Swish—!!
Another invisible slash flew past, stirring faint, imperceptible ripples in the air.
Huh?!
What is this falling sensation?
That is...
My neck?!
Yabuli tried to move his arms to fix the top hat that was about to fall off, but his brain only registered an empty, disconnected feeling.
My arms...
And so, filled with confusion and bewilderment, Yabuli sank into eternal darkness.
"Godfather—!!"
The crew members on the ship finally saw the gruesome scene at the port and let out terrified, piercing screams.
Capone Bege.
The man who had unified the entire Capone Family at the age of 30, who even had ambitions to swallow the whole North Blue underworld.
In their hearts, he was a god-like existence!!
And now, that god...
Had been slaughtered!!!
Their sky... was falling!
"All done. Clocking out."
Atlas looked at the annihilated gang members in the distance, spread his Observation Haki to confirm there were no survivors, and only then gave a satisfied nod.
He turned and flew away from Ziger Island. The rest was no longer his concern. He had already notified Tesoro before setting out.
Tesoro was likely already on his way to the Capone Family's turf. He just needed to gather his forces and wait to reap the harvest.
The Capone Family, as it was now...
It's "Godfather," Capone Bege, and his elite armed forces had been annihilated.
The Capone Family was now like a beast with its fangs pulled, an empty shell. All the Soviet Merchant Guild needed to do was give it a gentle poke...
Heh heh—!!
...
By the time Tesoro arrived at Tzige Island with Law and the others, the entire island had descended into complete chaos.
The sounds of killing shook the heavens, and flames raged. The two other branches that Bege had forcibly integrated had instantly turned on each other, beginning to devour one another!
"This... This is...?"
Bolster and Jin, who had come with Tesoro, were both dumbfounded.
In the short time it took them to get here, the Capone Family, which had been a menacing force in the North Blue underworld, had just... disintegrated?
Many people knew that Capone Bege was the linchpin of the family.
But of those who had dared to challenge him, it was unknown if their bones even remained.
"If you're poor, use tactical manoeuvres. If you're rich, use overwhelming firepower!"
This was the principle Capone Bege had always believed in.
Without a doubt, the Capone Family might have been slightly inferior to the Soviet Merchant Guild in terms of capital.
Still, in their arms stockpile, they held an overwhelmingly dominant position!!
"The... Grand-Boss..."
"What's his background?"
A trace of confusion flashed across Jin's chubby face. He turned his head to look at Tesoro, the light from the distant fires flickering on his face.
Hearing this, Bolster also craned his neck, his face full of curiosity, his large ears perked up, as if waiting for Tesoro's answer.
A powerhouse like that...He's so secretive, but Tesoro must know who he is and that identity... the implications are terrifying!
"Jin, Bolster, you two must remember: what we are doing is not as simple as it appears on the surface, but..."
"You must not dig deep into the Boss's identity. I'm telling you this for your own good. When the time is right, I will naturally tell you!"
Tesoro's expression suddenly turned grave, and he warned them in an incredibly calm tone.
He knew.
The moment Atlas revealed his existence to anyone other than him, any smart person would start forming conjectures about the Vice Admiral's identity.
That, precisely, was something he could not reveal. At least, not now.
"..."
Bolster and Jin looked at each other and fell silent, their thoughts unreadable.
"Alright, let's focus on uprooting the Capone Family quickly, before new complications arise."
Tesoro didn't know if his warning had worked, but he stiffly changed the subject.
"Once we swallow the Capone Family, our guild's firepower will no longer be inferior to any other underworld power in the North Blue."
Although the Soviet Merchant Guild had many Devil Fruit users, and Tesoro, Bolster, and Jin themselves were skilled in combat, their top-tier fighting power even surpassed many other factions.
But they were not lone wolves. As a guild, their priority was to ensure the safety of their merchant ships.
As their business grew, they couldn't place a high-end fighter on every single ship.
If they had a large stockpile of weapons, it would be more than enough to deal with average-strength pirates.
