Facing the lofty figure hidden in shadow—Imu—the Five Elders remained prostrated on the ground, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
Yet even they didn't realize it: after witnessing Romu's final strike—after feeling that "divine" presence—Imu's aura of mystery in their hearts had… weakened, just a little.
"Lord Imu."
"We've already ordered the World Government to fully suppress the God Valley incident. We will eliminate its impact without fail!"
The black-suited elder spoke respectfully.
"Please rest assured, Lord Imu. We will erase the name 'Romu' from the historical record!"
The other four echoed in unison.
Imu asked quietly, as if to himself:
"…Do you think Romu is truly dead?"
The five elders' faces changed instantly.
Before any of them could respond, Imu's voice came again—calm, detached.
"Leave."
"Handle the matter of 'history' cleanly."
At that, all five felt the tension in their chests finally loosen. They bowed deeply toward Imu.
"Yes, Lord Imu!"
They rose and withdrew in silence.
Imu didn't spare them another glance.
He raised a hand and pulled a bounty poster from the floor into his palm.
The man on it wore a gray short-sleeved shirt and loose wide-leg pants—
It was Romu's old 1.5 billion bounty poster, issued after he killed a Celestial Dragon.
"So I thought you'd make a bigger wave than this."
With a thought, the poster ignited as if burned by invisible fire. In moments, it was reduced to nothing—vanishing into the void.
Marineford
Inside a spacious office, Kong sat at the head of the room. Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Basuki stood in a line nearby.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere was heavy.
After being publicly reprimanded by the Five Elders, it was impossible for them to be in a good mood.
Kong rested his hands beneath his chin, his gaze sweeping across the group. His expression barely changed.
He'd lived through this kind of thing too many times.
"Ahem…"
He cleared his throat twice, breaking the silence.
"Even if the suppression isn't handled by the Navy, we still have to clean up the postwar mess."
"Sengoku."
"Report on how the situation has shifted these past few days."
Sengoku paused, then spoke evenly.
"This battle's fallout is massive. Power structures across many regions have changed."
"But the biggest shift is the Rocks Pirates."
"According to intelligence—"
"On the second day after the God Valley battle ended, Hachinosu fell apart."
"Kaido, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, John, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and the other key officers—along with Romu's subordinate, the Fish-Fish Fruit user, Kaido—have all declared their withdrawal from the Rocks Pirates."
"They each took their followers and left Hachinosu."
"It looks like they're searching for new bases."
Sengoku adjusted his frog-shaped glasses, his tone turning more severe.
"In other words—"
"The so-called 'terror organization' that once dominated the seas—the Rocks Pirates—has completely disbanded. It's history."
"But the maritime situation hasn't improved at all."
"In fact, it's gotten worse. With so many powerful pirates spilling out at once, pirate activity has increased across the seas."
"And there's more."
"Romu may be 'dead,' but his influence hasn't weakened in the slightest."
"He's already become a spiritual banner for many anti–World Government groups. Their actions are growing more frequent…"
Hearing this, Kong's brows tightened into a deep frown.
He lowered his hands and shifted the topic.
"And your recovery?"
Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr all paused—faces grim.
"My external injuries are fine," Zephyr said, glancing at his severed arm. "But beyond that… who knows."
Kong nodded once.
"Then listen to my orders."
"Full rest and reorganization for one month."
"After that—launch simultaneous suppression patrols across every sea."
"And raise the bounties on every former Rocks officer—across the board."
Time moved fast. Several more days passed.
During that period, the World Government's CP units conducted sweeping operations, violently suppressing information related to "God Valley."
But to their fury—
This time was different.
What happened at God Valley couldn't be contained.
And the situation only grew worse.
In just days, news spread like wildfire into every corner of the world:
God Valley. The Marines and the World Government suffered a crushing blow. Rocks is dead.
And above all—
The name Romu detonated across the world like thunder.
For eight hundred years, the World Government and the Marines had been an unquestioned terror—an authority carved into everyone's bones.
And now, a shocking story had appeared:
Someone had defeated them… alone.
To the entire world, it was an earthshaking event.
Water Star Island — A Pirate Bar
Inside a pirate bar, burly men with brutal faces ate meat and drank hard. Clinking cups and shouting filled the room.
But one table was unusually quiet.
Four people sat there.
Three of them sat in a row, their bare arms marked with the same skull emblem—clearly from the same crew.
Across from them sat a short figure wearing a black leather hat and a black cloth mask.
"Keep it down," the short man whispered, scanning the room. "The World Government's spies are rabid right now. Who knows if there's one nearby."
The one-eyed pirate leader across from him narrowed his eye.
"So you really have recorded footage of the God Valley battle?"
"What do you think I'm doing here?" the short man snapped, then hurried to sell it. "Uncensored. Full version. Especially the final fight—Romu against those mysterious thirteen knights. It's all there."
The pirates' interest flared.
"How much?"
"One hundred thousand beli."
The short man held up one finger.
"Deal."
The one-eyed pirate nodded and immediately pulled out a bulging money pouch.
"Boss! We're pirates!" his two subordinates blurted, making scandalized faces.
The one-eyed leader shook his head, signaling them to shut up, then tossed the pouch onto the table.
"Hand it over."
"Nice and clean!"
The short man quickly produced a Sky Island "Video Dial" and passed it over. Then he opened the pouch—
Gold gleamed.
His eyes lit up. His heart sang.
