"What—what—what… WHAT!?!"
As Red casually dropped such an explosive piece of news, the faces of the Straw Hat crew instantly froze into expressions of utterly exaggerated shock.
Even when they had witnessed the Going Merry obliterate a small island with a single shot, they had never looked this stunned.
Yet seeing their reactions, Luffy instead scratched his head in confusion.
"Huh!? That's weird—didn't I tell you guys about this already?!"
"Of course you didn't!!!"
The Straw Hats roared in unison, only to be met with Luffy's innocent grin.
"Ah… is that so?!"
"Well, it's not really that important anyway. If I didn't say it, then I didn't say it."
"Besides, if Red hadn't told me, I wouldn't even know who my dad is… I don't think I've ever seen him since I was born."
"You… idiot."
Seeing how utterly unconcerned Luffy looked, everyone instantly realized that he had no idea what the name Monkey D. Dragon truly represented in this world.
Still…
"Grandfather's a Marine hero, father's the leader of the Revolutionaries, yet you want to become the Pirate King…"
"Your Monkey family is really full of legendary figures, one after another."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, rarely taking the chance to complain.
"Hahaha, alright, alright."
At that moment, Red clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Luffy's background doesn't really have much to do with us. What we should be focusing on is our next route!"
"That's true."
Once navigation was mentioned, Nami was the first to regain her composure. She bit her fingernail, her expression troubled.
"But after Water 7, the next island should be the Sabaody Archipelago, right?!"
"That's a place where the Celestial Dragons appear all the time!"
"I remember you saying before, Red, that there are many hidden powerhouses within the World Government, right?"
"Is it really okay for us to show up there right now?!"
"Of course we can't go directly to the Sabaody Archipelago."
Red grinned.
"Not only can we not go to Sabaody…"
"Now that we've obtained the power of an Ancient Weapon, we'll definitely become a top-priority target for the World Government. We might even attract the personal pursuit of the Five Elders!"
"So, to avoid that scenario, we have to lie low for a while. We absolutely cannot let the World Government discover us."
"At least… not until we gain even greater strength!"
As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed through Red's eyes.
Truth be told, Luffy and the others defeating Kizaru this time involved quite a bit of opportunism.
An advantage in intelligence, numbers, abilities, and terrain…
If their battle with Kizaru hadn't taken place on the Bridge of Hesitation but instead on solid land, there was no way Kizaru would have lost so quickly.
In fact, the outcome might very well have been the defeat of the Straw Hats' three strongest fighters.
It could only be said that timing and fate played their parts.
Despite possessing top-tier combat power, Kizaru ended up becoming a prisoner of the Straw Hats due to such a small factor.
"But…"
Hearing Red's proposal, Nami immediately voiced her doubts.
"If we keep going forward, we'll only be getting closer to Marineford and the Sabaody Archipelago. Those can't really be considered safe areas either, can they?!"
"Are we supposed to stay inside Laboon's inner world forever, or turn back and sail in reverse?"
"Of course not!"
Red glanced at Luffy and the others, who were also looking at him with curiosity.
"Laboon's inner world can't sustain the level of training Luffy and the others need right now. We can't afford to waste too much time in a place like that."
"Even if Luffy and the others can already defeat a Marine Admiral, that doesn't mean we should let our guard down."
"Hehehe… judging by your expression, Red, you must already have an answer, right?"
"Our Vice Captain never fights an unprepared battle, after all."
Robin smiled gently as she cut off everyone's impending questions.
The corners of Red's lips curled upward as he replied with a mysterious smile.
"Those who understand me best—Robin does."
"Do you remember the pirate crew I once mentioned… the Rumbar Pirates?!"
"The Rumbar Pirates?!"
Hearing this unfamiliar name, everyone froze for a moment.
It was Chopper—who had communicated the most with Laboon—who reacted first. His round eyes widened as he looked at Red in confusion.
"The Rumbar Pirates… aren't they the companions Laboon has been waiting for?!"
"I remember you said before, Red, that only one pirate named Brook is left now, trapped in the Florian Triangle, right?!"
Because he occasionally talked with Laboon about the past, Chopper remembered this more clearly than the others.
With his reminder, everyone else quickly recalled it as well.
In an instant, a spark flashed through Nami's eyes.
"The Florian Triangle!!!"
"That's it! Usopp, give me the map—quick!"
She suddenly thrust her hand toward Usopp.
"Huh?"
Startled, Usopp reacted a beat later. With a flick of his finger, an ancient-looking map dropped from his fingertips and landed in Nami's hands.
Ever since Usopp ate the Storage-Storage Fruit, the Straw Hats had gotten used to storing useful tools inside his body.
This ability was even more convenient and efficient than Red's Hyperspace Hole.
Nami swiftly unfolded the map, the light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"So that's it. No wonder you didn't seem worried at all, Red."
She smiled sweetly and held the map out for everyone to see.
Her fingertip pointed directly at a region marked with a terrifying skull symbol.
That stretch of sea—clearly labeled by the cartographer as a danger zone—instantly captured the attention of every member of the Straw Hat crew.
…
…
Boom!!!
"Still no sign of the Straw Hat crew?!"
In the New World, within the former Marine G-1 Branch—now the new Marine Headquarters, Marineford—inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
Akainu, newly appointed and full of fire, smashed his desk to pieces with a single punch. Scorching magma overflowed from his fist, instantly charring the shattered wood beneath into blackened cinders.
Despite being wrapped in bandages and still showing signs of frostbite, Akainu—urgently appointed by the Five Elders as the new Fleet Admiral—was brimming with fighting spirit.
