The sea was dyed in blood, monstrous waves rising to the heavens.
Wreckage of shattered ships, the floating carcasses of steel behemoths…
A fog-shrouded world, terrifying like a netherworld purgatory.
On the decks, soldiers armed with muskets and spears burned with fighting spirit. On their faces—though marked by death's shadow—shone an irrepressible excitement.
"Prepare the broadside cannons!"
At the command, dozens of warships shifted position, their prows cutting the water as countless cannon muzzles aimed at the steel monstrosities surging up from the depths.
"Fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous cannon fire roared as shells tore through the sky, crashing into the distant steel behemoths. In the next instant, blossoms of flame erupted across their armored hides.
The cannons of ships might not be individually powerful, but just as countless ants can bring down an elephant, so too could this storm of iron.
And these ships were far from mere ants.
The concentrated barrage split open the armor plating, the shockwaves ripping apart the mechanical cores hidden beneath.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
"It's going down!"
As the steel monster sank beneath the waves, the surrounding fleet erupted in cheers that shook the seas.
"Everyone!!"
Nefertari Vivi, eyes brimming with tears, looked at the armies of Alabasta around her. Her blood surged with fire and purpose.
Whoosh!
"Your Majesty! We are approaching the seas of Wano. Also, scouts report that a giant elephant has entered our perimeter!"
Bellemere—Zoan user of the Bird-Bird Fruit and commander of the Royal Guard—swooped down onto the deck of the Pluton component ship, bowing as he relayed the report to King Cobra.
As a bird-type Devil Fruit user, Bellemere oversaw all aerial reconnaissance for the fleet.
The aged King Cobra, his hair already snow-white, did not answer. Instead, he turned to his daughter beside him, his voice heavy.
"Vivi… do you have the strength to lead this country forward?"
"Eh? Father, what are you saying?" Vivi froze, staring in alarm at Cobra.
Just then, Cobra was wracked with violent coughs. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was stained crimson with blood.
"Father!"
"Your Majesty!"
The soldiers and guards rushed forward, but Vivi reached him first, supporting him with trembling arms as tears streamed down her face.
Looking at his weeping daughter, Cobra forced a faint, bitter smile through the pain.
"Vivi… everyone… I had hoped to lead you all to victory in this war. But it seems I was too naive…"
"In the end… this frail body has failed me…"
"That is why… from this moment forth, Nefertari Vivi shall succeed me as sovereign, and become the first queen of Alabasta…"
Hack—cough cough!
He broke into another fit of coughing, his fragile body clearly unsuited for such long campaigns. Only sheer willpower had kept him standing this far.
"No! I don't want to be queen! I just want you to live! Please, Father!"
Vivi clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably.
Around them, Alabasta's guards and soldiers wept silently, their teeth clenched hard to hold back their grief.
The wheel of history would not stop turning for the death of one man.
Nor would the tide of war.
Though frail, Cobra did not die immediately. He was taken below decks to rest.
And though Vivi resisted with all her heart, she had no choice but to accept the crown, becoming Alabasta's first-ever reigning queen.
The war raged on. Though still inexperienced, Vivi managed to hold the lines under the guidance of her commanders.
Among Ghidorah's forces, Arabasta fielded the greatest military strength.
But the other factions were no less formidable.
And among them was a particularly dangerous "new army"—a coalition of vicious criminals.
At their head: the man once called the "Heavenly Demon," Donquixote Doflamingo.
His Devil Fruit powers and his influence had grown monstrously since Dressrosa. Though his loyalty to Ghidorah was questionable, he was above all a terrorist—one who longed for nothing but endless chaos across the world. For now, that made him useful.
"Young Master, these monsters just keep coming! What the hell are they?"
One of the Donquixote Family executives stared in horror at the steel beasts surging endlessly from the sea.
"Fuffuffuffu… This is the World Nobles' so-called 'ultimate trump card.' Impressive, yes… but they don't put the slightest pressure on me."
With a flick of his fingers, threads infused with Conqueror's Haki shredded through the armored beasts like paper.
Since his battle against Luffy, Doflamingo had only grown stronger. His indomitable will pushed his Devil Fruit to awakening—lifting him into an entirely new realm.
In this realm, he perceived the world as woven from countless strings. And with a single tug, he could unravel it.
The Ito Ito no Mi had become a weapon of true terror in his hands.
"Heh heh… So, you're one of the Donquixote family, eh?"
A chilling voice echoed suddenly. A man in gray robes appeared before him.
Before Doflamingo could react, the man's kick struck like lightning.
Boom!
Caught off guard, Doflamingo barely managed to defend before he was hurled from the sky. His body crashed down upon the deck of a warship, the reinforced planks shattering beneath him.
The impact sent wood splinters flying as he smashed through the deck and into the hull.
Only the ship's reinforced base stopped him from falling into the sea.
But even so, he was badly wounded—his chest caved in, pain threatening to overwhelm him into unconsciousness.
So strong! Who is this guy?!
Wincing in agony, Doflamingo staggered upright, glaring through the gaping hole in the deck.
Above him, the gray-clad man stood suspended in midair.
Doflamingo, unprovoked and enraged, raised a hand. Threads shot skyward in a storm, converging upon the figure.
Mid-flight, his fingers twitched again—translucent strings materialized all around the man, closing in like a net.
With a single grasp, Doflamingo tightened them.
Shhk!
The sound of slicing flesh echoed, as the man's body was torn into pieces—shattering like broken glass.
The sound was wrong. Not flesh. Something else.
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes.
"Heh… a decent ability. But far too naïve."
The mocking voice came again—this time, from behind him.
Startled, Doflamingo lunged forward. But he was too slow.
Thud!
The gray-robed man's kick smashed into his lower back, sending him hurtling away, blood spraying from his mouth.
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