Holy Land Mariejois, Red Line.
The Gorosei had played their hand and lost.
They had long considered the Navy to be nothing more than a plaything in their palms, believing that anyone within its ranks could be manipulated at will. Even men like Sengoku and Garp were expected to bow to their compromises.
However, reality had just dealt them a harsh lesson: not everyone will endure indefinitely. Once certain lines are crossed, the consequences become irreversible.
"We miscalculated."
"To think something of this magnitude would actually happen..."
"The wrath of an honest man... Now the whole world is laughing at us. Those in the dark laugh at the Navy, but those in the know are laughing at us!"
"He has absolutely no regard for the 'big picture'! Fine, let him leave. It saves us from future internal risks anyway."
"This was, ultimately, a strategic error on our part. We didn't expect Zephyr to have such a violent reaction, nor did we expect it to trigger such a massive upheaval within the Marine ranks!"
The Gorosei conducted a post-mortem on the situation, finally acknowledging the failure of their decision-making.
While politicians may lack principles and bottom lines, others do not. Usually, as long as a policy doesn't cross a certain threshold or violate core tenets, there is room for recovery. But once that line is breached, especially the line of high-ranking, influential figures, disaster follows.
"We must find a way to mitigate the damage!"
"Seal all information. Nothing must leak out!"
"What about Zephyr? And his 'Neo Marines'? Do we issue a bounty?"
"Leave him be. He wants to exterminate all pirates in the world? Let him try!"
"As long as he doesn't turn his blade against us, everything is negotiable."
"And if Zephyr reveals the truth?"
"Unlikely. Given that man's character and his deep-seated affection for the Navy, he wouldn't do something so dishonorable."
"However, just in case, we should prepare for two scenarios. If he leaks the truth, we order the Navy to mobilize immediately and crush Zephyr and his 'Neo Navy' with overwhelming force!"
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
The Gorosei deliberated for a long time before reaching their final decision.
Regardless of the Gorosei's schemes or the profound regret felt by Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru, Zephyr's departure was now a fixed reality. Rumors and news continued to surge across the globe like a rising tide.
Some mocked, some sneered, but time marched on regardless.
…
A Certain Winter Island in the New World.
RUMBLE—!!
CRACK-BOOM!!
Giant, blinding bolts of lightning slammed ruthlessly into the steel fortress on the island. Intense currents surged, causing massive drifts of snow to instantly vaporize.
"Aaaagh—!!"
"Run! We're gonna die!"
"It's a monster!"
Groups of pirates wearing beast-hide armor and sporting white horns scattered in terror. Charred corpses littered the frozen earth, faint wisps of blue smoke rising from them, carrying a pungent, metallic stench.
"What's happening? What's going on?!"
A man wearing a black mask with a distinct 'X' scar on his chin and chest charged out of the steel fortress. Gripping a four-bladed axe and a rapier, he looked around in shock.
"Red Flag" X Drake. Bounty: 222 million Berries. A "Fallen Rear Admiral" of the Navy, Captain of the Drake Pirates, and current subordinate combatant of the Beasts Pirates.
"Drake-sama! It's... it's lightning!" a Beasts Pirate cried out, pointing in terror at the sky where lightning serpents danced.
"Lightning?" Drake frowned, looking up.
The sky was choked with dark, swirling clouds. Sinuous bolts of electricity snaked through the layers, and the thunderous roars illuminated the landscape of the Winter Island.
Hundreds of meters in the air, a silhouette was enveloped in a halo of lightning. A golden staff shimmered brilliantly under the electrical discharge.
"That's..." Drake's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking in horror. "God Enel!!"
"Yahahaha~ Where is that elephant called Jack? Is he here or not?"
Enel laughed as he hovered in the sky, electricity coiling around his body. Holding his golden staff, with the four tomoe drums mounted on his back, he looked peerlessly arrogant and imposing.
"This is an island favored by Kaido-sama. Are you challenging the Beasts Pirates, Enel?!" Drake shouted toward the sky.
"Kaido? Yahahaha~"
Enel narrowed his eyes, leaning forward as he looked down at Drake, letting out a mocking laugh.
The next moment, Enel's expression shifted to one of sudden, explosive rage: "I'm asking you where that elephant Jack went, you bastard!"
With a wave of his arm, the heavenly lightning seemed guided by an invisible force. A massive pillar of electricity struck down with the speed of thought.
BOOM!!
The earth shook violently as a charred crater several meters wide was blasted into the ground. Terrifying arcs of electricity leaped and spread. The heat, far exceeding that of mere flames, melted the thick snow instantly, sending plumes of white steam billowing into the air.
"Drake-sama!" the pirates screamed in panic.
"Damn it... this lunatic!" Drake rolled out from the steam, looking at Enel with a mix of fury and dread.
"Bring that elephant Jack out here!" Enel looked down at the pirates with a murderous glint in his eyes. "I've come to collect a debt!"
As he spoke, Enel waved his hand again, sending jagged, forked lightning raining down upon them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst agonizing screams, dozens of pirates were struck into charcoal. The ground was riddled with smoking craters.
"Don't push it too far, you bastard!" Drake's eyes turned bloodshot. That last strike hadn't just killed Beasts Pirates; several of his former subordinates were among the dead.
"Pushing it?" Enel raised an eyebrow.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck directly in front of Drake, coalescing into a humanoid form made of pure electricity.
So fast! Drake was internally shaken. This speed was comparable to Admiral Kizaru.
As the electricity retracted into his body, Enel stood leisurely before Drake, his tone turning cruel. "I recognize you. One of those 'Worst Generation' Supernova brats. You were in the same batch as that Straw Hat brat."
"The Straw Hat brat?! Straw Hat Luffy!" Drake's mind raced, immediately realizing who Enel was referring to.
"Regardless, you're all a bunch of annoying pests!"
Enel's temperament flipped in an instant. His golden staff swept out, moving so fast it left a trail of afterimages.
THWACK!
Caught off guard and unable to react to the sheer speed, Drake took the golden staff right to the face. He was sent flying instantly, buried deep in a snowbank dozens of meters away.
"Who's making all that noise?! It's too loud!"
Just then, a furious roar erupted from the steel fortress. Jack strode out, his feather-trimmed coat fluttering. He had been awakened from his nap by the commotion, and his temper was at its boiling point.
"The main event is here!"
Enel looked up, a cruel grin spreading across his face.
Seeing the ground littered with charred corpses, Jack's fury exploded. Spotting Enel, who clearly wasn't a member of the Beasts Pirates, he gripped his dual Shotel blades and charged without a word.
"You piece of trash! DIE!!"