Clifford Kingdom, Royal Capital Nakor.
"Yawwn..."
Having just returned from Alvis Island, Aeridar yawned as he stepped into his bedroom, ready to call it a night.
Knock, knock, knock—!
Suddenly, a frantic pounding erupted at the door.
"What could it be at this hour?" Aeridar muttered, his sleepiness instantly vanishing. He walked over and swung the door open.
Creeeak—
Mina stood there, her face grim. "Captain," she said solemnly, "Firs Island has been destroyed!"
"Nani?!" Aeridar's eyes widened. "Get in here. Tell me everything."
Mina nodded, and the two sat down on the sofa.
"The Neo Marines' target really is the three endpoints," Mina began. "They overran the Marine base, seized the Dyna Stones, and now the entire base, along with Firs Island, has sunk into the sea!"
"So the old man actually went through with it," Aeridar said, a cold, murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Our moles within the Navy report that Headquarters dispatched Admiral Kizaru as reinforcement. He fought a massive battle against Zephyr, who stayed behind to cover the retreat, but he couldn't stop them," Mina said, shaking her head.
"Borsalino was Zephyr's student. Aside from the physical toll on his body, that 'Yellow Monkey' hasn't quite reached the level where the student surpasses the master," Aeridar remarked dismissively.
After all, "Black Arm" Zephyr was a former Admiral, the World Government's ultimate combat power. Even if his opponent was his own former pupil, he wouldn't be stopped easily. In the original timeline, Zephyr's Observation Haki, while perhaps not at the level of seeing the future, was still peak-tier, allowing him to easily predict Borsalino's movements. If the "Yellow Monkey" hadn't been a Logia user, the Dyna Stone explosion would have done him in.
"The Marines lost two Giant Vice Admirals, several Rear Admirals and Commodores, and over four thousand personnel. No survivors. The losses are catastrophic," Mina said softly. "Right now, where Firs Island used to be, a pillar of magma is erupting into the sky."
"The whole island sank into a magma vent; of course there are no survivors. With losses this heavy, the World Government and the Marines will be livid." Aeridar shook his head. "Knowing Sakazuki's temper, he won't forgive even his own Sensei for a crime like this."
"Since the Neo Marines abandoned their base, it means they plan to finish their objective before the Navy can regroup. They're playing for time," Mina continued. "Based on the locations of the endpoints, their next target should be Secon Island."
"Mobilizing troops takes time for the Navy. Even if they have forces on Secon Island to pursue the Neo Marines, they can only buy time at best," Aeridar said firmly. "We need to intercept them at Secon Island ourselves!"
Bam!
The door was pushed open, and Gilbert Arlan strode in.
"Let me go too!" Arlan sat down next to Aeridar, leaning back lazily on the sofa. "Oliver can handle things here in Nakor. Ever since Enel took that loss from Kizaru, he's been brooding in seclusion on the Sky Island and hasn't come down yet. Besides, Dyna Stone explosions can't hurt me, and I've been wanting to go out for a stroll anyway. How about it?"
Aeridar glanced at Arlan. He knew he couldn't hide this from him. Since Arlan had been stuck at home for the past few years, he might as well take him along for some fresh air.
"Fine, you're in. You'll lead Oliver's 1st Division. I'll also take Dimitri, Smythe Betilla, and Enrod's White Mane Pirates," Aeridar listed the names.
Arlan thought for a moment. "Take Caribou and his brother Coribou along with their crew too. Have Gin take thirty Strike Team warriors to keep an eye on them. The Chris Pirates don't keep freeloaders."
"The Logia rookie... fine. It's settled!" Aeridar agreed after a moment's thought.
…
The next morning.
Unzan Port.
The massive Black Wolf flagship, the Chris, slowly descended from the sky, landing in a berth specifically cleared for it.
"Hurry, get the supplies on board!"
"Careful! Don't break those water barrels!"
"Get these crates of cannonballs up there!"
Hundreds of pirates, who had been waiting at the port, began loading supplies onto the ship as the gangplank lowered.
"Backan, thanks for the hard work," Arlan said, using Geppo to leap down from the ship and landing in front of Diego Backan.
Aeridar, Dimitri, and Betilla leaned over the railing, waving to Backan. Because the mobilization was so rushed, the Chris was low on essential supplies, so they had flown to Unzan Port to stock up.
"It's nothing," Backan said with a laugh. "I didn't expect the first mate to deploy. Good luck at Secon Island."
"Leave it to us!" Arlan smoothed his hair back, full of confidence.
Soon, the supplies were loaded. Arlan waved to Backan and jumped back onto the ship.
"Set sail!" Aeridar shouted, waving his hand. Suddenly, the massive hull shuddered and began to float upward, defying gravity.
WHIIIIIRRR—!
Suddenly, a strange, high-pitched whistling sound came from the sky, like a massive weight was falling.
"What is that?"
Everyone looked up to see a streak of fire plummeting through the atmosphere.
"A meteor?"
"No way!"
In an instant, the object became clear. A meteor roughly ten meters in diameter, wreathed in high-temperature flames from atmospheric friction, was hurtling straight toward the sea in front of the Chris.
BOOOOOM—!
The flaming meteor slammed into the ocean with a deafening roar. Water erupted, kicking up a tsunami dozens of meters high accompanied by scalding white steam.
Just then, from the other side of the port, a Marine warship, only slightly smaller than the Chris, appeared, hovering just dozens of meters above the water as it slowly drifted toward them.
"The Navy... is it that guy?" Aeridar's pupils contracted as he realized the source.
"Wait, wait... you've gotta be kidding me?"
"Since when can Marine warships fly? Is it technology? Or a Devil Fruit power?"
"How is this possible... there should only be one Float-Float Fruit!"
The Chris Pirates were stunned, unable to believe their eyes. Since when had flying ships become so common?