The New World was never a quiet place, but on the island of Punk Hazard, the air felt especially heavy. Donquixote Doflamingo stood still, his gaze fixed on the screen of a Den Den Mushi. On the monitor, the image of Dr. Vegapunk flickered, broadcasting a message that seemed to shake the very foundations of history. Doflamingo's brow furrowed tightly, his usual smug expression replaced by a mask of intense focus.
"According to my research, before our current era, there were two other distinct ages in our world," Vegapunk's voice echoed through the room. "And before those times, our world was not an endless ocean as it is today."
Trebol, dangling nearby, watched his young master's face grow darker with every word the scientist spoke. He leaned in, his voice wobbling with uncertainty. "What's wrong, Young Master? Do you think what Vegapunk is saying is actually true?"
A sharp, angry laugh cut through the air. "Fufufufufu! Whether it's true or false doesn't matter right now, Trebol. What matters is the timing. This is happening too fast."
Trebol blinked, looking stunned. "Too fast? What do you mean by that, Doffy?"
Doflamingo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head to look up at the artificial sky of the laboratory. "Trebol, do you honestly think our people are ready? Are they prepared to face a war that could change the entire world?"
"Ah!" Trebol gasped, his eyes widening behind his glasses. "Doffy, are you talking about Kaido?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Doflamingo replied, his voice laced with a cold edge. "Vegapunk is the World Government's untouchable forbidden fruit. He is the one thing they cannot afford to lose. Now, the only person with enough madness to force those old geezers from the Holy Land to descend to the lower world is Kaido."
Trebol scratched his head, looking more confused than before. "But Young Master, hasn't Kaido already declared war on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons? What's the difference now?"
Doflamingo turned to glance at his subordinate, his eyes hidden behind his signature curved sunglasses. "Fufufufufu! You still don't understand. This time is different. Kaido's open move against Vegapunk is no longer just a simple provocation. It is an attack on the very core of their power."
"That is..." Trebol started to speak, but Doflamingo cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.
"Don't ask too many questions, Trebol. In this world, sometimes knowing too much is a death sentence. It's better to stay in the dark until the light hits you."
Trebol dazed for a moment, then quickly straightened himself up. "I understand. Then, what should we do next?"
"Go and notify everyone in the family," Doflamingo ordered, his coat fluttering as he turned away. "Tell them to get ready. The war that will swallow the world is about to begin."
As they spoke, Vegapunk's voice continued to ring out from the broadcast, reaching every corner of the sea. "According to my findings, the first era was an age I call the Age of Fire. It was a time when our land burned with terrifying, eternal flames. Living within those flames was a race we once called gods: the Lunarians."
Far away on Egghead Island, the atmosphere was even more chaotic. King stood perfectly still, his cold eyes staring at the screen where Vegapunk's image remained. Nearby, York tried to rush forward to stop the broadcast, but Lilith was faster. With a swift kick, Lilith sent the traitorous clone flying across the room. York could only curl into a ball on the floor, covering her face and wailing in pain.
"Damn it!" a loud voice boomed. A massive, round figure emerged from an underground passage. Queen had returned. He glanced at Vegapunk's body lying lifeless on the ground and walked over in astonishment. He leaned down, tentatively poking the body with a mechanical finger. "Hey, hey, hey! Is this old guy really dead?"
King didn't even turn around to look at him. "Are you done with your business yet?"
"Done!" Queen shouted, standing back up and regaining his usual boisterous energy. "It's truly incredible, King. The technology from the era before last is insane. The techniques hidden inside those ruins are even more astonishing than the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton. It's a gold mine of science!"
Vegapunk's recorded voice continued to play in the background, oblivious to the violence in the room. "The protagonist of that ancient era was a warrior known as the liberator of slaves. He was the legendary Sun God: Nika."
The mention of that name made both King and Queen shift their attention back to the monitor. Queen let out a mocking snort. "Hehehe! Nika... Humans are all the same. They spend their whole lives talking about pursuing freedom, but in the end, don't they just want someone to lead and rule them? There is no such thing as true freedom on this vast, cruel ocean."
Queen's words caused the six remaining clones of Vegapunk to glare at him with pure hatred. King, however, had no interest in philosophy. "Don't waste any more time, Queen. Since the Ancient Robot has been found, go and secure the Mother Flame immediately. We can't keep Big Brother waiting any longer."
"No problem at all," Queen replied, stepping over a piece of debris. "I was almost finished locating it, but the news of this guy's death surprised me so much I had to come see for myself."
