Hachinosu, G-6 Branch training ground.
"Hah! Hiyah!!"
Battle cries echoed across the open field.
The midday sun beat down hard, and hundreds of Marines trained under the scorching heat, sweat running down their faces and soaking their uniforms.
On a raised platform stood a man in a purple yukata, a Marine coat with "Justice" draped over his shoulders.
Issho.
The lines around his eyes were still shallow. One hand rested near his cane sword as he stood at the edge of the training ground. He did not say anything, but the Marines below straightened their backs and kept training.
Although G-6 Branch was a fortress built around Aiden's command, Aiden was currently away from the base and still in a politically sensitive position after killing a Celestial Dragon. Because of that, Marine Headquarters needed an official commander on paper.
So Issho, who had been following Aiden for a while and had quickly been promoted to Marine Vice Admiral because of his strength and judgment, naturally acted as the public commander of G-6 Branch and handled the base's daily affairs.
"Good job."
Issho nodded slightly, satisfied with the quality of the new recruits who had arrived recently.
The Marines heard the base commander's encouragement and trained even harder.
Suddenly.
Issho stopped.
His grip tightened around his cane sword, and his head turned toward the sea to the northwest.
A sudden presence had cut into the range of his Observation Haki.
"This is..."
Issho frowned. A presence that strong was rare, even in the New World.
"Continue training on your own!"
After leaving that order, Issho disappeared from the platform.
Within moments, he crossed several kilometers and appeared at the port.
Issho untied the mooring rope of a small patrol speedboat and jumped aboard.
Then he drew his cane sword and swung it horizontally at the sea behind the stern.
Boom!!
The sea behind the boat caved in under the force of his gravity. The impact shoved the speedboat forward, sending it out of the port with a white trail cutting straight across the water toward the place he had sensed.
...
In the outer sea of Hachinosu, the sea breeze howled, throwing up layers of waves.
When Issho reached the area with the speedboat, everything was already over.
Through his Observation Haki, he caught the shape of a bandaged woman standing on a shabby little sailboat. Her clothes were strange, her body was wrapped almost completely in bandages, and a bloody blade hung from her hand.
Like throwing away trash, she tossed the corpse of a kimono-wearing woman into the freezing sea.
Splash.
Then she turned around. Her cape snapped in the wind and rain as she prepared to leave.
"Halt!!!!"
The waves flattened under the pressure.
The seawater within hundreds of meters dropped several meters at once, forming a wide, sunken circle around her.
"Who's there?!"
Junko swayed and was almost dragged down into the sea by the sudden gravity.
But she reacted quickly. The cape behind her snapped open, and countless white ribbon-like bands shot out, grabbing the air and pulling hard against the downward force.
"You killed someone right in front of me, and you think you can just walk away?"
Issho's voice was rough as the rain ran down his face.
Junko looked down.
"A Marine?"
Junko's voice was hoarse and strange, distorted by the bandages wrapped around her face.
"This is none of your business. I am carrying out official duties."
"Official duties?"
Issho stood at the bow of the speedboat, his cane sword drawn an inch from its sheath. His grip tightened around the hilt.
"I saw you kill an unarmed woman and dump her body into the sea."
"Foolish."
Junko shook her head and let out a small, dismissive laugh
"I am an adjudicator of the God's Knights. This is Government business, and you have no right to interfere."
"God's Knights?"
Issho scoffed. He did not know who these people were, but one look at Junko was enough to disgust him.
"I don't care what knights you serve. If I let you leave after this, the justice I stand for would become a joke."
"Since you refuse to surrender, I will stop you by force."
Clang—!!
The cane sword was fully drawn.
The sea groaned under the pressure, and waves flattened around the speedboat.
Gravity several times stronger than normal crashed down, trying to pin Junko against the sea surface.
However.
The waves were being crushed beneath her, but Junko did not move.
She swung both hands.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Countless white bands shaped like sharp arrowheads shot out from her cuffs. They coiled and wove around her body, forming a spherical defense net that spun at high speed.
The bands whipped around her so fast that the rain split apart, and the pressure pressing down on her body weakened.
