A sharp, piercing howl cut through the sky above Tarkia Island.
Everyone looked up. A black dot was plummeting toward them… Bullet was falling with a missile slung over his shoulder.
The local commander under Knox, who controlled this island, grabbed his weapon and rushed out the door. He glared at the sky.
"Alert!"
Buzz!
Following the shout, a deep hum burst out.
Haki coated both his arms. The blade turned black. With a single step, he shot upward and swung.
A slash dozens of meters long tore through the air toward Bullet.
Bullet glanced at the incoming strike and sneered. He released a bit of his Devil Fruit power.
The missile he was carrying grew several times larger. It turned pitch-black with Armament Haki and smashed into the flying slash, shattering it before crashing down toward the pirate commander.
He had no time to dodge. Terror and despair twisted across his face.
"What…"
Crack!
A massive surge of Haki and a ten-meter-wide missile crushed every bone in his body.
It carried his corpse downward and slammed into the panicked pirates below.
Boom!
Around the giant crater, the slaves stared at the explosion in horror. None of them understood what had happened.
At the center of the blast, Bullet walked out through the smoke. His torso was bare and covered in wounds. He pushed the smoke aside with a sweep of his hand.
He stopped beside a scattered ammunition crate, grabbed a handful of round bullets, and looked at the pirates in the distance with a feral grin.
* * *
Thud.
Bullet tossed the last pirate onto the pile of bodies.
He found a sealed barrel of alcohol, sat on a massive stone, and drank greedily.
Purururu~ Purururu~
The Den Den Mushi rang.
He set down the barrel and pulled it out.
"Yeah."
A voice came from the other side. "Vice Admiral Bullet, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has summoned all officers of vice admiral rank and above. Return to headquarters for a meeting."
He gave a short grunt. "I know. How long until you reach here?"
"About twenty minutes. The warship will arrive at Tarkia Island soon."
"Alright. Pick up the loot when you get here."
Click.
He hung up.
An elderly slave walked toward him, hesitant.
"Sir… we… we…"
They didn't know who Bullet was, but he had killed every pirate on the island. As slaves, they had no idea what would happen next.
Bullet looked at him. "What is it?"
The old man, encouraged by the people behind him, clenched his teeth. "What do you plan to do with us… the slaves."
Bullet frowned. "Where's this country's king?"
The old man forced a bitter smile. "Killed by the pirates."
Bullet nodded. "The civilians?"
"We are the civilians…"
He waved his hand. "Go sort all the weapons. Move everything to the port. Then you're free. Pick a leader among yourselves."
The old man's eyes widened. He tried to say more, but Bullet's impatient stare shut him up. He ran back, shouting excitedly.
A roar of cheers rose across the island. The slaves sprinted in every direction, frantic to gather the weapons. They wanted to end this as fast as possible and claim their freedom.
* * *
At the port.
Weapons were piled like mountains. Even though everything was mixed together, someone had still sorted them into rough categories.
Bullet gave a nod. More cheers filled the air. They were free.
He reached the stack, picked up a flintlock, slid the mechanism a few times, then weighed it in his hand. The loose structure told him everything.
"What a piece of trash."
Boom!
An entire pile of rifles exploded into fragments. He didn't bother looking again.
He turned to the soldiers who had been waiting for a long time.
"Take the good cannons and long rifles, and throw the rest away. We're heading back."
* * *
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
Inside the palace, which the Revolutionary Army was using as a temporary base.
Only the high-ranking members were present: the former commanders of the four armies, Kuma, Sabo, and several others.
All eyes were fixed on the most complete distribution map of the army. Dragon spoke first.
"How many made it back from the Grand Line."
Sabo, now a young man, looked grim. "Less than half. The biggest reason is Marine Admiral Akainu. He single-handedly wiped out six districts. No survivors."
The Grand Line had only a bit over ten districts. Nearly half had been slaughtered.
Everyone's expressions darkened. Dragon took a long breath.
"It's my fault. I misjudged the World Government's resolve. I apologize to everyone here."
He bowed deeply. The others hurried to help him up.
Dragon straightened and continued, "Their sacrifice won't be in vain. One day, their names will appear in history."
He swept his gaze across the room. "The seeds we've nurtured these past years have been sent to every region across the Four Blues. Not a single one missing. Not a single place untouched. Everyone, get ready for the storm that's coming."
The group exchanged confused looks.
Bang!
A stack of documents as tall as half a person slammed onto the table.
Dragon's low voice echoed through the room.
"Time to clean out the parasites."
* * *
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
With the three Admirals present, the meeting began.
Some vice admirals hadn't returned yet. They would receive orders after the meeting.
Sengoku sat at the head of the room. Two rows of sofas lined both sides.
On the left sat Sakazuki, Enel, Doberman, Dalmatian and the others.
On the right sat Garp, Borsalino, Kuzan, Yamakaji and the others.
The rest of the officers, including Tsuru and Bullet, were still on their way back.
Sengoku briefly summarized the recent New World upheaval, then spoke.
"There's only one matter today. A quick meeting. The forces stationed in the New World are no longer enough to handle the Four Emperors.
"Chaos aside, the chance of direct conflict isn't high for now. But to be safe, the three Admirals will be stationed there for a while. Only the former three Emperors are within direct reach of our chain of bases. So each of you will take one. Any objections?"
Kuzan shook his head. "None."
Borsalino looked troubled. "Such a hassle~"
Sakazuki sat with folded arms, his voice cold. "Fine."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed slightly at him, but Sakazuki didn't care.
Everyone felt the strange atmosphere. Silence filled the room.
Enel stretched, yawned loudly.
"Ha~"
He rolled his neck.
"Hm? Didn't Rosinante arrive yet? Why so quiet?"
His voice broke the tension. Sengoku looked away from Sakazuki.
"Choose your targets."
Kuzan remembered watching Knox and Big Mom fight years ago.
"I'll take Knox."
Borsalino glanced at Sakazuki. "Who will you pick, Sakazuki?"
"The strongest one," he replied calmly.
Borsalino sighed. "Such a hassle~ Those last two both seem strong~ Which one… Hmm… Kaido, I guess~"
Sengoku nodded. "If there's no provocation, avoid starting a fight. The Revolutionary Army is becoming a problem. We can't handle everything at once. Especially you, Sakazuki. Your killing intent is too extreme."
Sakazuki met his eyes, unblinking. "They're all enemies."
Sengoku's brows tightened. "They aren't pirates. There's no need to—"
Sakazuki cut him off. "Remember your place, Sengoku. Are you pitying them?"
Everyone knew this was about what happened on the Grand Line with the Revolutionary Army. No one dared speak.
Sakazuki had killed too many. Even people inside the headquarters were growing uneasy.
But now he didn't even call Sengoku by his title. He questioned him outright. The air grew sharp.
Sengoku stared at him. "The Revolutionary Army's rise is a national conflict. Strip away their identity and they're just civilians, Sakazuki. They aren't pirates."
Sakazuki stood up abruptly. A violent burst of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward with his fury.
"I rarely let emotions control me. But you've managed to anger me. You pity them? Then who will pity our soldiers! Sengoku!"
Boom!
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