Kuraigana Island, before the gloomy ancient castle.
Zoro, who had set foot upon this place, raised his head. Reflected in his eyes was a man holding a cup of coffee, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
"Messenger, or challenger?" Mihawk asked.
"Though my heart's already starting to race, the captain's orders are more important right now."
Zoro grinned. "And as I am now, I'm only confident I can make you feel impressed. I'm still a long way from defeating you."
At that, he raised a hand and pointed at Mihawk.
"But I can see the place where you stand!"
"Oh?"
Mihawk's brows lifted slightly. "That is quite the interesting answer. What has Ren sent you to bring me?"
"An invitation, or maybe a trade."
Zoro bent his knees, exerted strength, and leapt up before Mihawk.
First, he took out a thick stack of documents and set it aside. Then he extended his hand, igniting a cluster of blue flames.
"An alternative kind of swordsmanship knowledge. Qi, something distinct from Haki, yet reaching the same destination by a different path."
Qi different from Haki?
Mihawk narrowed his eyes. His keen senses swept over that cluster of flame, and then his brow gradually furrowed.
"This is my captain's bargaining chip. But it isn't all."
Zoro extinguished the flame in his hand, picked up the documents, and handed them to Mihawk. "Take a look at this. A superior replacement for the Pacifista—artificial human combat power capable of replacing the Warlord of the Sea system."
"…"
Mihawk accepted the documents. After roughly scanning them, his brows rose.
"Seraphim mass-production technology. Vegapunk really has created something extraordinary."
He did not question whether the information was real. That Ren was not the sort of person to act in such a manner.
These files were also clearly copied from somewhere like a research facility. Every line exuded a sense of professionalism.
On that basis, with Vegapunk, that genius scientist, involved, the existence of the Seraphim could basically be confirmed.
"What does he want?"
Mihawk closed the file and unhurriedly took a sip of coffee.
"A bargaining chip in exchange for one thing. As for this, it's a gift. He wants to invite you to join Cross Guild."
Zoro confessed it cleanly and directly.
"That force that intends to hunt down all pirates?"
Mihawk asked in slight surprise. "What exactly is he thinking? After defeating Big Mom and establishing a force like this, what benefit does it bring him?"
"That's only the first step of change."
Zoro answered truthfully.
"…I see."
Mihawk drained his coffee, and a thoughtful gleam flashed through his hawk-like eyes.
The Marineford War had been his second meeting with Ren, but for someone like him, meeting a person twice was more or less enough to understand them.
No matter how one looked at it, that was a man who advanced step by step and was adept at schemes.
A person like that would never do anything without reason. Even if his initial target was all pirates, that was most likely only one part of a larger plan.
Since Zoro said this was the first step in Ren's plan, then inevitably there would be a second step, a third step, and so on.
Following that line of thought, and recalling what Ren had done during the Marineford War…
The answer he arrived at was somewhat sobering.
"A fork in the road of choice, then?"
The existence of the Seraphim meant the Warlord system no longer held any meaning. Afterward, he would inevitably return to the position of being hunted.
Even if the Marines feared his strength and chose to turn a blind eye, so long as he moved upon the sea, it would be impossible to avoid the Marines entirely.
The current era had clearly entered a new phase.
The Marineford War had been the curtain rising on a new age, while Ace's survival and the kidnapping of Celestial Dragons had marked the beginning of the prelude.
It was foreseeable that the era to come would become increasingly unpredictable.
Under such circumstances, being alone became unstable.
The best method was to have a force.
But Mihawk did not wish to join someone or place himself beneath another.
However, Cross Guild was different. When this thing was revealed, he had already taken notice of it.
Rather than a force, it was more like a loose organization where one could obtain an identity badge after handing in a letter of allegiance.
But if that were all, Mihawk would not hesitate.
Anyone with some brains could understand one point from the things mentioned above.
Demon Ren's target was absolutely not limited to pirates!
Thinking up to this point, Mihawk placed his hand on the hilt of the black blade on his back.
"Let me see that power."
"Of course."
A burning eagerness ignited in Zoro's eyes, and he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Although the mission was the priority this time, if Mihawk himself made the request, he certainly would not refuse.
However, this was not a true battle. It was merely a display, a sparring match of sorts.
And in the midst of this process, time flowed swiftly.
[The Great Era Is Coming]
This was yet another front-page extra from the World Economic Journal.
The situation of the world had undergone tremendous changes within just a few days, and there was still no sign of it stopping.
After Totto Land's destruction, Big Mom's defeat, and the establishment of Cross Guild…
Another bombshell was thrown toward the entire world.
The report ran for several thousand words, but the thing no one could tear their eyes away from was still a photograph.
A photograph of Big Mom and Kaido standing side by side.
With such a posture, the two Yonko directly expressed their current situation—
An alliance!
Even though Totto Land had been destroyed, even though interested parties from all sides had confirmed that the Big Mom Pirates had been almost completely wiped out aside from Big Mom herself…
When they saw this scene, they still felt a chill from the bottom of their hearts.
