Spring, Year 1508 of the Sea Circle Calendar
Trabia Island — Frozen Wastelands, New World
Dark clouds blotted out the sky, casting a dim gloom over the land, while heavy snow fell ceaselessly.
For an island considered desolate and uninhabitable, it was immense — roughly three times the size of Dressrosa.
Yet the cold here was bitter, the soil barren, and not a single plant grew upon it.
As Grimm stepped onto the shore and walked toward the island's center, covering about two kilometers, he came across row after row of massive iron cages.
Hundreds of people were crammed inside each cage. Their faces were flushed red from the biting wind; how long they had been waiting in this freezing wasteland, no one knew.
This was the third time such an event had taken place. Normally, Grimm would have immediately taken out his Soul Coffer, summoned Kel'Thuzad, and let the Lich collect the lives waiting here.
But this time, he refrained. The reason was simple: these so‑called "condemned prisoners" looked far too strong and capable.
"Ding! Host has received Main Quest: The Determination of the Marines."
> Quest Description: In order to stabilize the situation in the New World, the World Government has decided to end your life on this island. Prove to the Marines that no matter the odds, the Holy Light cannot be extinguished.
>
> Quest Requirement: Face the absolute strongest forces of the Navy alone.
>
> Quest Reward: Gain a new follower — a Sniper.
>
> Quest Penalty: All Revival Tokens will be reset to zero.
This quest had been issued by the system earlier, the moment Grimm learned from Hyettmine that the Marines were planning to attack him.
Grimm stopped in front of one cage and looked closely at the men inside.
When they noticed his gaze, every single head turned upward, revealing expressions ranging from fear and confusion to disgust and deep‑seated hatred.
Grimm placed his hand on the heavy lock, examined it for a second, then withdrew his hand and spoke calmly to the group behind the bars.
"Couldn't the Marines afford locks of better quality?"
His words sent shockwaves through every man in the cages.
In the next instant, a loud crash echoed as the final cage was smashed open. A figure soared upward, hovering over ten meters in the air.
Drawing strength from the freezing climate, his power multiplied instantly.
"Double‑Pronged Spear!"
Two spears formed entirely of solid ice shot downward, piercing straight through Grimm's body and pinning him hard against the frozen ground.
"Did it work?!"
"As expected of Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
Seeing their officer seemingly defeat the enemy, the "prisoners" inside the cages dropped their act immediately.
They tore off the rough outer garments meant to look like convict rags, revealing crisp Marine uniforms beneath, and cheered loudly.
At that moment, Aokiji descended from the sky and landed atop an iron cage. Rubbing the back of his head, he sighed.
"Idiots… if it were really that easy to defeat him, the Government wouldn't have suffered headaches over him for all these years."
Whoosh…
The moment Kuzan finished speaking, Grimm's body suddenly dissolved into golden light and vanished completely. The soldiers froze in confusion.
Kuzan closed his eyes and focused his senses. Instantly, a blade of ice materialized in his hand. He took one step backward and slashed downward through empty air.
CLANG!
The sharp impact drew everyone's attention.
They turned and looked up — there, standing on top of another cage, Grimm held his massive greatsword, clashing perfectly against Kuzan's ice blade.
"Not bad at all!" Grimm smiled at Kuzan.
Under Grimm's immense strength, the ice blade and the arm holding it were forced backward.
Hearing the praise, Kuzan replied modestly, though clearly unimpressed.
"Save your flattery…"
Suddenly, Grimm lifted his leg and delivered a vicious kick straight into Kuzan's abdomen, sending him flying violently backward into a towering glacier.
BOOM!
Kuzan's body smashed deep into the ice, causing the peak of the glacier to crumble and collapse.
A thick cloud of ice dust rose up, obscuring everyone's view.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan was sent flying in just two moves?!"
"Is… is this the true power of one of the world's greatest pirates?!"
All the Marines had now freed themselves from the cages.
Seeing Kuzan defeated so easily, shock rippled through their ranks.
From deep within the ice, Kuzan's voice rang out clearly. "Everyone… retreat! Now!"
"Holy Storm!"
Countless golden sword energies erupted outward with Grimm at the center, expanding rapidly until they covered nearly the entire island.
Kuzan's warning had come too late. With Grimm's shout, the golden light swept over them.
Under its radiance, these Marines were instantly "purified," turning into piles of ash and vanishing completely — while their souls were simultaneously collected into Kel'Thuzad's Phylactery.
"Well… this is certainly something…"
Kuzan narrowed his eyes. Over two thousand elite soldiers had been wiped out in a single moment.
For the first time in a long while, his expression turned serious.
"Once I get back… I'll have to report to Teacher Zephyr… the new recruits these days… their discipline is terrible."
"That is… assuming you can go back, Kuzan."
Grimm grinned, having just turned over two thousand fresh soldiers into Revival Tokens.
"Ara‑ara… I really got dragged into a terrifying mission, didn't I?"
Kuzan drawled lazily, then pointed toward every direction surrounding Grimm.
"We may not have succeeded instantly… but we certainly achieved our objective."
Grimm's eyes — their pupils now glowing blood‑red — scanned his surroundings.
Countless Marine soldiers had appeared, forming an impenetrable ring around him.
Standing atop a distant glacier, Borsalino — surprisingly not wearing his usual yellow suit, but a grey one — picked at a loose thread on his jacket with his fingers.
"Ooh my… over two thousand people… wiped out instantly How terrifyingly powerful"
Garp stood at the very front of a group of soldiers directly behind Grimm. He punched his fist into his open hand and blew on his knuckles.
"Wahahaha! I bear no personal grudge against you, lad… but I'm afraid this is where it ends. Go ahead… try and escape this old man's Iron Fist if you can!"
"Ah… I see." Grimm smiled faintly. "So that's how it is… Skarr, wasn't it? To be honest… I knew this was coming a long time ago."
Kuzan rubbed the back of his head again.
"I despise such underhanded tactics… but sadly, what else did you expect? You never exactly made friends easily."
Suddenly, Kuzan's expression hardened completely. His body turned into half‑elemental ice, shimmering coldly.
"But now… we absolutely cannot let you leave here. Because we know for certain… you would hunt them all down for revenge. Twelve nations are involved… and we can't let that happen."
"Doesn't matter to me. Conflicts always arise where interests are involved. I almost admire them, actually… daring to oppose the Great Holy Light just for profit."
Grimm raised his greatsword Ashbringer, holding it horizontally before his chest.
"But now… they have given me every reason to kill them all."
"Ooh~ Looks like we have to do this the hard way then!"
Borsalino leaped down from the peak, crossing his hands and forming a delicate pose between his fingers — while blinding golden light began to build up intensely.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
He attacked immediately with his ultimate move. Rings of light appeared before his fingers, firing beams of golden particles that rained down all around Grimm, exploding violently upon impact.
Photon blasts smashed into the ground, shaking the earth with every detonation. As the smoke cleared, Borsalino feigned utter shock.
"How scary~ You managed to dodge… every single one?"
Grimm: "Are you blind…? I haven't moved a single step this entire time!"
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