Sea Circle Calendar Year 1485 (56 years ago) [Official History: Sea Circle Calendar Year 1541]
A magnificent warship flying the flag of the World Government was speeding along the high-speed current from Enies Lobby toward Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
From Marineford, it would then head to Red Port beneath the Red Line.
In the bottom hold of this warship, individual cells held fifty to sixty burly prisoners.
The numb faces of these prisoners were filled with ash and despair, their dull eyes having long lost any light.
Their countries had been destroyed.
They had been reduced to prisoners of war and slaves.
Most despairing of all, they had been selected by the enemy nation's generals to be sent as slaves to the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The very thought of becoming a slave to the Celestial Dragons filled them with even greater despair; it was a fate more terrifying than death itself!
Outside these cells, there was a separate iron cage.
Inside the iron cage was a severely wounded young man, bound head to toe with steel chains, his hands and feet cuffed with Seastone handcuffs and shackles, and an explosive collar encircled around his neck.
'I was doing just fine, finally settling into this world...'
'How did a war of annihilation come so suddenly...'
''Grandpa... Grandma, I'm sorry, I couldn't save you...'
The young man's body trembled involuntarily from the intense pain, his face a ghastly mask of bloody scratches.
On his bloodied and battered face, his lips were pale and cracked, his breathing weak. On his forehead was an extremely faint, deep blue crescent moon-shaped mark.
He had clearly endured inhuman torture.
Clang!
The door to the hold's prison was thrown open.
Several agents dressed in black suits walked in.
"We'll be at Marineford soon. Give him some water; we can't let that guy die."
"This is the special prisoner personally demanded by Saint Saturn."
"Who would have thought that even with Seastone handcuffs on, this guy could still use his Devil Fruit ability? It completely defies the laws of the world. No wonder the Five Elders specifically requested him."
Behind their sunglasses, the eyes of the few CP agents were filled with gravity and coldness.
"Hmph, we can't let him die, but we also can't let him regain his strength. Otherwise, this bastard will attack us and try to escape again!"
A CP agent, his chest wrapped in white bandages, had an icy-cold expression.
The slashing wounds on his body were inflicted by this very young man wearing Seastone handcuffs and shackles.
Initially, none of them quite believed the warnings and boasts of the Cang Kingdom's king.
After all, how could a Devil Fruit user possibly activate their ability while wearing Seastone cuffs?
It wasn't until during transport, when they discovered this young man secretly attempting to escape, and he severely wounded an agent with a deep blue slashing attack during the ensuing fight, that all the CP agents began to take this extraordinary prisoner extremely seriously.
Everything was used on this restless, special individual: adding more steel chains for restraint, beatings, starvation, injections of weakening agents...
All to prevent any further incidents during transport.
They had to remember that besides these slaves and this special young man, this ship was also carrying this year's Heavenly Tribute from the Cang Kingdom.
If anything happened to this Heavenly Tribute warship, all of them, these CP agents, would be buried with it.
The World Government's Reverie had just ended not long ago, and the Cang Kingdom immediately launched a war and delivered this year's Heavenly Tribute. They truly deserved their reputation as the "Kingdom of War" in the Grand Line.
....
This Heavenly Tribute warship had departed from the Cang Kingdom in Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line.
The CP agents' vigilance gradually waned after they passed through the Gate of Justice at Enies Lobby and entered the high-speed current.
This unique triangular current connected the World Government's three major institutions: Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marine Headquarters.
It was also very close to the Sabaody Archipelago.
They found it hard to believe any pirate would be audacious enough to intrude into the very heart of World Government territory.
Wait, actually...
Just the other day, a monster had infiltrated the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, during the Reverie and even killed a Marine Admiral.
However, that villain had vanished somewhere after a full-scale manhunt by Marine Headquarters.
He was probably long gone from Paradise, having fled to one of the Four Blues or the New World.
There was no way he would still be lurking in these core waters.
Yet, they failed to realize one thing: the more one thinks something won't happen, the more likely an accident is to occur.
No one anticipated that a monster like Rocks would truly not have left these central waters yet.
A small boat forcibly navigated through the maelstrom surrounding the triangular high-speed current, entered the current itself, and rapidly approached the Heavenly Tribute warship.
The CP agents on board immediately went on alert.
When they fully recognized the domineering figure on that small boat, they were all stunned, their faces instantly contorted with terror!
It was the very worst criminal who had caused such chaos at the Reverie!
Rocks, the man who could even take down a Marine Admiral!
"Vohahahaha! Looks like the development funds and the pirate ship I need have both arrived!"