Then Junko counterattacked.
The white bands wrapped around her slender arms and legs, layering over each other until they formed a pair of massive white gauntlets and heavy combat boots.
The bands tightened, and the air around her limbs snapped with force.
Bang!!
Junko stepped on thin air. The arrow bands stretched beneath her feet like a narrow path, and she slid along it. Her body turned into a white blur over the sea, rushing straight at Issho's face.
"Fast."
Issho raised his cane sword to block.
Clang!!
Metal crashed against metal.
The giant fist made of arrow bands slammed into the sword. The impact cracked the deck beneath Issho's feet and drove him back several meters.
"It's not over yet."
She swung her hands, and the soft white ribbons around her body hardened at once, their ends turning into sharp arrowheads.
The arrow bands separated and floated under her control. In an instant, they wove into a giant white arrow net in the air.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!
Countless arrow bands shot toward Issho from every direction like heavy rain, each blackened tip cutting through the storm.
Issho did not panic in front of her speed. He lowered his center of gravity and planted his feet firmly onto the broken deck.
His Observation Haki traced every attack.
Issho's cane sword trembled slightly, and purple gravity gathered along the blade.
Issho swung his blade upward in a backhand slash.
The downward gravity field suddenly reversed, turning into a horizontal repulsive storm.
The incoming arrow bands were blown off course by the repulsion. They fell into the sea one after another, throwing up tall columns of water.
Waves surged across the sea, and the broken deck groaned under Issho's feet.
After only a few exchanges, Junko understood the problem.
The aerial movement she built with her arrow bands was hard to read, but her speed could not break through Issho's gravity field.
No matter what angle she attacked from, invisible waves of gravity cut off her path. Even getting within ten meters of Issho became difficult.
At the same time, Issho's Observation Haki kept tracking her movements. Every time she tried to change direction, his cane sword moved before she could reach him.
If they were on land, with the earth beneath his feet, Issho was confident he could suppress this murderer on the spot.
But the open sea worked against him.
Junko's ability was troublesome. She used her arrow bands to weave a giant bird-like shape, keeping herself in the air while fighting and retreating.
Meanwhile, Issho could only stand on the speedboat, and his movements were limited.
"Tch, so stubborn..."
Junko looked down at the steady Marine below, annoyed. Her mission was already complete. There was no reason to fight to the death with some random Marine here.
"Time to end this."
Junko glanced at the speedboat beneath him.
She flicked her fingers, and all the arrow bands dove into the water.
The bands slipped under the waves, curved around Issho's gravity field, and attacked the boat beneath his feet.
Crack!!
The already damaged speedboat was torn apart as the arrow bands punched through the hull from below.
"Not good!"
Issho lost his footing. Before he could activate his ability again, his body fell heavily into the cold sea.
Glug...
The moment the seawater covered him, the curse of the Devil Fruit took hold. The sea drained the strength from his body in an instant. He could barely move a finger, and his body sank beneath the waves.
"It's over."
Junko stood on the arrow band bird, looking down at the bubbling sea. She did not stop or look back for long.
To her, killing a Marine was not the goal. Her target was the woman and what she knew. Since the Marine had already fallen into the water, there was no need to waste time finishing him off.
"Goodbye, meddlesome Marine."
She sneered, then turned into a streak of white. Under the cover of the rainstorm, she dashed into the clouds and disappeared without a trace.
Just as Issho's consciousness was about to fade from suffocation, a blue figure shot through the water like a torpedo.
"Issho!!"
A pair of strong hands grabbed his collar and pulled him out of the water.
Splash!
Jinbe dragged the soaking-wet Issho onto a mostly intact piece of wreckage.
When Issho noticed something wrong and rushed out of the port, Jinbe had been nearby and noticed his unusual behavior.
Worried, Jinbe had jumped into the water and followed him.
If Jinbe had not followed, Issho might have truly died under the sea's curse.
"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."
Issho coughed violently and spat out bitter saltwater, his face pale.