Once their power in the North Blue was stabilised, they could begin their plan to advance into the Grand Line.
Money moving the world... it would no longer be just a pipe dream!!
Moreover, with the prestige earned from this battle, all the powers in the North Blue would think twice before provoking the Soviet Merchant Guild.
After all, the example of the Capone Family being annihilated overnight was right before their eyes...
The next day. A piece of shocking news spread through all the major powers of the North Blue:
The Capone Family... had been uprooted by the Soviet Merchant Guild!
Just the day before, they had been gloating that the Soviet Merchant Guild had offended the Capone Family, who were in their prime. They never expected the tables to turn so quickly.
The result was completely unexpected.
At least, in an on-paper comparison of strength, the Capone Family had held the absolute advantage.
After all, in the eyes of most "frogs in a well," the power of guns and cannons was far greater than what crudely developed Devil Fruit abilities could achieve.
The North Blue was about to undergo a massive change!!
They knew that the Soviet Merchant Guild, having inherited the Capone Family's entire legacy, would see an unprecedented surge in strength, solidifying its position as the North Blue's second-largest merchant guild.
Given time, it might even replace the Glimmer Guild.
All they lacked was time!
Paying no mind to the other powers, the Soviet Merchant Guild immediately began to clean up the Capone Family's remnants on various islands.
As a long-standing gangster family, the Capone Family's influence was not limited to just Ziger Island.
But the other powers didn't dare try to grab a piece of the pie.
Although they didn't know which methods were used, the "tip of the iceberg" revealed was enough to keep them from acting rashly!
After all, no one wanted to be the next Capone Family!
Time flew by.
Soon, it was the Sea Circle Era 1513.
After absorbing the Capone Family, Tesoro's Soviet Merchant Guild's position stabilised, and they began planning their advance into the Grand Line. The future looked bright.
This year, Luffy turned 8. Sabo and Ace were living safely in Marineford, and Sabo had not lost his memory due to the Celestial Dragon incident, nor had he been picked up by Dragon.
The Great Fire of the Goa Kingdom, however, still burned fiercely, just as if it were fated.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
On the vast training grounds, fully armed Marine soldiers stood guard, rifles in hand. This was the daily life of an ordinary soldier at Marine Headquarters.
"Brat, I've been wanting to beat you up for a long time!!"
In the centre of the yard, Enel, holding a long staff, casually picked his ear with his free left hand, his eyes full of contempt.
This brat had given him an ugly nickname the very first day they met.
He'd never had a chance to teach him a lesson. Today, for some reason, that Marine wasn't stopping him, so he had to seize this opportunity.
Gulp—!!
"I'm not afraid of you! Big-Ears!!"
Luffy looked at the imposing Enel, swallowed hard, and tried to act tough, though his words didn't match his feelings.
The Enel of today was no longer the shrivelled-up man Atlas had first met.
Scientific training methods, Devil Fruit development focused on physical combat, and the ample nutrition at Marine Headquarters...
These had all nourished Enel's growth. His body was now muscular, his fair skin covered in crisscrossing scars.
This was his current appearance, giving him a tough, iron-blooded style.
Zephyr, as the chief instructor of the elite Marine training camp, would never cultivate greenhouse flowers.
This was especially true for Enel, the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, whom even Sengoku was paying close attention to. His combat training had been anything but light.
"Are you sure you're not going to stop them?"
Nearby, Ace kept glancing at Atlas, asking with his eyes. Although he was always harsh with Luffy, he cared for him just as much as Sabo did.
He had seen Enel's Rumble-Rumble Fruit firsthand. That power...
And, fruit aside, the sheer disparity in strength made this an uneven duel.
"It's fine. It's a good chance for Luffy to suffer a bit and learn a lesson."
Atlas felt a headache coming on. Luffy never remembered names; he only gave people nicknames based on their features.
If his grandfather weren't Garp, he would have been beaten up countless times by now.
