"Zehahahaha—hic!"
The grating, triumphant laugh echoed across the water, carried on the salty wind.
"Marines! I'm here to turn in a bounty!"
A massive, dilapidated wooden raft, looking like it had been slapped together from the wreckage of a dozen other ships, wobbled unsteadily as it approached the colossal gates of Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Atop its single mast, Blackbeard's three-skulled flag flapped arrogantly in the breeze.
Standing beneath it was a mountain of a man, missing a leg but radiating an aura of dangerous confidence.
It was Marshall D. Teach.
"Halt! State your name and purpose!" the Marine soldiers guarding the harbor shouted, their voices tight with tension.
Rifles were raised and aimed squarely at the suspicious vessel and its lone, imposing occupant.
"Are your eyes just for decoration?!" Teach boomed, a wide, gap-toothed grin splitting his face.
"Can't you see the prize I've brought you?!"
With a casual, brutal kick, he sent a large burlap sack tumbling across the raft's deck.
The sack rolled open, revealing the man bound inside: unconscious, bruised, but unmistakably Portgas D. Ace.
"?!"
"Is… is that who I think it is…?"
"The 550 million Belly bounty…"
"Fire Fist Ace?! The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
A wave of shocked gasps rippled through the Marine ranks.
Their faces was full of disbelief.
This was a figure of legend, one of the most powerful and influential pirates on the Grand Line.
"Quick! Get a message to Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Immediately!" the officer in charge yelled, his professional composure shattering for a moment.
"Yes, sir!"
....
In the Fleet Admiral's office at the top of the main fortress, the atmosphere was tense.
"You said what?!"
CRACK!
Sengoku slammed his hands down on his desk, rising so abruptly that the chair behind him screeched.
The force of the impact sent a spiderweb of cracks through the solid, polished wood.
"Blackbeard has captured Fire Fist Ace?!" His voice was a low, dangerous rumble, thick with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
'Blackbeard? Wasn't he one of Whitebeard's own men? What is this, a mutiny?'
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" the reporting soldier replied, standing ramrod straight.
"He's at the main gate right now, demanding to speak with you personally."
"..."
Sengoku fell silent, the initial shock giving way to cold, hard calculation.
He slowly sank back into his chair, his brows furrowed in deep thought.
'Ace… That's Whitebeard's most treasured commander, the man he sees as a son.'
'For Blackbeard to deliver him to our doorstep… he wants something big in return.'
The implications were staggering.
If the Marines took custody of Ace, Whitebeard would bring his full, world-ending fury down upon them.
A war against an Emperor of the Sea was inevitable.
But… the strategic part of his brain whispered, the opportunity…
To publicly execute the son of the Pirate King, Gold Roger, would be a monumental display of the World Government's power.
It would send a shockwave of fear through the pirate world, quashing countless burgeoning rebellions.
The prestige of the Marines would soar to unprecedented heights.
He had to hear what the traitor wanted.
"Bring him in," Sengoku said, his voice heavy with the weight of his decision.
"Yes, sir!"
A few minutes later, Blackbeard swaggered into the Fleet Admiral's office with an air of unearned confidence.
Behind him, Marine guards carried the still-unconscious form of Ace.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Blackbeard's grin was wider than ever.
"I've brought you a most generous gift!" He gestured grandly toward Ace.
"Blackbeard," Sengoku's voice was deep and flat, cutting through the man's bravado.
"What do you want?"
"Zehahaha! Straight to the point, I like it!" Blackbeard laughed. "In exchange for Ace, I want a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. A fair trade, wouldn't you say?"
"..."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed, studying the ambitious pirate before him.
'A Warlord… So that's his game.'
The current Warlords were all established monsters, infamous pirates with their own territories and immense power.
They were also notoriously difficult to manage, only following orders when it suited them.
They were kings in their own right, with little real respect for the Marines.
'But what if…' Sengoku thought, a new strategy forming in his mind, 'what if I throw this piranha, Blackbeard, into their placid pond? Let him stir things up'.
