Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1522 — Summer.
That summer, the New World burned hotter than ever before.
A tidal wave of history—ignited by the Mother Flame, detonated by the World Government like a carefully primed bomb—crashed forward at unimaginable speed, sweeping away the last fragile embankments that had once separated the two sides.
Dressrosa.
With a single, overwhelming strike in his Fourth Gear, Straw Hat Luffy shattered Donquixote Doflamingo's will—and with it, his rule—bringing true liberation to the kingdom.
At the same time, news spread like wildfire across the seas:
Seven pirate crews, more than five thousand warriors in total, had sworn themselves together in blood and oath.
The Straw Hat Grand Fleet was born.
The title of "hero" for defeating Doflamingo—
And the reality of being a "great evil" capable of shaking the world's balance—
Only made the Straw Hat Pirates shine all the brighter in the eyes of the world.
On the Marine side, Admiral Fujitora (Issho) and Vice Admiral Tsuru arrived together to take over the aftermath.
Doflamingo—bound tightly in Seastone chains like a trussed beast—was escorted onto a warship personally overseen by Sengoku, en route to the great underwater prison, Impel Down.
But as the fleet reached the edge of the Calm Belt…
A massive shadow loomed into view.
The Mammoth, flagship of the Beasts Pirates.
And standing upon it—
"All-Star" Jack the Drought.
Facing a fleet commanded by Sengoku himself—the current Fleet Admiral and Inspector General of the Marines—alongside Admiral Fujitora and Chief of Staff Tsuru…
Jack felt… deeply satisfied.
And so, he delivered his now-infamous line:
"Bring the ship closer."
The battle ended within a minute.
The Mammoth, along with hundreds of elite Beasts Pirates, sank into the depths of the sea.
Jack himself—gravely wounded—plunged into the abyss.
His fate remained unknown.
June 6th, same year — New Marineford.
On the great plaza, one hundred thousand elite Marines stood in perfect formation.
Across the world, countless Den Den Mushi projection screens flickered to life.
Uncountable eyes watched.
On the high platform, Sengoku—draped in the white cloak of Fleet Admiral—looked at the towering figure before him, his expression complicated.
Slowly… he removed the coat from his shoulders.
Holding it with both hands, he extended it forward.
"From this day on…" Sengoku's voice rang out through the broadcast Den Den Mushi, echoing across the plaza and the entire world.
"The position of Fleet Admiral of the Marines shall be assumed by the former Admiral, Supreme Commander of the New World, and Grand Marshal of the New World…"
"Gern Reginald Sigmar."
No grand ceremony.
No drawn-out praise.
Sengoku stepped back, taking his place at the forefront of the generals' ranks.
A silent symbol of transition.
Of the old guard… acknowledging the coming tide.
Gern accepted the cloak—but did not put it on.
Instead, he stepped forward to the edge of the platform.
His gaze swept across the hundred thousand Marines below—
Then lifted to the Den Den Mushi cameras—
And through them… to the entire world.
"Comrades," Gern began, his voice calm yet crystal clear—carrying a faint tremor that resonated deep within the chest, a signature of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"And to all those watching this moment across the seas."
He paused.
The sea wind roared, whipping the white cloak in his hand.
"Until today, the Marines have been the strongest military force under the World Government."
"A shield and sword that upheld the privileges of the Celestial Dragons."
"Enforcers of the Heavenly Tribute."
"Silent accomplices… to countless injustices and crimes."
His words struck like icicles—
Piercing the ears of every Marine present—
Tearing through the fragile facade the World Government had so desperately maintained.
Silence fell over the plaza.
Only the sound of heavy breathing remained.
"But today—!!"
Gern's voice suddenly surged, like thunder breaking across the sky.
"I—Gern Reginald Sigmar—declare in the name of the Fleet Admiral—!"
"From this moment onward, the Marines will sever all subordinate ties with the World Government!"
"—!!!"
Even though rumors had already spread, even though many had braced themselves—
When those words were spoken, publicly, officially, by the Fleet Admiral himself—
Eyes widened.
Breaths stopped.
Across the world, cries of shock, ecstasy, fear, and confusion erupted, threatening to tear apart the very roofs above.
Gern did not give them time to process.
His voice continued, relentless—each word like a hammer strike.
"From this day forward, any nation or island under Marine protection shall pay all taxes—only to the Marines!"
"The so-called Heavenly Tribute? A parasite that feeds on the marrow of the people! From this day on, within Marine jurisdiction—it is abolished!"
"Any action or command issued by the World Government that is not recognized by the Marines—any order that violates basic justice and common interest—shall be deemed invalid!"
"The Marines have both the right—and the duty—to resist, intervene, and if necessary, stop such actions by force!"
"We will assume full responsibility for maintaining order across all seas—from the Four Blues to the New World!"
"Counter-terrorism! Suppression of crime! Protection of shipping routes!"
