At the same time...
On the blood-red cliffs, the towering Red Line rose like a blade into the sky.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Blue-roofed, white-walled buildings lined the immaculate streets. Vegetation, artificial hills, fountains, and sculpted gardens surrounded grand and ancient structures nestled on flower-covered hills, like something out of a dream.
This was the realm of the gods—the sacred and noble sanctuary where the Celestial Dragons resided.
Suddenly, a terrified scream shattered the peace of the gods' domain.
"This... how is this possible!?"
Inside a lavishly adorned hall, an official responsible for overseeing the daily lives of the World Nobles collapsed to the floor in shock. His face turned pale as he trembled uncontrollably.
His cry quickly drew the attention of nearby officials.
When they rushed into the main hall, they were stunned speechless. Their eyes locked on a Vivre Card slowly burning into ash. Breath caught in their throats. Their minds went blank.
"Saint Xildes-sama…"
"That's Saint Xildes-sama's Vivre Card..."
"According to the latest intel, wasn't he just in the North Blue, having recently boarded the return voyage?"
"This... how could this happen..."
The officials on duty exchanged panicked glances. Their throats tightened, each unconsciously swallowing hard, their mouths dry as sand.
Saint Xildes, a Celestial Dragon... was dead.
"Quick! Report to the Five Elders immediately!"
The leading official jolted to his senses. Clenching his teeth, he forced his weak legs to stand and shouted with all his strength.
The news spread like wildfire.
Panic swept through Mary Geoise. CP agents in suits darted through the streets like shadows. Holy Land guards galloped down pristine roads, startling civilians into hiding.
Officials turned fearfully toward the Celestial Stairway, their hearts pounding.
A Celestial Dragon—sacred and supreme—was dead.
This was the first time since the God Valley Incident eight years ago that a "god" had fallen in these seas.
...
North Blue, somewhere on the open sea.
The sky churned with darkness. Black clouds roiled like the crumbling walls of a fortress, threatening to collapse at any moment.
A torrential downpour drenched the world, and the warship pitched violently on the raging waves, as if tossed again and again by some invisible giant.
Boom!
A barrage of cannon fire erupted from the ship's gunports. Muzzles flashed one after another, the barrels glowing red from heat.
Explosions lit up the distant sea, sending towering pillars of water skyward as shells thundered into the ocean.
"Byrnndi World! You won't escape!"
On the warship's bow, Sengoku—wearing black-rimmed glasses and a tightly braided black beard—planted one foot forward and roared toward the pirate ship in the heart of the bombardment.
Rain poured down in sheets, bouncing off the deck and shrouding the warship in mist.
Marines worked swiftly amid the storm, reloading the heavy cannons. Each blast sent a tremor through the vessel.
"Barorororo!! Sengoku, you're a long way from being able to catch me!"
On the pirate ship, a towering figure stood confidently at the bow, arms crossed, grinning with savage delight.
He wore a blood-red captain's coat and a horned helmet. His gray-green beard quivered with his laughter, radiating a deep and overwhelming presence.
The "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World!
Captain of the World Pirates. Bounty: 200 million Belly!
A legendary pirate, a man who stood shoulder to shoulder with Whitebeard and Roger!
Explosions burst around his ship, sending waves and smoke into the air.
But Byrnndi World paid them no mind. His eyes locked onto the warship with a vicious glint—and a cruel smile slowly curled across his face.
"When it comes to firepower, I've never lost to anyone."
Byrnndi World's figure vanished like a ghost.
Through the torrential rain, a shadow darted across the downpour at such speed that it carved a brief vacuum tunnel through the sheets of water.
In the next instant, he reappeared on the far side of the deck, both hands gripping a cannon.
"Alright, boys! Adjust our heading! Let those World Government lapdogs see what the Ward Pirates are really made of!"
He shouted loudly.
Roar!!!
The crew of the Ward Pirates erupted with fanatic energy, raising their fists and shouting in unison.
Amid the crashing waves, one pirate gritted his teeth and forcefully turned the ship's wheel.
"Hard to starboard!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the ship groaned and tilted sharply under the pressure of wind, waves, and cannon fire.
The deck slanted dangerously, and pirates clung to the slick rails to keep from being flung overboard.
Rain pelted down in sheets, splashing violently against the wood.
Byrnndi World clamped down on the cannon like an iron vise. As the ship shifted, the barrel slowly pivoted, aligning with the massive warship in the distance.
"All this fuss just for sinking one Celestial Dragon's pig boat... And you've been chasing me for a whole day and night?"
He scoffed, then let out a crazed laugh through the storm.
"Come on, Sengoku! Let me show you... the power to destroy the world!"
He yanked the cannon's fuse.
Boom!!
A black cannonball exploded from the barrel, cutting a blazing path through the rain.
"More-More Fiftyfold Cannon!!"
With Byrnndi World's sharp call, an invisible force surged outward.
White shockwaves burst from the shell as it whistled through the air.
Then—something unbelievable happened.
The cannonball suddenly swelled, its size multiplying in a flash. In the blink of an eye, it expanded dozens of times over!
