News of the slaughter spread through Mary Geoise like wildfire. Holy Land servants whispered of Lord Shamrock's rampage. Ten elite guards dead. Their bodies devoured, bones melted into ash. The palace reeked of scorched blood and fear.
But no one dared question him.
He was a Celestial Dragon. A descendant of the gods.
And more than that, he was the Commander of the God's Knights.
In the ornate marble chamber known as the Chamber of Judgment, nine figures knelt in silence before him, their heads bowed. Clad in black, faces hidden behind dragon-shaped helms, they exuded divine menace. The God's Knights, he sword and shield of the Celestial Order.
Shamrock sat on the obsidian throne, Cerberus resting across his lap, humming faintly like a satiated beast.
He looked over them with crimson eyes that gleamed with awakened ambition.
"Stand."
The nine obeyed as one, rising with synchronized precision.
"Where were you?"
"Lord Commander," said the first knight, "we received no summons. The attack was... unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Shamrock repeated. "Ten elite guards massacred. And yet none of the 'divine blades' noticed?"
The knights remained silent. One shifted uncomfortably.
Shamrock rose.
"Do you think this palace is sacred simply because we breathe in it?"
He stepped down, each movement echoing with controlled power. His presence bent the very air. Cerberus throbbed, reacting to his intent.
"No," Shamrock said. "What makes a god divine… is fear."
He pointed the blade at the third knight.
"You. Alcor. Draw your weapon."
Alcor hesitated. "Lord Shamrock, I—"
"Draw it, or I'll feed you to the sword myself."
A beat of silence. Then steel sang as Alcor unsheathed his curved blade.
"Attack me."
The knight wavered. But training kicked in.
He lunged.
Shamrock didn't move. In the blink of an eye, Cerberus shifted like smoke—three red slashes lacerated Alcor's body mid-air.
Blood sprayed across the throne room. Alcor collapsed in a heap.
Dead.
Gasps rippled among the remaining knights.
[Enemy killed. Absorbed entries: Divine Blade Arts Lv.3, Focused Observation Haki Lv.2]
[Cerberus satisfaction: +3%]
[Cerberus evolution: 13%]
"You fear death more than you fear failure," Shamrock said flatly. "Unacceptable."
He turned away.
"I've decided. From today, the God's Knights will be reforged. Weakness will not be tolerated. Those who falter, die. Those who survive, evolve."
The silence that followed was absolute.
He returned to his throne.
"You will spread word through the Holy Land. A purge is coming. Those who have grown complacent… will be judged."
"Yes, Lord Commander," they answered in unison.
"And one more thing…" he said, as Cerberus pulsed faintly with hunger.
"Summon the prisoners from Level 3. I want something exotic to feed my sword."
Deep beneath Mary Geoise was a hidden dungeon known only to the Celestial Council. Level 3 held prisoners not even the Marines knew existed failed clones, rogue CP agents, pirate captains with knowledge too dangerous to execute.
Shamrock descended alone.
The guards at the sealed gate saw him and dropped to their knees instantly.
"Open it," he ordered.
The gate hissed open, revealing a long corridor lit by glowing sea-stone torches. Screams echoed from the depths.
His boots splashed through blood as he walked.
The prisoners watched with sunken eyes, some whispering curses, others weeping.
"Which of you has ambition?" he asked.
No one responded.
"Pitiful."
He raised Cerberus. The sword flared to life.
"Then die like insects."
He moved. Twenty slashes in seconds. The blade devoured flesh, bone, soul.
[20 enemies killed. 40 entries absorbed. Notables: Deception Mastery, Silent Step, Paralysis Touch, Devil Fruit Fragment – Invisibility (Beta)]
[Cerberus satisfaction: +12%. Evolution: 25%]
Cerberus let out a hiss—a whisper of laughter?
"Good," Shamrock muttered. "You're waking up, aren't you?"
The sword pulsed like a second heart.
Then something new appeared:
[Cerberus Mutation Trait Unlocked: Soul Echo – Stores memories of devoured foes.]
A voice echoed faintly in his mind:
"Captain won't forget this. Shanks will burn you"
He crushed the memory before it could finish.
"No one speaks that name in my presence."
He walked out of the prison alone, leaving nothing behind but empty cells and silence.
By nightfall, the Holy Land trembled.
The weak vanished. Servants disappeared. Nobles trembled behind gilded curtains.
And in the center of it all, Figarland Shamrock sat upon his throne, eyes closed, feeling the surge of power in his blood.
Cerberus whispered promises in his hand.
The God's Knights stood behind him.
And across the sea…
In the New World…
Red Hair Shanks raised his head.
"Someone… Shamrock?"
The game had begun.