This water world was an extremely special planet. Above the sky lay layers upon layers of thick cloud seas, and the weather changed without warning.
At this moment, the floating fortresses and fleet anchored in near-planet orbit roughly 500 kilometers above the surface were not particularly conspicuous. (PS: From 200 to 2,000 kilometers above sea level is referred to as near-planet orbit.)
Given the average intelligence level and civilizational development of this water world's populace, only a very small number of people were capable of observing them.
Boom boom boom!
The Sabaody Archipelago—after two years—once again found itself plunged into large-scale warfare, and this time, the intensity was unprecedented.
The Imperial Army's drop pods that blotted out the sky, along with small support warships, were deployed into the naval garrisons of Areas 60 to 69 of the Sabaody Archipelago. The two sides engaged in fierce artillery exchanges atop the mangrove islands.
Gunpowder smoke filled the air. The battlefield roared endlessly with cannon fire and the shouts of soldiers from both sides.
Death became commonplace. The once lush green lawns were now strewn with shell fragments and the mutilated remains of the fallen.
Whether it was the Imperial Army, the Navy, or personnel from the World Government's CP agencies, casualties were unavoidable in this war. Lives became numbers, increasing with every passing second.
One moment, dozens of marines were torn apart by the Servitor Army's solid propellant warheads. The next, massive smoothbore shells fired in unison from naval fortress cannons swallowed an entire squad of Imperial soldiers, blasting their broken bodies high into the air.
Even Astartes warriors suffered casualties.
"For justice!"
A tall marine wearing a justice cloak adorned with golden tassels on the shoulder epaulets paid with his life. As he sliced through the weak junction between an Astartes warrior's helmet and the neck armor of his power armor, he also pierced through the composite chest plating of another Astartes.
When the enraged Astartes tore him apart, fragments of his broken rapier still glistened with flowing black Armament Haki.
But unfortunately...
Unlike the Navy—whose medical standards ranged wildly, from medieval bloodletting to something barely approaching pre–World War I transfusion capability, aside from rare "black technology" like the Op-Op Fruit and Life Return—the Astartes Legion's medical and logistical systems were extraordinarily advanced.
Regrowing severed limbs was trivial. As long as one was not dead, even a warrior reduced to half a body with their throat slit could be brought back.
Seeing this, an Astartes Apothecary—wielding a chainsword and cutting through marines like a force of nature—rushed over.
As the injured warrior's life-support system within his power pack activated, the Apothecary used battlefield override authority to remove his helmet. The heavy gauntlet shifted with a metallic transformation, a syringe extending outward.
Without hesitation, he injected a dose of Honkai energy targeted bodily restoration serum directly into the wounded warrior's artery. Then he dragged him toward the rear lines.
"Area 63 of the Sabaody Archipelago. Lock onto the enemy fortress cannon battery. Plasma cannon ready. Fire!"
In the sky, aircraft support instantly responded upon detecting the remaining active naval fortress guns.
Whoosh—!
A dazzling purple-red arc tore across the heavens, and a thunderous explosion resounded across the battlefield.
A spiraling, expanding shockwave of purple-red flame surged outward from the fortress cannon's position, crushing and incinerating all life within its blast radius.
When the radiance and shockwave finally faded, the fortress cannon emplacement had become scorched wasteland. Half the reinforced walls had been shaved away. Molten metal flowed across the ground, and even the surrounding soil had crystallized under the extreme heat.
Because Legion Commander Sanguinius had ordered a ban on fleet-grade bombardment and above, weapons such as orbital cannons, void cloud mines, and lance batteries mounted on ships and fortresses were all disabled.
Yet even relying solely on the firepower of small tactical support vessels—multi-barreled bolt vulcan cannons, plasma cannons, radiation cannons, small tactical Honkai fission missiles, rocket pods—the Empire still held overwhelming superiority over 98 percent of this world's human weaponry.
Waving his power greatsword, an Astartes officer of the Blood Angels roared loudly.
"Blood Angels—do not fail Selene's blood!"
The extraordinary bloodline of the Astartes under Selene—Honkai energy—did not originate from their respective Legion Commanders, but from her alone. Thus, the battle cry "do not fail Selene's blood" was entirely fitting.
