"Souta Kiryuu is an extremely cautious man," said Fleet Admiral Sengoku, his tone serious as he addressed Vice Admiral Tsuru across the room. "His methods are unpredictable, and with a scientific genius like Dr. Vegapunk at his side… letting Drake join the Kiryuu Pirates would be incredibly dangerous. I don't support that idea."
Sengoku's words carried weight. Tsuru and Drake shared a close bond—one that rivaled even her familial connection with Gion, the Marine known as "Peach Rabbit."
Years ago, when Diez Barrels attempted to trade the Ope-Ope Fruit on Minion Island, Tsuru had led the pursuit against Donquixote Doflamingo. Amidst the chaos, she rescued a single surviving child from the blood-soaked island. That child was Drake. She raised him herself, molding him into a principled and honorable Marine.
It was also on that same island that Sengoku's adopted son, Rosinante, was brutally gunned down by Doflamingo—his body riddled with bullets as he died trying to protect others. Sengoku had tasted the agony of losing a son once; he would not allow Tsuru to endure the same fate.
In Sengoku's eyes, Souta Kiryuu was even more cunning and ruthless than Doflamingo.
If Drake infiltrated Kiryuu's crew, his death would likely be far worse than Rosinante's.
"Haah…"
Tsuru exhaled deeply, her lined face shadowed with concern. She had raised Drake into one of the Navy's finest officers, but with the world's situation deteriorating, she'd had no choice but to form a secret task force — SWORD — a unit completely independent of Marine Headquarters.
Even her granddaughter, Kujaku, had abandoned the formal structure of the Navy to join SWORD, becoming a special operative with unprecedented autonomy — a Marine who pursued justice on her own terms, unbound by the World Government's bureaucracy or the Admiral's chains of command.
"Then… let's deploy other Marine spies to pose as pirate Supernovas," Sengoku suggested, rubbing the bridge of his nose as the headache from endless reports returned. "See if any of them can draw Kiryuu's attention away."
The mere existence of Souta Kiryuu's crew was suffocating the Navy. They barely had the strength left to confront the Four Emperors anymore.
Recent intelligence painted a grim picture: Whitebeard's health was rapidly failing, his ship's purchases of medicine and oxygen increasing by the day. If not for the chaos caused by Kiryuu's pirates, Sengoku might have already launched an all-out campaign against Whitebeard's fleet—to reassert the might of the World Government and the Navy.
Perhaps, he thought, once the new defense shield over the Holy Land of Mariejois was completed, things might finally improve.
Over the Skies of Lorenz Island — The Ark Maxim
"Yahahaha! Boss Kami, let me take the lead and wreck that old man Shiki's floating fortress!"
Eneru's laughter crackled like thunder as he gazed upon the grand sight before them.
From the deck of the golden skyship, the Ark Maxim, the members of the Kiryuu Pirates stared ahead at Shiki the Golden Lion's luxurious aerial armada. Each of his ships gleamed with gold and ornate design, rivaling even their own Ark Maxim in both size and grandeur.
But from today onward, that entire fleet would belong to Souta Kiryuu.
His crew had waited for this moment far too long.
"Lord Kiryuu," reported Violet, her eyes glowing as she used her Gaze-Gaze Fruit ability to survey the scene. "The battle on the island below… it's the Barto Club and the Edra Pirates—they're attacking the Kid Pirates."
"According to the latest news from Morgans," added Nico Robin, a hint of surprise in her usually calm voice, "Eustass Kid—the new generation's rising star—has awakened his Conqueror's Haki."
"What? That bastard awakened Conqueror's Haki?!"
Bonney slammed down Kid's bounty poster, her expression twisting with disbelief. She had burned the World Government's flag, beaten up Celestial Dragons—and still hadn't awakened it.
So how had that upstart from the South Blue done it?
Even Eneru and Trafalgar Law exchanged annoyed glances.
Could it really be… fate?
The idea made their blood boil.
"That brat Kid's on the island too, huh? Convenient," Souta Kiryuu murmured, swirling the crimson wine in his glass with a calm smile. "Saves me the trouble of hunting him down."
His amber eyes glinted with ambition. Today's harvest would be plentiful indeed—
Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, and Kid's Magnet-Magnet Fruit. Both ripe for the taking.
It was almost amusing. The so-called "future protagonist," Straw Hat Luffy, was still playing around in the East Blue, while Souta Kiryuu had already become the true storm shaping the world's destiny.
"Captain," drawled Lafitte as he descended gracefully with his black wings unfurled, wearing his trademark theatrical smile. "A Marine fleet is nearby. Shall we take care of them too?"
"There are no Admirals aboard," Violet reported quickly, shifting her gaze from the island to the sea below. "But four elite Vice Admirals from Headquarters are leading the fleet… and they're retreating. Likely after spotting the Sky Fleet—and us."
She smirked faintly. "Looks like they're running scared."
"Forget them," Kiryuu said coolly, rising from his seat. "Target the Sky Pirates first. Take everything they have."
The moment he gave the order, the atmosphere shifted.
When Souta Kiryuu decided to act, there was no hesitation—only absolute, overwhelming execution.
"Yahahaha! Then this god shall go first!"
Eneru's laughter echoed across the clouds as he transformed into lightning and vanished into the sky, striking toward Shiki's island fortress in a flash.
"Hey! That lightning freak—leave Shiki to me!" roared Barrett, his body surging with power as he launched himself off the golden ship using Moonwalk, propelling through the air like a cannonball.
"Tch, that big guy's been locked up in Impel Down for twenty years—no wonder he's brain-fried," Bonney muttered, shaking her head. "Hey, Kuma, mind sending me over to that floating fortress?"
"Same here, big guy—give us a lift!"
Capone Bege and Akino both called out, eager to ride along and snatch some treasure before the others got there.
The Seraphim versions of Kuma didn't yet have flight coordinates for the floating islands, so for now, the real Kuma had to handle transport duty himself.
"Rrrrhhhhh!!"
But before he could act, Souta Kiryuu's body surged with blinding crimson energy—his form expanding, twisting, and transforming into a colossal scarlet dragon that coiled across the heavens.
Bonney froze mid-step, her eyes widening. "Okay, never mind. I'm riding that instead."
She laughed and sprinted forward, vaulting onto the dragon's back just as Boa Hancock, Baby 5, and Robin climbed aboard. Their hair and cloaks whipped in the roaring wind as Kiryuu's massive wings tore through the clouds.
"Wait for meee!" Bonney's cheerful voice rang out as she leapt onto his back, her laughter trailing behind her like silver chimes.
"Seriously, what's the rush…"
Moria grumbled, watching Deva Path and Human Path accelerate the Ark Maxim to match Kiryuu's pace. "No matter how fast you fly, you can't outpace him now."
Down below, the pirates battling on Lorenz Island froze mid-fight, gazes lifting toward the sky.
A colossal scarlet dragon blotted out the sun.
"Th-that's… him…! The one they call Kiryuu the Dragon!"
The legend had descended upon them in person.
"Oi, Kiryuu brat! You dare to wage war against me?!"
Shiki's furious roar thundered through the skies as a massive lightning bolt struck his lion-headed air fortress, shaking it to its core. The Golden Lion's teeth clenched in fury as the Kiryuu Pirates descended upon his fleet.
He hadn't expected this. He thought the battle on Lorenz Island was just another skirmish among upstart Supernovas.
But Souta Kiryuu's true target—was him.
The storm had finally arrived.