Time passed—another two months slipped by, and the three-month internship was finally nearing its end.
After completing their last purge mission, Sakazuki's warship at last turned onto the return route to Marineford.
The sailors—Rosinante included—visibly relaxed.
Rain leaned against the deck railing, letting the sea breeze wash over him, allowing himself a rare moment of emptiness.
This internship had paid off: his physique broke through to [Top-Tier], he gained the "Whirlpool Sense" talent, and he'd made a decent profit in Sin Points.
Picking Vice Admiral Sakazuki really was the right call. High risk, high reward, Rain thought.
I wonder if going back means we "graduate." And… will I still be able to mooch Rear Admiral Gion's private lessons and cook her late-night snacks…?
His mind drifted to Gion's breathtaking face, and the lazy silk robe tracing those dangerous curves under moonlight.
Just when everyone assumed they'd cruise steadily all the way back to Marineford—
A shrill alarm suddenly ripped through the calm on deck.
Bzzzz—
The engines rumbled. The ship lurched into a hard turn, and the sudden inertia made unprepared sailors sway.
Rain's chest tightened.
He looked toward the sun.
The course… had changed.
They weren't heading back to Marineford.
"Rain?" Rosinante ran over in a panic, gripping the rail. "What's going on? Aren't we supposed to return to HQ?"
Rain didn't answer.
He watched the fully recovered Commander Dal sprint across the deck toward the bridge, face grim. The mood aboard the ship instantly congealed again.
This kind of pressure—and a highest-priority sudden redirect—meant the mission was extremely high-level.
Damn it, Rain cursed inwardly. I was just talking about clocking out and they force overtime on me—looks like top-tier mandatory overtime, too.
After the turn, the ship went into full-speed silence.
Every sailor was ordered to standby, but no one knew what was happening.
Instead of returning to Marineford, the ship pushed directly into the Calm Belt.
One moment they'd been in the roaring Grand Line—then, crossing into this region was like someone hit mute.
The sea became a mirror. No wind, no waves, just a crushing stillness.
So this is the Calm Belt… Rain leaned on the rail, feeling that suffocating pressure. Creepy place.
The engine noise was painfully loud in the silence as the ship forced its way through the dead sea.
If not for the Seastone armor plated under the hull, this steel beast would've been Sea King buffet right now.
Rain could clearly sense several gigantic, terrifying presences lurking beneath the glassy surface.
After two days of full-speed travel through that silence, the fleet finally emerged. A familiar salty wind hit them in the face.
"We've reached the West Blue," an old sailor said, reading his chart with palpable relief.
They sailed for some time after that.
"Rain, look! There are tons of ships!" Rosinante pointed at the distance, excitement breaking through his nerves.
Rain looked where he pointed.
Four massive war fleets were approaching from different headings.
Soon, five huge fleets assembled on the sea into an awe-inspiring armada.
Rain stood on the deck, scanning the other four flagships.
"A monster reunion…"
On one ship's bow stood a tall man with fluffy black curls.
Small round sunglasses. A V-neck shirt underneath. Leaning lazily against the rail, he looked completely out of place amid the killing atmosphere.
"That lazy-to-the-bone vibe… no doubt, Kuzan," Rain thought.
Behind Kuzan, Rain spotted Smoker, face dark.
On another ship stood a man wearing a tall pointed hat, with a long straight mustache.
He looked severe, standing like a statue.
"Strawberry." Rain recognized him.
Behind him stood Hina. Three months at sea had sharpened her; she looked even more like the cool, fierce older-sister figure Rain remembered.
On another ship, the lead was a man with a mohawk and a distinctive split mustache, arms crossed, staring coldly at the sea.
"Momonga." Behind him stood T. Bone, upright like a spear.
The final ship was Vice Admiral Onigumo's—usually smiling with a "let's keep it friendly" look and a cigar in his mouth. But even his smile looked icy right now.
Except for Vice Admiral Jeando's ship, all the internship fleets had gathered here.
Five vice admirals. Five fleets.
Rain felt a brief sense of unreality. What kind of enemy required this kind of formation?
The armada didn't linger. Once assembled, it sailed in a single direction.
When they reached the waters around a lush, green island, the fleet slowed and anchored. Rain saw small boats being lowered from all four other flagships.
Kuzan, Strawberry, Momonga, and Onigumo boarded Sakazuki's flagship and walked straight into the command room.
Rain turned back to stare at the island.
At its center stood a colossal tree that seemed to stab into the sky.
It was so enormous its canopy covered nearly half the island. Houses and buildings were constructed around it, as if the island's entire civilization lived in the shadow of that tree.
"West Blue… five vice admirals… giant tree…"
In Rain's mind, the clues snapped together.
"Oh hell—Ohara!!"
A tidal wave slammed through his thoughts.
It's that incident… the destruction of the archaeological holy land, initiated by Spandine, with Sakazuki and Kuzan both involved… the Buster Call!
No wonder. No wonder it's this kind of lineup.
As if to confirm his realization, the command room door on Sakazuki's flagship opened.
Rain jerked his head up.
Kuzan, Strawberry, Momonga, and Onigumo stepped out, each wearing a different expression.
The meeting was over.
In the next second, Sakazuki's cold voice boomed through the ship's internal broadcast Den Den Mushi, reaching every corner of the vessel:
"All soldiers, listen up. This is not a drill!"
His voice was emotionless and merciless.
"The island ahead—Ohara—harbors devils who seek to overturn the world. They have violated the World Government's highest taboo!"
At that moment, frantic movement erupted inside the command room.
A communications officer burst onto the deck, holding a silver-white Den Den Mushi. He ignored everyone and sprinted straight toward Sakazuki at the bridge.
"Vice Admiral!" The comms officer's voice trembled. "The Buster Call signal… has connected!"
A silver Den Den Mushi… Rain's pupils constricted.
He knew better than anyone what it meant.
The golden Den Den Mushi was the "authority key," used to initiate a Buster Call—only a handful of the highest powers had one.
The silver one was the receiver.
If it rang, it meant someone with a golden Den Den Mushi had already pressed the button of annihilation.
"Damn it. Here we go."
Sakazuki took the shrieking silver Den Den Mushi without a change in expression and coldly answered.
The shriek cut off instantly.
"This is Sakazuki." A rapid, urgent voice issued orders from the other side. "…Understood."
He hung up.
His face didn't ripple at all, as if he'd just received an ordinary weather report—not an order to erase an island.
He picked up another Den Den Mushi linked to the entire fleet's public channel.
On deck, there was dead silence. No one breathed.
"All ships, hear me."
Sakazuki's stiff, icy voice carried across every warship in the surrounding sea.
"Target confirmed: Ohara. The Buster Call is activated. Repeat—the Buster Call is activated!"
He paused, then issued the next orders with the same merciless calm.
"Full-scale landing operation. Completely eradicate every 'devil' on the island."
Then came the second command—one that made the blood run cold.
"All battleships: commence indiscriminate bombardment of the entire island. Immediately."
Boom—!
The five warships fired in unison.
Rain stared at the silver Den Den Mushi, then at the distant giant tree.
"…Damn," he muttered. "This internship just keeps getting better and better."
"Landing teams! Prepare!" Commander Dal had already drawn his sword, roaring as he began assembling troops.