That kingdom, once glorious in its own right, had now shattered beneath his feet, leaving only weariness and helplessness behind.
And across distant military bases throughout the North Blue, the same shocking scene was unfolding almost simultaneously.
Flags symbolizing the World Government's authority were burned in batches.
Blazing flames swallowed those once-untouchable emblems, crackling loudly as if playing a funeral song for the end of the old era.
In their place, beneath the light of the rising sun, brand-new flags of the Eternal Divine Kingdom rose one after another, fluttering proudly in the wind and announcing the arrival of a new order.
The most ironic part was that the ones carrying out this world-shaking task were none other than Germa's elite clone soldiers.
These soldiers had once been loyal "partners" of the World Government.
Dressed in identical uniforms, they had carried out the World Government's orders and served as an important force in maintaining the old order.
Yet now, they were ringing the death knell for their former master with their own hands, becoming the vanguard in overthrowing the old world.
In their eyes was a sharp break from the past, as well as confusion toward the future.
But more than anything, there was unwavering conviction.
By noon, when the blazing sun had completely driven away the last traces of morning fog, a brand-new map of the North Blue had already been carried swiftly across the world by agile News Coos.
On this map, the skull emblem that had once represented the feared "army of evil" had now been replaced by a red-star totem filled with the meaning of hope and change.
This was not merely a simple replacement of symbols.
It signaled a massive shift in the balance of power across the North Blue—and perhaps the entire world.
...
Mary Geoise.
In a certain dark, damp room, the atmosphere was so oppressive it made breathing difficult.
A file marked Top Secret was hurled furiously against the wall, landing with a dull thud.
On the front page was a photograph of Judge in his youth, when he had still been full of ambition and vitality.
Now, a hideous red cross had been drawn across it in bright ink, as though declaring judgment upon him.
Beside it, someone had scrawled a sentence in rough handwriting.
"A traitor's fate will soon come for all of you."
Those words were like a cold dagger stabbing deep into the heart, warning that an even fiercer storm was about to arrive.
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
At the Marine wanted-poster bulletin office, the noon sun baked the plaza paved with coating resin.
The back of Marine Seaman Wilson's uniform was already soaked through with sweat.
He hummed a tuneless little song as he nailed up a fresh batch of wanted posters.
Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps shattered his easy mood.
A communications soldier practically fell into the bulletin office, the news bulletins in his arms scattering across the floor.
Wilson frowned, an ominous feeling rising in his chest.
He quickly swept his eyes over the scattered papers, only for his pupils to contract sharply when he saw the front-page photo at the top.
Vinsmoke Reiju's signature pink hair fluttered in the wind, while her slender fingers pinned Germa 66's technology emblem onto the flag of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
"What… what is this?"
Wilson murmured to himself, disbelief written across his face.
He knew exactly what that image meant.
Vinsmoke Reiju had betrayed Germa 66 and joined the powerful organization known as the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
And judging from the technology emblem in her hand, she had most likely brought Germa 66's core technology with her.
"Emergency news! Put it up now!" the communications soldier urged.
Wilson snapped back to his senses and immediately got to work.
He took down the previous notice and prepared to nail up the shocking new one.
The front-page photo stung his eyes.
Vinsmoke Reiju's pink hair blew in the wind, and her slender hand was pinning Germa 66's technology badge onto the Eternal Divine Kingdom's flag.
Wilson's eyes widened as he blurted out in disbelief, "Y-you've got to be kidding me!"
His voice carried shock, confusion, and fear, as though he had just heard some absurd claim capable of overturning the entire world's understanding.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably.
The stack of wanted posters that had been neatly held in his hands suddenly lost support and scattered across the ground with a crisp, harsh rustle, like falling leaves caught in a storm.
Every sheet seemed to carry heavy secrets and bloody history, yet now they lay messily across the cold floor.
Wilson lost his balance and staggered two steps backward.
His back slammed heavily into the hard bulletin board, producing a dull sound that seemed to echo the panic and unease in his heart.
"That 'Poison Pink' who slaughtered the G-5 Branch with poison gas… that Germa, which used clone armies to destroy three member nations… actually…"
He muttered to himself, his thoughts tangling into a mess.
Terrifying scenes kept flashing through his mind.
A base filled with choking poison gas, lives struggling and fading in agony.
Clone soldiers surging forward like a tide, leaving only ruins and despair wherever they passed.
His gaze returned to the photo.
Reiju's smile in it was calm, almost strangely serene.
She was not wearing that terrifying battle armor. Her dangerous Poison Pink butterfly wings were not spread.
She was not even dressed in her iconic raid suit.
Instead, she wore a plain white dress, like a pure yet mysterious lily swaying gently beneath the blue flag of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
The breeze stirred her skirt, and she looked like an elegant noble lady attending a tea party.
The contrast with the cold-blooded, bloodstained image people remembered was almost too sharp to accept.
The entire bulletin office seemed to have been struck by a spell, suddenly falling into dead silence.
Several pirates who had been focused on reading the wanted posters froze in place, their expressions shifting from curiosity to horror and confusion.
Nearby, the wrench in a coating craftsman's hand fell to the ground with a clang, breaking the brief silence.
Yet the man did not even notice. He only stared blankly at the photo.
Even the usually noisy News Coo, which was always chattering as it delivered all kinds of information, had gone quiet, as though it too had been stunned by the scene before it.
With trembling hands, Wilson turned the newspaper to the second page.
The bold black headline struck his stomach like thunder, making him feel nauseous and dizzy.
[Germa 66 Announces Entry into the Eternal Divine Kingdom. The Entire North Blue Changes Hands.]
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