As far as the eye could see, all that remained was collapsed rubble.
The distinctive blue-and-white uniforms of the Marines were scattered among the ruins, making them conspicuous—and jarring—to behold.
"We were too late..."
With a few swift uses of Soru, Chaton appeared beside the nearest fragment of blue and white.
Jagged stones were stacked atop one another, their surfaces stained with traces of blood. A tattered piece of a Marine uniform, no larger than a palm, peeked out from the cracks, swaying gently in the sea breeze.
The blood seeping from beneath the rubble had long dried into a dark crimson stain.
Chaton's expression grew heavy as he looked at the dried blood beneath the stones. His Observation Haki confirmed the grim reality—there were no signs of life.
Even so, he moved the debris aside, revealing a body that had been crushed beyond recognition.
Chaton's pupils contracted, and he remained silent for several seconds.
Moments later, he roared with all his might, "Get to rescuing them, now!"
The only response was the hurried footsteps of Marines and the relentless sounds of debris being cleared away.
Whether alive or dead, they had to find their comrades.
Every Marine worked tirelessly, hoping that with each stone removed, they might find someone still clinging to life.
"Damn you, Vergo...!!!"
The horrific sight before him made the veins on Smoker's forehead bulge with rage.
Beside him, assisting in the rescue, Hina wore a grave expression.
...
Marine Headquarters.
The news of Vice Admiral Yamakaji's force being decimated at G-5 reached headquarters at breakneck speed.
Sakazuki was furious.
"Pursue them."
His voice rumbled like boiling magma, turning into an ironclad order that was immediately relayed to Chaton.
Meanwhile, many within Marineford caught glimpses of flickering flames of rage through the windows of the Fleet Admiral's office.
That day, Sakazuki's desk was reduced to ashes by a wave of molten fury.
That day, the entire base could feel the wrath of their new Fleet Admiral.
Thirty minutes later.
Dressed in a kimono and wearing wooden sandals, Fujitora stepped into the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Allow me to handle this."
He opened his eyes slightly, revealing the whites beneath his lids as he addressed Sakazuki.
"Fine."
Without hesitation, Sakazuki granted Fujitora permission to intervene.
Soon after, a warship set sail from the headquarters dock, heading toward the distant seas.
Standing at a high vantage point in the dockyard, two retired yet still-influential figures—Sengoku and Garp, now missing an arm—watched the ship depart.
"We thought it was good news, but in the end, it became a catastrophe. When you think about it, it's almost laughable."
Behind Sengoku's glasses, his eyes carried emotions worn down by the passage of time.
The "good news" he referred to was that the newly reincarnated Tremor-Tremor Fruit had been obtained by a powerful Vice Admiral of the Marines.
In a few years, perhaps Marine Headquarters would have gained another Admiral-level powerhouse.
The irony? That very Vice Admiral—who had served Marineford with distinction for over a decade, whose record was spotless and whose merits were countless—was, in fact, a spy planted by Doflamingo over ten years ago.
"That bastard Heavenly Yaksha, even in death, he's still a thorn in our side."
Garp chewed on a rice cracker, his short white hair extending unnaturally from his head, almost like tiny hands, as they plucked crackers from the bag and placed them into his mouth.
Losing an arm to Maude had many inconveniences, but one of the greatest was that it robbed him of the simple joy of grabbing a snack.
"Dressrosa, huh... With Fujitora handling it, I can rest easy. But more importantly—why did Kuzan... join the Maude Pirates?"
"Kuzan's always been a laid-back guy, but I know him well. Even when he looks carefree, every second of his life is spent relentlessly pursuing his goal."
At the mention of Aokiji, Garp lost his appetite, his voice turning solemn:
"If he's made the decision to join Maude, then he must have already come to terms with the consequences."
"Sigh..."
Sengoku exhaled heavily, his gaze locked onto the shrinking silhouette of the warship.
"This increasingly turbulent world... What kind of future awaits us all?"
...
Dressrosa.
A tropical island surrounded by massive mushroom-shaped rock formations along its coastline—this was Dressrosa, one of the few prosperous nations in the New World.
Its architecture and streets bore a deep Spanish influence.
The clean, bustling avenues rang with cheerful laughter.
Here, one could see young women confidently displaying their fiery dance moves in public squares and humans coexisting harmoniously with living toys, all wearing bright smiles.
