"The Beasts Pirates?" Sengoku's voice sharpened over the Den Den Mushi. "They've been quiet in the New World. Why would they appear in Paradise? Was this an organized operation? Is everyone safe?"
His mind raced. 'Queen attacking unprovoked? This can't be coincidental.'
In his mind, the training ship only had Gion as its sole capable fighter—Victor was still just a recruit in his eyes.
"We're all unharmed," Gion reported. "Queen was the only real threat aboard. Victor slaughtered every pirate except him. By the end, Queen was so severely wounded he could only watch as Victor executed an Ancient Zoan user right before his eyes."
Even retelling it, her voice trembled with lingering adrenaline.
Sengoku's eyebrows shot up. "Victor has grown that strong already? To overwhelm Queen? This is... remarkable. The Marines' future is secure with talents like you."
A surge of relief washed over him. With three Admirals already positioned and now this new generation rising, the World Government's military power stood unshaken.
"An Ancient Zoan user... Pity he wasn't captured. That fruit will resurface eventually," Sengoku mused.
"The situation was chaotic," Gion explained. "After my fight with Queen, I was too injured to assist. Victor had Queen cornered, but he threatened us with a poison bomb. The dinosaur was battling Rebecca—until he gravely wounded her."
A pause.
"That was his mistake. Rebecca is Victor's weakness. He didn't hesitate—just cut him down. Then we retreated."
"I see. No matter. Your safety comes first," Sengoku conceded.
"Admiral," Gion's tone darkened, "my real concern is retaliation. Victor butchered Kaido's men and nearly killed Queen. Will Kaido come for us?"
"Let him try," Sengoku scoffed. "Between Garp and Zephyr, even Kaido won't dare attack Marineford. Just stay alert and report any developments."
'After all,' he thought, 'we captured Shiki. Kaido's no different.'
---
Two Days Later - Approaching Marineford
"Phoebe, how much longer?" Barnett asked the navigator.
"We're close. Should reach Sabaody soon," she replied.
Barnett exhaled, pressing a hand to his chest. "Finally. This voyage has aged me ten years."
Phoebe chuckled. The once unflappable officer had become jumpy as a startled cat.
Soon, the outline of Sabaody's groves appeared. The cadets relaxed—home at last.
Victor stared at the approaching archipelago, lost in thought. 'I still owe Rebecca that amusement park visit.'
She hadn't woken in three days. Though Barnett's treatments healed her injuries, her consciousness remained adrift. 'Could it be brain damage?'
The ship wouldn't dock. They'd bypass Sabaody entirely, returning directly to Marineford.
Nearly a month at sea. Two months left in training. And soon—Victor's seventeenth birthday.
---
Above Sabaody Archipelago
"Look! In the sky!"
"A dragon?!"
"The legends... they're real?!"
Panic erupted as a colossal azure dragon soared overhead, its sheer presence crushing weaker wills.
Hundreds of meters long. A jagged scar across its belly.
The few who recognized it paled. 'Kaido.' Here? Why?
Reporters scrambled for cameras. Pirates froze in terror. Civilians hid.
The dragon ignored them all, following an invisible trail—Queen's Vivre Card, still leading onward.
With a thunderous beat of its wings, it passed over Sabaody, vanishing toward the horizon.
Toward Marineford.
Though Queen's Vivre Card had stabilized, Kaido wasn't taking chances. He continued his search, cutting through the sky like a storm given form.
Aboard the Marine ship, Victor—one of the rare few who kept his Observation Haki perpetually active—suddenly stiffened.
That presence.
That shape.
Impossible to mistake.
Even in his past life, he'd seen its likeness in carvings and paintings. In this world, only one being matched it.
Kaido.
'Of all the fucking timing—'
A crimson "DANGER" flashed above Victor's head like a neon warning.
"Gion! Contact HQ—NOW! Kaido's coming!" Victor's shout ripped through the deck.
Like most in this world, Gion didn't keep her Haki constantly active. Blinking, she snapped her awareness outward—
—and recoiled as Kaido's monstrous aura slammed into her senses. She staggered, face paling, until Victor steadied her.
"That… that's Kaido?" Her voice trembled.
She'd never seen his dragon form. She was young, new to the Marines.
"Yes. Call HQ. He's heading straight for us." Victor's tone left no room for doubt. 'When it rains, it fucking pours.'
Gion sprinted for the communications room.
The cadets stood frozen.
'Kaido? HERE?'
This wasn't a joke. Victor's grim expression confirmed it. Gion's panic confirmed it.
Their eyes swiveled to Barnett.
'You.'
'You just had to say "we're safe," didn't you?'
'You jinxed us.'
Barnett wanted to cry. 'I was just relieved! How was I supposed to know—'
Then they saw it.
The dragon.
Growing larger.
Closer.
Little Yellow had buried its head underwater—'if I can't see him, he can't see me'—but its flippers still paddled frantically.