Queen began to walk slowly toward the clones, his eyes landing on York. "Since this traitor is useless to the World Government now, why don't you just give her to me? I could use a new lab rat." He reached out a hand toward the trembling York.
"Stop right there!" the clones shouted in unison. Although they were furious at York for her betrayal, they were still programmed with Vegapunk's core ethics. They would never allow a pirate to take one of their own for experiments. They stepped forward as a group to block Queen's path.
Queen simply gave them a cold, cruel smile. Suddenly, the sound of something shattering echoed through the laboratory. A massive shockwave of pressure erupted from Queen, hitting the clones with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact sent five of them flying through the air, slamming them heavily against the metal walls.
"Well, I'll be leaving first then," Queen said, grabbing York by the collar. "Those old geezers from the top are going to be here any second, and I don't think Jack will be able to hold them off for very long."
"But... damn it..." one of the clones groaned, struggling to stand. They watched helplessly as York was dragged away. Their bodies were too damaged to move, and they felt utterly powerless. Suddenly, a massive wave of Conqueror's Haki washed over the room. The sheer pressure was too much for their weakened states, and all five clones slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"Take them all away," King commanded.
"Yes, King-Big Brother!" multiple voices shouted. Black figures emerged from the shadows of the underground tunnels. They quickly moved to wrap the five clones and Vegapunk's original body in dark cloth before disappearing back into the earth. King took one last look at the laboratory, his body erupting into flames before he vanished from the control room in a flash of heat.
At the edge of Egghead Island, the coast was a scene of absolute destruction. High in the sky, Admiral Kizaru was engaged in a high-speed battle with Eneru. Sweat dripped down Kizaru's forehead as he struggled to keep up.
"Hey, hey, hey! It looks like the Marines and the World Government are in serious trouble today," Kizaru muttered to himself.
The power of Eneru's Rumble-Rumble Fruit was already a nightmare to deal with, as it was considered the strongest Logia-type fruit. However, Eneru wasn't just using lightning. During the fight, he had displayed the presence of Conqueror's Haki. To make matters worse, he was now manifesting vibrations that felt exactly like the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a power capable of destroying the entire world.
Kizaru's mind raced. How could one man possess such power? Was this the true potential of the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton that everyone whispered about?
The only thing Kizaru felt lucky about was that he was only fighting Eneru. Below them, Jack the Drought was standing on the shore. Despite possessing enough destructive power to level the coast, Jack wasn't attacking. He was simply standing still, staring intently at the horizon of the distant sea.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Jack's expression shifted drastically as he sensed a massive presence approaching. Above them, the clear sky was suddenly swallowed by thick, swirling dark clouds. Red and black lightning began to crackle within the darkness, casting eerie shadows over the island.
Kizaru, Eneru, and Jack all stopped what they were doing. They looked up at the sky with grave expressions. Within those clouds, they felt a crushing, oppressive sensation. It was a level of power that actually rivaled their captain, Kaido. It felt as if a god was peering down at them from behind the veil of the storm.
Then, a thunderous boom shook the very earth. Five massive bolts of black lightning shot down from the heavens, striking the coast of Egghead Island with the force of a meteor strike.
"Be careful, Jack! Those old geezers have finally arrived!" a voice called out. Jack turned to see King standing beside him, having arrived without a sound.
"Brother King!" Jack acknowledged, his voice deep and serious. He turned back to the smoke and fire where the five bolts of lightning had landed.
As the twisted darkness began to settle and the smoke cleared, five gigantic, monstrous figures emerged. The sight was so terrifying that even the battle-hardened members of the Beasts Pirates on the shore stumbled back in fear.
"What... what kind of monsters are those?" one pirate screamed.
Standing before them were the five highest authorities of the world, transformed into their true, demonic states:
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro had become a giant, terrifying skeletal centaur.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn had taken the form of a massive, eight-legged spider monster.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter had transformed into a gargantuan, world-eating sand worm.
Saint Topman Warcury appeared as a giant, armored wild boar with massive tusks.
Saint Marcus Mars loomed over them as a giant, winged bird-snake beast.
Black flames licked at their heels, and an aura of pure malice radiated from them, making them look like creatures crawled straight out of a nightmare.
"So," King muttered, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "is this the true face of the secret rulers of the world? The Gorosei..."
The bounty of the world's stability had just plummeted, and the cost of this confrontation would be paid in blood. Every pirate on the beach felt the weight of their presence, realizing that the legends were true. The world was about to be torn apart by the very people who claimed to protect it.
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