"Fleet Admiral, I suggest executing him along with Ace."
Silence filled the line.
Sengoku's voice was low and serious. He trusted that Renn Hawk would not speak without reason.
"Fleet Admiral, do you remember Magic Valley Town?"
"That pirate haven I completely wiped out… during the post-battle intelligence review…"
"From some remaining secret records, I saw someone searching for the Dark-Dark Fruit. That person's name is Marshall D. Teach."
"But… there's a second D name appearing in the same records."
"Hmm…?"
"Rocks D. Gibec."
On the other end of the den-den mushi, a heavy silence fell.
Sengoku unconsciously tightened his grip on the receiver.
That name was like a poisoned thorn, piercing the hearts of their generation of Marines.
He had been the very cause of a Marine admiral's death.
"I cannot be one hundred percent certain," Hawk continued, "but two people with the 'D' name appear in the same secret record."
"My guess is that the one seeking the fruit is very likely a blood descendant of Rocks!"
Sengoku's breath grew heavier.
If Hawk's theory was correct, the stakes had changed entirely.
One is a bloodline of Roger, the man who ignited the Great Pirate Era.
The other is a bloodline of Rocks, the tyrant who ruled before Roger, in an even darker and more chaotic age.
The younger generation of pirates revered Roger.
But the old survivors from the previous era truly feared Rocks.
To execute the heirs of both bloodlines publicly would deliver an unprecedented warning to the world.
It would declare: no matter the era, no matter the bloodline, anyone who dares defy justice faces only one fate.
"Headquarters will verify the authenticity as soon as possible."
After a long pause, Sengoku's voice carried urgency.
The identities needed confirmation immediately. If this was true…
Kuzan had truly done a great service this time.
"Hawk, you are also one of the key figures in this coming war."
"Do not be late."
Click.
The line went dead.
Hawk understood perfectly. With the clue "Rocks," and the intelligence resources of Marine Headquarters, especially with Vice Admiral Garp among the witnesses of the God Valley incident, confirming Teach's lineage would only be a matter of time.
He turned to look at the massive figure behind him. "Bartholomew, send the order. Speed up the cleansing."
"In five days, we leave Impel Down."
Bartholomew disappeared in a flash.
Hawk stepped across the frozen surface of the extreme cold hell and headed up the stairway to the next level.
Level 4, the Blazing Hell.
The Warden's office of Impel Down was located here.
Magellan, temporarily relieved of his Warden duties, lounged casually on the office sofa.
He had just indulged in a particularly satisfying moment of… personal relief and now hummed a tuneless little song, utterly content.
Since Major General Hawk had arrived with the iron army of G-3, everything at Impel Down had changed.
The bloody purges had sharply reduced the workload.
His chosen successor, Hannibal, had been completely transformed shedding his belly, always leading the charge, even more vigorous than the actual Warden.
Most importantly, the future of Impel Down had never been clearer.
It would no longer merely be a prison for criminals.
It would become the Navy's execution ground, a demonstration of iron-fisted authority to the world.
Countless pirates with bounties over a hundred million, countless villains causing chaos in allied nations, would be detained here and executed live for the entire world to see.
Those unlucky enough to face admirals like Sakazuki and Hawk, operating like a mobile execution platform… would probably not survive even a single head on the chopping block.
Creak.
The office door opened.
Magellan rose from the sofa. "Major General Hawk!"
"Magellan…" Hawk's voice was cold and direct.
"I'm about to deal with the pirates in Infinite Hell."
At the mobile headquarters of the World Economic News Agency:
"Ad-Admiral Kizaru…"
Morgans' voice quivered as he looked at Kizaru.
Kizaru strolled slowly to the desk and casually picked up a report on the G-3 branch.
"Yo~"
"President Morgans, you've really found some big news!"
He pushed his golden sunglasses up. "Take my advice: some news is better left unpublished."
"Smart people should know which side to take, right?"
Morgans' mind raced.
A Marine admiral personally intervening to suppress a news report what terrifying secrets were hidden behind the G-3 branch?
His wild suspicions had just been confirmed.
The Navy… might really be turning against the world.
This… this was unprecedented, world-shaking news.
Morgans' heart raced as he struggled to contain his excitement. He nodded repeatedly. "Yes! Admiral Kizaru, you are right!"
"I, Morgans, know the times!"
"From today, the World Economic News Agency will be the Navy's most loyal mouthpiece!"
"Oh? Really?"
"Wonderful… that saves me a lot of trouble."
"In that case, I'll take my leave first."
At that moment, Kizaru's form shimmered into tiny golden sparks and slowly dissipated.
The office returned to calm.
Morgans exhaled deeply.
The next instant, he dashed to the specially modified broadcast den-den mushi in the corner.
"Quick! Hurry!!"
He shouted into it. "Everyone, change the front-page headline!"
"Title: Navy Rebellion! Dawn of a New Era or the End of Times?"
"Subtitle: CP0 Purged by Iron Fist, Admiral Kizaru Personally Visits News Agency, Freedom of Speech Forced at Gunpoint!"
"Quickly! Spread this message across the world!"
"This… this is real big news!"
He danced with excitement, already imagining tomorrow's newspapers carrying the report he had personally written.
Then that lazy voice sounded again in his ear.
"Oh my~"
"President Morgans…"
"This isn't quite what we agreed upon, now is it~?"
Morgans froze and turned.
The Kizaru who had seemingly departed had somehow reformed, standing before him with a smile.
"You…"
"The Navy does not like clever little tricks!"
Kizaru lifted a finger. Light gathered at the tip, dazzling and radiant.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
Countless beams of light poured from his fingertip like a torrential downpour, instantly filling the office.
Boom!
From the outside, the huge ship symbolizing global press freedom erupted in brilliant golden light from within.
A violent explosion followed, thousands of meters in the air.
The massive ship tore apart, scattering burning fragments into the endless sea below.
Kizaru hovered in midair, calm and silent.
"What a shame… no more World Economic News in the future~"
"Not bad…"
He drew another mission file from his pocket, clearly stating that if Morgans refused to cooperate, he was to be eliminated, with the bounty unchanged.
New mission: the Navy will create the Naval Daily, with protection provided. Bounty: one billion berries per month.
"If you don't die, how am I supposed to complete the rest of my mission?!"