Perhaps Aokiji had never witnessed Akainu's disregard for Marine lives during the Paramount War, or perhaps learning of his teacher Zephyr's and colleague Kizaru's disappearance had affected his state of mind. Or maybe he blamed himself for being utterly useless during the Sky Island conflict…
In any case, just like in the original course of history, Aokiji lost the battle for Fleet Admiral to Akainu.
However, unlike the original timeline, this battle did not last ten days.
In merely three days, the clash that would alter the world's balance was decided.
Aokiji did not lose his left leg either—he was simply gravely injured, lying unconscious in a Marine medical ward.
Already favored by the Five Elders, Akainu immediately assumed office after his victory, replacing the interim Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and becoming the new leader of the Marines.
And yet…
Before Akainu even had time to settle into his chair, an enormous mess came crashing down upon him!
Enies Lobby—one of the World Government's three major institutions alongside Marine Headquarters and Impel Down—had been breached by an obscure pirate crew!!!
Not only were over ten thousand defending troops completely defeated, but the island's core area—the main island itself—was annihilated by a strange weapon wielded by those pirates…
Erased entirely from the map!!!
According to surviving Marines, the source of that weapon was none other than the Straw Hat crew's pirate ship.
A single strike capable of destroying an entire island…
That was something only the legendary Ancient Weapon · Pluton was said to possess.
Even though Enies Lobby's main island wasn't very large and couldn't compare to a true island, it was still enough to prove that the Straw Hat Pirates had obtained some kind of terrifying weapon that posed a grave threat to the world!
Of course, none of that truly bothered Akainu.
After all, Enies Lobby and Marine Headquarters were parallel institutions.
Even if someone lost face over this, it would be the World Government—not him.
Besides, the incident occurred before he officially took office. There was no way to pin the blame on him.
But—
What Akainu never expected was this…
The Marine Admiral sent to support Enies Lobby—Kizaru—and former Admiral Zephyr were actually defeated by a rookie pirate crew.
And worse still, they vanished after the battle!!!
The newly appointed Akainu, the unconscious Aokiji, the missing Kizaru…
In the blink of an eye, all of the Marines' top combat forces were gone!
For the Marines, this was an unprecedented humiliation!!!
Facing Akainu's rage, however, the hardliner Vice Admiral Doberman simply shook his head.
"My apologies, Admiral Akainu—ah, no! Fleet Admiral Akainu…"
"But both our Marine warships and the World Government's Cipher Pol have conducted carpet searches across the seas surrounding Enies Lobby."
"Aside from a few pirates who happened to pass through, there's been no trace of the Straw Hat crew."
"However, a strange recording has begun circulating in the black market…"
"From its contents, we can determine that a Straw Hat pirate named Usopp used some unknown ability to unleash countless swarms of insects, single-handedly defeating over ten thousand stationed troops at Enies Lobby!"
"In the underground world, the title 'King of the Insect Swarm · Usopp' is already spreading like wildfire—he's even made it onto several tabloids."
"Defeating tens of thousands alone…?"
Akainu clenched his cigar, flames flickering at its tip as a murderous gleam flashed in his eyes.
"A danger like that must never be allowed to grow. It has to be crushed in the cradle!"
"Strengthen the defenses of the Sabaody Archipelago! No matter what, they must not be allowed to enter the New World!"
"And also…"
"The Five Elders have been applying pressure. Since we can't track them down, start preparing their bounty posters!"
"That bastard Morgans has already made Enies Lobby public knowledge. If we do nothing, the world will only see the Marines as weak!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Akainu!!!"
Doberman snapped to attention and saluted. He glanced at the shattered desk but said nothing more.
After leaving the Fleet Admiral's office, the first thing he did was head straight to logistics—and pay out of his own pocket to replace the desk with a brand-new one.
…
…
"Enies Lobby, huh… Luffy and the others really have done something huge again."
In the New World, within a war-torn nation.
The Revolutionary Army's leader, Dragon, stood at the edge of a mountain peak, holding a newspaper he had received days ago but hadn't had time to read.
A meaningful smile slowly spread across his face—etched with those strange, footprint-like markings.
When he read about the Straw Hat crew defeating Admiral Kizaru and former Admiral Zephyr, shock flashed across his expression.
But soon after, he laughed.
"It seems you've begun questioning this world in your own way, Luffy."
"If that's the case, then believe in your path and keep moving forward without hesitation."
"One day, in the flow of this era, we will meet again!!!"
…
…
In the New World, on Kuraigana Island.
"What a waste of time. The challengers lately just keep getting weaker. I might as well take a proper nap."
Thud!!!
After casually killing a pirate with the strength of a great swordsman, Mihawk sheathed his magnificent black blade, yawned in boredom, and turned toward his castle.
At that moment, a freshly printed bounty poster fluttered down from the pirate's body.
The instant Mihawk saw it, his sleepy eyes snapped wide open in shock as he stared at the poster on the ground.
He had spent the past few days sailing through the Calm Belt, completely unaware of recent world-shaking events.
As a result, the moment he read the poster, his mind jolted fully awake.
A green bandana, beast-like eyes, and that rare three-sword stance…
Seeing the familiar impression, Mihawk immediately stepped forward and picked it up, exclaiming with mixed emotions:
"Is it really that three-sword swordsman from the East Blue… Roronoa Zoro?!"
"But why…?"
Mihawk frowned at the bounty amount, counting the digits one by one.
After counting three times to be certain he wasn't mistaken, he gasped in disbelief.
"Eight hundred and eighty million Beli?!"
"Could it be… that the World Government discovered his killing of a Celestial Dragon?!"
(End of Chapter)