I'm rich…! I really have to thank Romu. Just these few days, I've made tens of thousands!
But suddenly—
A cold, hard pressure touched his forehead.
His heart froze.
He lifted his head slowly.
The one-eyed pirate now held an oversized golden revolver, its barrel pressed against his brow.
He grinned, flashing a mouthful of big gold teeth.
"Relax."
"Smile."
The short man swallowed hard.
He'd never imagined someone would dare rob a man inside this bar.
His teeth chattered, but he forced a smile, retied the pouch… and handed it back—along with every last beli he carried.
Only then did the golden revolver finally lower.
The one-eyed pirate nodded in satisfaction and tucked the gun away.
The short man fled instantly.
"Boss, you're insane!"
"Hahahaha! We spent nothing and still made forty to fifty thousand! Boss, you're incredible!"
The two subordinates counted the cash, grinning so wide their eyes became slits.
"Learn something," the one-eyed leader said smugly. "If you're going to be pirates, be professionals."
He turned the Video Dial in his hand, eyes burning with greed.
"Never thought I'd find treasure like this."
The two rookies blinked.
"Boss… what treasure? Isn't the money the treasure?"
The leader shook his head, almost pitying them.
"This is the 'battle footage of the Pirate God, Romu.' It's priceless."
"In the underworld, this alone can sell for at least five hundred thousand beli."
"And even then—it's still a seller's market."
A single recording worth five hundred thousand?!
The two new pirates nearly popped their eyes out. They'd been thrilled over a few tens of thousands—half a million was beyond imagination.
The leader sneered.
"And with the World Government trying to suppress everything, Romu-related information will get destroyed fast."
"When that happens…"
"This becomes 'history.' Understand?"
The two rookies stared blankly and shook their heads.
"Uneducated idiots." He slapped each of them on the head.
Then he focused on the Video Dial again, as if admiring a sacred relic.
"Name your price."
A low voice sounded behind him.
"I'll buy that Video Dial."
The one-eyed leader immediately snapped the dial away and spun around.
Two men stood there.
One wore a dark crimson captain's hat and a gold-and-red coat, with a white scarf at his neck. A thick moustache shadowed his upper lip, and a Western-style sword hung at his waist.
Beside him stood a man with short blond hair and round glasses.
The one-eyed pirate's body stiffened. His face drained.
"Roger… Rayleigh!!"
The moment those names were spoken, the entire bar went silent.
Every pirate turned to stare at them.
Shock flickered first—
Then open contempt.
Someone laughed, loud and sharp.
"Oh? Look who it is—Captain of the 'unofficial Marines,' Roger, and his first mate, Rayleigh!"
"Why aren't you in Marineford? What are you doing in a filthy pirate bar like this?"
"Traitors! Navy dogs!"
"You've got the nerve to show your faces in a pirate bar? You're the shame of all pirates!"
Insults rained down.
Before God Valley, no one would've dared talk to them like this.
But after that battle, the Roger Pirates' reputation had been dragged through the mud.
To pirates, they were the most disgusting kind of turncoat.
Smack!
An egg smashed across Roger's face.
His expression darkened instantly.
Rayleigh's eyes tightened, his aura rising.
Sweat broke out on the pirates' foreheads. Instinctively, they backed away.
Names cast shadows.
Everyone here knew what these two could do.
They'd just gotten carried away.
Roger raised his right arm, stopping Rayleigh from moving.
He stared at the one-eyed pirate.
"Name your price."
The one-eyed pirate's teeth trembled.
He glanced at the Video Dial—jealous, unwilling—
Then bowed his head, lifted both hands, and offered it up.
"…Take it."
Roger didn't reply.
He wiped the egg off his face, silently pulled out a heavy money pouch, and set it on the table.
Then he took the Video Dial, turned around, and walked out of the bar.
Outside, Roger stared at it, frozen in place.
Rayleigh frowned.
"We should be thinking about how to find the legendary final island."
"Not drowning in the past."
There was disappointment in his voice.
Ever since meeting Romu, Roger felt like a different man—less decisive, less carefree.
Especially after God Valley—
He'd become hesitant. Restless. Like he'd lost the spirit of a pirate.
Roger tucked the dial away and looked toward the sea.
"You're right."
But inside, his thoughts sank like lead.
Romu… are you really dead…?
Just then—
A figure stepped from the shadows and blocked Roger's path.
It was the short man from the bar.
He ripped off his mask—
Revealing a very youthful face…
And a bright, round red nose that stood out immediately.
"Roger!"
"My name is Buggy. I want to join your ship—become your crewmate!!"
Meanwhile — Waters Near Wano Country
At a sea boundary where Wano connected to the outside world, hundreds of samurai in kimono patrolled with drawn swords.
This was a powerful nation of the New World.
A closed country that welcomed no outsiders, never joined the World Government—and didn't even allow Marine warships to enter.
Normally, only dozens guarded this waterside boundary.
The sudden increase in manpower was because of one thing:
The God Valley Incident.
Wano's daimyo feared being dragged into the fallout, so he reinforced the patrol.
"You heard?" one guard said. "A pirate out there defeated the World Government and the Marines."
"Of course I heard. To think someone that strong exists…"
Inside a lookout tower, two sentries chatted idly.
Even as a closed country, they couldn't ignore a world-shaking event like this.
Suddenly, one soldier frowned, leaning forward, murmuring—
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