The world had fallen into chaos because of Shiki's plan and his invitation to form a grand fleet.
Mainstream news outlets worked overtime reporting how the World Government was responding "positively" to the threat. They announced that two Marine Admirals had departed together to subjugate Shiki, while simultaneously spreading half-truths and outright lies to control the narrative.
Headlines claimed the beasts were exaggerated or even fabricated. Some articles suggested this was just an old veteran like Shiki staging false declarations of war to disrupt public order and gain attention in his twilight years.
The World Government's 800-year reputation and control over public opinion was impressive, they managed to suppress countless negative rumors in less than a day.
But that only worked in three of the Four Blues.
The East Blue, being the direct target of Shiki's announced destruction, wasn't buying any of it. Member nations began an intense arms race, ramping up military production and expanding their forces at unprecedented speeds.
Some regions even started forced conscription, preparing for the potential descent of an army of beasts that could be dropped on their heads at any moment.
Reputation? Government guarantees?
The kings who held power might be incompetent, but they weren't suicidal. And they valued their own lives above all else.
Promises were just words. Who could guarantee that the World Government would be able to protect them when push came to shove? Those Marines who specialized in taking bribes and looking the other way?
The East Blue's Marine presence was the most relaxed of all Four Blues, and paradoxically had the most corrupt officials. You only had to look at Captain Morgan and Captain Nezumi to see that pattern clearly.
---
Meanwhile, in the smaller settlements of the East Blue, villages and towns without formal national affiliation were facing their own crises.
In Cocoyasi Village, Nojiko sat on the porch of Belle-mère's old house, newspaper spread across her lap.
Her expression was troubled as she read through the articles for the third time, as if repetition might somehow change the words printed there.
"The world's getting more dangerous..." she muttered to nobody in particular, though Genzo had stopped by earlier with the same worried expression.
The village had finally achieved peace after Arlong's defeat. Children played in the streets again. The tangerine groves were thriving. And now this, a legendary pirate threatening to destroy their entire sea with armies of monsters.
She thought about Nami out there somewhere on the Grand Line, sailing with the Straw Hats, hopefully far away from whatever Shiki was planning.
Hopefully.
---
In Orange Town, the mayor's expression had been ugly when he first read the reports. But then he remembered the shelter beneath the town.
"At least we have that," he muttered, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. "Even if disaster comes, Orange Town can weather it."
He'd just started to relax when the sound of marching boots echoed through the main street.
A squad of armored soldiers appeared at the town's entrance. The leader, a man with a severe face and captain's insignia, unrolled a scroll and began reading in a voice that carried across the square.
"Orange Town! By decree of King Omos! All able-bodied men between the ages of fifteen and forty-five are hereby conscripted into military service! You will defend the nation!"
The mayor's eyes widened. King Omos? What nation? Orange Town had existed for decades without ever seeing this so-called king or paying taxes to any kingdom.
When Buggy the Clown had attacked and nearly destroyed their town, where had King Omos been then? Where had these soldiers been when pirates were burning their homes?
The mayor stepped forward, his face flushed with anger. "Now hold on just a minute—"
The captain's hand moved to his rifle, not quite raising it but making the threat clear. Several other soldiers shifted their stances, weapons at the ready.
The mayor's words died in his throat.
All around the square, he could see the faces of his townspeople, fathers and sons and young men who'd just started to rebuild their lives after Buggy's attack. Fear and confusion mixed with growing anger, but nobody moved.
Nobody wanted to be the first one shot.
"You have one hour to gather your conscripts," the captain said flatly. "Any resistance will be considered treason against the crown. Treason is punishable by execution."
Shiki's disaster hadn't even arrived yet, but Orange Town was already beginning to tear apart at the seams.
---
On the first half of the Grand Line, in Arabasta, Koza was reading the same newspaper when his hands started shaking.
He stood up so fast his chair tipped over, already moving toward the door. He needed to get to the Nether Portal.
But when he threw open his door, he found he wasn't alone in his urgency.
Cobra, Igaram, and several of the palace guards were already in the hallway, having clearly had the same thought. One look at each other's faces was enough, they all headed toward the gate without needing to discuss it.
A similar scene was unfolding in Neverwinter, where Dalton had mobilized the moment he'd seen the news.
When both groups arrived at their respective Nether Portals, they found the normally spacious areas around the portals packed with people.
The Skypiea residents, hundreds of them, all bearing wings on their backs. Shandians and Skypieans were pressed together in the crowded space, their usual tribal divisions forgotten in the face of shared terror. Fear and uncertainty filled every face.
As the new arrivals approached, a familiar bronze figure stepped forward to greet them.
"Dalton! Lord Koza!" Mighty struck his signature bodybuilder pose, chest thrust out. "We've been expecting you!"