Rocks eyed the magnificent Heavenly Tribute warship greedily and launched his attack without hesitation, propelling himself forward with a single powerful leap.
...
Earlier, during the Reverie, Rocks had kidnapped five kings in Mary Geoise, cut down a Marine Admiral, and eventually, deep within Pangea Castle, encountered the "King of the World."
The terrifying aura of that monster had filled Rocks with dread.
He stood absolutely no chance. After uttering a few defiant words, he decisively fled the Holy Land.
During his escape, he encountered an incredibly powerful giant.
The two clashed fiercely.
He remembered that giant's name: Harald!
Harald had actually leaped from the ten-thousand-meter-high Red Line directly into the sea on the New World side.
This astonished Rocks even more. What formidable physical strength!
Rocks himself had escaped back to the Paradise side of the Grand Line by swiftly descending the ropes of the Bubble Elevator.
After consecutive fierce battles on the Holy Land with a Marine Admiral and Harald...
Upon escaping down to the Red Port, he was immediately pursued and cornered by the Marine Fleet Admiral, other Admirals, and Vice Admirals...
After a grueling fight, Rocks finally escaped by diving into the sea and fleeing the area.
He surfaced near the Lulusia Kingdom, a member state of the World Government close to the Red Line, and lay low in Harbor, recovering from his injuries and exhaustion.
During his stay in Harbor, Rocks happened to meet a hot-tempered pirate thief girl.
He was surprised to learn this little girl was also a member of Clan D. She even helped cover for him for a few days without reporting him.
But when Rocks left, he didn't bid farewell to this flat-chested girl; he slipped away from Shadow Harbor under the cover of night.
He had to prepare for his grand plans for the future.
He had been staking out these waters for several days.
This Heavenly Tribute warship was a perfect fit!
Now he had ample funds and an excellent vessel secured.
....
"It's the worst criminal, Rocks!!"
"Send a distress signal to Marine Headquarters immediately!"
The CP agents on the Heavenly Tribute warship screamed in panic.
No one expected Rocks to attack them right under the nose of Marine Headquarters.
This was absolute lawlessness!
It was a direct provocation to the Marine Headquarters and the World Government.
But under Rocks's terrifying Haki and cannonball-like slashing attacks, the CP agents on deck were all blasted into the sea in an instant.
"Vohahahaha! Get lost, all of you! This is my prize!"
Rocks quickly eliminated the agents, knowing full well that being this close to Marine Headquarters meant he had to depart swiftly.
But damn, this was exhilarating!
Having dared to storm Mary Geoise, why would he fear Marineford?
The CP agents who rushed out from the hold's prison met the same fate, instantly slain by Rocks.
After swiftly clearing the ship of Marines and CP agents, Rocks deftly took control of the Heavenly Tribute warship, continuing its frantic rush along the high-speed current.
As he passed the Gate of Justice near Marine Headquarters, he let out a roar of unbridled, maniacal laughter.
That was his style, bold, audacious, utterly arrogant!
The triangular high-speed current in these waters connected the three great World Government institutions: Marine Headquarters, Enies Lobby, and Impel Down.
The direction of the current was irreversible.
Each of the three institutions had a massive Gate of Justice.
If a ship failed to exit the high-speed current through one of these gates, it would be trapped, endlessly circling within the triangular current.
Rocks steered the Heavenly Tribute warship past the Gate of Justice at Marine Headquarters, continuing towards Enies Lobby.
After the warship was seized, the World Government and Marine Headquarters were greatly shocked and mobilized swiftly.
This lawless Rocks had struck right on their doorstep; he was practically asking for death!
They were determined to completely annihilate Rocks within the triangular high-speed current.
For Rocks, this reckless fool, to choose to strike right by Marine Headquarters and then flee via the World Government's specialized high-speed current, this would surely be the biggest regret of his life.
Because there was absolutely no way he could escape the high-speed current!
However, no one could have predicted that Rocks's strength was so immense and terrifying!
Before the main Marine force could catch up, he single-handedly blasted open the Gate of Justice at Enies Lobby, knocked out the CP agents and garrison stationed there, and vanished without a trace into the vast sea.
Once again, Rocks shocked the world!!
He had not only stolen the Celestial Dragons' Heavenly Tribute!
He had also shattered the Gate of Justice, considered impregnable for centuries!
Rocks's terrifying power and his utterly lawless, arrogant personality instantly elevated his threat level to the highest possible in the eyes of the World Government.
And deep within the bottom hold of the Heavenly Tribute warship, amidst the thunderous roars of Rocks's successive bursts of Conqueror's Haki and his cannon-like sword techniques, the light in the young man's eyes grew increasingly intense with longing and fervor...