...
Rattle rattle~
The windows of the bar trembled from the continuous explosions.
"The Summit War ended just two years ago, and the world is only getting more chaotic. Little Monkey and the others... will they be all right?"
"This force even killed a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago. The World Government and the Navy definitely won't let this go."
A young woman with short black hair, wearing a spider-patterned top and holding a lady's cigarette between her lips—well... at least she looked young—exhaled a ring of smoke.
"They don't seem to be pirates. They show no tendency to attack civilians. All their targets are concentrated on the Navy, CP, and other government agencies."
"As for pirates, unless provoked, they don't appear interested in interfering. In terms of attitude... they seem to look down on that sort of people."
It was precisely because the Ninth Astartes Legion, the Blood Angels, did not attack civilians and only struck organized military forces that she remained calm enough to continue tending her bar.
The Sabaody Archipelago consisted of seventy-nine massive mangrove tree islands. Her establishment, named "Shakky's Rip-Off Bar," was located in Area 13.
Areas 1 to 29 were primarily hubs for illegal gray industries such as human trafficking shops, slave auctions, and information exchanges. They were not considered military or scientific targets, so the Imperial Army's war had not caused excessive damage there.
The areas truly ravaged by war were 50 to 69, where the Blood Angels focused their assault.
That was where all of Sabaody's shipyards, coating craftsmen, munitions workshops, naval garrisons, and World Government office entrances were concentrated.
"Judging by their organization and military scale, they resemble the Navy. Could they be the Revolutionary Army? Rayleigh... hey, Rayleigh, are you listening to me?"
Setting down another refilled glass before the silver-haired elderly man with long, wavy hair, the woman looked at him sitting motionless, absorbed in his newspaper, and spoke helplessly.
"Ah, Shakky, I'm listening. The Revolutionary Army? Impossible. I haven't heard of any large-scale operations from them recently. Their size doesn't support launching wars of this scale across the entire first half of the Grand Line."
"With such massive movements—so many of the Four Seas already occupied—the troop deployment must have exceeded a million long ago... I'm old, truly old. The generations change too quickly. We old-timers no longer recognize this era."
Setting down the newspaper, Rayleigh shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. He raised his transparent glass, the rum inside fizzing lightly as the ice cubes clinked against one another. Grinning, he said,
"As for Luffy? His growth over the past two years is visible to the naked eye. Don't underestimate a man's dream to head out to sea in search of freedom."
"Besides, with them drawing the Navy's and the World Government's attention, doesn't that make things more convenient?"
Though he appeared aged and dispirited, this old man was none other than the right hand of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—the man known as the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh.
"Then you're not curious at all about this force that appeared out of nowhere?" Shakky asked.
"Judging by their targets, it should be the Navy and the World Government, right? Occupying territory, maintaining order, establishing effective rule—each and every one of those actions is digging at the very foundation of the World Government."
Hearing her words, Rayleigh slapped the newspaper damp with spilled liquor on the table and burst into laughter.
"The ones who should be anxious are the World Government. Even that fellow Big News Morgans doesn't dare report recklessly. I'm just a retired old man—I have no desire to wade into this muddy water."
"Oh? Really? You know that Little Monkey and the others' Thousand Sunny has already been towed to Area 50 for coating. And the fighting over there..."
As she spoke, Shakky pointed outside the bar. The World Government's black five-pointed cross flag and the Navy's seagull flag had already been lowered in Area 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago. In their place now flew the golden double-headed eagle standard and the banner bearing a drop of blood between outspread white wings.
Imperial Auxilia had replaced the Navy in patrolling and maintaining order.
"If Little Monkey runs into them, are you certain of what will happen?"
"..."
...
As time passed, the Navy's situation grew increasingly dire.
The walls of the naval fortress could no longer be called intact. The artillery platforms, battlements, embrasures, watchtowers, and corner turrets that once lined the ramparts had been blasted full of holes under the relentless thunder of cannon fire.
Ruins stretched everywhere. The blood-soaked air was thick with smoke and dust. Entire sections of batteries and bastions had collapsed, and the main structure of the fortress was riddled with craters and breaches.
