"What the hell is going on here!?"
The sea had finally returned to calm.
At the bow of a Marine warship, Zephyr and Aokiji stood side by side. Under the watchful eyes of both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, they led the entire Marine fleet as it slowly withdrew from the waters.
Behind the two of them stood a coffin of solid ice, personally forged by Aokiji himself.
Inside the coffin, Akainu, who had fallen in this battle, lay peacefully.
The body that had once been cut apart by Zoro had somehow been completely restored through unknown means.
Unfortunately, death could not be reversed.
With so many eyes bearing witness, the death of Marine Fleet Admiral Akainu was like sealing an already disgraced Marine reputation behind an even thicker wall.
In the short term, the Marines would have almost no chance of regaining the trust of the world's people—let alone implementing the global conscription plan that had yet to even begin.
Facing Zephyr's questioning gaze, Aokiji's expression shifted slightly. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh.
"Teacher Zeffa… in the more than half a year you were missing, far too many things happened."
"I don't even know where to begin."
"Now Sakazuki is dead, Borsalino is missing just like you were before, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has retired, and there's no way Vice Admiral Garp would ever take over this mess…"
"When we return to Marine Headquarters, I hope you'll support my work."
"Even if…"
"You personally witnessed my dealings with pirates."
Aokiji turned his gaze, meeting Zephyr's eyes directly with an earnest look.
The two stared at each other for a long time.
In the end, Zephyr spoke first.
"So… the world has really become something I no longer recognize."
He sighed softly, lifted his metal flask, and took a sip before reassuring Aokiji.
"Don't worry. Out of the three of you, you were always the one I had the highest expectations for."
"And besides, I may be old, but I'm not blind."
"To be escorted off like this by two Yonko crews… even if my intelligence dropped to Garp's level, I could tell the Marines are in serious trouble right now."
"I know what the right decision is."
"Then… thank you, Teacher Zeffa!"
Aokiji bowed deeply.
Immediately afterward, without the slightest attempt at concealment, he took out a Den Den Mushi that Red had given him and dialed a number.
Naturally, the call had nothing to do with the Straw Hat Pirates.
After three near-silent rings, the Den Den Mushi suddenly closed its eyes, its face shifting into a dignified, square-jawed expression.
"Is this… Marine Admiral Kuzan speaking?"
The moment the call connected, the other side spoke first, not even giving Aokiji a chance to ask.
Aokiji hesitated briefly, then nodded.
"That's right. It's me."
"And you are—"
"Sir Issho?"
"Yes." The Den Den Mushi nodded calmly. "Lord Red has already explained the situation to me."
"I truly didn't expect things to develop this far."
"Lord Red and the others are quite good at creating miracles."
"…Perhaps." Unsure of what else to say, Aokiji responded vaguely.
Sensing Aokiji's awkward mood, Issho didn't press further. He simply left behind one final statement:
"Once Lord Kuzan becomes Fleet Admiral, I am willing to assume the position of Marine Admiral."
With that promise, the call ended.
On the boundless sea, dozens of Marine warships—no longer bearing their former ferocity—quietly disappeared beyond the horizon.
…
…
At the same time.
Far away, in the depths of outer space…
The Five Elders, lacking any experience in extraterrestrial combat, finally regrouped by sensing one another's presence.
At this moment, despite clearly possessing the ability to return to the Blue Planet, they remained suspended in the vast cosmos, frowning as they gazed down at the blue world below.
"What should we do… Nika's power seems to exceed our expectations."
"And it's not just Nika. With Whitebeard and Kaido guarding that place, even if all of us worked together, we wouldn't be their match."
"So… do we report this to Lord Im!?"
"And Akainu's death—although Lord Im wouldn't care about a mere Marine Fleet Admiral… his death will absolutely have a massive negative impact on the World Government's rule."
"..."
"..."
In the silence of space, the Five Elders exchanged words and swiftly reached a final decision.
Even if it risked angering Lord Im, they were truly out of options when faced with the strange powers Luffy had displayed.
Soon, the other four Elders turned their gaze toward the commander of this operation—Saint Saturn.
Though extremely unwilling, the unbearable pain coursing through his body left him no choice. Gritting his teeth, Saint Saturn cautiously reached out in his mind to contact Lord Im.
In an instant, a voice that made all Five Elders tense to their very souls echoed within their minds.
"You're telling me…"
"That you were sent into outer space by Joy Boy!?"
"T-this…"
Saint Saturn's expression stiffened in embarrassment. In the end, he could only respond carefully in his thoughts.
"Lord Im, that brat is merely a pirate who ate the Nika Fruit. His strength isn't truly frightening—it just exceeded our expectations somewhat."
"And for reasons unknown, they somehow got the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates to act as accomplices, jointly protecting Totto Land, intercepting our forces before they could even reach Whole Cake Island."
"So…""You still couldn't deal with Joy Boy?"
Far away in Mary Geoise, Im clearly had no patience for Saint Saturn's excuses, focusing solely on the fact that Joy Boy was still alive.
Gulp.
Under Im's questioning, the remaining Elders swallowed silently.
Though they usually stood high above the world, viewing all beneath them as insects…
Before Im, they couldn't even choose a dignified death like ordinary people.
Fortunately, the divine wrath they feared did not descend.
Whether it was because three Yonko had appeared simultaneously—or because Luffy's actions were completely beyond Im's expectations…
In the end, after a long silence, Im issued an order: the other four Elders were to return to the Holy Land, while Saint Saturn alone would go to Totto Land.