Other small bronze golems formed a pathway through the crowd, creating space for the leadership to proceed deeper into the sanctuary.
"The Straw Hats are safe, right?" Cobra's voice was strained.
Mighty's response was surprisingly reassuring. "If our Creator were in true danger, we, his creations, would naturally cease to function. Since we still stand, you can be confident he lives."
The logic was sound enough that Cobra relaxed, though the worry didn't entirely leave his eyes.
Soon, the three factions converged in the main chamber of the sanctuary, Arabasta, Neverwinter, and the Skypiean refugees.
But when they saw the condition of the Shandia Chief and Gan Fall, several people gasped.
Both men looked haggard, with sunken eyes and the appearance of people who'd gone days without sleep. Gan Fall looked even worse, sporting fresh injuries across his arms and torso, bandaged but still seeping blood in places.
Seeing the relief forces arrive, both Skypiean leaders visibly sagged with relief.
The story came out in bits and pieces as they explained what had happened.
Shortly after Marcus and the Straw Hats had departed Skypiea, Shiki had appeared with his floating islands and his army of beasts. The creatures had descended like a plague, overwhelming defenders through sheer numbers and horrifying resilience.
Countless explosions had provided brief breaks, clearing out waves of the monsters and buying precious time. The Shandians and some Skypieans had managed to reach the Nether Portal and escape to safety during those windows.
But approximately sixty percent of Skypieans' population had either fled in other directions or made for the White Sea, scattering across the sky in desperate attempts to survive.
Gan Fall had personally covered the retreat of as many people as he could. He'd held the line until he was overwhelmed, and would have died there if his subordinates hadn't literally dragged his broken body through the Nether Portal at the last second.
Just hearing the account painted a picture of terror.
"What about the Straw Hat crew?" someone asked. "Did they make it back?"
Gan Fall's expression grew even more grim. "While we were fighting the beasts, there was a massive explosion to the west. During that time, the creatures seemed to lose coordination, they started attacking each other randomly for several minutes."
"That must have been the Straw Hats engaging Shiki directly," the Shandia Chief added.
"But...?" Igaram prompted when Gan Fall hesitated.
"But eventually, the beasts regained their coordination and command structure." Gan Fall didn't need to spell out what that implied.
The gathered leaders exchanged worried glances. If the beasts had resumed organized behavior, that meant Shiki had either defeated or driven off the Straw Hats.
Cobra's face went white. He slammed his hand on the nearest table and stood abruptly.
"I can't just sit here. I'm going to Skypiea! Vivi is my only daughter. I won't lose her!"
Igaram immediately grabbed his arm. "You can't. Skypiea has already fallen to Shiki's control. If Princess Vivi is still alive, going there now would just give Shiki a hostage to use against Arabasta. You'd be putting her in more danger, not less."
The words hit Cobra. He collapsed back into his seat, holding his head in his hands, silent.
The room fell quiet, everyone processing the situation.
Finally, Dalton spoke up, "Marcus has abilities we don't fully understand. As long as they're not dead, he should be able to bring them back in a very short time. And remember, this sanctuary exists because of his powers. If they were in lethal danger, they could have used this space as a refuge. The most likely scenario is that they were defeated or forced to retreat. A fighter like Shiki wouldn't waste time on them unless it served some purpose. He's after bigger targets."
The logic helped, but the worry remained. All they could do now was wait and hope.
---
Meanwhile, the subject of their concern was being escorted through Shiki's floating fortress.
Marcus walked calmly through corridors lined with monitoring equipment, his sea-stone cuffs clinking faintly with each step. Indigo walked beside him, occasionally breaking into enthusiastic gestures and making incomprehensible noises.
He gestured wildly, pointing at Marcus and then pantomiming something.
Marcus looked at him blankly. "I have no idea what you're trying to say."
Indigo huffed in frustration, then pulled out a small notepad and scribbled something quickly. He thrust it at Marcus.
The note read: "I found unusual lifeforms on your ship. Where are those creatures from? Why are they so special? I can't even dissect them properly!"
Ah. He was talking about the Minecraft animals.
Marcus had wondered when someone would notice those. The blocky cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens had become essential fixtures aboard the Going Merry. The crew kept them as combination pets and emergency food supplies, the girls particularly liked feeding and petting the baby animals, which were admittedly adorable despite their angular geometry.
"Oh, those?" Marcus replied casually. "They're animals altered by my Devil Fruit ability."
Indigo's eyes lit up. He scribbled furiously on his notepad: "Your ability?! Isn't your power the Cube-Cube Fruit? It can affect living creatures too? They are square... is this your awakened ability?"
Marcus raised an eyebrow, considering how much to reveal. Then he smiled and gave a deliberately ambiguous answer.
"Maybe."
Indigo stared at him.
"Huh?"