"Damn it! What wave is this already? Execute them by the Five Punishments!" Sanguinius ordered irritably.
The source of his irritation was none other than something this world produced in abundance—pirates.
The pirates of this world had completely shattered Sanguinius' understanding of self-awareness. Back when the Empire had not yet unified, even the illiterate mountain bandits on Imperial soil knew better than to provoke the Imperial Guard.
But these pirates? What were they thinking? Their strength was pitifully weak, yet they hid in the shadows with flintlock pistols, attempting to assassinate Lady Arisa—and him?
Were they trying to insult them? Or were they simply that foolish?
He had long since sensed them. Their auras were hardly different from ordinary humans, so he had not bothered with them. And yet, they truly dared to jump out.
From Sanguinius' perspective, he even regarded these pirates as staunch and unyielding—heroes among enemies, sacrificing themselves for their cause.
If Selene knew what he was thinking at this moment, she would surely be amused.
In the so-called Great Age of Pirates—no, rather, in this world as a whole—aside from a small minority of elites, most people truly lacked wit.
Most pirates were illiterate, generally dim-witted, reckless brutes driven by muscle more than mind. Many could not even comprehend the disparity in power between the two sides.
If pirates who tried to ambush an Admiral like Kizaru with a mere flintlock pistol in hopes of gaining fame could exist, then a few who saw Arisa's delicate appearance and thought to kidnap her for ransom seemed entirely plausible.
As for how they planned to escape afterward? Heh. Apologies—but they likely had not thought that far ahead. A few gulps of cheap liquor, heads heated with alcohol, and they rushed into action. Perfectly normal.
Under Sanguinius' command, ferocious Astartes warriors surged forward. Hundreds of pirates—tall or short, fat or thin—wailed in despair as they were subjected to the Five Punishments.
First their noses and ears were cut off. Then their limbs were severed. They were beaten to death with power hammers. After that, they were beheaded and their heads hung up for display. Finally, their bodies were minced into pulp before the public.
Such horrific deaths deeply shocked the residents of the Sabaody Archipelago who had been forced to witness the spectacle.
"Let this be the fate of any who dare repeat it!" the Blood Angels officer overseeing the execution shouted sternly, chainsword in hand.
"Tch... what is this? Their drinks are atrocious."
Standing at the docks, Arisa flung the bottle in her hand far away and kicked open a freshly unsealed crate of alcohol, her face twisted in discomfort.
"It's like someone pried your mouth open and kept pouring a mixture of syrup and alcohol down your throat. It makes your whole body feel awful, as if countless slimy tentacles are scraping against your esophagus. It's unbearably coarse going down."
"Her Majesty is right. Food and drink from outside should not be consumed!"
Curiosity had nearly done Arisa in.
Accustomed to tasting tributes from countless worlds alongside Selene and feasting on delicacies prepared by the imperial head chef Susanoo, Arisa's palate was exceptionally refined.
She had merely imitated Selene's fondness for fine food—and indulged her curiosity. The result was misery.
"Hm? Sanguinius, look at him. His body seems to have been modified."
Suddenly, Arisa noticed something interesting.
Moored at the dock was a wooden sailing ship painted red and brown, its prow shaped like a lion's head. On deck, a heavily modified cyborg was performing a bizarre dance.
"The modification technology on him is intriguing. The energy source appears to rely on beverages?" A red gleam flashed through Arisa's eyes as interest sparked within her.
"There are cannon ports on that ship. It's not a merchant vessel. Pirates, perhaps... Men! Tow that sailing ship over here. Don't let that cyborg escape!"
"Yes!"
The Sisters of Battle at Arisa's side immediately complied. Their jump packs ignited, orange flames bursting outward as they soared into the sky toward the Thousand Sunny.
"Commoner, surrender at once. You and your ship have been requisitioned!"
Whoosh!
At that very moment, accompanied by a fist stretching forward unnaturally, a bright and straightforward voice rang out.
"Absolutely not!! The Sunny is our family—our partner! I'm going to become the Pirate King! I will never abandon my companions!"
Arisa was momentarily stunned by such a grand declaration. Her mind seemed to stall as she blinked in disbelief.
"Pirate... King?"
What a... distinctive ambition.