'It would send a clear message: their positions are not guaranteed. The title of Warlord can be given, and it can be taken away. A little pressure might just make those arrogant peacocks more… cooperative.'
Having weighed the pros and cons, Sengoku came to a decision.
"Fine," he said after a long pause, his voice slow and deliberate.
"Blackbeard, I will give you your chance. However, there are no vacancies among the Warlords at present." He leaned forward, staring Teach down.
"The Navy will issue a formal summons. All Seven Warlords will be required to gather at Marineford. The position you crave will have to be earned with your own two hands. But, for now… I can grant you the temporary authority and status of a Warlord of the Sea."
"Zehahaha!" Blackbeard exploded with laughter, a raw, unrestrained sound filled with triumph.
"Excellent!"
This was exactly what he wanted.
He had absolute, unwavering faith in the power of his Dark-Dark Fruit.
He'd take on any of the current Warlords and win.
Securing this temporary status was the key.
It gave him legitimacy, a shield to operate under while he began to muddy the waters and expand his own power.
His dream—it was just getting started!
Still laughing like a madman, Blackbeard turned and strode out of the office, leaving Sengoku alone with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders.
"Hah…" Sengoku sighed, walking silently to the large window overlooking the vast, blue sea.
"Ace… Whitebeard…"
He turned, his gaze sweeping over the enormous world map on his wall.
His eyes, once full of calculation, now burned with resolve.
"Someone come!" he bellowed.
"Sir!" A Marine soldier snapped to attention as he entered the room.
"Relay my orders!" Sengoku's voice was like grinding stone, each word laced with undeniable authority.
"Assemble all elite forces from Marine Headquarters and every branch base across the world! Their destination: Marineford! We are going to have a proper war with Whitebeard!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sengoku stared at the map.
"This era… it's time for it to change."
.....
Meanwhile, down at the bustling docks of Marine Headquarters, one figure stood out from the crowd.
Admiral Kizaru, clad in his signature yellow-and-white striped suit, was pacing impatiently at the edge of the pier, a highly unusual sight.
His restless behavior had not gone unnoticed.
"Hey, isn't that Admiral Kizaru?"
"Yeah, what's he doing just standing there? He looks… anxious."
"Who knows? Must be waiting for someone important."
"Important enough for an Admiral to greet them personally? Who could that be?"
"I've never seen the Admiral so… not lazy before. It's weird."
"You got a death wish, kid?! Don't let him hear you say that!"
"Hehe, just kidding…"
As the Marines gossiped, a massive warship appeared on the horizon.
Flying proudly from its bow was a flag bearing the Admiral's name, "Kizaru," gleaming in the afternoon sun.
"That's… that's the Admiral's personal flagship!"
"Why is his ship returning? I thought he was on duty here."
"Looks like whoever he's waiting for is on that ship."
The warship docked with practiced efficiency.
The gangplank was lowered, and a group of people began to file out.
Leading them all was a young man in a crisp, tailored Marine Captain's uniform, a cigar clenched between his teeth: Mike.
"Yooooo~" Kizaru's voice was practically dripping with excitement.
He immediately strode forward, a blindingly bright grin on his face.
"My favorite little Captain~!"
"You're finally come here! You kept this old man waiting for sooooo long!" He gave Mike an exaggerated once-over.
"My, my, you're looking even more handsome. Almost as handsome as I was in my youth."
"Old man," Mike said, rolling his eyes at Kizaru's absurd performance.
"If I looked anything like you, my life would be over. Right now, I can go out and have fun without spending a dime. If I looked like you, I'd have to pay double just to get in the door."
"Get lost," Mike finished, his tone one of pure irritation.
"Hiss—"
A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed across the entire dock.
The gossiping Marines froze, their jaws hanging open.
"Who… who is that Captain?"
"Did he… did he just tell Admiral Kizaru to get lost?!"