Totto Land. Cake Island.
Beneath the colossal castle built of biscuits and candy, a grand banquet was in full swing.
The elite of the Beasts Pirates sat intermingled with members of the Big Mom Pirates, raising cups and drinking freely.
"Wororororo!"
"Linlin, this one's on me!"
Kaido lifted a massive bowl of sake and poured the fiery liquor straight down his throat.
Beside him, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, used her enormous fork to shovel an entire strawberry-covered cake into her mouth, chewing with unabashed delight.
"Mamamama! Kaido, this liquor you brought isn't half bad!"
"Burp!"
Kaido let out a thunderous belch, a wave of scorching breath bursting from his mouth.
"Of course it isn't!"
The atmosphere of the banquet was wild and chaotic.
Members of the Beasts Pirates roared with laughter, smashing huge slabs of roasted meat against one another as alcohol and grease splattered everywhere.
Big Mom's children, by comparison, appeared far more "refined."
Perospero licked his candy cane, his narrow eyes gleaming with calculation.
Nearby, Katakuri stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a pillar made of doughnuts. His mouth, hidden beneath his scarf, was drawn into a tight line.
At his side stood King the Wildfire, one of the Beasts Pirates' All-Stars. He remained just as silent, his black mask concealing all emotion.
Neither of them took part in the revelry. They simply watched.
A shared shadow weighed heavily on their hearts.
At the end of the Summit War, in the moment that man single-handedly killed Red-Hair, Katakuri had glimpsed a vague future.
A future where the iron boots of the Marines trampled across the New World, where every pirate was hunted down and erased.
And at the center of that future stood the man codenamed "Blood Eagle."
It was that terrifying vision that had driven Katakuri to personally urge his mother to form a full alliance with Kaido.
King did not possess the ability to see the future, but he knew how to analyze reality.
As one of the last survivors of the Lunarian race, he understood better than anyone what the changing of an era truly meant.
What the Marines had done to Whitebeard and Red-Hair was a purge.
That merciless, leave-no-survivors approach reminded him of what the World Government had once done to his people.
History was repeating itself, only this time in a far more brutal and bloody form.
And this time, the ones wielding the blade were the Marines, in the name of justice.
So when Katakuri approached him about pushing for an alliance, King agreed without hesitation.
Not to rule the seas.
But simply to survive.
"Glug glug glug!"
Kaido downed another huge mouthful of sake and slammed the bowl down as he stood up.
"Wororororo! Linlin, had enough food and drink yet?"
"Mamamama!"
Big Mom rose as well, wiping the cream from the corner of her mouth as Prometheus and Zeus circled her cheerfully.
"Of course!"
Boom!
Two vastly different yet equally terrifying waves of Conqueror's Haki collided head-on.
The clouds overhead were torn apart in an instant, a massive hole ripped open as sunlight poured through, unable to dispel the suffocating pressure that followed.
Every pirate at the banquet froze, their faces lighting up with fervent worship.
These were their kings.
The two emperors who ruled the seas.
"Listen up!" Kaido's voice thundered across the entire island.
"Drinking time is over!"
"Prepare to set sail!"
"Our target is Marine Base G-5!"
"Wipe out that brat called 'Blood Eagle,' along with his base, from the face of this world!"
"Ooooooh!"
A tidal wave of roars erupted from every corner of Cake Island.
"No more hiding!"
"No more pretending!"
"Set sail!"
"Kill the Marines!"
The Queen Mama Chanter began to move, while the Beasts Pirates' fleet, like a set of mobile fortresses, surfaced from beneath the sea.
Two colossal Yonko fleets converged, blotting out the sky.
Like a storm of annihilation, they surged toward Marine Base G-5.
…
Marine Base G-5.
The entire fortress was shrouded in a cold, killing tension.
Tens of thousands of elite Marines worked silently at their posts.
Blades and gun barrels reflected a chilling gleam beneath the overcast sky.
"Dane, how are the preparations?" Hawk asked.
He stood atop the highest watchtower of the base, gazing down at everything below. The sharp sea wind snapped his justice cloak against his shoulders.
"Reporting to Admiral Hawk!"
Dane stood behind him, straight as a drawn sword.
"All personnel are in high spirits and fully prepared!"
"Additionally, as per your orders, the live broadcast Den Den Mushi network covering the entire base has been fully deployed!"
Feverish excitement burned in Dane's eyes.
He had not participated in the Summit War, left behind to hold the rear.
That regret had lingered ever since.
But this time, he would follow his commander into the New World and annihilate two invading Yonko crews.
Their destruction would cleanse this sea of its long-standing evil.
Hawk gave a slight nod.
Once again, this battle would be broadcast to the entire world.
After all, the Marines had nothing left to fear.
The World Government was little more than a hollow shell, steadily being stripped of its authority.
CP0 had proven incompetent and had been wiped out in batches by Zephyr and the others.
The God's Knights were troublesome, but one of their squads had already been crippled. The only real threat among them was their commander, Figarland Garling, the former king of God Valley.
As for the Five Elders, while they possessed admiral-level strength, they relied heavily on their troublesome immortality. The only true offensive powerhouse among them was Nasujuro, the one wielding the First Generation Kitetsu.
And above them all stood Im.
But alone, how could Im possibly face the full might of the modern Marines?
Besides, immortality was not without its counters.
Sufficiently powerful Conqueror's Haki, especially when infused into attacks, was the natural bane of such abilities.
And within the Marines now, aside from Hawk himself, there just happened to be two old monsters who had mastered top-tier Conqueror's infusion and were itching for a fight.
Just then, a Marine officer hurried over and snapped to attention.
"Report! Chief Instructor Zephyr's warship has arrived at the harbor!"
A smile curved Hawk's lips.
Speak of the devil.
He turned and headed toward the port.
Before long, an unremarkable-looking Marine warship slowly docked.
Three figures stepped down the gangway with steady strides.
At the front was Garp, a relaxed grin on his face, a rice cracker stuffed in his mouth.
Beside him walked Sengoku, equally composed, holding an entire bag of rice crackers and casually swatting away Garp's hand when it tried to sneak one.
The last was Zephyr, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, his expression firm and unyielding.
"Elder Sengoku, Elder Garp, Elder Zephyr," Hawk greeted them with a smile. "Welcome to Marine Base G-5."
"You all look incredibly lively."
With his Observation Haki, Hawk could clearly sense it.
The life force of all three veterans was vast and unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss.
Especially Zephyr.
The vitality coursing through his body had pushed him back to his absolute peak.
It seemed that the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit had worked wonders.
These legends of the Marines were not here to retire.
They were here to remind the world what it meant to fear Marine power.
"Hahahahaha!" Garp roared with laughter.
"Hawk, kid! Kaido's mine!"
"Ever since Zephyr came up with that so-called life essence, my fists have been starving for a fight!"
Sengoku shot him a glare, then turned to Hawk with a relieved smile.
"Don't listen to him, Hawk."
"The three of us old men will follow your command."
"Blood Eagle," Zephyr said as he strode forward.
He raised his hand and slapped Hawk heavily on the shoulder, that arm once known as the Black Arm brimming with strength.
"Now…"
Zephyr's grin spread wide, fierce and battle-hungry.
"Let us relics of the old era stand beside you, the banner of the new age…"
"And turn this sea completely upside down once more."
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