The Red Line's base churned with restless waves. A warship, colossal as a floating fortress, sliced through the ocean and departed the port.
At the summit, within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the massive gates slowly ground shut.
The Five Elders watched Rosen's vessel disappear over the horizon. Having secured their promise, they dared not renege. They sealed the city, forbidding any Celestial Dragon from stepping foot outside.
How long this quarantine would last was uncertain. What was certain was that the world was about to be thrown into chaos.
The Five Elders, who held the reins of global power, had been forced into hiding by a single Marine. The Celestial Dragons, those untouchable "Gods," were now prisoners in their own gilded cage.
For the first time in history, the awe-inspiring authority of the World Nobles had been shattered. The center of gravity in the world had shifted decisively toward the Marines.
On the deck of the departing warship, a coffin containing the remains of Saint Charmaco sat untouched for a full day and night.
Gild Tesoro knelt before Stella's coffin, whispering nonstop. He recounted every moment since his escape from Mary Geoise, every battle, every step across the Grand Line. He spoke until his voice was raw, his words a desperate bridge to the woman he had lost.
Rosen had ordered the ship to slow its pace, granting the grieving man this small mercy. By the time the hazy outline of Marineford appeared on the horizon, Tesoro finally fell silent.
But as the base came into view, reality crashed back. Tesoro stood, his legs stiff but functional. He turned to the second coffin—Charmaco's.
Click.
The lid slid back. Inside lay a reassembled corpse, missing its head.
Tesoro stared at the ruin of the man who had destroyed his life. He expected to laugh. He expected triumph. Instead, his face remained stone, his eyes bloodshot and hollow.
"You're dead," Tesoro rasped. "I should be happy. I am happy... so why can't I laugh?"
He looked at Stella's cold face.
"She's gone, Charmaco. No amount of gold can bring her back. Seeing your corpse doesn't change that. It doesn't erase her suffering."
A golden flame ignited around Tesoro's fist. With a choked sob, he drove it into the corpse. Gold erupted, turning flesh and bone to ash in an instant.
When the smoke cleared, Tesoro turned his back on the dust forever. He sat beside Stella, leaning his head against the wood.
"Rest now," he whispered.
Exhausted by the emotional storm, Tesoro fell into the first true sleep he'd had in years. A sea breeze blew Rosen's Admiral coat across his shoulders.
Marineford. The Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Dark Horse Tensei—Victor Seiji—was reviewing intelligence on the Grand Line's volatile factions when a captain burst in, breathless.
"Sir! We've found her."
Tensei didn't look up. "Speak."
"Buckingham Stussy," the captain said. "She's in Whitebeard territory."
Tensei's eyes snapped up. "Where, exactly?"
"The Moby Dick," the captain reported, sliding a photograph across the desk. "She's under Whitebeard's personal protection."
Tensei stared at the image of the pirate ship. "Of course. Edward Newgate."
He grabbed his Justice Coat. "Keep this quiet. I'll inform the Admiral."
Moments later, Tensei stood before the office labeled Grim Reaper.
"Enter."
Rosen sat behind his desk, the photo of the Moby Dick already in his hand.
"Admiral Rosen," Tensei said, standing at attention. "The Intel is confirmed. Stussy is with Whitebeard. Furthermore, intelligence suggests Whitebeard has recalled all 43 of his allied crews."
Rosen tapped the table, unbothered. "He's gathering his strength."
"Correct," Tensei said. "After you captured Kaido, Newgate realized the balance of power has shifted. He's preparing for total war."
Rosen smiled, a cold, sharp expression. "Good. It saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."
He stood up, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"Since the old man is ready..." Rosen declared, his voice cutting through the tension. "It is time to end this, Whitebeard."
Rosen's Perspective
I watched Tensei leave to relay the orders. He understood the strategy. Everyone did.
Sengoku would have rushed to the New World to smash Whitebeard's forces before they could unite. That is the standard, cautious Marine doctrine.
I did the opposite.
I gave them time.
Time to gather every ship. Time to bring every ally. Time to bring the Whitebeard Pirates, the remnants of Big Mom's crew, and anyone else loyal to the old era into one place.
Why?
First, to fulfill my promises. I collared the Warlords. I retrieved Stella for Tesoro. I silenced Charmaco. I forced the Five Elders to seal Mary Geoise, proving the Marines answer to Justice, not the Celestial Dragons.
That act shattered the myth of the World Nobles. My Marines now stand taller than the Government itself.
But the second reason was tactical.
I don't want a drawn-out manhunt. I don't want to chase stragglers through the New World.
I want a single, decisive battle.
Whitebeard thinks he is gathering strength to defend his territory. He thinks he is the apex predator waiting for the challenger.
He doesn't realize he is herding his sheep into the slaughterhouse.
Let them bring their full might. Let the "Strongest Man in the World" stand at the prow of the Moby Dick. Let the remnants of the pirate era rally behind him.
I will crush them all at once.
This is the ambition of the man who will bring the Pirate Era to its knees.##
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