After letting the crew watch the Titan's work for a long time, calm gradually returned to Heartless Island. The rumbling of rock forming in the distance became little more than background noise—almost reassuring—as everyone slowly resumed their activities. The excitement of the first few minutes gave way to a more composed, more thoughtful atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Law had finished his interview, his closed-off expression contrasting with the weight of his words. He had laid out the facts without hesitation, with that cold precision that defined him, leaving little room for interpretation.
At his side, Belmére had taken over. With the help of the Heartless—now perfectly organized and capable of moving quickly from island to island—she supervised the distribution of the newspaper, with occasional support from Nojiko and Lami when they weren't training.
This newspaper told the story of Flevance in its entirety, without trying to soften or distort it. Every page carefully detailed the true origin of the white-lead disease—not as a curse or some unknown illness, but as the direct result of white lead exploitation, fueled by greed and political decisions.
The account then described the royal family's escape, portrayed as a cold and calculated abandonment of their own people in exchange for wealth. It also explained the total embargo imposed by neighboring nations, which had knowingly closed their borders, condemning the inhabitants to remain trapped within their own country.
Finally, the newspaper revealed the horror of the massacre that followed—a true genocide in which several countries took part, with the tacit, if not active, approval of the Marines. But the most shocking revelation remained the truth about the disease itself: it had never been contagious.
It was purely hereditary, gradually reducing life expectancy with each generation. Once this was revealed, it became obvious that all the suffering, all the deaths… had been built on nothing but a lie.
And yet, the newspaper did not have the immediate, overwhelming impact we had hoped for. Not because its content lacked strength… but because it arrived at the worst possible moment. On the very same day, almost at the same time, two major announcements were published in the World Economic News Paper, distributed on a massive scale by the News Coo birds.
The first hit like a brutal shock. An official directive from the World Government declared a total ban on any collaboration with the Heartless. Anyone caught using them, sheltering them, or even facilitating their movement between islands would be immediately arrested… or executed on the spot if they resisted. The tone was unmistakable, and the wording left no room for interpretation: the Heartless were now considered a global threat, on the same level as the most dangerous pirates.
The second piece of news was a direct consequence… and perhaps even more destabilizing.
An entire section of Marine Headquarters, along with the majority of the forces stationed in East Blue, had abandoned their posts almost immediately after the announcement. This wasn't a simple resignation… it was a rupture. A visible fracture within the institution itself.
Among them were several well-known figures, including Vice Admiral Hector Varnes, nicknamed the Blue Bastion, known for having saved dozens of coastal villages. Rear Admiral Liora Kenshin, renowned for her strong sense of justice and her absolute refusal to follow orders she deemed immoral. And Commander Derrick Hale, a respected East Blue officer, who had publicly declared that he would never raise his hand against civilians or their protectors, no matter the orders he received.
Very quickly, the situation escalated.
Some of these officers were immediately branded as traitors.
Their names appeared in the following newspapers… accompanied by bounties.
Ironic.
Marines…
turned into targets.
Their crime?
Refusing to obey an order they considered unjust.
Most of them belonged to an unofficial faction within the Marines, often referred to as the "Doves," soldiers whose priority had always been the protection of civilians—even before blind obedience. Their departure marked a troubling turning point: the Marines were no longer united.
As I skimmed through the newspaper, an idea crossed my mind almost instantly. An opportunity. Not just political… strategic. Without waiting, I lifted my head toward Luffy.
"I'm going out for a bit. A quick trip."
He simply nodded, asking no further questions, used to my sudden departures. I then turned to Nami, stepped closer with a smile, wrapped my arms around her briefly, and placed a light kiss on her neck. She barely had time to react before my body dissolved into shadow, my mind already locked onto a very specific destination.
The transition was instantaneous.
When I reappeared, I found myself inside the passage carved through the Red Line. But something had changed. The space… had expanded. The rocky walls seemed to have been pushed back, widened by brute force. What had once been a simple tunnel was now a true maritime corridor.
And it wasn't empty.
Several pirate ships were immobilized, crammed together, some still in good condition, others already being dismantled. Dark silhouettes moved across the decks and between the hulls—the generic Heartless produced by Krieg—but they weren't the same anymore. Their posture, their responsiveness… even their aura felt more defined. They looked stronger.
And then I saw him.
Krieg's Heartless stepped toward me. His figure now dominated the space, far more imposing than before. Where he had already stood nearly 2.7 meters tall… he now easily reached four meters. His build had broadened, his dark armor appearing more structured—almost alive.