"Our justice will no longer serve privilege!"
"It will serve the law of the sea—the order of the world—and every individual who wishes to live in peace beneath it!"
With that—
Gern raised his hand sharply, pointing toward the sky—
Toward the unseen Red Line.
"Where our warships sail—that is where order shall reach!"
"Where our justice stands—that is where light shall shine!"
"The Marines… from this day forward—"
"Are independent!"
BOOM—!!!
With Gern's ascension to Fleet Admiral—and his declaration of independence—
The world itself was split clean in two.
The chain reaction began immediately.
The first to crumble—
Was the already fragile system of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Without the World Government's endorsement or legal plundering rights, this twisted institution collapsed at astonishing speed.
Amazon Lily was the first to respond.
Pirate Empress Boa Hancock initially sought to resist with force—
But under the sudden clarity and political decisiveness of Elder Nyon, and with coordination from Torritoma—
The Kuja Pirates were officially disbanded.
Amazon Lily reverted to a sovereign nation.
And without hesitation, they submitted a treaty of alliance and taxation to the newly independent Marines—gaining formal recognition.
The island sealed its borders.
Watching the tides of the era from afar.
Elsewhere…
Buggy the Clown—of "Buggy's Delivery"—after a brief period of panic, found himself once again blessed by the sea's absurd favor.
First, he reached an agreement with Sir Crocodile, who had come knocking to collect debts.
Then—by sheer "coincidence"—he attracted the attention of a legendary pirate seeking a new "point of observation"…
The "Lone Red"—Baron Omatsuri… no—
Redfield.
Thus, in the New World, on Karai Bari Island—
Building upon Buggy's vast intelligence network and immense liquid capital—
A gray organization was born:
Cross Guild.
An entity that accepted all forms of contracts—
Mercenary work.
Bodyguard services.
Information trade.
And Buggy…
Still wearing that ridiculous red nose—
Sat, bewildered yet secure, upon the throne of Guild Leader—
Backed by two true monsters.
His fortune… nothing short of absurd.
Yet what truly made the world understand the iron will of the new Fleet Admiral—
Was what came next.
Seven days after the declaration—
Gern signed an official decree.
The abolition of all judicial immunity and political privilege held by the "World Nobles"—the Celestial Dragons.
The moment the order was issued—
Elite Marine forces, already deployed across Sabaody Archipelago and key maritime nodes—
Moved simultaneously.
Twelve Celestial Dragons—who had descended to the "lower world" to indulge themselves—
Were arrested in full view of the public.
Nine of them attempted to resist—
Invoking their identity as "descendants of the creators," threatening and even attacking Marines—
They were executed on the spot by Enel.
The execution was recorded via Den Den Mushi—
And deliberately leaked.
Mary Geoise erupted in fury.
But after that fury…
Came silence.
For an entire month—
Not a single Celestial Dragon dared to step beyond the Red Line.
Within Pangaea Castle, undercurrents surged.
Emergency meetings of the Five Elders became constant.
The God's Knights mobilized frequently.
And yet—
Faced with a Marine force that had completely severed ties—
And had just demonstrated overwhelming military might—
The World Government…
Hesitated.
At the same time, a political avalanche began.
Across the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line—
More than sixty percent of nations—both affiliated and unaffiliated with the World Government—
After brief hesitation and fierce internal struggle—
Sent envoys.
Secretly.
Or openly.
All converging on New Marineford.
Tax agreements.
Military alliances.
Supply contracts.
They piled endlessly upon the desk of the Marines' new Chief of Staff—
Tesoro.
Money.
Resources.
Manpower.
Intelligence.
This colossal war machine—the independent Marines—
Under Gern's cold command—
Did not collapse after breaking from the World Government.
Instead—
It expanded.
Greedily.
Efficiently.
Absorbing the nutrients released from the crumbling old order.
Growing stronger.
More stable.
More unstoppable.
Early July — New Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Gern stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside—the naval port bustled with relentless activity.
Behind him, spread across his desk—
Was the latest map of the world.
Marked in different colors:
Marine-controlled zones.
Neutral or uncertain territories.
World Government loyalist regions.
And…
Several areas marked in blood-red.
Wano Country—still sealed behind its towering waterfalls.
Onigashima—the Beasts Pirates' flag still flew.
Jack's defeat seemed to have changed nothing.
Totto Land—Big Mom Pirates unusually quiet.
Hachinosu—Blackbeard Pirates… silent.
And at the very top—
The Red Line.
Mary Geoise.
"Fleet Admiral Gern."
The door opened.
Tesoro stepped in.
"The first batch of commanders for the reorganized New World G-series bases has been finalized. Please review them."
Gern didn't turn.
"…Mm."
A quiet acknowledgment.
Outside, the tides of the world surged.
The Year the Seas Split—
Had officially begun.
...
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