The public execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—
That single event alone triggered two major upheavals.
First—
The legendary pirate, Golden Lion Shiki, refused to believe that his rival, Roger, had been captured.
So he stormed Marineford alone to confirm it himself.
In the end, he destroyed nearly half of Marineford before being defeated by Garp and Sengoku working together, and was subsequently imprisoned in Impel Down.
The second upheaval occurred after Roger's execution.
Former Roger Pirates member Douglas Bullet went berserk at sea after his captain's death, turning the world upside down.
A year later, the Marines launched a Buster Call against him, led personally by Garp and Sengoku.
Bullet was defeated and, like Shiki, locked away on Level 6 of Impel Down.
Now—
It had been exactly one year since Roger's execution.
The pirates of the new era were beginning to emerge across the seas.
"Captain! Up ahead—that's Wano!"
A pirate ship adorned with bat motifs cut through the chaotic currents of Wano's outer waters.
The seas here were treacherous. Without identifying the one correct route through the violent currents, a ship would inevitably crash upon the reefs and join the countless wrecks littering the area.
Fortunately, their navigator was exceptional.
Threading through the chaos, he successfully found the only safe passage.
They broke through Wano's first line of defense.
"Shihihihihihihi!"
A towering man nearly seven meters tall stood on deck, arms crossed.
His physique was imposing, triangular shoulders stretching his suit to its limits. Demon-like horns protruded from his head, and his sharp teeth resembled a shark's.
Gecko Moria.
He stared toward the distant waterfall rising like a sheer cliff.
"They say Wano is Kaido's territory! Tell me, boys—are you scared?!"
"Not a chance! Captain Moria is invincible!!"
"Kaido's nothing! He'll fall before Captain Moria!!"
The crew roared with confidence.
Since setting sail with Moria, they had won battle after battle.
Even when facing formidable enemies, victory had always been theirs.
Their faith in their captain was absolute.
Kaido?
Just a relic of the old era.
Their captain aimed to become the Pirate King of the new era!
How could he be stopped by someone like Kaido?!
"Good! That's the spirit!!"
Fueled by his crew's fervor, Moria's confidence swelled.
"Follow me! We storm Wano and defeat Kaido!!"
"Our goal is—"
The entire crew shouted in unison:
"Find ONE PIECE!! Become Pirate King of the new era!!"
Amid their thunderous cries, prepared chains were hurled from the ship, expertly latching onto two giant carp fighting their way upstream.
Dragged by the massive fish, the pirate ship began climbing Wano's towering waterfall.
Wano Country.
Onigashima Training Grounds.
A door-sized greatsword thrust forward like lightning, piercing into the bloated abdomen of a Vaal Hazak.
A small figure leapt forward, using the blade lodged between dragon scales as leverage, stepping up the dragon's body and soaring skyward.
The massive greatsword—
2.2 meters long.
1.8-meter blade.
0.5 meters wide.
4 centimeters thick.
300 kilograms in weight—
Rose into the air alongside the small figure.
Red light flickered along the blade.
Illusory crimson flames seemed to burn across his body.
The next instant—
Those phantom flames flowed like liquid, gathering into his arms.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each burst layered upon the last, all converging into his arms.
"True Charged Spirit Helm Breaker!!"
The greatsword descended like a falling star.
A red streak split the air as the dragon's damaged skull was smashed brutally into the ground.
Boom!!
The dragon's jaw struck earth, carving a crater several meters wide.
Then—
As if delayed—
Seven additional slashes erupted from the impact point, each matching the original blow in destructive force.
"ROAAARR—!!"
Several scales shattered from the dragon's head. Crimson blood sprayed outward.
Queen's agonized howl echoed across the field.
"Brat! That hurts like hell!!"
Severely wounded, the Vaal Hazak retaliated.
A breath like a cloud of death poured from his jaws, blasting directly toward Bai Feng.
His dark eyes showed no panic.
He raised the door-wide greatsword before him.
At the same time—
Blue-white Underworld Flames ignited across his body.
Though Queen's miasma feared no ordinary fire, it could not penetrate the searing burn of the Underworld Flame.
Gray-white death mist flowed around Bai Feng's figure.
Beneath the concealment of the blue-white blaze, the red charge-flames around him grew ever more solid.
The moment Queen exhausted his breath attack—
Bai Feng moved.
Blade tip lowered to the ground.
Hands gripping the hilt, resting diagonally upon his shoulder.
"Red Blade · True Charged Slash!!"
The 300-kilogram greatsword spun like a windmill.
The first strike—
A setup slash.
It precisely struck the cracked wound on Queen's skull, sending pain lancing through him and forcing an opening.
Bai Feng moved with the blade.
As the sword tip hit the ground, he used the recoil to launch himself into the air.
A full 360-degree forward rotation—
Both feet touched down—
And the second slash followed.
This—
Was the true heavy blow of Red Blade · True Charged Slash.
BOOM!!
Queen's jaw, which had only just left the ground, smashed into it once more.
When the dust cleared—
His dragon head, skeletal and corpse-like, emerged.
The black Armament Haki coating slowly receded, revealing metallic scales warped and split upward like a bisected shell.
Crimson blood streamed down the gaps.
The Queen looked ferocious.
"Brat! You've really pissed me off!!"
His 30-meter dragon body shrank—
Transforming into a seven-meter-tall dragon-man hybrid.
Claws.
Wings.
Massive tail.
Predatory eyes blazing.
Just as the battle threatened to escalate—
A messenger's urgent shout cut through the tension.
"Report!!"
"A pirate ship is climbing the waterfall!!"
"Target identified as a rising rookie—Gecko Moria!!"
Onigashima's winds shifted.