The great battle at Marineford, later known as the Summit War, completely transformed the island. The towering fortresses were removed, replaced by a grand and luxurious palace.
After Whitebeard's death, the Whitebeard Pirates nearly collapsed. It was only through Ace's efforts that they managed to regroup, but their power was significantly diminished. Pirates across the Grand Line grew restless again, especially in the territories once ruled by Whitebeard.
Wars erupted everywhere. Towns were caught off guard and invaded one after another. Some entire nations on the Grand Line were destroyed by pirates, leaving their people in utter misery.
Though Ace worked hard to suppress the chaos, leading the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates in an effort to eliminate the worst offenders, the sheer number of pirates was overwhelming. With their forces already weakened, they struggled to keep up.
However, no matter how arrogant or aggressive a pirate was, none dared cause trouble at Marineford. Long before reaching the island, they would veer away. To them, Marineford was far more terrifying than the Whitebeard Pirates.
Facing the Whitebeard Pirates, survival was at least possible. But provoking Marineford meant certain death—far worse than when it was Navy Headquarters.
Not long ago, a new pirate crew known as the Supernova Pirates rose to power. They were strong, with many powerful members, and had defeated countless pirate crews across the Grand Line. Even the Whitebeard Pirates suffered a rare defeat when clashing with them.
Buoyed by their successive victories, the Supernova Pirates became arrogant and reckless. They even started to look down on Marineford. Drunk with power, the captain ignored warnings from his subordinates and insisted on attacking Marineford.
"Kaguya? Who does she think she is? Just a pretty woman. Watch me capture her myself!" declared the drunken captain.
That statement became his last words.
The Supernova Pirates set out in full force. But before they even reached Marineford, a sudden meteor shower obliterated them. Their massive fleet was instantly torn to shreds. Only a handful of pirates escaped—the rest perished. The fire from the destruction could even be seen from the nearby Sabaody Archipelago.
The next morning, once the chaos subsided, Sabaody's residents cautiously emerged from their homes. The sea was littered with broken wreckage and mutilated corpses. The crimson tide stained the entire shoreline.
Only then did people recall—the ruler of Marineford was a being far more terrifying than the Navy.
Since then, no one dared approach Marineford. Pirates learned to give it a wide berth, even if it meant going far out of their way, fearful of sharing the Supernova Pirates' fate.
"Master," Monet walked over gracefully with a notepad in hand. "Production of artificial Devil Fruits has resumed in Dressrosa. It won't be long before the fruits start growing."
Kaguya set down her teacup. "No more trouble over there, I hope?"
"Since Doflamingo handed Dressrosa over to Rebecca, the tension in the city has eased. The rebellious Tontatta Tribe also surrendered and pledged loyalty to you again," Monet smiled. "It seems Rebecca is working very hard."
After the Dressrosa incident, Kaguya realized that Doflamingo was not suited to ruling a nation. He relied too heavily on oppressive methods—effective during wartime and for plundering wealth, but now that Kaguya had no shortage of money, such brute tactics were unnecessary and inefficient.
Rather than plunging a nation into chaos, a gentler, appeasing policy was far more fitting. As for Doflamingo, assigning him to arms smuggling was likely a better use of his talents.
The best candidate to govern Dressrosa wasn't King Riku or Violet, but Rebecca. Though young, she was King Riku's granddaughter, giving her a certain authority. As Kaguya's disciple in name, she also carried deterrent power. She had always wanted to restore Dressrosa, working tirelessly toward that goal—making her the ideal choice.
This little girl was growing more beautiful by the day, full of youthful energy. Even at her age, her chest was already impressively developed—Kaguya couldn't help but wonder what she'd look like when fully grown.
But then again, in the world of One Piece, large busts were common—it was the flat-chested ones who were rare.
Kaguya asked, "How is Hancock doing now?"
"Her?" Monet smiled. "On the surface, she's the same—shut in her room, refusing to see anyone. It seems she's suffered a serious emotional blow. I'm curious, Master, just what did you do to her to make her like that?"
Looking at Monet's bright, watery eyes that seemed to speak, Kaguya reached out and lifted her chin. "What, are you curious to try it for yourself?"
Monet's eyes grew even more misty, like they were shrouded in a soft haze. She replied, "It would be an honor to receive the Master's affection."
"You've gotten quite good with your words," Kaguya said, patting her cheek with a smile.
Monet blinked playfully and smiled. "It's all thanks to your training, Master."
Suddenly, a dull rumbling sound echoed from afar—like distant thunder. Ordinary people might not notice, but those with Observation Haki could clearly sense it.
Monet turned her head, peering out the half-open window toward Mary Geoise. The sunset painted the horizon blood red.
"Master, are you sure this is okay?" Monet asked with concern. "According to intel, they seem to possess unusual power."
"It's fine," Kaguya waved a hand dismissively. "Just a few old men with one foot in the grave. Nothing serious—let's just lock them up for a while."
"But they—"
Just as Monet was about to continue, footsteps echoed from outside. Someone was approaching, and Monet fell silent. As the figure drew near, Monet looked surprised.
"It's her?!"
The beauty before him had jet-black, silky hair, delicate features, fair skin, a tall and curvaceous figure, slender legs, and a perky butt. Especially the half-revealed snowy softness on her chest, which trembled slightly as she walked, adding an extra touch of alluring sensuality.