"Don't worry, Ace. With Mr Atlas's power, he'll make sure Luffy is fine," Sabo chimed in, trying to reassure him.
He had personally witnessed Atlas's magical healing ability.
He guessed that Atlas could probably reattach severed limbs, though he had never seen it happen and was only speculating.
"Discharge! One Million Volts!"
Enel shouted, and a dazzling bolt of lightning shot toward Luffy, leaving a faint white trail in the air.
Although Atlas wasn't stopping him, Enel knew who Luffy's grandfather was. If he accidentally broke his grandson, he'd be in for it.
"Ahhh—!!!"
Before the lightning even hit, Luffy let out a piercing scream. He stood frozen in place, as if stupefied, not daring to move an inch.
Zzzzzzap—!!!
The silver-white arcs danced, and the blinding lightning gradually faded, revealing Luffy's completely unharmed body.
"What?!!"
Enel couldn't help but cry out at this ridiculous scene. His square jaw nearly hit the ground, and his eyes were wide with disbelief.
Ever since he ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had always been invincible, except for the frustration he'd felt at the hands of Atlas and some of the training camp instructors.
The scene today was completely beyond his comprehension.
"Eh? I'm okay?"
Luffy was confused, patting himself down.
"Phew! Good, everything's still there!"
He then looked smugly at the still-shocked Enel and taunted, "What's the big deal? It just looks scary."
"TWENTY MILLION VOLTS!!"
RUMBLE—!
With a deafening roar, another massive bolt of lightning crashed down, several times more powerful than the last!
Looking at the still-unharmed Luffy, Enel became exasperated.
"Why? It's like Luffy isn't affected by Enel's lightning at all..." Ace was equally astonished.
"It must be Luffy's Devil Fruit ability!"
Sabo, as expected of the calmest of the three brothers, hit the nail on the head.
(In truth, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power isn't just lightning; it also carries terrifying high heat, no less than a high-temperature flame. This could only mean that the Gum-Gum Fruit was not just ordinary rubber.)
Thwack—!!!
Before Atlas could answer, a dull thud rang out.
"Oww—!! That hurts! I'm supposed to be rubber, so why can you hurt me?!"
They looked over to see Luffy clutching a large lump on his head, howling in pain.
Ever since he ate the Gum-Gum Fruit Atlas gave him, his rubber body hadn't felt pain like this... except from his grandpa's fists.
"Armament Haki?"
Luffy seemed to recall hearing other Marines mention it.
"Not bad. He's already begun to awaken Armament Haki."
Atlas looked at the colorless Haki wrapped around Enel's fist, feeling pleased. Enel's talent was indeed good. Since he had already awakened Observation Haki, Armament was just a matter of time.
It had likely only awakened recently. It wasn't visible yet, and the technique was just basic hardening, probably still unreliable.
"I challenge you, Atlas!!"
Suddenly, Enel snapped his head toward Atlas, arrogantly issuing a challenge.
He hadn't forgotten that coming to the Marines was just an expedient move.
Now that he had learned this power called Haki, it was time to take down the Marine who had tricked him into coming here.
...
New World.
Giant shadows occasionally passed under the vast white sea. Busy News Coo flew between all corners of the world, like pitiful workers being exploited by capitalists.
It was high noon, but without the scorching heat. A fierce sea wind kicked up giant waves. A warship sailed at a leisurely pace on the sea.
The flag of the Marine G-5 base fluttered in the wind.
This was a routine Marine patrol. Besides the islands under the G-5 base's protection, the surrounding waters also needed regular inspection. If any unusual situation arose, they could react immediately.
It was also a chance to preemptively eliminate pirates with major potential who had just entered the New World.
Unlike other areas of the New World, the pirates who appeared near the G-5 base were either fearless rookies or desperate losers fleeing from the New World.
"Captain Smoker! It's last year's Supernova, 'Mammoth' Jack!"
Suddenly, the lookout in the crow's nest shouted a warning.
"Jack? Why is a Supernova from last year still lingering in these waters?"