Before I could say a word, he pulled me into his arms.
A hug.
I froze for half a second.
Then...
"Good to see you again, boss."
I blinked, surprised.
"…You can talk?"
He stepped back slightly, clearly proud.
"I unlocked my voice after wiping out the second pirate crew."
He gestured broadly toward the ships behind him.
"These ones… and others."
I scanned the scene. The Heartless were boarding ships, searching, securing… or eliminating the last survivors. All with impressive efficiency.
Krieg continued, his tone almost military.
"I let the merchants pass. I send my men aboard to clean out the scum and use their ships to move our forces."
I nodded slowly.
Organization. Expansion. Initiative.
I smiled.
"Good job, Krieg."
He straightened slightly, as if he had been waiting for that acknowledgment.
I took a few steps forward, positioning myself in front of him.
"I need your help with something."
His gaze locked onto mine.
"Tell me."
"I need to send a message… on a large scale. Through the Heartless."
I paused.
"And for that… I need to send someone into Hades' arena."
A brief silence fell.
I continued.
"I have a feeling you can easily clear the first cup. And if you win… you'll earn a reward."
I looked straight at him, not forcing anything.
"So I'm asking you."
I crossed my arms.
"Are you in?"
Krieg stayed silent for a second, his glowing eyes fixed on me, as if he were truly weighing the question. Then he slowly nodded.
"I'll do you this favor, boss…" he said in a deep voice, now perfectly controlled. "But I'd like to return to the active team. I'm starting to get bored here."
He slightly extended his arm to show me the extent of his work. My gaze followed his, and that's when I noticed something I hadn't seen when I arrived. At the very center of the Red Line, behind the piled-up ships, a section had been dug much deeper. It was no longer just a horizontal passage… but a vertical excavation, as if Krieg was trying to reach the very core of the continent.
…He didn't just widen the tunnel.
He had started attacking the central structure.
"You're planning to cross the Red Line through the center…" I murmured.
He shrugged slightly.
"I was testing the limits."
I let out a quiet, amused breath.
"If you want to come back with us, that's fine by me. But…" I raised a finger, "you'll need to find a replacement here. And most importantly…"
I looked at him more seriously.
"You'll have to ask for a reward at the coliseum to change your appearance."
He tilted his head, attentive.
"I'm going to act under a different identity there. If someone sees you fighting… and then finds you with us afterward… that could be a problem."
Krieg nodded immediately.
"Understood."
He straightened up slightly, more confident.
"No problem, boss. I can leave a few hundred of my men here to maintain operations. I'll come back from time to time to reinforce the area."
He placed a hand on his own armor, as if illustrating his point.
"It only costs me stamina… and since I absorbed several pirate crews…" a faint smile crept into his voice, "even if they weren't very strong… it's not an issue anymore."
I nodded, satisfied.
"Perfect. I'm counting on you."
I stepped closer, placing my hand on his dark and gold armor.
A strange warmth rose instantly.
"Hades."
Blue flames erupted without warning, coiling around us like living serpents. Space tore apart again, swallowing the tunnel, the ships, the rock… everything vanished in an instant.
Then—
We reappeared.
The coliseum.
I found myself outside the arena, standing on an elevated platform overlooking the entire coliseum. Beneath my feet, the black stone was smooth, almost polished, and an intangible barrier shimmered faintly between me and the battlefield, like a thin membrane of energy separating two worlds. On the other side, Krieg had just appeared on the sand, his massive black-metal silhouette slowly rising. He turned his head, observing the arena, the endless stands, the heavy atmosphere… taking in the place he had been thrown into.
A blue flame opened beside me.
Hades appeared silently, his hands behind his back, perfectly relaxed. At the same moment, I activated my power and altered my appearance. My body subtly reshaped, my features changed, my clothes as well… until I became Sora.
Hades took a slight step back, surprised for a fraction of a second.
Then a slow smile spread across his lips.
"I see…" he murmured. "You're just as sneaky as I am, kid."
I crossed my arms, adopting a colder, more distant posture, my gaze fixed on the arena.
"That's my champion. After all, you didn't limit what I could send. And if he's strong enough…" I paused, "might as well let my allies benefit from it."
Hades turned his attention back to Krieg, observing him from head to toe, like a collector analyzing a new piece.
"As long as the show delivers…" he said with a slight shrug, "the rest doesn't interest me. Whether he wins or loses… makes no difference to me."
He shot me an amused sideways glance.
"But since you're already here… I assume you want the broadcast."
I nodded slightly.
"Yes. And… I'd also like to know if you offer aesthetic rewards. I'd like him to change his appearance after this tournament."
