"Celestial Dragon… dead… dead!?"
"Gulp—"
In the deathly silent world, no one knew who swallowed first. It was like a frog startled awake in a summer pond—one croak followed by countless echoes.
Moments later, the entire world erupted into chaos.
"They… they really killed a Celestial Dragon!?"
"It's over, it's over!!! The sky of the world is collapsing!!!"
"Oh God, please—let this world remain peaceful!"
"I knew it! I knew it!!! Celestial Dragons were never gods! If only I'd been braver back then, my sister wouldn't have—"
"Wahahahaha! As expected of an officer of a Yonko crew—stealing the spotlight completely! Men, today's the day we make a name for ourselves! Hurry up and find where the Celestial Dragons are hiding!"
"Uh… boss, shouldn't we wait and see? What if Fire Fist Ace dies tomorrow?!"
"Wait—does this mean the Whitebeard Pirates have declared war on the World Government?!"
"..."
"..."
As the Celestial Dragon's corpse crashed heavily onto the ground, the world—like a still lake struck by a massive boulder—instantly boiled over.
…
…
"Declare war?!"
"Gurarararara~!"
"So what if it is a declaration of war!?"
Watching the broadcast—hosted by Ace—slowly come to an end, Whitebeard burst into hearty, unrestrained laughter.
It was the loudest laugh he'd let out in a long time.
With a sudden sweep of his massive arm, his presence surged skyward.
"Children—trust Ace's judgment!"
"We won't go over there and make things messy."
"All hands—change course!"
"Set sail for Marineford!!!"
At this moment, hatred burned fiercely in Whitebeard's eyes.
Since the Marines had shown no mercy and sought his death, he had no reason to hold back either.
With most of the Navy's forces deployed to Sky Island, Marine Headquarters was left dangerously exposed.
This was the perfect opportunity for retaliation.
The death of a Celestial Dragon wouldn't change the world's balance, nor would it reduce the military strength of the World Government or the Navy—but it was like an appetizer, a fuse.
It shattered the Celestial Dragons' image of divine inviolability, igniting a chain reaction of world-shaking events.
And so, in future records and headlines, this day would be forever known as—
The Beginning of the New Era.
…
…
Of course.
Neither the Blue Sea nor the future mattered to Sky Island at this moment.
With Kizaru's arrival—and his objective already achieved—Ace hastily ended the broadcast that had shaken the world.
Though it felt somewhat anticlimactic, it did nothing to lessen the shock it delivered.
"Is it already over?"
A beam of golden light flashed.
Kizaru appeared above the execution platform as if he'd teleported.
Looking down at the bleeding corpse of the Celestial Dragon, his wrinkled face remained calm—only his eyes flickered with an unreadable glint.
"This is getting troublesome~"
Kizaru shook his head lightly, then shifted his gaze to Ace and the Straw Hats disguised as members of Akatsuki.
"At this point, it seems the only way to silence those gentlemen… is to bring back your corpses."
"So the big one finally shows up!?"
Zoro flicked his blade, shaking off the foul blood. Beneath his mask, his lips curled upward.
Marine Admiral Kizaru · Borsalino—the Light-Light Fruit user.
A man who could turn his body into light itself, possessing speed even more terrifying than Enel's.
Long ago, Red had compiled detailed intelligence on the Marines and distributed it to the Straw Hats.
Aside from Luffy—who had used the documents to fold paper airplanes—everyone else now knew far more about the Navy than most pirate crews ever would.
So when Kizaru appeared, they weren't particularly shocked.
Because in Red's analysis, the Marine most likely to be dispatched was—
Admiral Kizaru.
Clang!
Without hesitation, Zoro assumed his Three Sword Style stance, blades pointed skyward.
"Three Sword Style—Flying Dragon Blaze!!!"
BOOM!!!ROOOAR—!
A faint dragon's roar echoed through the void.
In the next instant, blazing flames coalesced into the form of a massive fire dragon, surging toward Kizaru with a deafening howl.
The dragon's speed was astonishing—it seemed to swallow Kizaru whole in an instant.
But Zoro, no longer the man once cornered by Mihawk's tiny blade, frowned sharply and shifted his gaze to another patch of sky.
"Fast!"
"I didn't even see when he dodged!"
The fiery dragon tore through the clouds before slowly dissipating.
"Yoo~ yoo~ yoo~"
"Attacking without even saying hello… how terrifying~"
Kizaru hovered high above, speaking in his trademark lazy tone.
At that moment, a Hyperspace Hole opened behind him.
Sanji—already in Flame Knight Mode—stepped through space itself, appearing instantly at Kizaru's back.
"Take this, Marine!"
"Diable Jambe—Collier STRIKE!!!"
BOOOOM!!!
Searing flames engulfed Kizaru once more, dyeing the sky crimson.
An attack of this magnitude could seriously injure even a pirate worth hundreds of millions.
Yet in the next instant—
Sanji's kick passed straight through Kizaru's body, as though striking empty air, and his momentum carried him crashing downward.
