On the far side of Totto Land, Queen Charlotte Linlin was celebrating her sixty seventh birthday. Representatives from countless powers across the New World had been dispatched to present gifts and offer their congratulations.
Even the Beasts Pirates and the Phoenix Pirates had sent tributes, maintaining the surface harmony of the Three Emperors Alliance.
Yet beneath the festive atmosphere, the Charlotte Family remained on full alert. Big Mom's children continued their patrols across the outer islands, fully aware that Totto Land could never afford true relaxation.
Charlotte Amande, the third daughter of the Charlotte Family, had just finished inspecting one of the outer islands. Everything appeared normal. She was about to report back to her elder brother via den den mushi when her expression suddenly changed.
Two figures were approaching at terrifying speed.
One had a strange, rotating flower blooming on his back, his presence wild and oppressive. The other stood calmly atop a floating board, blind eyes hidden beneath bandages, yet radiating a heavy and restrained aura.
They were the newly appointed Marine Admirals, Aramaki and Fujitora.
"Everyone, be careful!" Amande shouted.
Her warning came too late.
Vines erupted from the ground without warning, moving as if alive. In an instant, they pierced through the bodies of more than a dozen Big Mom Pirates. The vines drained their nutrients mercilessly, leaving behind shriveled corpses that collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Aramaki had arrived first, his speed clearly surpassing Fujitora's.
The surrounding pirates recoiled in shock.
"That's Aramaki, the new Marine Admiral!"
"And the other one is Fujitora. Both of them were promoted through the World Military Draft!"
Aramaki grinned savagely as panic spread through the ranks. "Chahahaha. Looks like my reputation has already reached you."
His eyes gleamed with twisted excitement. "I may hold the title of Marine Admiral, but my achievements are still questioned. Some people think I don't deserve this position."
He spread his arms slightly, his voice filled with cruel amusement. "So offer your lives to me. Let me prove my worth."
He stomped the ground lightly.
In an instant, massive trees burst forth from the earth, spreading outward and encircling the island. Thick vines lashed out in all directions, ensnaring pirates and Homies alike.
"You're not citizens of a World Government member nation," Aramaki continued coldly. "Even if I wipe you all out, it won't be considered a crime."
The vines tightened, greedily draining life force. Dozens of Big Mom Pirates fell within moments. Those still standing were pale with fear, unable to comprehend how the Marines would dare to attack Totto Land on this day.
"Fire!" someone shouted desperately.
Gunfire and cannon shells poured toward Aramaki, blasting holes through his body.
But the attacks were meaningless. As a Logia type Devil Fruit user, Aramaki simply reformed, completely unharmed.
"Answer the den den mushi!" Amande shouted urgently, fury burning in her eyes.
The moment she realized who their enemy was, she made her decision. This was not a fight she could win. Only a Four Emperor could stand against a Marine Admiral.
She turned and fled, intending to preserve her life and warn Totto Land.
"You're not escaping," Aramaki said calmly.
A razor sharp vine shot forward, piercing through Amande's lower back. Her body was lifted into the air as the vine began draining her life force without mercy.
At that moment, the den den mushi rang.
"This is Cake Island. Report your situation."
Amande's body rapidly withered, her strength fading as she was reduced to a lifeless husk. She died without being able to send a single word.
The den den mushi continued to ring.
"Hello? Respond immediately."
A wooden spike pierced the transponder snail, draining its life in the same brutal fashion.
Nearby, Fujitora finally moved.
"It seems I should also demonstrate my abilities," he said quietly.
This was their first battle since becoming Admirals, and their first true test in that position. They needed to show power worthy of their rank.
Fujitora gently drew his sword and swung it upward. A purple gravitational ripple surged into the sky.
Seconds later, a blazing meteor tore through the clouds.
With a thunderous impact, it crashed into the island. The explosion unleashed a violent shockwave that shook the land itself.
When the dust settled, a massive crater hundreds of meters wide scarred the island, swallowing Aramaki's forest entirely.
"Issho, you bastard!" Aramaki shouted angrily as Fujitora descended. "Are you trying to kill me too?"
His carefully cultivated forest had been completely annihilated. The sheer destructive force left him visibly shaken.
Fujitora bowed his head slightly. "My apologies. As I am blind, I could only sense a large concentration of pirates in that location and acted accordingly. Please forgive me."
Aramaki scowled but said nothing further. Fujitora's power was undeniable, especially his meteor technique, which even Aramaki knew better than to challenge recklessly.
At that moment, Marine warships arrived.
Standing at the front were several Shichibukai.
Dracule Mihawk, the world's strongest swordsman. Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress. Bartholomew Kuma, the Tyrant. Buggy the Clown. Cavendish, the White Horse. Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death. And Eustass Kid, the captain of the Kid Pirates.
Law stared toward the smoking ruins of the island, his expression grim. "I didn't expect our first mandatory summons as Shichibukai would be a direct confrontation with the Big Mom Pirates."
Kid snorted, metal clanking around him. "Isn't this perfect? I wanted to crush Big Mom a long time ago. This time, I'll see just how strong this so called weakest Four Emperor really is."
Law clenched his jaw. He had seen Big Mom's true power firsthand. Even after her defeat by Marco, she was far from weak.
He had intended to warn Kid, but it was clear that Kid had no intention of listening.
Nearby, Cavendish smiled to himself. "This war will surely elevate my fame."
Buggy, on the other hand, was inwardly screaming. "This is insane. I just became a Shichibukai and I'm already dragged into a war like this. I want to go home."
The remaining Shichibukai remained silent, but all of them were shaken by what they had witnessed.
Only someone with terrifying strength could be promoted directly to Marine Admiral.
And today, Aramaki and Fujitora had made that fact painfully clear.