She walked up to Kaguya and stopped in front of him. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and with a charming smile, she said, "Long time no see. As expected, you're here."
"What, are you Marines having second thoughts and planning to retake this island?" Kaguya returned her gaze with a smile and said, "Vice Admiral Gion."
Standing before Kaguya was Vice Admiral Gion. Since the war at Marineford, he hadn't seen her again—he didn't expect her to come here.
Gion stepped forward and said, "You can rest assured. Since the Marines agreed, we won't go back on our word."
"Oh?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow and said, "Then what brings you here? You're not looking for a fight, are you?"
"No," Gion shook her head and said, "I have another important matter to discuss with you."
"Important matter?" Kaguya asked.
Gion didn't respond. Instead, her watery eyes glanced at Monet, who was standing nearby.
"Master, I just remembered something I need to take care of, so I'll go for now. If you need anything, just call me." Seeing they had matters to discuss, Monet smiled gently and tactfully left.
Gion watched Monet's figure fade into the distance, then turned back and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be living so comfortably here, with such a beautiful woman as your secretary. Even I'm tempted."
"She's my subordinate. She's been with me for years," Kaguya gestured with his hand. "Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I remember you like orange juice."
"I didn't expect you to remember. That's impressive," Gion sat down and said, "I thought you'd forgotten."
"How could I forget?" Kaguya walked to the bar, squeezed juice from fresh oranges into a glass, added a few ice cubes, and placed it on the table in front of Gion. "Some things just aren't that easy to forget."
"Yes," Gion said with a hint of sentiment, "Some things just aren't that easy to forget."
"Try it, how is it?" Kaguya said with a smile. "I haven't made it in a long time, not sure if I'm rusty."
"Then I'm honored," Gion replied playfully.
Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for so long, the two sat quietly, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere felt a bit heavy.
Suddenly, Gion spoke up: "There's something… did you know?"
Kaguya asked curiously, "What is it?"
"Actually—" Gion gently rubbed the glass in her hand and softly said, "I don't like orange juice."
Kaguya was slightly stunned upon hearing that.
Gion looked up with a faint smile and said, "But that juice you made last time… wasn't bad."
Gion's words jogged Kaguya's memory. Back then, the juice had run out in the Marine mess hall's kitchen. With no other choice, Kaguya had made some herself using the remaining oranges and had shared a glass with Gion.
She had said it was delicious. Kaguya had assumed she liked orange juice, but apparently, that wasn't the case.
But what did she mean by saying this now?
"Um…" Kaguya coughed lightly and said, "You mentioned you had something important to discuss?"
Gion looked at Kaguya with a hint of disappointment in her eyes, but then composed herself and said, "Regarding what you mentioned before about the World Government, we've finally made some progress."
Kaguya was slightly surprised and said, "You found it?"
"Yes," Gion nodded and said, "This matter was originally top secret. Even back then, all evidence had to be destroyed. The World Government has been doing this for hundreds of years, but during the investigation, we happened to encounter survivors from Ohara."
"Survivors?"
Kaguya was a bit surprised.
Although Ohara survived twenty years ago thanks to Kaguya's intervention, most of its residents went into hiding around the world. However, the World Government never gave up hunting these so-called "rebels"—because they knew that this secret must never be exposed. If it were, it could shake the very foundations of the World Government's rule, something they absolutely could not tolerate.
While Kaguya was still around, the World Government didn't act rashly, but they secretly monitored those from Ohara. When Kaguya suddenly disappeared a few years ago, the World Government started their purge. Ohara's people were brutally slaughtered, nearly wiped out.
"That's right," Gion said seriously, "The one who barely survived is a girl known as the Devil Child, named Robin."
Robin?
Kaguya was momentarily stunned. Although she had anticipated this, hearing it still came as a bit of a shock. Her luck was truly extraordinary—to escape Marine capture again and again.
"From her, we obtained a great deal of hidden information about the World Government—things we never expected. I came here to ask you—" Gion looked up seriously, "Is all of this true?"
Kaguya rubbed her fingers along the glass and said, "Since you came all the way here to find me, don't you already have the answer in your heart?"
Gion stared at Kaguya and said, "Then can you tell me, how did you know all of this beforehand?"
"How did I know?" Kaguya said in a half-joking tone, "If I said I could predict the future, would you believe me?"
"I would," Gion replied, "If that's what you want to say."
Looking at the woman before him, as ripe and tempting as a peach, Kaguya was momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment of silence, Gion said, "This matter is extremely important. Only a few high-ranking members in the Marines know about it. Although Sengoku publicly denies it, from my observations, he's already beginning to waver."
The history of the Void Century had been wiped out by the World Government, but no secret stays buried forever. There would always be someone who knew. In fact, some Marine high-ups understood even more than the public realized.
Kaguya asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"
"No reason. I'm just talking," Gion stood up. "Alright, now that business is done, I'll be leaving."
"Wait—!"
"What is it—mm!"
Before Gion could finish her sentence, her remaining words were blocked. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Kaguya, who had suddenly pulled her into her arms.
Kaguya smiled radiantly and said, "That was personal business. Now comes the real business."
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