"How is that possible!?"
Sanji slammed into the ground beside the execution platform, blasting a massive, charred crater into the stone.
He sprang back up immediately, lips pressed tight beneath his mask.
He wasn't an idiot.
He had infused that kick with plenty of Armament Haki.
Yet it still passed through Kizaru's body.
Which meant—
Kizaru had already detected the attack and prepared for elemental dispersion in advance.
"This enemy… isn't ordinary."
Step.
Zoro landed beside Sanji. The two exchanged a glance through their masks and nodded in perfect sync.
Their auras flared as they launched themselves skyward from opposite sides.
People said Zoro understood Luffy best, and Sanji understood Zoro best.
But in this world—because of Red's presence—Zoro had been relieved of many burdens.
And with countless intense sparring sessions between Zoro and Sanji…
Their combat coordination now surpassed any duo in the Straw Hat Pirates.
Above them, Kizaru remained unhurried.
Instead of unleashing his full power, he summoned a blade of condensed photons—
Ama no Murakumo Sword—
and clashed with the two head-on.
As he casually batted them back, he clicked his tongue.
"How strange~"
"When did such powerful fighters appear in the Grand Line?"
"I've never heard of you two in Marine intelligence."
"Heh—there's a lot you haven't heard of."
Zoro grinned, blades never slowing.
Even knowing Kizaru was toying with them, he wouldn't miss a chance to fight a powerhouse.
Meanwhile—
On the ground, Red held Luffy down beside Ace and Issho.
"Red, let go of me! I want to help Zoro!"
Watching the battle above, Luffy's body ignited with flame-like Armament Haki, battle intent surging.
Red pressed his palm firmly on Luffy's head.
"Not yet. You'll have plenty of chances to fight strong opponents."
He looked toward the White Sea.
On the horizon, a black dot was rapidly growing larger.
"Issho—was that the warship you sensed earlier?"
"Yes."
With his powerful Observation Haki, Issho had already relayed everything within dozens of kilometers to Red—
including the enemy's combat strength.
Though even Issho couldn't precisely gauge individual power levels…
The Marines and Cipher Pol agents aboard that ship had all witnessed the assassination.
They never imagined Ace would handle the execution so casually.
Half a month had passed since the Celestial Dragon vanished.
A full week since the World Economy News Paper began its hype.
Yet from start to finish, the entire broadcast—
less than half an hour.
Then why make such a spectacle!?
Why not just kill him and publish the news!?
Even knowing Ace's intentions, the whole affair felt surreal.
All their suffering—meaningless.
The clown… was themselves.
Now, all they could do was capture everyone involved and restore the World Government's authority with their heads.
Too bad—
That hope was doomed to fail.
…
…
"Issho—your task is to assist Zoro and Sanji in holding off Admiral Kizaru."
"Luffy, I'll assign you a masked opponent."
"Remember—nothing else matters. Your goal today is to defeat him."
"Robin, Chopper—you'll help me stall the Vice Admirals. No problem, right?"
"No problem~" Robin smiled, eyes curving like crescent moons.
Chopper gulped nervously. "I—I'll do my best!"
"Good!"
Red patted Chopper's head, then turned to Ace.
"Ace—Issho observed two particularly strong Cipher Pol agents aboard that ship."
"You'll need to hold them back."
"Leave it to me!"
Ace flicked his fingers, flames lifting his orange hood as his freckled face broke into an easy grin.
After everything he'd been through with the Straw Hats, he'd changed immensely.
Whitebeard's crisis was over.
Now—he could finally go all out.
Finally, Red looked at Nami—who'd been waiting—and the visibly panicked Usopp.
"Nami. Usopp."
"Everyone else aside…"
"All remaining enemies are yours."
"A-ALL of them!?" Usopp's eyes bulged.
He'd expected responsibility—but not this much!
"W-wait, Red! Isn't that too many!?"
"Why not send some away through Hyperspace Hole first!?"
In truth, Red could instantly drop anyone below Vice Admiral level off Sky Island.
A ten-thousand-meter free fall would ruin their day.
But how could an elite Trainer like Red pass up such a perfect large-scale combat training opportunity!?
Smack!
Red clapped Usopp's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Usopp!"
"You're not that kid from Syrup Village who needed ages to aim at a target a kilometer away!"
"You may not realize it—but in my eyes, you're already a fine warrior of the sea!"
"Courage is your weapon!"
"Skill is your shield!"
"Believe in yourself—you can do this!"
"You've already paid the price along this journey… haven't you?"
Red truly believed it.
Usopp's growth wasn't a joke.
Days without sleep, nurturing Pokémon eggs.
Endless nights tending plants.
Even Zoro and Sanji no longer underestimated his strength.
The Straw Hat Pirates had no cowards.
So—
Red turned to Nami, who raised her hands in surrender.
"OK, OK—no need to manipulate me…"
"It's just a few hundred Marines…"
"I'll take it."
(End of Chapter)