...
"Hey, hey, hey, Roger, what the heck is that ONE PIECE thing?!"
Big Mom's distinctive voice tore through the heavy air as she snapped out of her brief daze.
However, what shocked her even more than Whitebeard's fall was that dying declaration echoing over the ruins—ONE PIECE!
In the flashback scenes, the blurry conversation between Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger while they drank was not clear to her, and many of the deeper meanings were hard to grasp immediately.
But when she keenly caught sight of Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face suddenly turning ashen and his jaw tightening upon hearing those words, an absolutely certain thought exploded in her mind.
This so-called ONE PIECE was definitely not some ordinary gold, silver, or treasure!
Something that could make the Marines' supreme commander so wary had to be an existence capable of shaking the very foundations of the world…
It wasn't just Big Mom—other powerhouses wore looks of curiosity as well. None of them had heard of ONE PIECE before.
"Even if you guys say that, I'm completely clueless right now too—this is footage from the future!"
Under countless gazes—some probing, some burning, some scrutinizing—Roger spread his hands, his face filled with genuine helplessness.
He grinned, trying to use his usual cheerfulness to break the overly heavy atmosphere, but a faint, hard-to-detect solemnity flashed deep in his eyes.
He looked around at those familiar old rivals and old friends, his voice carrying a touch of emotion: "Look at this setup—I want to know too!
But between the era we're standing in now and the future shown in that screen lies a vast river of decades! What I know now isn't necessarily much more than what you guys do."
Roger's words rippled through the air but didn't fully dispel the clouds of doubt and longing among the powerhouses.
The screen remained suspended quietly. That legend about the final sea, and the magically charged word "ONE PIECE," had already become like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake.
It stirred up layer upon layer of unstoppable waves in the hearts of all the witnesses!
[Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, aged 72 at the time of his death!]
On the massive screen, these cold, final words rang like the tolling of a death knell in every viewer's heart.
A legend who had dominated the seas for decades came to an end here.
The screen faithfully and cruelly displayed the aftermath of the Marineford battlefield.
[The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, having lost their towering pillar, were now experiencing a retreat filled with blood and tears.]
[Once marching proudly into Marine Headquarters, they could now only bear the stain of irremovable defeat and bone-deep grief as they fled toward the coastline…]
Tears mixed with gunpowder smoke and blood slid down the faces of these pirates.
They didn't even bother wiping them away—they just ran with all their might, desperate to preserve the path to life that their old man had traded his life for.
"Pursue them! Don't let a single pirate escape!"
The Marines' morale surged. Officers roared commands as the cannons continued thundering.
Justice-symbolizing cannonballs rained down like a storm, chasing the retreating pirates and exploding amid the crowd, sending up more severed limbs and cries of agony.
The scales of victory had tilted completely. The Marines intended to bury the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates forever on this battlefield they dominated.
Amid the chaos, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach stood atop the ruins created by Whitebeard's final burst of power.
[He stared at that body, which—even fallen—still emanated an invisible pressure. His mouth uncontrollably split into a grin that ultimately became a silent yet utterly exhilarated smile.]
[That smile carried ambition and the smugness of a scheme succeeding, almost contagious. The vicious criminals he had brought from Level 6 of Impel Down behind him also bared cruel, expectant grins!]
The waves of the new era would be stirred up by them!
However, battlefields are never short on surprises.
Not long after Whitebeard drew his last breath, from within the cliff walls torn up by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power and thrust skyward, a hand covered in dark red magma desperately gripped the rock edge!
Sakazuki!
This Navy Admiral, renowned for absolute justice, had not yet fallen into the sea!
He had endured Whitebeard's furious direct attack head-on. Relying on astonishing willpower and masterful control of his body's elementalization, he clung tightly to the cliff wall, avoiding the fall.
He panted, magma-like scorching blood—or rather, magma itself—surging through his body.
Seizing a moment when his strength recovered, he roared, his other arm fully elementalizing into a ferocious punch that slammed viciously into the cliff before him!
Boom!
The magma's high temperature and explosive force instantly melted the rock, carving out a temporary passage radiating scorching heat!
Sakazuki's figure burst out from it, carrying unrelenting murderous intent as he returned to the battlefield!
[The Marines began pursuing the fleeing pirates, but at that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to Teach's actions. Both sides froze in place once again!]
The screen's perspective cleverly shifted, directing all eyes toward Blackbeard and his crew.
They swiftly produced a massive black cloth and deftly draped it over Whitebeard's body, forming a temporary, ominous curtain.
"Zehahaha!! The show's about to begin!"
Teach spread his arms wide as if embracing the entire era, his tone overflowing with excitement and thrill.
The twisted, sinister smile on his face sent an inexplicable chill through the hearts of the distant Marines and pirates who noticed the scene.
[His pirate subordinates covered Whitebeard's body with the black cloth, then Teach walked in with an evil grin.]
Once Blackbeard's plump figure vanished behind the black cloth, his core crew—Laffitte, Burgess, Van Augur, Doc Q, and the newly joined Shiryu…
They immediately formed a vigilant perimeter around it.
Their expressions varied, but all carried an unyielding determination not to be disturbed, guarding this moment that was about to "enter the history books."
Shiryu slowly exhaled a ring of cigar smoke, the white haze swirling around his cold, stern face.
