The next morning dawned blood-red over the New World. A strange omen colored the sky, and from the towering cliffs of Elbaf to the scattered isles of the Grand Line, whispers of war stirred like a distant drumbeat.
Three ships bearing the sigil of the God's Knights emerged from the Calm Belt, cutting through the ocean like silver blades. On their sails: the mark of judgment, stitched in gold over obsidian.
Their orders were simple: provoke the Red Hair Pirates.
None of them expected to return.
Meanwhile, Figarland Shamrock stood in a private chamber within Mary Geoise, gazing out over the Holy Land. His eyes reflected the distant horizon, yet his mind was deep in calculation.
He had long since cast off the title of "Celestial Dragon." That identity was merely a mask, a birthright to be weaponized, not honored.
He was something else now.
[System Notification: Cerberus Evolution Progress 45%] [Pending Unlock: Blood Dominion - Stage II]
Shamrock opened his palm. Cerberus floated above it, the blade now blacker than pitch, the edge humming with barely contained malice. It no longer resembled a mere weapon. It was alive.
Hungry.
"Soon," Shamrock murmured. "You will feast again."
A knock echoed at the door.
He turned, sensing the presence before the sound even came.
"Enter."
The door opened, and five God's Knights stepped inside, led by Ser Kael. Behind him were Ser Orien, Ser Voss, Lady Nyra, and the hulking brute known only as Bastion.
They knelt as one.
"Lord Commander," Kael said, "our fleets have engaged hostiles near the Elbaf trade corridor. No Red Hair response yet."
"They will come," Shamrock said calmly. "Shanks always plays the hero."
He stepped forward, each motion controlled like the blade of a guillotine. "Prepare for deployment. We go to Elbaf ourselves."
The knights looked up in surprise.
"You mean to lead the assault personally?"
Shamrock smiled.
"I will not allow another to deliver the head of Red Hair Shanks."
A day later, the skies over Elbaf were blackened with unnatural clouds. Thunder rolled, but no storm followed. The giants stirred uneasily within their city, sensing an old evil approaching.
The God's Knights descended like vultures.
Their fleet was smaller than Shanks', but the power they carried was ancient, refined through cruelty and divine law.
When Shamrock stepped onto the battlefield, time seemed to hold its breath.
Giants dropped to one knee.
Pirates fled without shame.
[Blood Dominion activated. Radius: 300 meters. All enemies below Haki Level 4 suffer morale collapse.]
Lady Nyra moved like shadow beside him, slaying a pirate with a flick of her wrist. Ser Voss disintegrated cannon fire midair with raw Conqueror's Haki. Bastion ripped the mast from a ship and hurled it like a spear into the sea.
The field belonged to them.
But Shamrock was not here for chaos.
He was here for blood.
He closed his eyes.
[Cerberus Reaction Detected: High Value Target Approaching. Matching Aura Signature: Red Hair Shanks.]
A grin tugged at Shamrock's lips.
"He took the bait."
From across the waves, the Red Force emerged.
Shanks stood at the bow, sword already in hand. Behind him were Benn Beckman, Lucky Roo, Yasopp, and every elite of the Red Hair Pirates.
They had come prepared for war.
Benn Beckman narrowed his eyes. "That's not the Shamrock we knew."
Shanks stared at the dark fleet ahead and the single man standing at its center, arms outstretched as if welcoming death.
"No," Shanks agreed. "That's something else."
And Cerberus whispered in Shamrock's ear:
"Feed me the Emperor."