Sea Circle Calendar, 1521. November.
In the aftermath of the Paramount War, the world entered a period of violent upheaval.
The Marine Admiral known as "White Qilin," Supreme Commander of the Marines' New World Strategy—Grand Commodore of the New World—"Heavenquake," Gern Reginald Sigmar.
After bringing the Summit War to its end and cementing his name in history, he once again shook the seas with an earth-shattering move—
A lone assault on Totto Land, the vast maritime empire ruled by one of the Four Emperors, BIG MOM—Charlotte Linlin.
The result stunned the world.
BIG MOM herself suffered grievous injuries. The iconic Cake Chateau was reduced to rubble. Whole Cake Island, the very heart of her territory, was left on the brink of structural collapse.
Though Gern's true objective remained the subject of endless speculation, one fact was undeniable:
Since Marine Headquarters had officially relocated to the New World, this was the first—and most ferocious—direct strike launched against the Emperors entrenched there.
As such, the act was widely interpreted as a declaration.
"Heavenquake" Gern had demonstrated absolute, unquestionable military deterrence to every pirate sailing the New World.
And with it, the Marines signaled a new era—one defined by unprecedented aggression.
Yet the tide of the age has never bent to the will of a single man.
At nearly the same time, another world-shaking incident erupted—
The Rocky Port Incident.
For years, the pirate Wang Zhi—whose bounty had reached an astounding 1.9 billion Berries—had dominated Pirate Paradise, Hachinosu, the infamous "Beehive Island."
That reign came to a brutal end.
Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard—and his forces crushed Wang Zhi at his own stronghold. Teach personally claimed his head.
The Blackbeard Pirates seized control of the strategically fortified Beehive Island and absorbed the immense resources and networks Wang Zhi had accumulated over decades.
Their sphere of influence expanded at explosive speed.
With Teach's dual Devil Fruit abilities—and a crew composed almost entirely of powerful Devil Fruit users as core officers—
His position as a newly crowned Emperor was no longer in doubt.
Thus, a new "Emperor" was born.
Blackbeard Pirates.Admiral—Marshall D. Teach.Bounty: 3,996,000,000 Berries.Logia-type: Dark-Dark Fruit.Paramecia-type: Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
With those two powers in hand, he formally filled the void left by Whitebeard among the Four Emperors.
At the same time, one of the masterminds behind the Rocky Port Incident—Trafalgar D. Water Law—
Through meticulous planning and precise execution, secured the hearts of one hundred pirates each with bounties exceeding one hundred million Berries.
He used them as a "pledge of allegiance" in a deal with the World Government.
In return, he was officially appointed as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
His bounty was frozen.
And he was granted legal access to certain government-controlled territories—including the special island of Punk Hazard.
Of course, the Rocky Port Incident also forged another "hero."
A Marine by the name of Koby, praised widely for "protecting large numbers of civilian citizens" during the chaos, used the event to wash away the disgrace that Gern had once personally branded upon him—"the shame of the Marines."
From Marine Headquarters Master Sergeant, he was exceptionally promoted to Marine Headquarters Colonel.
He was awarded an honorary medal from the World Government.
Following the incident in which former hero Garp assaulted an Admiral, public opinion shaped Koby into the new model of the Navy's rising generation.
From "Disgrace Koby"—
To "Hero Koby."
Meanwhile, with Admiral Aokiji Kuzan's departure from the Marines, the World Government formally initiated a Global Military Draft—an unprecedented recruitment campaign spanning the entire world.
The decline of old emperors.
The rise of new ones.
The ascent of conspirators.
The birth of heroes.
A worldwide call to arms.
As Sea Circle Calendar 1521 drew to a close, the gears of the world spun faster and faster—approaching madness.
...…
New World. G-10 Base.
On the massive training grounds outside the base, two figures clashed in relentless combat. Each collision unleashed muffled sonic booms and shockwaves that rippled through the air.
Douglas Bullet.
Dracule Mihawk.
Their "daily sparring session."
Or rather—if one counted Enel, and Gern's occasional leave-day duels—their battles had become a fearsome landmark of G-10.
A spectacle of monsters.
In stark contrast, deep within the base's quiet garden, the atmosphere could not have been more different.
Marine Admiral Kizaru—Borsalino—lounged lazily in a comfortable wicker chair, legs crossed.
Several freshly printed editions of the World Economic Journal lay open on the small round table before him, though he clearly wasn't reading them.
Instead, he held a small nail clipper, trimming and polishing his fingernails with leisurely precision, occasionally clicking his tongue in satisfaction.
"How scary~" Kizaru drawled, voice stretching with his trademark languid tone. "One big event after another. It's gotten so busy, I can't even find peace to trim my nails anymore…"
He lifted his eyelids and looked toward the man seated across from him.
Gern, focused intently on preparing a pot of black tea.
"Soloing one of the Four Emperors, BIG MOM… tsk tsk tsk." Kizaru shook his head, the "admiration" in his voice gratingly theatrical. "As expected of you, Gern-kun~ That courage and strength—truly beyond reach for ordinary folks like me~"
Hearing the familiar yin-yang sarcasm, Gern's hand paused slightly on the teapot.
He didn't even look up.
"Senior Borsalino," he said evenly, "let me remind you."
"Under the current Marine rank structure and appointments, I believe I'm technically your direct superior now."
"Ehhh~ Gern-kun!" Kizaru instantly adopted a wounded expression. "What kind of relationship do we have? We've fought side by side for years! Shared hardships! Deep camaraderie!"
"Why bring rank into this? That's so distant~"
As he spoke, he set the nail clipper aside. The hand he'd just finished trimming—questionably clean—reached naturally toward Gern's shoulder in an overly familiar gesture.
"You—" Gern's brow twitched.
He leaned back slightly, evading the hand with visible disgust.
"That hand that was clipping nails better be washed before you touch me."
"Otherwise, next time I simply won't sign off on your mission paperwork."
"And then you won't be able to use 'official assignments' as an excuse to run over here for vacation."
"Oh~"
Kizaru's hand froze midair before retreating sheepishly. He clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath.
"So heartless, Grand Commodore Gern-kun~"
Back in his chair, Kizaru picked up the newspaper again. As if remembering something, he spoke in a casual tone.
"Oh right. That newly minted 'Hero'—Koby. What do you think?"
"I hear he's deliberately avoiding the internal tone you set for him within the Marines. Not taking the conventional promotion route."
"With the prestige and merits he accumulated during the Rocky Port Incident, he entered through a special recruitment channel. Joined some secret unit… what was it called? 'SWORD'?"
"Looks like he's trying a different path. A roundabout way to redeem himself~"
Gern poured the brewed tea into a cup. Steam rose gently, momentarily obscuring his expression.
He lifted the cup and blew softly across its surface.
"What do you expect me to think?" Gern replied, a trace of helplessness—and mild exasperation—in his tone.
"Vice Admiral Garp seems to have lost a screw somewhere. He insists on favoring that kid."
Sometimes, Gern genuinely wondered whether some so-called "will of the worldline" was forcibly intervening—determined to drag that man he had nailed to the pillar of shame back into relevance.
"And besides…"
He set the cup down.
His eyes sharpened, fingers tapping lightly against the table.
"What concerns me more right now…"
"Is the Global Draft."
At that, Kizaru finally dropped his frivolous demeanor and sat up slightly straighter.
Indeed.
They had every reason to worry.
After all—
Now it was time to be concerned about the newcomers coming to steal their bowls of rice.