This time, Im wanted to personally see the "mere brat" known as Joy Boy.
As four pitch-black magic circles appeared, the other four Elders were instantly teleported back to Holy Land · Mary Geoise.
Left alone, Saint Saturn hovered in the vast, endless cosmos, recalling the cold tone in Lord Im's voice when the order had been given…
Even after living for centuries, a chill ran down his spine.
Still, long years in power prevented him from dwelling on it.
Being sent alone to observe Joy Boy as Im's eyes… was hardly an impossible task.
While the Five Elders together weren't a match for three Yonko in battle…
Their immortal bodies meant they had little to truly fear.
With a thought, black flames surged from Saint Saturn's body, completely engulfing him as he shot toward the Blue Planet below like a falling meteor.
Though he lacked Red's flexible psychic powers, Saint Saturn—adept at mental warfare—could still precisely locate his target.
BOOM!!!
After a violent sonic explosion, the silent cosmos returned to stillness.
As if it had always been this empty, this lifeless.
…
…
Meanwhile, in Totto Land.
With the Marines gone, these waters once again became a domain belonging solely to pirates.
However, an awkward tension now lingered in the air.
And its source was, of course, the Beasts Pirates.
They had originally come to attack Totto Land, only to be forcibly dragged aboard Red's "pirate ship" and into a head-on clash with the entire Marine force.
Who would have thought…
Before the battle even ended, they realized that the Straw Hat Pirates—whom they had considered easy prey—were actually a monstrous crocodile lurking beneath the surface.
Sanji, who fought Aokiji evenly.Zoro, who killed Akainu.Red, who toyed with the Five Elders.And the most mysterious of all—Luffy, who sent all five Elders into outer space.
The power displayed by these four alone far exceeded the expectations of the Beasts Pirates' upper ranks.
Not to mention Usopp, who had effortlessly subdued all non-officer members of the Beasts Pirates during the skirmish.
Even the seemingly harmless little reindeer had revealed strength capable of clashing head-on with Jack.
As for the remaining Straw Hat members who hadn't even participated… who knew what kind of monsters they might be hiding.
Thus, with both the Five Elders and the Marines gone, Kaido and his crew were left in an awkward position.
They couldn't celebrate victory alongside the Straw Hats like the Whitebeard Pirates did—yet they were unwilling to simply leave in silence.
For a moment, even Kaido, usually so imposing, wore a conflicted expression.
Fortunately, Red didn't let the awkwardness linger.
After arranging the Whitebeard Pirates' stationing in Totto Land, Red crossed a Hyperspace Hole and arrived directly aboard the Beasts Pirates' flagship.
No matter what, Kaido had contributed in this battle.
Without Kaido's interference, it would've been impossible to so easily send five immortal Elders into outer space.
Thus, Red was generous—he directly gave Kaido two bottles of Super Potion to treat his injuries.
He also granted the Beasts Pirates the same level of hospitality as the Whitebeard Pirates, allowing them to temporarily anchor in Totto Land to repair their ships and tend to the wounded.
By the time everything settled, dusk had fallen.
After a long, exhausting day, the Straw Hat crew made no further plans.
And so, after a great battle…
A long-lost tranquility descended once more upon Totto Land.
Meanwhile, former members of the Big Mom Pirates—who had learned of the Marine invasion—heard of the day's results from both the Whitebeard and Beasts Pirates. Their conviction in joining the Straw Hat Pirates only grew stronger.
The night passed without incident.
On Whole Cake Island, when everyone had fallen into deep, silent sleep—
Red suddenly opened his eyes!
In an instant, faint rustling sounds came from every room aboard the Going Merry.
When Red opened his door, he saw Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and Usopp stepping out as well.
"It's the Five Elder from earlier today!"
Usopp spoke bluntly, his surveillance insects already spread across the island.
Anyone awake at this hour had clearly sensed the sudden presence on Whole Cake Island.
Usopp added:
"It's Saint Saturn—the one who can transform into the Mythical Zoan · Ushi-Oni!"
"So he really is persistent~"
Clang!
Zoro drew his blade, cold steel flashing in the night.
He turned to Red.
"What do we do, Red?"
"Should we wake Luffy and meet him head-on?"
Even after killing the Marine Fleet Admiral, Zoro didn't dare underestimate the Five Elders' power.
After all, they possessed immortality—even Red had struggled against that.
They couldn't afford complacency.
"Don't rush."
Compared to his companions' tension, Red remained calm.
He closed his eyes, and faint Aura spread toward the source of the presence.
Moments later, he opened them again.
"Only Saint Saturn. The other Elders have likely returned to Holy Land · Mary Geoise."
"Judging by his behavior, he might not be here to fight."
"But we can't let our guard down. Using him as a coordinate, the other Elders could appear on Whole Cake Island at any moment."
"Usopp, wake Luffy."
"We'll go meet this old monster…"
"I was planning to let them float in space for a few more days. Didn't expect him to come knocking himself."
"This suggests the World Government definitely knows something about what lies beyond the planet—otherwise, landing this precisely in Totto Land wouldn't be easy."
Under the night sky, Red muttered softly, making his decision in an instant.
With Kaido and Whitebeard both in Totto Land, and Whole Cake Island already evacuated due to Pokémon-ization renovations, there was little to lose even if a fight broke out.
(End of Chapter)