Following the announcement that Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, would be executed, another piece of news spread across the world.
The World Government had also decided to execute Vegapunk.
The moment the news reached the seas, the entire world erupted.
Pirates, Marines, kingdoms, underground organizations, everyone was trying to figure out what the World Government was planning.
Some believed they intended to completely purge the era and erase every unstable factor in one move.
Others thought this was the beginning of the greatest war since Marineford.
Future Island, Baldimore.
Inside a massive mechanical workshop, gears rotated continuously while steam hissed through metal pipes. Snowstorms raged outside the city, yet the buildings remained warm thanks to the island's advanced heating systems.
An old man with a thick white beard stared at the freshly printed newspaper in his hands, his eyes trembling slightly.
"Vegapunk..."
Beside him stood a young boy holding onto a mechanical dog.
The boy blinked in confusion after seeing his grandfather's reaction.
"Grandpa, why do you look so shocked? Do you know this Vegapunk person?"
The old man slowly lowered the newspaper.
"Of course I know him. Vegapunk was born on this island. He's the greatest scientist in the world."
"The greatest scientist?"
The boy tilted his head.
"I thought Franky was the greatest."
The old man nearly choked.
At first, he wanted to say Franky could never compare to Vegapunk, but after thinking about it carefully, he stopped himself.
These days, the Straw Hat Pirates and the Ion Pirates were famous throughout the world. Children naturally admired people they heard about often.
Compared to pirate legends shaking the seas, scientists rarely drew attention.
The old man sighed.
"Vegapunk is the pride of Baldimore. Everything you see on this island exists because of his technology."
He pointed toward the surrounding structures.
"The heating systems, the machinery, the buildings protecting us from the blizzards, all of it was created through Vegapunk's inventions."
The boy's eyes widened instantly.
"So the houses we live in were made because of Vegapunk?"
"Exactly."
"Kakkoii~!"
The boy looked amazed.
"Then who's more incredible, Vegapunk or Franky?"
The old man froze for a moment before his expression turned heavy.
"No matter how brilliant Vegapunk is, he's about to disappear from history."
"Huh?"
The boy looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
The old man looked down at the newspaper again.
"Vegapunk is going to be executed."
The boy's face changed immediately.
"Executed?! Why?! Isn't he supposed to be a genius?"
The old man let out a bitter sigh.
"That's exactly why. The World Government fears the things he researched."
The boy could not understand any of it.
To him, scientists were supposed to help people.
Why would someone so important be killed?
Unfortunately, the old man could not answer that question either.
...
Marineford.
"You really didn't expect Vegapunk to research the Void Century?"
Sengoku spoke while stuffing senbei into his mouth.
Crunch.
Crunch.
"Damn it, Sengoku! Give me back my senbei!"
Garp lunged toward him immediately.
Seeing that, Sengoku hurriedly covered his mouth, though crumbs still fell everywhere.
"You shameless bastard, you keep stealing my snacks!"
Garp grabbed Sengoku by the shoulders and started shaking him violently.
Steam burst from his nostrils as if he were about to explode.
Sengoku kept retreating across the sofa while trying to swallow the remaining senbei before Garp could take them back.
Tsuru sat nearby with an exhausted expression.
She had long since gotten used to these two acting like idiots.
Completely ignoring them, she turned toward Kuzan.
"So, what's the plan now?"
Kuzan sat in the Fleet Admiral's chair while rubbing his forehead.
"We continue according to the plan Rolan made."
Tsuru frowned slightly.
"Only a few people know the truth. The Vice Admirals and lower-ranking Marines still believe they're acting under the World Government's orders."
"What happens if they refuse to cooperate when the fighting starts?"
Her concern was not unreasonable.
No plan ever unfolded perfectly once war began.
Sengoku finally swallowed the last piece of senbei and spoke casually.
"That brat already accounted for that. As long as the Marines don't interfere, Peach Garden will handle the rest."
"AHHHH!"
Garp stared at the empty bag in horror.
"You ate all of it?!"
Kuzan ignored him and continued.
"The real issue isn't the ordinary Marines."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"To avoid alerting the World Government, we still haven't identified all the people they planted inside the Marines."
"If those people make a move during the war, things could get troublesome."
"No matter how detailed the plan is, there will always be variables we can't predict."
The room fell silent.
Even Garp stopped yelling.
After a while, Sengoku finally spoke again.
"Kuzan."
"Don't underestimate the Marines."
"The first thing every Marine learns is obedience."
"When the order is given, most of them will follow it regardless of personal feelings."
Tsuru narrowed her eyes.
Unlike Sengoku, she disliked uncertainty.
She always preferred controlling every possible outcome before making a move.
Unfortunately, there was no turning back anymore.
Their relationship with the World Government had already collapsed beyond repair.
"We prepare for the worst," Tsuru said calmly.
Everyone nodded.
Kuzan then stood up slowly.
"Before the operation begins, gather everyone."
"We'll hold the final meeting."
...
Peach Garden.
Inside the enormous conference hall, nearly every major figure affiliated with Peach Garden had gathered.
The atmosphere was tense, yet excitement filled the room.
At the head of the table sat Rolan.
His expression remained indifferent as he looked over the crowd.
Tesoro crouched on his chair with an excited grin.
"So we're finally going to crush the World Government?"
He had waited for this day for years.
Even in his dreams, he still saw Stella being dragged away by the Celestial Dragons.
That memory had never disappeared.
Rolan glanced at him briefly before shifting his gaze toward the others.
Almost everyone present carried the same anticipation.
Crocodile leaned back while smoking his cigar.
"Heh, I just hope those bastards survive long enough to make things interesting."
A dangerous smile spread across his face.
"I've wanted to kill them for a long time."
Before anyone else could speak, Luffy suddenly jumped onto the conference table.
"Rolan! We're wasting time! Sabo's gonna be executed!"
White steam burst from his nose while he shouted impatiently.
"I'm going to save him!"
"Oi, idiot, sit down already," Ace said while glaring at him.
"This isn't some adventure game."
The people gathered here were monsters who ruled the seas.
Some sat lazily on chairs.
Some leaned against walls.
Others rested directly on the table.
Nobody cared about appearances.
Robin lightly smiled while observing the room.
"If someone had a camera Den Den Mushi right now, this picture would probably become historic."
"There might not be many survivors after the war anyway."
Lina immediately grabbed Robin's arm nervously.
"Robin-neesan, stop saying terrifying things like that..."
Rolan finally spoke.
"There are ten days left."
The noisy conference room instantly quieted down.
"We prepare everything before the execution begins."
"First, the Ion Pirates."
The meeting continued for hours.
Everyone expressed their opinions regarding the upcoming battle.
Even knowing how terrifying the World Government truly was, nobody backed down.
If anything, their fighting spirit only grew stronger.