, like sickles, said coldly. "In that case, let me personally execute him."
The long-nosed man beside him sighed helplessly. "Lucci, you really are cold!"
"Hmph."
The only reply he received was a cold snort.
The Holy Knights' headquarters.
"Hahahaha! Can we finally start fighting? I've been impatient for years!"
The man was shirtless, wearing black trousers, with an unsheathed long sword tucked into his waistband. The large characters "死川心中" (Shinigawa Shinju) (meaning "double suicide at death river") were written diagonally across his chest, from his left breast to his lower right abdomen.
"Quiet, Aramaki,"
The red-haired man spoke impatiently. "Ranting here now is meaningless. I hope you're still this excited when you face that monster, Roa."
"Hahahaha!"
Aramaki, the man who joined the Holy Knights during the great conscription and instantly ascended to the status of a Celestial Dragon, burst into laughter. "Don't worry, Boss Shamrock! No matter who the opponent is, I'll fight to the death!"
"For the glory of the Celestial Dragons!"
Shamrock, the current commander of the Holy Knights, twitched the corner of his mouth.
You, a relative newcomer, are talking about the glory of the Celestial Dragons now.
However, this guy's strength was indeed extraordinary. He truly deserved the title of a Celestial Dragon.
Is it finally time?
Shamrock quietly polished his beloved sword.
The mere thought of that monster Roa still filled him with genuine dread.
That was not an opponent he could confront.
But thankfully, there was the great Imu-sama!
However—
A new thought suddenly occurred to him.
What if Imu-sama is forced to withdraw all of their power—
The commander of the Holy Knights instinctively shook his head.
Impossible. That is Imu-sama. Didn't that monster Roa also flee in defeat when he faced the great one before?
Not to mention, now the Ancient Weapon Uranus has been revived!
There was absolutely no reason to fail!
Just like eight hundred years ago, they, the Celestial Dragons, only needed to follow behind Imu-sama, just like their ancestors, and they would rightfully achieve the final victory!
As Aramaki said, the glory of the Celestial Dragons would surely continue!
The Marine gathering area.
The highest-ranking members of the Marines were all assembled.
Attendees included Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero Garp, the four Admirals, Chief of Staff Tsuru, and Chief Instructor Zephyr.
Even those designated as Admiral Candidates, like Momousagi and Chaton, were not eligible to participate in this meeting.
"I'll be direct,"
Sengoku took a deep breath. "Prepare for the final battle."
"I've been waiting eagerly!"
Akainu nodded forcefully.
"Then let's fight!"
Aokiji also said solemnly. "All we can do now is go all out!"
Everyone wore the same grave expression.
At this moment, Zephyr said, "Sengoku, I'll be direct too. Shouldn't we discuss where the Marines should go from here, no matter what happens next?"
Regardless of the outcome, preparations for war were underway!
The decisive battle for the future of the world was about to begin!
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