In September of the year 1521 of the Sea Calendar, the World Government announced that the most heinous criminal in history, Alucard the Immortal, Captain of the Immortal Pirates, had been killed.
The following day, it was announced that former Admiral Fujitora Issho, Vice Admiral Momonga... and seven other ranking officers, including Vice Admiral Momousagi (Gion) and Vice Admiral Shirokitsune (Aliya), had betrayed the Government. They were officially classified as wanted criminals, and their bounties were distributed globally.
By October, the news of Alucard's death had reached every corner of the world. Countless pirates who had once been defeated by Alucard caught the scent of blood and began to cause trouble, swarming in like a school of carp crossing a river.
These agitators were repelled by the formidable fleets under the Immortal Pirates' banner, including the Golden Hair Pirates, the Black Thorn Pirates, and the Kuja Pirates.
Core executives like the Golden-Haired Ivalis, Keith Fallon of the Black Thorns, former Admiral Kuzan, and the "Colossal Battleship" Sanjuan Wolf proved to the world that even in their Captain's absence, they still wielded world-class power.
Curiously, the other two Yonko, Kaido of the Beasts and Big Mom, had yet to make a move against the Immortal Pirates.
In late October, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by "Fire Fist" Ace and Marco the Phoenix, clashed with the Blackbeard Pirates led by Marshall D. Teach. After a fierce battle, the Whitebeard remnants suffered a narrow defeat.
Thanks to the assistance of the Sun Pirates led by Jinbe, Knight of the Sea, the Whitebeard remnants narrowly escaped with their lives, though they remained a target of Blackbeard's obsession.
Blackbeard Teach sought to seize the final Yonko position. However, due to the resistance from the Whitebeard remnants and the fact that most of Whitebeard's former territories had been occupied by Kaido and Big Mom, he was forced to bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to claim the throne.
In early November, Jinbe led his men to defect to the Immortal Pirates. He declared that he had repaid his debt of gratitude to the Whitebeard Pirates and, in a formal "severing of robes," requested to join the Immortal Pirates.
The acting representative of the Immortal Pirates, the golden-haired Ivalis, considered the current situation and, knowing Jinbe to be a man of his word, accepted his request.
By the end of December, the Marines announced new Admirals to succeed Fujitora and Aokiji: Ryokugyu and Momonga.
The true identities of these two Admirals remained unknown to the world, but rumors described them as "monsters" whose strength was in no way inferior to Aokiji or Fujitora.
At the beginning of the year 1522, after months of searching, the members of the Immortal Pirates had still found no trace of Captain Alucard. Internal unrest began to brew, and whispers that the Captain was truly dead began to circulate.
Enraged by these claims, the high-ranking cadres took action. Boa Hancock turned the rumor-mongers into stone, while Bartolomeo went on a killing spree, throwing dissenters into the sea to feed the sharks, effectively silencing the gossip.
In February, the Marines announced that Marine Headquarters would move from the first half of the Grand Line (near Mariejois) to the G1 Branch in the New World. Due to the betrayal of Admiral candidate Kuzan, Sengoku was forced to continue serving as Fleet Admiral for the time being.
In April, the World Government's investigation revealed that the leader of the Neo Revolutionary Army was the former Warlord, Sabo, and that he shared a close bond with "Fire Fist" Ace.
Sabo's bounty skyrocketed. Rumors suggested he intended to recruit the defected Fujitora and Momousagi, but the outcome remained a mystery.
By the latter half of 1522, the Straw Hat Pirates reunited at the Sabaody Archipelago and announced their departure to sea once more.
By this time, Fish-Man Island was flying the flag of the Immortal Pirates. It was governed by Jinbe, and a toll was collected from all passing pirates.
The worldwide search for Alucard had become an astronomical expense, and the organization needed a sustainable source of income. While spending so much money on the search drew criticism, the lower-ranking members were forced to stay silent under the iron-clad demands of the cadres.
Currently, the Straw Hat Pirates' ship, the Thousand Sunny, had arrived at the entrance to Fish-Man Island. To ensure collection, a specialized squad had been dispatched to guide pirates toward the New World through a specific gateway.
The tunnel at the base of Mariejois, the one Alucard had blasted open with Dyna Stones, was now controlled by the Government. Without significant cause or immense strength, very few were willing to take that path.
"Pirates wishing to enter the New World, I presume?"
Sitting in a small booth, a seahorse fish-man expressionlessly counted the members of the Straw Hat Pirates: Captain Luffy, swordsman Zoro, cook Sanji, navigator Nami, sniper Usopp, shipwright Franky, the pet (doctor) Chopper, and a skeleton he had never seen before.
"Straw Hat Pirates. Total: seven people and one pet. However, we don't do half-price for pets. That will be eighty million Berries," the seahorse fish-man said flatly.
"E-Eighty million Berries!?"
Nami, the money-lover, nearly fell onto the deck's artificial grass in shock.
"Is that a lot?" Luffy asked blankly.
"It could buy thousands of pounds of meat," Chopper explained, using the metric Luffy understood best.
"That much!?" Luffy's mouth watered instantly, before he shifted into a righteous fury. "Why should we give you that much money? Move aside! We have to get to the New World!"
Zoro crossed his arms. "Charging that much... you fish-men are quite the crooks."
The seahorse fish-man blinked. "So, you're refusing to pay?"
"Of course! It's just a toll, yet you want eighty million!?" Nami shouted, refusing to part with such an exaggerated sum.
"Fine then."
The seahorse fish-man revealed a red button next to his desk. He pressed it and spoke into a Den Den Mushi: "Boss Jinbe, we have pirates causing trouble at the main entrance. Total of eight. It's the Straw Hat Pirates. I repeat, the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Jinbe? The former Warlord?"
"He's the one who looked after Luffy's brother during the Summit War two years ago, right?"
"So is he a friend or a foe?"
The Straw Hats looked at each other in confusion. Zoro tightened his grip on his hilt. "Careful. Someone's coming!"
Everyone looked up to see over twenty fish-men charging toward the entrance. Leading them was a man in a large kimono, which partially revealed the Sun Pirates mark on his chest. However, both sides of his waist were emblazoned with the emblem of the Immortal Pirates.
It was Jinbe.