The black projectile, now over 20 meters in diameter, also rocketed forward with even greater velocity. At the peak of its arc, it plummeted straight toward the warship where Sengoku stood!
Its speed, weight, and sheer scale tore through the air, generating blazing red shockwaves. From a distance, it looked like a meteor tearing through the clouds, descending from the heavens.
This was Byrnndi World's ability.
The Moa Moa no Mi—capable of amplifying both the speed and size of objects.
And with that amplification, the destructive force of anything it enhanced rose exponentially.
Without exaggeration, if that cannonball landed, the resulting explosion could easily flatten an entire town.
A crimson glow spread overhead. A massive shadow blanketed the warship's crew.
The pressure from the descending shockwave crushed down from above. The entire vessel groaned under the strain, and the deck let out a sharp cracking noise.
"Damn it!"
Sengoku roared, eyes bloodshot.
If that cannonball hit, everyone aboard the warship—himself included—would be swallowed by the fury of the sea.
His boots slammed against the deck as he launched himself into the air like a missile.
A brilliant golden light burst across the sky.
The Marines watched in awe as their Admiral transformed in an instant into a towering golden Buddha, hurling a massive palm strike at the incoming shell.
"Impact Wave!"
Boom!!
A colossal golden shockwave slammed into the cannonball.
After a brief moment of eerie silence, a thunderous explosion erupted in the sky.
A fireball over a hundred meters wide blossomed above them, and countless fragments of the shell rained down like a storm of fire.
In midair, Sengoku returned to his human form, his expression tightening as he shouted:
"Borsalino!"
"Roger that..."
A lazy voice drifted through the rain, followed by a flash of golden light streaking into the sky.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
A torrent of glittering energy bullets rained upward, striking and disintegrating the falling fragments midair. The sky blazed with light, driving back the darkness.
Through the billowing smoke, Sengoku landed steadily on the deck.
The wind blew the haze away. His eyes locked on the pirate ship vanishing into the distance, slipping into the storm. He clenched his jaw, about to give the order to pursue—
But a raspy voice cut in behind him.
"Stand down. We've got a situation."
Sengoku turned with a frown.
A CP0 agent in a mask marked with strange patterns stepped quickly out of the cabin.
This operation against Byrnndi World was a joint effort between the Marines and CP. Most of the intel had come from the CP division.
"Retreat? We've cornered Byrnndi World. He's got nowhere left to run—especially not in these chaotic waters. In this weather, he won't get far!" Sengoku snapped.
But the CP0 agent shook his head.
"Byrnndi World no longer matters."
He pulled out a military Den Den Mushi and handed it to Sengoku.
From the receiver came a cold, aged voice.
"Sengoku. Withdraw immediately."
Sengoku stiffened.
"Elder... the mission is nearly complete. Byrnndi World has walked straight into our trap—just give me a little more time—"
He was abruptly cut off.
"We order you to retreat. Now."
Sengoku gritted his teeth.
"Why, my lord? The government and Marines have invested tremendous resources in this operation..."
"Saint Xildes is dead. In the North Blue."
The voice from the Five Elders froze Sengoku in place.
A Celestial Dragon... dead?
How was that even possible?
"Sengoku. As the Marine Headquarters' only active Admiral, your top priority is to investigate the death of Saint Xildes. Do you understand?"
"All other matters are irrelevant."
The voice of the Five Elders left no room for argument.
On deck, soaked by the relentless rain, Sengoku drew a long breath. The fire in his chest was smothered by the cold downpour.
"I understand," he muttered through clenched teeth.
The CP0 agent nodded, put away the Den Den Mushi, and disappeared back into the cabin.
Just then, golden particles began to converge beside Sengoku, gradually forming a humanoid shape.
A tall man in a yellow-and-white pinstripe suit, with exaggerated toad-shaped sunglasses and a thick beard.
Rear Admiral. A rising "monster" of the new generation... Borsalino.
"Shall I go after them, Admiral Sengoku?" Borsalino asked casually, eyeing Sengoku's darkened expression.
Sengoku glared at the distant pirate ship, now just a shadow in the storm, and suddenly slammed his fist into the railing, shattering it.
"No. We're heading back," he growled, face like stone.
Borsalino was strong—far beyond a typical Vice Admiral.
But against someone like Byrnndi World, a pirate who once rivaled Whitebeard and Roger, he still wasn't quite there.
Sending him alone was a risk the Marines couldn't afford.
A future Admiral, someone with monstrous potential, couldn't be thrown away so carelessly.
What stung Sengoku the most was how close they'd come. So many resources, so much planning—just one step away from capturing Byrnndi World...
And now, it was all for nothing.
He hated it.
But he knew—he couldn't defy the World Government.
A Celestial Dragon had died. In the same sea.
And he was the only Admiral left at Marine Headquarters. No matter how he felt, he had to let everything else go and find out the truth.
Still...
"In the North Blue... who would dare lay a hand on a Celestial Dragon?"
Sengoku stood in the rain, water streaming down his pale face.
His expression darkened. He fell silent, lost in thought.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake