Only one day had passed since the war ended.
But the New World was already falling apart.
The territories of Kaido and Charlotte Linlin had turned into battlefields.
Both Emperors were heavily injured.
They had won the war.
But their victory became their weakness.
Hundreds of pirate ships began sailing toward their territories.
Every captain thought the same thing:
"If I defeat a wounded Emperor… I will become the next Yonko."
They attacked in waves.
One crew was destroyed — and minutes later, another arrived.
Even though Kaido and Linlin crushed their enemies, they began losing men.
Commanders were falling.
Forces were thinning.
Control was weakening.
But the worst part was not their losses.
Chaos Among Civilians
The pirates quickly realized that the Marines had also suffered during the war.
And so they grew bold.
They began:
— raiding kingdoms
— burning islands
— killing innocent civilians
The New World sank into chaos.
In the New World, only Aokiji remained, along with several Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals.
But they were not enough.
When they saved one island, two others were already under attack.
Some pirate captains were strong enough to rival Vice Admirals.
The Marines kept winning their battles.
But with every victory, they lost more men.
On the deck of one warship, Aokiji stood silently, staring at the burning horizon.
Half of the sea was frozen solid.
Among the massive ice formations were pirate ships trapped in place.
For the first time in a long while, he felt pressure.
This situation reminded him of the Ohara incident.
He once believed he would never feel that weight again.
Not the cold of battle.
But the burden of responsibility.
In his hand was a Den Den Mushi.
"Aokiji speaking… Sengoku-san, I apologize. The situation is becoming more dangerous. We are starting to lose too many men. I do not think I can hold this alone much longer."
From the other side came the tired voice of
Sengoku.
"You're doing well, Aokiji. Just do everything you can. Reinforcements will be sent soon."
A Decision in Mary Geoise
In the Holy Land, Five Elders had gathered.
They realized they had made a mistake.
They underestimated the consequences of the war.
The world was slipping out of control.
A decision was made. The World Government would increase funding for the Marines.
And they would deploy the Seven Warlords of the Sea
to the New World to restore order.
However, the response was unexpected.
When the order was sent, only one man arrived immediately.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Fufufu… I was simply bored."
Only after receiving a direct warning from the Five Elders did two more finally join the operation.
— Mihawk
— Jinbe
But
Gecko Moria,
Crocodile,
and Boa Hancock completely ignored the summons.
The Five Elders were furious. Yet they could do nothing.
If they publicly punished the Warlords, the world would see division within the Government.
Their authority would suffer.
But deep inside, they made a silent promise:
One day, every one of them would pay.
Marineford
At Marineford,
soldiers prepared more ships for deployment.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku worked tirelessly despite his exhaustion.
Beside him stood Tsuru, assisting with strategy and assignments. They were discussing reinforcements for Aokiji when the door opened. In walked Akainu, still wrapped in bandages.
"Sakazuki… what are you doing here? You should be resting," Sengoku said sternly.
Akainu placed a thick file on the desk.
"Fleet Admiral. I have urgent news. Rear Admiral Yamakaji from North Blue contacted me. Pirates and mafia organizations have formed an alliance against the Marines."
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk began to move.
"Mushi-Mushi. This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"Forgive the disturbance, sir. This is Rear Admiral Yamakaji from North Blue. Several pirate crews and mafia groups set up an ambush to assassinate one of our officers. We intervened, and it escalated into a full battle."
Sengoku listened silently.
"We achieved victory… but our losses were heavy. However, there was one young Marine who demonstrated extraordinary ability during the conflict—"
"That will be enough, Yamakaji. I will handle the rest," Akainu interrupted.
"Yes, Admiral. Understood."
The line went dead.
Silence filled the office.
Sengoku and Tsuru remained still.
The New World was burning.
Now even North Blue was destabilizing.
Akainu spoke calmly.
"The Marine he mentioned… is my student."
He looked directly at Sengoku.
"And I believe that in the future… he may become an Admiral."