He lifted his head toward the horizon, but the figure had already disappeared. Then he turned toward the spot where the corpse had sunk. His hands gripped the wooden board beneath him so tightly that the wood creaked.
He had watched a killer commit murder in front of him, then leave while he could do nothing. He had even needed a companion to rescue him.
That defeat pressed down on him harder than the sea.
"Jinbe..."
Issho's voice was hoarse.
"I... failed to stop her."
"Don't say anything else for now. Let's head back first."
Jinbe said quietly.
...
Half an hour later. G-6 Branch, main operations room.
Issho had changed into a dry yukata and sat in the main seat, his expression grim. Opposite him, Jinbe and Kane also had furrowed brows.
"The God's Knights..."
Kane repeated the name, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.
"That is a secret execution unit directly under the highest levels of the World Government. They answer only to the Celestial Dragons. Why would they appear near Hachinosu?"
"And specifically to kill a woman who looked completely harmless?"
Jinbe said.
"No matter what, this is not a small matter."
"Should we contact the commander?" Kane suggested.
"I already tried."
Jinbe shook his head and pointed to the silver Transponder Snail on the table. It remained in a sleeping state.
"I couldn't get through. It's been busy the whole time."
"He might be in battle."
Kane tried to steady himself and refused to think of the worst.
"After all, the opponent is Kaido. The commander can handle him, but Kaido is hard to put down. It may take some time to beat him into submission. He probably doesn't have time to answer calls during a fight."
"True."
Issho nodded. Although he felt uneasy, he still trusted Aiden's strength.
"Then let's wait a bit longer. When Aiden returns, we will report this matter to him."
Everyone reached a consensus.
After all, in their hearts, Aiden had never lost in front of them. How could Kaido stop the Reaper?
However.
This wait lasted a full week.
...
Seven days later. G-6 Branch.
During this time, although Aiden wasn't there, the base's operations remained orderly.
The base even felt livelier than usual.
This was mainly thanks to Hibari, Vice Admiral Tsuru's granddaughter, who had been specially sent here to "intern" before Aiden left.
This girl with short pink hair was strict, but not unkind.
Back when Aiden needed to settle Perona, who had been brought back by Moria, he specifically asked Vice Admiral Tsuru to find a few careful female Marines to take care of her.
Vice Admiral Tsuru then sent Hibari and a few elite female Marines to G-6 Branch. On the surface, it was to take care of the child, but in reality, it was also Tsuru's investment in Aiden. She wanted Hibari to learn by Aiden's side, and she also wanted to strengthen her connection with him through this bond.
At this time, in the base's backyard garden.
"No, no! The blanket has to be folded tightly into a neat square!"
Hibari stood with her hands on her hips, seriously correcting Perona's movements.
"Even though Aiden seems very casual, he's still a Marine! A Marine keeps their things in order!"
"Tch... so annoying."
Perona hugged her worn-out Kumacy doll, pouting and looking completely unwilling.
"I miss Moria... When is he coming back?"
Hibari patted Perona on the head, her eyes gentle.
"Soon. I heard they went to handle something major. Once they're done, they will..."
Just then, a female Marine in charge of looking after Perona hurried into the garden.
"Perona! Stop folding!"
The female Marine said.
"Moria is back! The ship just docked!"
Because Perona had been whining to see Moria for the past few days, the soldiers guarding the port notified them the moment they saw him return.
"Really?!"
Perona jumped up and ran out on her short legs.
"Moria!!"
"Hey! Wait for me!" Hibari hurriedly followed.
When they reached the port, panting heavily, the ship docking there was a three-masted sailboat that had clearly been stolen from some unlucky pirate crew. The sails were full of patches, and the hull was covered in black marks from cannon fire.
Moria.
This Warlord of the Sea, who had been shouting about storming Onigashima and taking Kaido's head seven days ago, now looked completely broken.
He was covered in ash. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by fear, confusion, and despair.
"Moria!!"
Perona happily pounced forward and hugged Moria's leg.
But this time, Moria didn't pick her up like he usually did. He didn't even return her hug. He only reached down with his large hand and patted Perona's head.
"Mo... Moria?"
