Clang! Clang!
With the order issued by the Fleet Admiral, the alarm bells of Marineford rang urgently.
All naval forces were mobilized. Soldiers assembled in full gear, weapons in hand, and were organized into search teams. Each team carried a Den Den Mushi and was immediately dispatched to hunt down Mundo!
Eve Admirals Aokiji and Akainu split up and led their forces to sea in pursuit of Mundo.
Only Admiral Kizaru remained at headquarters.
Because of his speed and mobility, Kizaru was tasked with immediate support should anyone locate Mundo's whereabouts.
"Remember! The enemy is a powerful Devil Fruit user. If you find him, do not engage—report to a superior officer immediately. Do you hear me?" a lieutenant colonel barked at the assembled soldiers.
"Sir, yes, sir!!" the soldiers shouted in unison.
"Move out!"
The massive search force launched in full force.
The same tense situation unfolded across Marineford.
For a time, the atmosphere at headquarters was suffocating with pressure.
Up on the high platform overlooking the square, Sengoku and Garp stood still, their expressions dark and grim.
In addition to the two old veterans, several guards and attendants belonging to the Celestial Dragons were also present on the platform.
But now that their master was dead, they stood frozen in confusion, not knowing what to do.
Among the crowd of enslaved people stood a young girl with her head bowed.
A faint smile curved on her lips.
Her name—Boa Hancock.
In her mind, one name echoed over and over again: Mundo.
"Thank you, Mundo…" she whispered softly.
No one heard her voice.
Meanwhile, the Samsara players known as "Beast" and "Sunflower" were aboard a warship, sailing west in search of Mundo.
They both now understood the truth—Mundo was none other than the reincarnated Shura.
And now, everything made sense.
He had chosen the Pirate faction from the beginning, infiltrated the navy as an undercover agent just to get close to the Celestial Dragons.
While other Samsara were still focused on completing the mission and climbing the rankings, the Shura boss had treated the assessment like a game.
His real goal was to assassinate the world's so-called nobles—the Celestial Dragons!
The scale of his plan, his audacity, his strength—it all left Beast and Sunflower in awe.
They admired him from the bottom of their hearts.
Because such a plan was unimaginably dangerous.
To assassinate a Celestial Dragon at the heavily fortified Marineford… the mere thought sent shivers down one's spine.
And yet, the boss known as Shura not only pulled it off—he escaped without a trace.
If that's not a true boss, then what is?
On another warship, Smoker stood in silence.
His expression was somber, his spirit dulled.
Ever since meeting Mundo, he had looked up to him—respected him as a leader, even idolized him.
But now, that man had turned into a pirate.
Smoker felt as if his faith had shattered. He was at a loss.
What made things worse was the way the other soldiers were looking at him—suspicious, wary.
And he understood why.
Since their deployment, he had been the one closest to Mundo.
Of course, suspicion would fall on him.
This operation by Fenric—this entire stunt—had changed the fates of many.
Because of Mundo, Sengoku might be forced to resign early.
Because of Mundo, the selection for the next Fleet Admiral had become both simplified and complicated.
Because of Mundo, Marineford would now face severe repercussions.
Because of Mundo, the future Empress of Amazon Lily had broken free from captivity.
Because of Mundo, Smoker had lost his guiding light.
Because of Mundo...
And as for the culprit behind all of this?
He was currently swimming in the open sea.
Yes—Fenric had been randomly teleported by the system bracelet to the waters south of Marineford, near a small coastal town.
But he didn't dare swim toward it.
He was certain the town would already be crawling with Marines.
He had already used the bracelet's random teleportation function, and it wouldn't be available again for 24 hours.
And Fenric had no desire to die.
Regular Marines didn't scare him—but if he drew the attention of a Marine Admiral...
That would be a different story.
To play it safe, Fenric swam further out to sea.
With his enhanced physique and mental reinforcement abilities, he was swimming faster than a fish.
He kept swimming—for over an hour!
Eventually, he made landfall on a deserted shore.
Without wasting time, he disappeared into the mountains, preparing to ride out the remainder of the mission time in hiding.
The next few hours passed without incident.
Everything went smoothly.
Then, in the afternoon, a system notification echoed in every Samsara players's mind:
Ding!
"Mission time is over. Those who failed to complete the objective—will be executed!"
Onboard a Marine warship, one Samsara player's face paled in horror. Moments later, his body was wracked with pain as he let out a scream.
Before the stunned eyes of nearby Marines, his body began to disintegrate, slowly turning to dust and vanishing entirely.
"Ding! The seven-day countdown has ended. You have successfully completed the mission. Preparing to teleport to the Samsara Space…"
In a distant forest—
Fenric, hiding deep in the underbrush, let out a long sigh of relief when he heard the system message.
The next moment, his figure vanished into thin air.
The 28th Floor of the Samsara Tower
Inside the grand simulation world of One Piece, the third timeline phase—The Paramount War—had begun.
On a battlefield, Admiral Aurora was coughing up blood!
Moments ago, she had taken a full-force Thunder Bagua strike to the back from Kaido of the Four Emperors, and her body had been launched across the field.
"Admiral Aurora!!"
Naval officers nearby cried out in panic.
But Aurora couldn't hear them clearly.
Earlier, she had already taken a devastating Air Shock from Whitebeard. Now, with Kaido's follow-up blow, even her remarkable physical resilience had reached its limit.
Her body was broken. Her life force was fading.
Lying motionless on the ground, she murmured:
"Am I going to die…?"
A look of peace—of release—spread across her bloodstained face.
Maybe this was for the best.
She had carried too much for too long.
But just then, a system message rang in her ears:
Ding!
"Dear Samsara player Aurora, please take note! The major simulation world 'One Piece' has undergone drastic changes due to the actions of Samsara player 'Shura.'
This mission is currently under judgment.
Judgment passed.
Teleportation to the Samsara Space will begin in 30 minutes."
Aurora: "…???"