Time flies. Two full years vanished in the blink of an eye.
There is no time to mourn what has passed, because standing before you now is
"The most vicious remnant of the Old Era."
"The uncrowned king who cast his shadow over two generations."
"The regulator of the Underworld."
"A passionate collector of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"The angel investor behind the Revolutionary Army and a genius scientist."
"The King of Waves."
Kael Grylls.
Two years ago, in the North Blue, Kael stripped the feathers from that flamingo called Doflamingo, then personally fitted him with a pair of dazzling fake wings known as the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
After that day, the name Kael Grylls sank like a massive stone into the depths of the ocean, vanishing from the public eye.
Yet beneath the surface, unseen currents surged.
Centered on the Sabaody Archipelago, an invisible web spread silently across the world.
Following Kael's will as the highest doctrine, Caron operated openly in the light, using Sabaody as the core and extending the reach of the "New Order" into all four seas.
Doflamingo, wearing the mask of a Warlord of the Sea, lurked in far deeper darkness, biting and swallowing those unspeakable industries on Kael's behalf.
One in the light. One in the dark. One white. One black.
Together, they forged an unprecedented underground empire.
The countless shadow creatures created by Moria, beasts, birds, insects, and fish, seeped like ghosts into every corner of the world. Through a so called "strategic partnership" with Morgans, they parasitized the shadows of every news-carrying seagull.
The slightest movement anywhere in the world reached Kael's desk almost instantly.
In return, Morgans received funding generous enough to open his newspaper office on the moon, along with the kind of military backing that let him stand tall against any threat.
Morgans later said, "At first I refused, but he offered too much."
As for Mihawk, he became the most loyal "imperial blade guard" of Kael's villa. His days consisted of sword practice and sparring, followed by being dragged by Kael into chess games and tea sessions, debating profound philosophical questions like whether the essence of the sword was idealist or materialist.
Robin became the villa's librarian and Kael's personal secretary, organizing the vast sea of intelligence while seasoning Kael's laid back lifestyle with her uniquely sharp, deadpan sarcasm.
The twin maids Sakura and Rin handled Kael's daily life and the villa's meals. Under Mihawk's "friendly guidance," their cooking skills advanced at a frightening pace.
Perona, meanwhile, was gloriously promoted to the villa's official mascot. Her greatest daily worry was figuring out how to use Negative Hollows to make the man who lounged in a beach chair reading newspapers feel the full despair of "I am sorry for being born human."
…
Marine Headquarters. Marineford.
The newly rebuilt fortress was more imposing than ever, but the atmosphere in the high level conference room was heavier than during the "Dragon Lion Incident" two years prior.
A Vice Admiral had just finished his report. On the projection screen, Kael Grylls' smiling face stared back at them, accompanied by a bounty of 4.1 billion.
It stabbed every officer present in the eyes.
At the head of the table, the new Fleet Admiral Sengoku massaged his aching temples as he read the latest intelligence on Kael Grylls' forces. At that moment, even the goat chewing paper beside him seemed more reliable than his colleagues.
"His affiliated forces have fully taken shape. The potential threat he poses to the World Government is increasing at a geometric rate."
Sakazuki's voice sounded like it was squeezed out of a magma furnace. The air around him warped from the heat, sulfur thick in the room.
"The Sabaody Archipelago has become a nest of sin. Kael Grylls squats there openly, trampling on the authority of the World Government. I propose we immediately launch a Buster Call on Sabaody and erase this den of evil, along with Kael Grylls himself, from the map."
Bang.
His fist slammed into the table. The surface charred instantly, smoke curling upward.
"Oh my, how scary."
Across from him, Borsalino lounged back with crossed legs, speaking lazily.
"But Sakazuki-san, Sabaody is right under the nose of the Holy Land Mariejois. Using a Buster Call there might upset the Celestial Dragons. The Five Elders would be quite unhappy, wouldn't they?"
"For absolute justice, any sacrifice is necessary," Sakazuki replied without hesitation.
Crunch. Crunch.
An out of place chewing sound drew every gaze.
Vice Admiral Garp was shoving rice crackers into his mouth, speaking through crumbs.
"A Buster Call? Don't joke, Sakazuki. With the Marines as they are now, even throwing all our elites at him might not be enough to keep that brat Kael from escaping."
He swallowed, grabbed another cracker, and burst out laughing.
"And if, just if, he gets away, with that kid's personality, the whole sea will never know peace again. That'd be a real headache. Wahahaha!"
"Garp!" Sengoku finally snapped, slamming the table. "No eating during meetings!"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead, but there was nothing he could do about his old comrade. He turned back to Sakazuki.
"Garp has a point. This requires careful planning. We cannot act rashly."
Sakazuki fell silent, though the room temperature climbed several degrees regardless.
At that tense moment, Kuzan, who had been leaning back with an eye mask on, half asleep, swayed slightly as if about to doze off completely.
Since the Ohara Incident, this once brilliant Marine who embodied "Burning Justice" had become like this.
That massacre, and his battle with Kael, seemed to have changed him forever.
Seeing this, Garp suddenly stood up and grabbed Kuzan by the collar.
"Hey, Garp, the meeting isn't over!" Sengoku shouted.
"But I'm done listening," Garp replied innocently, stuffing another cracker into his mouth.
Dragging the half conscious Kuzan toward the door, he laughed.
"Kuzan, wake up. You're coming with me to the East Blue on an errand."
"Huh… Garp-san… I'm still on vacation…" Kuzan mumbled, feet scraping lines across the floor as he was hauled away.
"What vacation? Young people should move around more! Hahahaha!"
The conference room doors slammed shut.
Left behind were a furious Sengoku, a stone faced Sakazuki, a still grooming his nails Borsalino, and the remaining Marine officers.
Staring at the two empty seats, Sengoku let out a long sigh, his stomach beginning to ache again.
The Great Age of Pirates had only just begun.
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