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Grand Line.

Just beyond the territorial waters of the Alabasta Kingdom.

Smoker and Tashigi, who had pursued the Straw Hat Pirates all the way to Alabasta, had also taken part in the battle against Crocodile. They had witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—a pirate granted status and privileges by the World Government—upon an innocent nation.

Yet, the ones who had saved this country... were not the Marines.

It was pirates.

After seeing everything with his own eyes, Smoker found himself recalling the words Ron had spoken back in Loguetown.

Now, sitting on the deck of a Marine warship escorting Crocodile away from Alabasta, he clenched the cigar between his teeth, his expression complicated.

"Is the justice of the Marines... truly justice?"

What he had witnessed in Alabasta planted the first seeds of doubt in his heart.

"Captain Smoker."

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned his head.

Standing before him was Tashigi, her glasses reflecting the sunlight. Her blade hung at her waist, and her short blue hair swayed slightly in the sea breeze.

"What is it?"

Tashigi stepped forward with a firm stance. "Crocodile has requested to see you."

"See me?"

"He says he has something important to discuss."

Smoker narrowed his eyes.

Without a word, he stood up and walked into the warship's interior. Soon, he arrived at the brig, where The Desert Crocodile Crocodile sat against the wall, his arms restrained in heavy Seastone shackles.

Smoker stopped in front of the bars, looking down at him with an icy gaze.

"Crocodile, what do you want?"

The former Warlord smirked, his golden hook glinting slightly in the dim light.

"White Hunter Smoker..." His voice was calm yet carried a weight of intrigue. "I have something to tell the higher-ups of the Marines."

"Tell it to them in Impel Down."

Smoker exhaled a ring of smoke and turned to leave.

But just as he reached the door, Crocodile's voice echoed behind him.

"What I have to say… concerns the Ancient Weapon. Pluton."

Smoker froze mid-step.

His pupils contracted slightly.

Ancient Weapon...

Pluton?!

Smoker wasted no time. He reported the matter to Marine Headquarters immediately.

In response, a new order was given.

The warship, originally set to sail directly to Enies Lobby, was instead redirected—its new destination: Marineford.

…

Now in Marineford, inside a secure chamber, Crocodile sat on a prisoner's chair, his Seastone cuffs still tightly bound. Across from him were three of the highest-ranking figures in the Marines: Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and the legendary Marine Hero, Garp.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, her sharp eyes fixed on Crocodile, was the first to speak.

"Crocodile… You claim to know the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapon Pluton?"

Crocodile chuckled.

"Why else do you think I spent so many years in Alabasta?"

His smirk widened as he continued, "That country holds a Poneglyph… one that records the location of Pluton."

Sengoku and Garp exchanged silent glances, their expressions growing tense.

"You wanted to obtain Pluton?" Sengoku asked gravely.

"Of course," Crocodile admitted without hesitation.

"And what would you do with it?"

"What else?" Crocodile's eyes gleamed with unrestrained ambition.

"With overwhelming power at my fingertips… I would become the true ruler of this sea!"

Now, there was no longer any need to conceal his desires.

Crocodile had laid his ambitions bare.

"But..."

Crocodile's fingers dug into the armrest of his chair, his wrists bound tightly by Seastone shackles. His teeth clenched as he spat out his next words, his tone seething with hatred.

"That man... destroyed everything I had planned!"

"That man... Are you referring to Straw Hat Luffy?"

Sengoku asked in a deep voice.

Vice Admiral Tsuru cast a sidelong glance at Garp, who stood beside her with his arms crossed. His expression was somewhat unnatural—clearly, he had long been aware that his grandson had become a pirate.

Crocodile let out a low, disdainful chuckle.

"Of course not. That brat and his swordsman friend, Zoro, only defeated me because of sheer luck." His eyes darkened, flashing with malice. "The man I truly despise is not someone they can compare to."

"The Poneglyph hidden within Alabasta—the one that records the location of Pluton—was taken by him."

Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru all tensed at his words.

"Who is it?" Tsuru asked, her voice sharp and commanding.

Crocodile's gaze flickered as he looked at them. "I can tell you... but I have a condition."

Garp furrowed his brows. "You still dare to negotiate with us in your position? If you talk, maybe we'll let you spend a little less time in—"

"Shut up, Garp."

Sengoku interrupted him with a wave of his hand before fixing Crocodile with a piercing stare. "What do you want?"

Crocodile smirked.

"Let me go."

"Impossible."

Sengoku shook his head without hesitation. "A pirate who tried to overthrow a kingdom—that crime cannot be overlooked."

Crocodile chuckled, his confidence unshaken.

"Don't be so sure about that." He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Why don't you ask the World Government what they think?"