Because the emperor herself, the core of a Yonko power, had not died.
From a certain perspective, this was an alliance between two Yonko. Furthermore, it was even more reliable than an ordinary alliance.
Most crucially, the moment the combined forces of Kaido and Big Mom appeared in the newspapers, the content of the report pointed their blade directly at the newly established Cross Guild.
A war visible to the naked eye seemed as though it was about to unfold amid the world's astonishment.
The heat of this topic among the public even briefly surpassed discussion of the Celestial Dragons' kidnapping.
After all, the former was simply too topical. Never before had there been a situation where two Yonko joined forces to target a certain power or faction.
Of course, part of the reason was also that the World Government had forbidden discussion of the latter.
No matter what, the World Government did not wish for the sacred and inviolable Celestial Dragons to become bargaining chips symbolizing enormous wealth in the mouths of common people.
Yet the event had already happened. The fact that Whitebeard had used a Celestial Dragon to exchange back the son of Roger would not change.
When a mirror was struck until cracks appeared, any attempt at repair was already irreversible.
The only thing that could be done was—
Recast it!
"Recast our authority. Through the destruction experienced by everything related to Whitebeard, make the world understand that the Celestial Dragons remain sacred and inviolable."
The words of one of the Five Elders, from the summit of the World Government, became an order that reached various places.
One link after another in the plan quietly unfolded and took shape, until the day of the secret exchange arrived.
A large warship arrived at Whitebeard's homeland. Beneath the fluttering flag of the World Government stood the man ordered to come here—
Fleet Admiral Sengoku!
"My final mission before stepping down, huh…"
Sengoku gazed at the figures on the distant land, watching them grow clearer and clearer.
The large warship anchored by the coast. A great number of Marine soldiers disembarked, surrounding the Fleet Admiral as he arrived at a clearing on shore.
In the middle of the clearing stood the entire Red-Haired Pirates crew. Opposite them were Ace and Blamenco.
Shanks rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes icy and merciless.
"Sengoku, I'll say this first. If anything changes, I'll act immediately."
"You don't need to tell me that."
Sengoku took out a document and a map. "This is the contract. This is the sea chart recording this island. And…"
He gestured with his hand, and Marine soldiers brought over a box filled with Eternal Poses.
"All Poses capable of pointing to this island are here. Other methods have also been destroyed."
It was not completely secure, but at least it expressed their stance.
Shanks nodded, then turned to look at Ace's side.
"I'll vouch for it."
"Fine."
Ace nodded. Blamenco then reached under his chin and, from nowhere, pulled out a sealed coffin.
One end was made of semi-transparent glass, revealing Saint Shalria's unconscious face.
The lower half was a steel coffin, as well as something that was clearly an explosive device.
"Begin."
Sengoku's eyelid twitched. He raised his hand and destroyed the entire box of Poses and the map originally prepared because of Whitebeard.
The contract was signed. Ace put away the duplicate copy, and he and Blamenco both loosened up slightly.
On the Marine side, they retrieved the coffin box and swiftly escorted it toward the deck of the large warship.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of a cane echoed on the deck. A man in a black suit walked out of the cabin, revealing himself beneath the blue sky and white clouds.
He wore a white coat over his shoulders. His white, curled hair fluttered in the wind, and his fluffy white beard gave him a steady bearing.
Only, when he saw Saint Shalria being brought back, he still could not help saying one thing.
"What a troublesome piece of trash."
The Marine soldiers responsible for the escort lowered their heads, pretending not to have heard this man insult a Celestial Dragon.
After all, this was one of the Five Elders, an existence even higher than the Celestial Dragons—
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn!
No one would probably expect that Saturn, one of the five people at the summit of world power, would appear here.
If someone developed evil intentions, perhaps the world would be shaken once more.
But he had come here. He even walked forward casually and at ease!
In the clearing—
Red-Hair, who had been about to exchange a few words with Sengoku, suddenly changed expression. His five fingers tightened around the hilt of Gryphon at his waist.
'It has begun.'
Sengoku opened his hands expressionlessly. His entire body enlarged into a colossal golden Buddha.
A golden shockwave was released—
Wrapping all the Marines within it.
Immediately afterward, Saturn's cold voice rang out through the Den Den Mushi communication.
"Marine rear admirals and all ranks below, from this moment onward, are forbidden from looking directly at me. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves!"
As the order was issued, a powerful pressure swept over from the warship, violently pressing across the entire island.
Then, a magic circle outlined in complex pitch-black patterns abruptly appeared in the sky above the island.
The formation resembled a pentagram. Between the star's points, one number after another—5—emerged. At the center of the pentagram was a blurred yet visibly ferocious pattern.
A hand slowly stretched out from within the pattern. A strip of black cloud appeared out of thin air, coiling around the monstrous hand.
"Saturn…"
Shanks's expression mixed shock with anger.
In the next instant, blazing flames mingled with black lightning erupted from the pentagram, transforming into a flash of light that descended from the sky!
(End of Chapter)