The news of a marriage between two forces connected to two of the Four Emperors—and the imminence of this union—quickly spread across the world, drawing the attention of countless countries and organizations.
Governments, pirates, revolutionaries, and even figures from the underworld all began to take notice.
Most people, however, had no idea who exactly the bride and groom were.
Only the essentials were known:
The man was a subordinate of the Emperor of the Sea known as Straw Hat.
And the woman… was the daughter of Charlotte Linlin, the fearsome Big Mom.
Two colossal forces.
Two monstrous powers.
If these two factions truly united…
Then the balance of the New World would inevitably be shaken.
Perhaps… completely rewritten.
—
Dressrosa…
Or rather…
It should now be called New Dressrosa.
About twenty kilometers away from the island, a massive Marine warship advanced slowly across the calm sea toward the kingdom.
The weather was clear.
The sky was open.
Visibility was perfect.
At the top of the mast, the lookout carefully observed the horizon until, suddenly, he shouted toward the deck:
"Admiral Fujitora! I can see Dressrosa!"
In the open sea, even with telescopes, visibility rarely exceeds ten to twenty kilometers—and only under ideal conditions.
Therefore, spotting the island at that distance made an immediate report essential.
—
The man known as Issho, better known as Admiral Fujitora… was blind.
During the Marine World Draft, he had been recruited and, in a very short time, promoted to the rank of Admiral thanks to his monstrous combat power.
His presence was imposing.
Tall, wearing a lavender kimono, with a purple-lined Marine coat draped over his shoulders, a matching scarf around his neck, white gloves on his hands, bandages wrapped around his arms, and wooden sandals on his feet.
Beside him, carefully resting, was his sword.
A blade that also functioned as a cane—the tool he used to guide himself… and to fight.
At that moment, he was sitting on a small stool, holding a bowl of soba, eating calmly.
"You really like soba noodles."
A voice suddenly spoke.
It was Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral, now retired, casually chewing on a pack of senbei rice crackers.
Fujitora paused for a moment, still with noodles between his lips.
His eyes opened slightly—revealing only white.
Then he spoke calmly:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku… we will be landing soon. There is a possibility we may face the Straw Hat crew. It's best to be well-fed."
Sengoku let out a short laugh.
"I'm no longer the Fleet Admiral. Now I'm just an Inspector General. You got the title wrong."
Fujitora tilted his head slightly.
"I did?"
At that moment, a third presence approached.
Vice Admiral Tsuru.
She walked beside Sengoku, her expression as calm and analytical as ever.
"This is your first time dealing with Straw Hat," she said. "But it's been quite some time since the incident in Dressrosa. He left long ago. The battle you're imagining won't happen."
"Left…?" Fujitora frowned slightly. "Then why do they say he took over this country?"
The logic seemed simple.
If a pirate occupies a territory…
He turns it into a base.
Establishes control.
Collects tribute.
Perhaps leaves behind a garrison.
So… why leave?
Sengoku burst into laughter.
"Do you really think that kid took the country out of ambition?" he said. "The former king of Dressrosa was Donquixote Doflamingo."
Tsuru nodded.
"I chased Doflamingo for many years. He was one of the most dangerous pirates in the world… but he was also a Shichibukai. That placed him under the protection of the World Government."
She paused briefly before continuing:
"The Marines always knew about his illegal activities. The arms trade. His dealings with Kaido. His role as a broker in the underworld…"
"But we could never act directly."
Fujitora remained silent for a few moments.
Processing everything.
Then he asked:
"So… Straw Hat did something good? I want to see it for myself."
"But you're blind," Sengoku added lightly. "How do you plan to 'see' it?"
Fujitora remained still.
"Perhaps… it is a blessing not to see," he replied calmly. "There are many things in this world that are not worth looking at."
After that, he resumed eating his soba peacefully.
—
The mission he had received was clear:
Investigate the events in Dressrosa.
Initially, the World Government had sent CP9 agents.
But… there had been no response.
Now, it was up to the new Admiral to uncover the truth.
—
Suddenly, a captain ran hurriedly across the deck, holding a newspaper freshly delivered by a messenger bird.
"Admiral Fujitora! Sengoku! Vice Admiral Tsuru! Urgent news!"
Tsuru took the newspaper and opened it.
Her eyes immediately narrowed.
Her expression changed.
"What is it?" Sengoku leaned over to look as well.
The next moment…
Even he was surprised.
"The Straw Hat Pirates… and Big Mom have formed an alliance…?!"
Tsuru frowned.
"This is serious… If this news is true…"
Sengoku laughed loudly.
"That's Sakazuki's problem now," he said casually. "I've already retired."
He shrugged.
"Now I understand how Garp felt… dealing with this kind of headache is no longer my responsibility."
Since stepping down as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku seemed far more relaxed.
Beside him, Tsuru remained silent.
—
Suddenly…
Fujitora stood up abruptly.
His expression changed.
"TAKE COVER!"
His voice rang out firmly.
"There is an extremely powerful presence approaching… from beneath the sea!"
The moment he finished speaking—
BOOOOM!!!
The sea ahead exploded.
Gigantic silhouettes emerged from the depths.
Sea Kings.
Dozens… no.
Hundreds of them.
Each with different forms—monstrous, colossal.
Just the portions visible above the water were dozens of times larger than the warship.
Tsuru's eyes widened.
"These are Sea Kings from the Calm Belt! How did they end up here?!"
Fujitora closed his eyes more tightly.
"This is only part of them… there are more below the surface…"
His hand reached for the hilt of his sword.
"Their number exceeds one hundred."
Without hesitation, he unsheathed the blade.
In the next instant—
The entire warship began to float.
Rising slowly above the sea.
It was the power of the Zushi Zushi no Mi—the Gravity Fruit.
Under Fujitora's control, gravity itself had been altered.
The vessel ascended into the sky, avoiding the imminent attack.
—
After the Marineford War, one of Sakazuki's (Akainu's) first decisions as the new Fleet Admiral was to relocate the Marine Headquarters.
The G-1 base, located in the New World, took over as the new headquarters.
Meanwhile, Marineford was being rebuilt…
And in the future, it would become a new forward base.
The world was changing.
And rapidly.
Far faster than anyone could have predicted.
---
(End of Chapter)