He glanced at his variously posed "companions" and the black cloth blocking the view behind him, speaking in a flat tone.
As casually as if discussing dinner: "If this fails, do we disband?"
The question was like a small stone dropped into a seemingly calm lake, creating faint ripples.
Burgess grinned, seemingly filled with blind faith in the captain's plan. Van Augur adjusted his hat, expression hidden…
Doc Q lay limply on Stronger, coughing nonstop, looking as if he were naturally indifferent to life and death.
"Probably…"
Laffitte twirled his cane, his sharp mouth curving into an elusive arc.
He glanced at the slightly swaying black cloth. Though his words expressed uncertainty, deep in his eyes burned near-fanatical trust in Teach.
[He believed that man could create miracles—no, create an epic of "evil"!]
While this eerie ritual proceeded, the battle in the bay did not cease.
Many pirates had already broken through the Marines' blockade, successfully boarding the remaining pirate ships and preparing to set sail to escape this hell.
However, an extreme cold instantly swept across the entire bay!
"Oh my, you guys aren't getting away~"
Kuzan, the other Navy Admiral, finally acted again.
[He released terrifying freezing air from both hands, spreading rapidly across the sea surface. In the blink of an eye, the once surging Marineford harbor—and the vast sea beyond—was completely transformed into an unbreakable ice field!!]
The pirate ships that had just set sail were frozen solid in an instant, their escape route utterly severed!
And at that moment, an even more terrifying killing intent followed.
Sakazuki emerged like a demon returning from hell!
Using the magma passage to travel underground, he appeared precisely in front of Jinbe, who was escorting the unconscious Luffy to safety!
His target was crystal clear: the currently comatose Straw Hat kid, Luffy!
"Hand over the Straw Hat kid…!"
Sakazuki's roar carried magma's searing heat as his lethal attack mercilessly bombarded Jinbe, who was desperately protecting Luffy.
The desperate situation had only just begun.
Beneath the screen, all observers held their breath.
Whitebeard's death was not the end, but the beginning of even greater chaos.
Blackbeard's bizarre actions, Sakazuki's relentless pursuit, Kuzan's ice-sealed escape route…
The outcome of Marineford remained shrouded in thick "mist" and blood-colored unknowns.
"Jinbe, hurry and go! Leave Sakazuki to us—we have to protect his little brother in Ace's place…"
Several pirates rushed over from afar to provide support. Though terrified of the Marines' top combat power before them, they and Ace were family!
A family member's little brother was their little brother too. Fear was suppressed by rage as the pirates charged at Sakazuki with swords, guns, and clubs.
"Death Wink!"
[At that moment, Ivankov arrived with lightning speed from nearby to provide support. The two unleashed a combo attack that blasted Sakazuki's magma body into pieces.]
Ivankov glanced back at Luffy in Jinbe's arms, eyes full of worry and heartache…
Ever since Impel Down, Luffy had been getting injured nonstop, and now his spirit had collapsed again. If Luffy couldn't make it through this, he might really die on the spot!
"If Luffy dies, I'll never be able to face Dragon for the rest of my life!"
[Ivankov gazed deeply at Luffy, even cracking a joke at that moment. As a Revolutionary Army cadre, he absolutely would not allow Dragon's bloodline to perish here!]
…
"Kuma, Ginny, the future me looks so cool! And we actually became part of the Revolutionary Army—this is way too awesome!"
At that time, in the safe zone of God Valley island.
Ivankov, having escaped from the treasure vault, looked up at the screen in the sky, a grin spreading across his face as stars shone in his eyes at his future self.
That move just now had blasted a Navy Admiral apart—such power left little Ivankov utterly envious…
"Ivan, earlier my hand…"
Kuma didn't respond to Ivankov right away. He stared blankly at his palm, where soft paw pads had appeared, feeling incredibly soft to the touch…
"Oh my! Kuma, that's your ability! I don't know what Devil Fruit this is, but we owe our escape to it!"
Seeing Kuma's dazed look, Ivankov began explaining Devil Fruits to him: every fruit houses a devil inside.
Eating a Devil Fruit grants superhuman powers, but they come cursed by the sea, turning the user into a hammer who can't swim…
When facing Big Mom's attack earlier, Kuma had desperately activated his fruit's power in the heat of the moment, pawing both himself and Ivankov to this place.
Hearing Ivankov's words, Kuma gently clenched his palm, feeling his own strength. At that moment, his father's words flashed through his mind…
"The Sun God Nika will save us. He will use those hands of liberation…"
His father's words seemed to echo in his ears. Kuma lowered his head to look at his palm, then his gaze gradually grew resolute.
Though he still believed in Nika deep down, right now Kuma had to do something—he must do something to be worthy of this power!
Thinking this, Kuma swallowed hard and gently patted the palm toward a nearby injured slave.
With a crisp sound, the slave vanished instantly. At the same time, on the other side of the sea, that slave was transferred to a hospital!
Kuma had sent him to a place where he could be treated. Though startled by the sudden appearance, the doctors still provided care upon seeing his injuries.
In no time, the slave awoke. Miraculously, after passing through the screen, he lost all memories of God Valley.
As if erased, he only remembered getting injured, then following Ivankov, Kuma, and Ginny—nothing else…
...
[The legendary savior king begins to make his move. However, there is a price—as long as one leaves God Valley, all memories are completely deleted!]