Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1509.
Somewhere in a remote stretch of the Grand Line—
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Driven by the explosive force of burning gunpowder, three cannonballs screamed across the sea and smashed into the last remaining pirate ship of the Viper Pirates, blowing it apart in a storm of splintered wood and fire.
After a brutal battle, the Navy had finally claimed victory.
But the price had been heavy.
As the commander of this operation, Vice Admiral Onigumo wore a grim expression. He stood in silence, staring at the bloodstained sea, unease lingering between his brows.
"Vice Admiral Onigumo, the Viper Pirates have been defeated."
Colonel Jacks stepped forward and dragged a half-dead man before him.
The man's name was Grinno, a native of Cassia in the West Blue and captain of the Viper Pirates, with a bounty of 150 million Berries.
By sheer chance, Grinno had obtained a Devil Fruit. But before he could return safely, the Navy intercepted him. His crew had been crushed, his fleet shattered, and even the Devil Fruit had been seized.
"Onigumo…"
Blood trickled from the corner of Grinno's mouth as he glared up with a twisted, savage expression.
"My only regret… is that I didn't eat that Devil Fruit sooner. Just one step more… and I would've crushed all of you. Damn it… I'm not reconciled to this!"
"There are no 'what ifs' in this world."
Onigumo's face remained as cold as iron. He had no interest in wasting words on a defeated pirate.
"Grinno, I'm sure the Jailer Beasts in Impel Down will give you a very warm welcome."
At Onigumo's order, several marines stepped forward at once and hauled Grinno away.
"It's finally over. Report to Headquarters."
Onigumo pulled a Den Den Mushi from inside his coat.
Buruburu… Buruburu…
"How did it go over there?" Sengoku's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"The mission is complete. We also secured a Devil Fruit along the way. We'll be returning to Headquarters immediately." A victorious smile finally tugged at the corner of Onigumo's mouth.
"Well done," Sengoku praised.
But just then, a marine came running over in a panic.
"Vice Admiral Onigumo, this is bad! A mysterious man suddenly appeared on the deck!"
Even through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku could clearly hear the fear in the soldier's voice.
A mysterious intruder… who had appeared out of nowhere?
Had the mission taken another turn at the very last moment?
"What?"
Onigumo's brows locked together. He immediately strode toward the far end of the deck—
And there, just as reported, stood a young man.
The youth named Ren Kuro had clean, short black hair and pale skin. His handsome face still carried the vigor of youth, yet those ink-dark eyes held a sharp intelligence far beyond his years.
He wasn't especially bulky, but his body was lean and perfectly toned. Even the smallest movement of his arms and legs carried the suggestion of explosive power.
The reason Ren Kuro had appeared here was simple—
It was all because of the Gotei Thirteen System.
Through the system's detection ability, he could sense the presence of nearby Devil Fruits.
"Just as I thought. There really is a Devil Fruit here." Ren Kuro's smile widened as his gaze settled on the chest behind Vice Admiral Onigumo. "Looks like I can summon a captain of the Gotei Thirteen after all."
The Gotei Thirteen System, true to its name, allowed him to summon captains from Soul Society's Gotei Thirteen by consuming a certain amount of energy.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Aizen.
Unohana Retsu.
Kuchiki Byakuya.
Kenpachi Zaraki.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō…
As long as he had enough energy, Ren Kuro could continuously summon each of those terrifyingly powerful captains.
He could even inherit the abilities of their Zanpakutō.
And if he wanted energy?
He had to consume enough Devil Fruits.
Every summon required ten Devil Fruits.
Fortunately, thanks to a beginner's reward, Ren Kuro had received one free unlock.
That was why he had been able to appear on this warship without anyone noticing.
During this time, he had already inherited the power of a captain-level Shinigami.
"Who exactly are you?" Onigumo stared at Ren Kuro with naked caution. "And how did you get on this ship without anyone noticing?"
"Vice Admiral Onigumo, you really are careful." Ren Kuro chuckled softly.
He knew plenty about this man.
As one of the Navy's hardliners, Onigumo had always been ruthless and merciless.
"As for my reason…" Ren Kuro lifted a hand and pointed toward the chest in the distance. "It's simple. I'm here to take that Devil Fruit."
"What?!"
Onigumo's expression darkened instantly, killing intent surging in his eyes.
He had served in the Navy for many years—
And never once had he met anyone arrogant enough to board a warship and openly declare they were here to steal a Devil Fruit.
Ren Kuro's actions were nothing less than a blatant provocation against justice itself.
"And honestly, you'd better hand it over." Ren Kuro slowly drew the Zanpakutō at his waist, sounding almost as if he were offering kind advice. "I really don't want to burn this warship."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi—
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Steal the Devil Fruit? Burn the warship?"
The moment he heard those two phrases, an ominous feeling rose in Sengoku's chest.
An incident like this—someone trying to seize a Devil Fruit aboard a Navy warship—had never happened before.
And yet, for some reason, his eyelids twitched violently, and even his heartbeat sped up.
"Who the hell is that mysterious man?"
Sengoku slowly set down the document in his hand, his expression turning colder by the second. He had never expected the mission to go wrong at the final moment.
"What, something happened on Onigumo's side?"
From the sofa nearby came Garp's voice.
"Someone's trying to steal the Devil Fruit," Sengoku replied with a nod.
"Don't worry too much about it." Garp casually stuffed a rice cracker into his mouth. "There aren't many people in the world who can take something from Onigumo by force. Relax. Want some senbei?"
It was a rare display of generosity.
Too bad he seemed to have forgotten that the bag of senbei had been swiped from Sengoku's office in the first place.
"Maybe I was overthinking it…"
Just as Sengoku began to breathe a little easier, an ancient, solemn chant suddenly came through the Den Den Mushi from the other side.
"All things in creation, turn to ashes… Ryūjin Jakka!"
That was—
The release command of the strongest fire-type Zanpakutō.