Hades let out a small laugh.
"Always thinking ahead… I like that."
He raised his hand, a green flame forming in his palm.
"If a more… sinister look doesn't bother you, I can offer you the form of a former gladiator. A demigod left behind by Ares. Massive. Brutal. Perfect for hand-to-hand combat."
The flame stretched, grew… then suddenly transformed into a strange floating structure. A kind of organic camera, surrounded by two small imps that immediately clung to it, adjusting its angle like real technicians.
"And for the broadcast…"
Hades snapped his fingers.
At that instant—Everywhere.Absolutely everywhere.
Above every existing Heartless in the world, a small glowing screen—about sixty centimeters wide—appeared, floating in the air like a magical projection. In cities, forests, seas… everywhere my creatures were, the images activated.
The coliseum.Hades at the center of the arena, holding a black microphone with green reflections.And me.Under the appearance of Sora.
Arms crossed.Cold gaze.Staring directly into the "camera."
Across the world, the Heartless began to move.
As if they instinctively understood the importance of the moment, they stepped out of the shadows to make themselves visible. In alleys, on docks, atop rooftops, or in the middle of public squares, they deliberately drew attention. Some civilians backed away, frightened by their mere presence… but others stood frozen, mesmerized by the glowing screens that had appeared above them.
Despite the recent ban from the World Government, many places still sheltered them in secret.
On a Marine ship somewhere in North Blue, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp was still scanning the horizon, arms crossed, a vein pulsing faintly at his temple.
He was looking for Luffy.Again.Always.
Ever since Tsuru's granddaughter had spotted him… he hadn't let go.
But there had been no sign so far.
His gaze suddenly locked onto something unusual.
The small creatures aboard his ship—the Heartless he had never bothered to hunt—had all stopped at once.
Then the screens appeared.
Garp narrowed his eyes.A slow smile spread across his face.
"…Sora."
His crew gathered around him, watching the projection with unusual focus.
"Where are you hiding…"
Back to the coliseum.
Hades stood at the center of the arena, microphone in hand, surrounded by dancing green flames, fully savoring the attention of the entire world.
"Ladies and gentlemen…" he declared theatrically, "I am the magnificent god of the underworld, master of this coliseum—"
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the sky.
It passed just inches from his head.
The camera shot upward.
Zeus appeared, floating among the clouds with a wide grin.
Hades grimaced slightly.
"…Alright. Co-owner of the coliseum."
"And we have Sora with us, who would like to make a short announcement before I show you the start of the tournament," he added, as the massive Heartless entered the arena—one many in East Blue recognized as the former admiral Don Krieg, now turned into a Heartless.
"As you just heard…"
My voice echoed—clear, cold, controlled.
"My name is Sora."
I paused.
"And I am the one behind the Heartless."
The entire world held its breath.
"Those you call monsters… are not your enemies."
My gaze hardened slightly.
"They hunt criminals. Parasites. Those who live in the shadows of your fears… and exploit your weakness."
Images appeared on the screens—Heartless attacking pirates, traffickers, bandits.
"They are cleaning this world."
A heavy silence settled.
"And meanwhile…"
My voice sharpened.
"The World Government is trying to convince you that they are the threat."
A faint, cold smile formed on my lips.
"Why?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Because they thrive on your fear."
My tone rose.
"Because they need you weak. Divided. Dependent."
My eyes turned icy.
"And most importantly… because they are the real criminals."
Across the seas and cities… reactions began to rise.
Shock.Anger.Doubt.
"They want to ban the Heartless?"
A quiet laugh escaped me.
"It's already too late."
I raised my hand slightly.
"I can appear anywhere. At any time."
The air itself seemed to tighten.
"And if I decide to…"
My voice dropped—lower, more threatening.
"I can unleash hundreds of thousands of Heartless."
Silence.
Heavy.
"So get ready, World Government."
My eyes gleamed faintly.
"Because I…"
I paused one last time.
"I won't stop."
I cut the microphone.
Without another word, I turned away and calmly walked toward an elevated stand, leaving the image of Sora burned into everyone's mind.
In the arena, Hades resumed speaking, a playful smile on his face.
"Well then… what an entrance."
He raised his arms.
"And now…"
He pointed toward Krieg.
"Let the show begin."
"The Phil Cup… and the challenger."
(Author's note: That's it for me. After this chapter, I'll move things forward a bit and set Kingdom Hearts aside to focus on the One Piece plot. If you like stories with creatures, check out my Resident Evil fanfic.)