Hibari noticed something was wrong and asked carefully, "Where is Aiden? Why don't I see him?"
Hearing that name.
Hearing the name "Aiden," Moria's massive shoulders shook.
He snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on a Marine who had come to welcome him.
"Where is Issho?!"
"Where is Jinbe?!"
"Hurry!! Take me to them!!"
"Something terrible happened... Everything went wrong..."
Ten minutes later.
Main operations room.
Issho, Jinbe, and Kane stared at Moria, who was slumped in his chair. Confusion drained from their faces, replaced by shock.
"What... what did you say?"
Kane's voice trembled. He propped his hands on the table, pressing so hard that the wood creaked.
"Disappeared?"
"How is that possible?!!"
"It's true..."
Moria grabbed his hair and forced the story out piece by piece, telling everyone about the nightmare that had happened on Onigashima.
According to him, Aiden overwhelmed the battlefield in that battle. Not only did he turn into lightning and beat Kaido down in his Azure Dragon form, but he also wiped out the Beasts Pirates by himself and executed Kurozumi Orochi along with them.
However, just as the situation was settled, with Kaido kneeling and begging for mercy, and right at the moment when Aiden was about to swing his sword to execute him, something changed.
Without any warning, Aiden's body flickered several times. Then, as if something had pulled him out of the world, he vanished right in front of Kaido and Moria.
Silence.
"That makes no sense."
Jinbe took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Could it be some unknown Devil Fruit ability?"
"Impossible!"
Kane slammed the table and stood up.
"The commander is too strong for that! At the entrance to the New World, even Giant King Harald couldn't defeat him!"
"How could Kaido, already beaten to the point of kneeling and begging, make the commander disappear?!"
"Moria! Did you see it wrong?! Or were you hit by an enemy's Devil Fruit ability?!"
Facing their doubts, Moria shook his head bitterly.
"I wish I had seen it wrong too."
"But at the time... Kaido was also stunned."
"I fled Onigashima for my life, stole a broken ship, and hurried back. I know... this matter is too big! I had to bring the news back! I had to let you know what happened there!"
"Aiden... really disappeared in that instant."
At that moment, everyone fell silent.
None of them could accept it.
But the reality was right in front of them. Aiden, the man G-6 Branch was built around, the commander they had treated as their core pillar...
At that exact moment, he had simply vanished from this world.
"What do we do..."
Jinbe muttered. Even he could not stay calm.
"We must contact Headquarters."
Kane gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay steady, and made a decision.
"This is too big for us to handle alone."
"We need someone Aiden trusts completely and someone smart enough to handle this kind of emergency."
Only one name came to Kane's mind.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
She was one of the elders the commander trusted most at Marine Headquarters, and also the famous "Great Staff Officer" known across the seas. If there was anyone who could stabilize the situation at this time, it was Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"We need to contact her as fast as possible!"
Kane snapped his head up and looked at the half-open door of the meeting room.
"Hibari! Please come in!"
A commotion came from outside the door.
Then the door was pushed open. Hibari and Perona, who had been hiding at the door and eavesdropping, walked in with panicked faces. The two girls were clearly terrified by the news they had just heard.
"Hibari."
Kane turned to her at once.
"You have a way to contact Vice Admiral Tsuru directly, right? You're her granddaughter. You must have a Transponder Snail that connects straight to her!"
"I... I do!"
Hibari sniffled and hurriedly pulled a small white Transponder Snail out of her clothes.
Kane took the Transponder Snail, his fingers trembling as he dialed the number.
"Puru puru puru... Puru puru puru..."
Each ring made the room feel heavier.
Finally.
Click.
The call connected.
From the other end came Vice Admiral Tsuru's calm voice, accompanied by the rustling sound of documents being turned.
"Hibari? Why are you calling at this hour? Are you doing well over there? Did that brat Aiden give you trouble?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Kane finally felt like he had found something solid to hold on to.
Then the panic hit him all at once.
"Vice... Vice Admiral Tsuru..."
Kane couldn't keep the panic out of his voice.
"It's Kane."
"Something happened."