The sheer vibrancy of the scene was a testament to Doflamingo's extraordinary governance.
Yet those who knew the truth understood all too well that beneath this bright, flourishing façade lurked a darkness of unspeakable evil.
At the port.
A ship bearing the insignia of the Donquixote Family docked at the harbor.
Now operating in the open with his true identity, Vergo descended the gangway, flanked by two of the family's top officers as he made his way toward Dressrosa's bustling city center.
His aura and demeanor left no doubt—he was the next head of the Donquixote Family.
In the wake of Doflamingo's demise, the family's executives had made a swift and decisive choice to stabilize their crumbling empire.
Their solution:
Appoint Vergo—the strongest among them—to succeed Doflamingo as the new leader of the Donquixote Family.
To that end, the family used every intelligence network at their disposal, obtaining the Tremor-Tremor Fruit before any rival faction.
By consuming this legendary Devil Fruit, Vergo became the pillar that could once again uphold the Donquixote Family's dominance.
This outcome was vital.
So much so that the family's executives deemed it worthwhile for Vergo to abandon his cover as a Marine.
After all, given the nature of the family's business, they desperately needed a powerhouse who could command fear and respect.
On a high ground overlooking the port.
A lookout atop a watchtower suddenly shouted in irritation.
"Another bunch of idiots with a death wish!"
Having walked a fair distance, Vergo halted mid-step.
The entourage of Donquixote Family members accompanying him also stopped.
Vergo slowly turned around, gazing out toward the sea where five pirate ships, each flying distinct Jolly Rogers, were approaching.
Since Doflamingo's fall at Marineford, the underworld had been in chaos.
And with that chaos came an unending tide of pirates looking to tear a chunk out of the Donquixote Family's wealth and power.
Despite their strict coastal defenses and repeated repulsions of these ravenous scavengers, they lacked the authority to make the threats cease altogether.
Unless—
A new leader emerged, one strong enough to reforge the fearsome reputation that Doflamingo had built.
"Now that I have 'returned,' it's time to remind these vermin why they should tremble. And perhaps... show our 'guests' the true nature of our hospitality."
Vergo drew his bamboo staff—Demon Bamboo.
Gripping it tightly, veins bulged across the back of his hand.
Behind him, the Donquixote officers watched in breathless anticipation.
At G-5, they had only seen the aftermath of his devastation.
They had not yet witnessed, with their own eyes, how he single-handedly crushed an entire Marine base and three Vice Admirals' fleets.
Minutes passed.
The pirate ships sailed into Vergo's range.
Then, he struck.
With a single swing of his staff, the sea roared, waves surged—and the five enemy ships were reduced to nothing but splinters.
The entire island trembled and shook as if struck by an earthquake.
The members of the Donquixote Family were utterly stunned by the sight unfolding before them.
"A-Amazing!!!"
After their initial shock came an indescribable sense of exhilaration.
"As expected of Vergo..."
Gladius, a top officer of the Donquixote Family, looked on in excitement as Vergo effortlessly obliterated five pirate ships that had attempted an assault.
This was the same man who, more than a decade ago, had already mastered the full-body application of Armament Haki with ease. Within the family, aside from their leader Doflamingo, he was the most talented and promising monster among them.
It was for that very reason that Doflamingo had entrusted Vergo with an important mission back then—sending him undercover in the Marines.
Over the years, Vergo had never once disappointed them, whether in his rapid growth in strength or the competence he displayed in carrying out his tasks.
And now, having consumed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Vergo had become an even more terrifying monster—just as they had hoped.
"With this, we no longer need to fear our family being devoured by other forces..."
From this moment on, after witnessing Vergo's overwhelming power firsthand, every member of the Donquixote Family was convinced that under his leadership, their legacy and prestige would endure.
At the heart of Dressrosa, a towering, colossal rock formation stood tall.
This was King's Plateau, the very foundation of Dressrosa's royal palace.
Throughout the world, royal families chose to construct their palaces on high ground—perhaps to symbolize their lofty status above all others.
Even Alabasta, a kingdom known for its "rule by benevolence," was no exception to this unspoken tradition, let alone Dressrosa, whose royal palace stood atop a grand plateau.
Palace Courtyard.
Standing at the edge of an elevated platform in the courtyard was Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates. His massive eight-meter-tall frame radiated an oppressive presence without a single word spoken.
