The port of the Holy Land, Mariejois, bustled ceaselessly.
As a Marine Headquarters fleet, Longinus and the others did not need to pass below the Red Line through Fish-Man Island to enter the New World.
Everything proceeded smoothly—almost disappointingly so.
Longinus had half-expected a few Celestial Dragons to cause trouble.
But none appeared.
"Is it because the Gorosei reined them in…
or because they simply don't care about movements on this scale?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"First time in the New World?"
The steady, powerful voice came from behind.
Longinus looked back.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
"Then take a good look," Sakazuki said.
"This sea is a paradise for the strong… and a graveyard for the weak.
A breeding ground of evil that has spawned more pirates than anywhere else."
"You hope Headquarters will shift its focus to the New World?" Longinus asked.
He remembered—after becoming Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki would later move Marine Headquarters into the New World to show absolute resolve.
"Although the Four Seas and Paradise produce countless pirates," Sakazuki said firmly,
"the New World is the banner that draws them.
If we cannot purge the New World, true justice can never be realized."
"Ohhhh my, still as scary as ever after all these years, Sakazuki."
A lazy, slightly sleazy voice drifted over.
"You wouldn't know," Sakazuki replied without even turning his head,
"since you've avoided the New World for two years—
Borsalino."
"I've been supplying Headquarters with excellent talent from the rear, you know,"
Borsalino said, mouth twisted crookedly in amusement.
"Isn't that right, Lieutenant Commander Longinus?"
"Vice Admiral Borsalino. Long time no see."
Longinus' mind was strong enough to remain composed—
most people would have flinched at the Admiral's bizarre expression.
"To grow this much in a single year…
You're really a terrifying little monster, Lieutenant Commander Longinus."
"That's enough, Borsalino." Sakazuki cut him off brutally.
"Quit the pointless chatter. What do you want?"
"So cold… after all our years as classmates," Borsalino sighed melodramatically.
He dropped into a chair with lazy elegance.
"I just wanted to ask—have we chosen our target for this operation?"
"No need to choose," Sakazuki said bluntly.
"Whoever suffers the greatest losses—
we hit them."
"And if that happens to be Whitebeard?"
"Then it's his bad luck. His voyage ends here."
"Ohhhh~ terrifying resolve," Borsalino murmured, his face "filled" with fake fear.
"But he is the king of the seas. Anger him, and the consequences—"
Sakazuki ignored him completely and looked toward Longinus.
"Since Roger surrendered and Golden Lion was captured,
the Whitebeard Pirates have been the strongest force in the New World.
Below him stand seven pirates vying for the throne."
"BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin.
Beasts Kaidō.
Phantom Cyster.
Three-Headed Wolf Audrich.
Queen Tiffany.
Admiral Refa.
Missionary Claude."
"Of course, though they are listed together,
BIG MOM and Kaidō vastly overshadow the other five.
The five often must join forces just to stand against one of them."
"So while they all hunger for the throne,
none truly has the confidence to challenge Whitebeard or Kaidō head-on."
"The role of the Marines," Sakazuki continued,
"is to give them confidence—
to make them believe Whitebeard and Kaidō are already at the cliff's edge,
and they need only one more push to break them."
"So what we're doing," Longinus said,
"is creating the illusion that the Marines intend to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates.
Make the other pirates think they can seize the opportunity,
draw them into the war,
and once they're all entangled with no turning back…
we withdraw—
and harvest the defeated."
Longinus was now counted among the high-level circle,
so nothing was hidden from him.
"Whether it's an illusion or not depends on circumstances," Sakazuki said coldly.
"If we have the opportunity to wipe them all out,
that would be the greatest gain."
"But those pirates aren't idiots.
Controlling the scale sounds extremely difficult." Longinus observed.
"You don't need to worry about that.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku will handle everything."
New World — The Moby Dick
"Kurararara! Garp's fist is just as tough as ever—
but my naginata isn't exactly gentle either!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily, chugging down a barrel of sake.
This was Whitebeard at his prime—
shining golden hair, no illness, no tubes—
a giant among giants.
"Old man, the Marines seem serious this time,"
said a towering figure almost as large as Whitebeard—Jozu.
"Not just Garp.
Those monster Vice Admirals are fighting as well.
We should prepare."
"A bunch of snot-nosed brats daring to challenge the king of the seas?
Jozu, you give them too much credit!"
Whitebeard scoffed.
Jozu was about to retort when a seemingly ordinary pirate—Marco—lightly slapped his side.
He turned his dead-fish eyes to Whitebeard.
" Pops, I've got some news you'd be interested in."
"Kurarara—Marco, since when did you start dramatic pauses?"
"Impel Down's myth broke again.
After the Golden Lion escaped,
it was breached once more.
This time from inside—
and the one responsible was the Chief Warden himself."
The pirates burst into wild laughter.
"Did I hear wrong?
Impel Down breached twice in such a short time?"
"And this time by their own people?!"
"This is priceless! Hahaha!"
Whitebeard laughed so hard tears nearly fell.
"I'd love to see Sengoku's face when he hears this! Kurararara!"
"And among the escapees…
two familiar names, Pops," Marco added lazily.
"Red Earl Ledfield and the World Destroyer, Bundy Waldo."
"Those two, huh…
Redfield has luck—jailed briefly then escaped.
But Waldo… he's been locked up ten years!"
"Yeah, though he nearly got dragged back—by a Marine Lieutenant Commander."
"A Marine?
Lieutenant Commander?"
Whitebeard broke into fresh laughter.
"Waldo really has grown rusty!"
"Apparently that lieutenant commander is famous, though.
Word is that Marine Headquarters is raising him as the next 'Marine Hero.'"
"Raising?" Whitebeard snorted.
"They don't understand.
Garp didn't become a hero because of the title—
the title exists because of him."
Marco nodded.
"Just like how we try to follow in your footsteps—
but the world will only ever have one Whitebeard."
PS :
Borsalino (Kizaru) — Marine Vice Admiral.
New World — Second half of the Grand Line.
Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) — Emperor-level pirate, at his prime here.
Jozu, Marco — Whitebeard Pirates commanders.
Ledfield (Red Earl) — Legendary pirate.
Bundy Waldo — "World Destroyer," Momo Momo no Mi.
Kaidō, BIG MOM — Emerging Yonko-level pirates this timeline.
Longinus — MC, Marine prodigy.
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