…

A few days later.

The warship escorting Crocodile to Enies Lobby was ambushed.

By the time the dust settled, The Desert Crocodile Crocodile was nowhere to be found.

The next day—

A shocking announcement from the World Government sent tremors across the entire Grand Line.

Even the Four Emperors of the New World took notice.

"The Poneglyph recording the location of the Ancient Weapon Pluton... is now in the hands of Ron the Traveler!"

"And with the Demon Child, Nico Robin, on his crew... there is a high possibility that Pluton has already fallen into his grasp."

"A king beyond the Four Emperors... is about to rise upon the seas."

…

New World — Whole Cake Island.

Inside the luxurious halls of Whole Cake Chateau, one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, flew into a furious rage upon hearing the news.

"What kind of nonsense is this about a king ruling the seas?! That little brat?!"

Her thunderous roar carried an overwhelming pressure, shaking the castle itself. Many of the Homies trembled, and several weaker subordinates turned pale, struggling to stay conscious.

"The Pirate King's throne is not so easily claimed!"

She slammed her massive fist onto the table, cracking the surface.

"So what if he has Pluton? If he's got the guts, let him set foot in Totto Land!"

Her outburst sent shockwaves of Conqueror's Haki rippling outward. The sheer force of her presence made the very air tremble, and several nearby soldiers staggered, their heads spinning from the overwhelming pressure.

"Mom, calm down."

A deep, composed voice broke the tension.

Charlotte Katakuri, the most powerful of Big Mom's children, stood by her side, his arms crossed.

"This news comes directly from the World Government. They likely want to incite a conflict between you and Ron."

"Perhaps,"

Smoothie, one of the Three Sweet Commanders, spoke up, her arms folded as she leaned back slightly. The silk scarf around her neck fluttered as she exhaled thoughtfully.

"But if it's true… then Ron, who now possesses both the knowledge of the Poneglyphs and the last remnant of Ohara, Nico Robin, is without a doubt a serious threat to us."

"You're absolutely right! That bastard is probably already eyeing the Red Poneglyph in my possession!"

A manic glint flickered in Charlotte Linlin's eyes as a sinister smile crept onto her face.

"There is only one throne fit for the King of the Seas! There's no way I'll let some upstart seize the advantage over me!"

"Mom, what do you plan to do?"

Charlotte Cracker asked, his expression serious. "Are we declaring war on him?"

Big Mom's bloodshot eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

"Becoming the ruler of these seas is no simple task!" she sneered.

"Send a message to Kaido! Instead of fighting me for territory, he should join forces with me to eliminate that eyesore of a brat first!"

Having already developed a deep-seated grudge against Ron, Kaido wasted no time accepting Big Mom's ceasefire proposal.

Shortly after, the two Yonko arranged to meet on a secluded island.

What they discussed there... remained a mystery to the world.

…

Elsewhere—

Another Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks, sought out Whitebeard, the Strongest Man in the World.

His visit was twofold—one, to discuss Blackbeard, and two, to address the rapidly shifting tides of the sea.

However, Whitebeard rejected Shanks' proposal outright.

The negotiation fell apart.

And in its wake—

The two of them clashed, if only briefly.

A single strike—just one—and the very sky itself split apart beneath the collision of their Conqueror's Haki.

…

Meanwhile, within the Revolutionary Army—

Under the direct command of their leader, Monkey D. Dragon, the Revolutionary Army's main force advanced toward the Bridge Nation of Tequila Wolf, a brutal labor camp in the East Blue.

This massive bridge had been under construction for seven hundred years, built by the hands of enslaved citizens from nations that defied the World Government.

For seven centuries, it stood as a symbol of the unyielding oppression imposed by the Celestial Dragons.

And now—

It was next in line for liberation.

…

The world was in chaos.

Celestial Dragons had been killed.

Admiral Akainu had lost an arm.

A rookie pirate crew had defeated Crocodile, a Warlord of the Sea, exposing his attempt to seize a kingdom.

The Ancient Weapon Pluton had re-emerged.

The Four Emperors of the New World were all stirring.

The Revolutionary Army was toppling governments left and right.

As the world reeled from one earth-shattering event after another—

At the very epicenter of it all...

Ron was peacefully fishing by the shore of Rusukaina Island, alongside Silvers Rayleigh.

Nearby, Kuina and Conis grilled the meat of a massive beast over an open fire, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

Their surroundings were teeming with monstrous creatures, the very landscape exuding danger—

And yet, amidst all this—

The atmosphere was calm. Unhurried.

Serene.

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T/N: Sorry about the wrong chapter update a few hours ago. I saw all the disappointed comments and, yeah… ouch. Hopefully, an extra chapter helps make up for it