At that moment, Jack gazed expressionlessly toward the distant port, where chaos and destruction erupted.
From this vantage point, he could clearly feel the tremors passing through the rock beneath his feet.
"So that guy wasn't lying... The Gura Gura no Mi... They really got their hands on it."
Jack thought to himself before turning his gaze toward Trebol, one of the top officers of the Donquixote Family. The mucus-covered, perpetually sniffling man looked utterly repulsive in Jack's eyes.
With an unfriendly tone, Jack asked, "Was that meant to be a show of force against us?"
"Oh-hoh! Jack-sama, you sure love to joke! You clearly heard my conversation with the port just now, didn't you? Didn't you? It's just that some reckless pirates showed up, and Vergo took care of them in an instant, right? Right?"
Leaning on his slender golden cane, Trebol's confidence was bolstered by Vergo's return. Now, he could speak with a measure of composure, even when facing the ominous presence of one of the Beasts Pirates' Calamities.
"It had better be."
Jack's expression remained cold, his demeanor exuding an air of imminent violence.
Trebol felt a twinge of tension but no longer cowered in fear.
"Ahhh, this is so boring!"
A crisp female voice rang out from the platform.
The speaker was a tall, slender woman with two horns protruding from her head. She wore a frilly lace mask, obscuring half of her face, yet her striking violet eyes hinted at her beauty.
This woman was Ulti, a member of the Beasts Pirates' Tobiroppo, and the user of the Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Pachycephalosaurus Model.
"Damn you, Jack! Why'd you drag me along for such a dull, tedious mission?! If you were bringing me, you should've brought my precious little brother too!"
Ulti stomped her foot in frustration, her gaze burning with anger as she glared at Jack. She shouted, "And as if that wasn't bad enough, why did you bring this stiff, boring guy along too?!"
She then raised her hand and pointed toward X Drake, who stood silently near the platform's edge.
Drake, a former Supernova who had sailed alongside Straw Hat Luffy's generation, had leveraged his Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Allosaurus Model to rise swiftly through the ranks of the Beasts Pirates. In a short time, he had secured a position as one of Kaido's Tobiroppo.
Given his recent promotion, it was no surprise that he was facing scrutiny and hostility from the others.
However, bearing the weight of a hidden allegiance, Drake had long since steeled himself for such treatment. No matter how much he was targeted, he remained reserved and composed.
Jack, unmoved by Ulti's tantrum, replied in a deep voice, "Ulti, stop throwing a fit. You know full well that I didn't forbid Page One from coming—he has an 'important mission' of his own. Besides..."
His gaze suddenly turned icy.
"The authority to deploy you all was granted to me by Kaido-sama himself. If you have a problem, I don't mind pulling out a Den Den Mushi right now and explaining everything to Kaido-sama personally."
"Tch!"
Ulti clicked her tongue in irritation.
Perhaps it was because Jack had brought up Kaido, but the aggressive woman finally quieted down.
Trebol, watching from the side, wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He thought to himself, What a terrifying woman...
"Hey, Snot Monster!"
Ulti suddenly turned her attention to Trebol.
"!"
Trebol flinched, staring blankly at her before asking hesitantly, "Snot Monster? Eh? Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?"
"Obviously."
Ulti narrowed her eyes and asked coldly, "Is there anything fun to do around here?"
"Eh? Eh? Fun places...?"
"Never mind. I'll find something myself."
She rudely cut off Trebol mid-sentence, then leapt off the palace platform, diving straight toward the city below.
On the platform above, Drake glanced at Jack and asked calmly, "You're just going to let her run wild?"
"It won't make much difference."
Jack responded gruffly before shifting his gaze toward the Tremor-Tremor Fruit user who had bolstered the Donquixote Family's confidence—Vergo.
Regardless, their primary objective in Dressrosa was to assess whether the Donquixote Family still had the qualifications to continue their trade relationship with the Beasts Pirates.
Additionally, they needed to confirm the status of SMILE production—a critical factor for the Beasts Pirates.
If the Donquixote Family could no longer uphold this essential deal after Doflamingo's downfall...
Then, there would be no further reason for their existence.
A chilling intent to kill stirred within Jack's heart.
A new Tremor-Tremor Fruit user?
So what?
The Drought, ever proud and unyielding, remained oblivious...
To the fact that in this time of turmoil, formidable forces from all directions were converging upon Dressrosa, each driven by their own motives and ambitions.
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