Loguetown, the city closest to the Grand Line.
It was the birthplace of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and the site of his execution. It was his final words before death that had sent countless young men racing toward the sea. It was those same words that had plunged the world into chaos, chaos the Navy was desperate to extinguish.
Today, under a torrential downpour, the Straw Hat Pirates were sprinting toward the harbor, pursued by the Marine Captain stationed here, Smoker.
"Gotta get back to the Merry, fast!"
Luffy shouted to himself, clutching his hat. He had separated from his crew and was now on his own.
"White Out!"
A fist powered by billowing smoke caught Luffy off guard, striking him with the force of a leather-glove-clad piston.
After tumbling across the ground, Luffy scrambled to his feet. Seeing the gray-haired man with the jagged haircut blocking his path, he cried out in surprise, "It's you again, Smoke-man!"
"Straw Hat kid."
Smoker's fist retracted to his wrist, his eyes filled with unprecedented resolve. "I will never let you reach the Grand Line."
"Like I'd listen to you!" Luffy took a fighting stance. "I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King!"
As the battle commenced, Luffy was completely suppressed. Lacking any knowledge of Haki, he was helpless against the Logia user. Smoker pinned Luffy to the ground, pressing his Seastone-tipped jitte against the boy's neck.
At that moment, atop a building next to Smoker, a young man wearing a black hat tipped his brim and smirked. "What a coincidence, Luffy!"
…
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, an Intelligence Seaman entered and saluted. The room was already filled with high-ranking officers, including Tsuru, Doberman, and Strawberry, standing in two rows.
Maintaining his salute, the scout reported: "Sir! Subordinates of the Immortal Pirates, the Kuja Pirates, Golden Hair Pirates, Heart Pirates, and Black Thorn Pirates, along with Sanjuan Wolf, Aranea, and Bartholomew Kuma, have all entered their stronghold, Arderay. Patrols recently sighted Alucard himself returning to the New World from the North Blue via the Calm Belt. This is the first time since the formation of the Immortal Pirates that all senior cadres have gathered in one place."
Sengoku stroked his braided beard, his gaze sweeping across the officers. "What do you all think the Immortal Pirates are planning?"
The officers exchanged glances. No matter how battle-hardened they were, they couldn't fathom what this sudden assembly meant.
"We all know Alucard himself doesn't meddle in the crew's affairs," Tsuru was the first to speak. "The mastermind behind this is likely someone else."
"I agree," Sengoku frowned. "But that makes it even harder to guess their objective. It's a serious problem."
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of a cane hitting the floor echoed as another man entered: Admiral Fujitora.
"Why so much worry, everyone?"
Fujitora spoke slowly. "The one who should fear Alucard most is the Government. For us Marines, it is enough to simply protect the civilians we are sworn to defend."
"Fujitora, you seem to have a significant grievance against the Government."
Sengoku's brow furrowed. The growing friction between the Navy and the World Government could be traced back to the rhetoric Fujitora spread within the ranks.
"Is there anyone in this room who does not feel the same?"
Fujitora's single sentence left the entire room in silence.
…
The New World, Arderay, stronghold of the Immortal Pirates.
In the castle's meeting room, which hadn't been used since Alucard first conquered the island, a collection of world-shaking figures was seated.
At the long rectangular table, on the left side, sat Boa Hancock, Hydaelyn Eorzea, Keith Fallon, and Stragus, while on the right side sat Dr. Vegapunk, "Golden Hair" Ivalis, Urdaha, and Trafalgar Law.
Standing behind their respective captains were the Boa sisters, the Riku sisters, Koala, Benn Beckman, "Hakuba" Cavendish, Jewelry Bonney, Aranea Highwind, and Bartholomew Kuma.
Outside the castle, the Sea Princess Shirahoshi, Sanjuan Wolf, and a massive army of Pacifistas stood watch.
"This is quite the crowd. When did I recruit so many people?"
A deep, resonant voice suddenly filled the room. Everyone turned to see Alucard's body phasing through the wall.
"Captain!"
"Master!"
They all stood and shouted in unison.
Alucard walked to the head of the table with a faint smile and sat down. "Explain your plan, Vegapunk."
"Understood."
Dr. Vegapunk gestured to Aranea, who stood behind him. She skillfully produced a palm-sized Dial. She pointed the opening toward the opposite wall and pressed it; an image immediately flickered into view.
A Visual Den Den Mushi? many thought, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was a Dial.
"This is a Visual Dial. Think of it as a Visual Den Den Mushi, though its lifespan isn't quite as long," Vegapunk added. "It's a specialty of the Sky Islands."
Sky Islands?
The faces of the leaders shifted. While they knew a bit about Aranea and Kuma's recent activities, the confirmation piqued their interest. As the projection played, many were visibly stunned.
Continents made of clouds, residents with small wings on their backs, and... a massive army wearing the emblem of the World Government!
"Government troops," the thought echoed in everyone's minds. After two years of skirmishes, they were all too familiar with those uniforms.
"This is the Sky Island, ten thousand meters above us," Dr. Vegapunk stood and pointed at the projection. "They intend to build flying warships here, and they are preparing to construct a new military fortress and a branch base on this very spot."
Hancock retracted her adoring gaze from Alucard and looked at the projection with pure loathing. "Disgusting."
"So, what do you want us to do, Dr. Vegapunk?" asked Benn Beckman, who was standing behind Ivalis, with a bamboo toothpick on his mouth. The others looked on with curiosity.