"…."
Hawk's words left Sengoku silent.
Once again, he hesitated, weighing the consequences.
Containing those rare Devil Fruit users, locking them away in the sunless depths of the sea, had always been the Navy's strategy and the World Government's as well.
But did it truly bring peace to the seas?
From the era of Rocks to Gol D. Roger, and now to the current era of great pirates ignited by Roger's legendary deeds, chaos never truly ceased.
The Rocks Pirates, to be honest, had a lineup… remarkable in its audacity.
The flames of disorder never rested.
Even as the population of prisoners in Impel Down swelled, the number of pirates sailing the seas only grew.
If the old order had already decayed beyond repair, then let Hawk forge a new order with his "justice of slaughter."
He would strike fear into all who dared to hoist the skull flag.
He would carve a world where no one would dare call piracy a badge of honor.
Sengoku finally understood.
Without wielding thunderous justice to sever corruption, without reshaping the spirit of the Navy with iron discipline, how could they ever restore the dignity of justice?
The Navy's duty was to protect the people.
If your stomach went empty because of the Celestial Dragons' greed, you could seek help from the Navy.
If calamity struck that you could not resist, you could call upon the Navy.
That was the Navy of the future, and it would uphold these ideals.
But the moment someone hoisted that flag of plunder and evil, the moment they raised a blade in the hands of a "pirate" to harm the innocent, they would have to face the Navy's relentless pursuit, following them to the ends of hell itself.
Sengoku exhaled slowly, as though expelling the last trace of doubt from his mind.
"Very well, Hawk."
His voice was firm now.
"I authorize you, in the name of the Fleet Admiral, to carry out any and all operations within Impel Down."
"I have only one request."
"Speak, Fleet Admiral."
"Virgo… that traitor, leave him for me."
Sengoku's voice was icy, devoid of emotion.
"I will personally bring Donquixote Doflamingo before him…!"
Hawk agreed without hesitation.
The Den Den Mushi closed, as if falling into a deep sleep.
Hawk rose slowly, walking out of the captain's quarters, the words "Justice" flapping fiercely in the wind behind him.
He did not descend the stairs. Instead, with a tap of his toes on the deck, the air seemed to crack beneath him, and he soared upward, hovering steadily above the fleet.
Thousands of Marines on the decks froze, their work abandoned as they instinctively straightened their backs, eyes fixed on Hawk.
"Brothers!"
Hawk's voice rang across the fleet like a colossal bell.
"The New World is stirring!"
"The opportunity for the Navy to carve its path and lead this era has arrived!"
"Therefore, the planned three-day rest period is canceled!"
Not a single soldier protested. Instead, their hearts quickened with anticipation.
The winds of opportunity had arrived… and so had the chance to prove themselves under Vice Admiral Hawk.
"We will march to the world's greatest prison, Impel Down, for two months of hellish training!"
"When we emerge from Impel Down together!"
Hawk spread his arms wide, his voice escalating like rolling thunder.
"I want the entire world to hear the voice of the G–3 Division!"
"I want the Four Emperors, the Shichibukai, all pirates to tremble at the mere mention of the word 'Navy'!"
"I want the whole world to know!"
"Justice on these seas has returned!"
"Do you have the courage to follow me?"
In unison, thousands of Marines straightened their chests, fists raised high, shouting with all their might:
"For justice, unwavering to death!"
"For the Navy, ready to die!"
"For our Vice Admiral, we pledge loyalty!"
The roar was deafening, a living wave of sound that parted the clouds above.
Hawk nodded in satisfaction. "All ships, change course!"
"Target: the underwater prison, Impel Down!"
The massive steel fleet carved a perfect arc across the ocean, racing toward the legendary prison at full speed.
Hawk descended slowly, landing on the flagship's deck.
"Zoro! Sanji!"
He called again.
"Here, Captain!"
Two figures, one clad in green, the other in gold, appeared almost instantly, standing tall and ready.
Hawk smiled faintly at his subordinates, who already showed the makings of formidable warriors. "Prepare yourselves."
"This time…"
"We are going to purge Impel Down!"
Meanwhile, in the main laboratory, the air buzzed with the hum of machinery and the sharp tang of welding.
Massive mechanical arms moved with precision, welding reinforced alloy plates to the keel of the first-generation submarine, the Deep Sea Salvager.
When Vegapunk's genius brain was in motion, efficiency was extraordinary.
In just one week, the submarine's design was completed, and construction of the prototype was already underway.
"Click… click…"
In the lab, a tall woman with wavy twin tails lounged lazily against the console, chewing on chips.
York of Desire, Vegapunk No. 06, embodied "Desire."
Her gaze swept over the complete submarine blueprint, the culmination of her original's intellect and effort.
It was… perfect.
With it, the Navy could retrieve treasures from the deep capable of overturning the World Government itself.
York licked the crumbs from her fingers, smiling slyly.
Her original, that old fool, had truly believed the Navy's lies… and had betrayed the World Government.
She quietly pulled a tiny data storage device from her pocket, fingers flying over the console.
The progress bar surged.
[Data copy complete.]
York slid the storage device back into her pocket.
One Vegapunk in this world was enough.
If she delivered both the blueprint and the evidence of her original's betrayal to the Five Elders, York would become the only true Vegapunk.
Her ambitions did not end there.
She wanted to become a Celestial Dragon.
To live in Mariejois, feasting on the world's finest delicacies, commanding endless slaves, and wielding absolute power.
No work, no worries, only desire fulfilled a perfect life in its ultimate form.
Excitement made her tremble slightly.
She needed an opportunity to secretly contact the Five Elders. This storage device was her ticket to paradise.
Lost in her fantasies of power, a lazy, drawn-out voice suddenly cut through behind her.
York froze, spinning around.
At the door, a man in a yellow-striped suit leaned casually, a lecherous grin on his face.
"Ever… been kicked at the speed of light?"