The Den Den Mushi in Borsalino's hand fell silent once more. He stood still, lost in thought.
Repair robots carrying parts and tools moved past him one after another, but he paid them no mind, remaining motionless.
"To bring eternal peace to the world?"
At some point, Borsalino's lips parted slightly as he muttered to himself.
Then, a familiar mocking smile slowly returned to his face.
"How terrifying…"
He murmured in a voice only he could hear, then raised his hand, pushed open the lab door, and strode inside.
"Dr. Vegapunk, Saturn-sama is already aware of what happened here."
Borsalino smiled as he met Vegapunk's slightly bewildered gaze.
"I've already explained that it was just a minor lab accident… The repair costs and the next round of funding will arrive within three days."
A lab accident?
Vegapunk froze, his face showing confusion—until he noticed Borsalino's cheerful smile. Realization struck him instantly, and he quickly said,
"Yes! No one could have predicted something like this… Borsalino, if it weren't for your protection, I might not have made it out safely."
"Really, you've done me a huge favor."
Borsalino chuckled, spreading his hands as if helpless.
"No need to thank me. I'm just a working man, Dr. Vegapunk."
"But Saint Saturn hopes you can speed up your experiments. He told me to pass along a message: 'The day your research succeeds will be the day they bring an end to war in this world. And your work will bring lasting peace to the seas.'"
Vegapunk fell silent for several seconds.
"I understand."
He slowly turned around, a flicker of light in his eyes.
"This world… will see peace."
...
New World, somewhere at sea.
At the port of a coastal town, the air was filled with deafening cries of battle.
Blood ran across the ground, soaking into the sea.
Civilians hiding in the distance stared in shock at the one-sided scene before them, unable to believe it was real.
Just moments ago, that gang of arrogant pirates—so powerful they had slaughtered the kingdom's guards with ease—were now being cut down, their formation shattered, fleeing in utter disarray under the assault of a force clad in black cloaks.
"These guys... they're way too strong!"
"They're just a bunch of renegade Marines!"
"Damn it!"
"—"
The pirates retreated step by step, their faces pale as they stared at the figures drawing closer.
They tried to curse and sound tough, but their hands holding their blades trembled uncontrollably.
They were simply too strong.
The Evil Axe Pirates had rampaged through the New World for ages, even clashing with forces under the BIG MOM Pirates over territory. They had weathered countless battles.
But they had never encountered a force like this.
Each of these so-called "Neo Marines" had the power of at least a Marine Captain or even a Commodore. Their coordination in joint combat was flawless, leaving no openings.
Though lacking the overwhelming firepower of the formal Marine Corps, this mysterious small unit had cohesion and discipline that far surpassed Marine Headquarters.
"Damn it, let's take them on!"
A bald pirate suddenly gritted his teeth with a vicious look, gripping a bloodstained scimitar as he charged out from the crowd.
Shiiing!
A streak of silver-white sword light tore across the ground in a flash, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
The bald pirate froze mid-stride, his entire body going stiff.
The world fell into dead silence.
Then...
As the other pirates watched in horror, a thin red line slowly emerged across the bald pirate's body, growing longer... then wider...
Slash!
Scalding blood sprayed from the wound like a crimson waterfall.
The pirate staggered, desperately trying to clutch at the gash on his body with both hands, but could only collapse to the ground in despair.
The gruesome scene left the surrounding pirates trembling with fear.
"The Evil Axe Pirates... total bounty: 330 million Belly."
A deep, magnetic voice rang out, and a tall, graceful figure stepped from the crowd.
She wore pink high heels on her long legs, her black ponytail swaying with every step. A black cape fluttered behind her, exuding an aura of icy authority that made others instinctively back away.
"Neo Marines. In the name of justice, we will execute you on the spot."
Gion raised her golden Meito with one hand, her gaze cold as she spoke.
The pirates panicked, their faces filled with dread.
They gritted their teeth and shouted, trying to rally themselves.
"Damn it... if only our captain were here..."
"You'd be no match for us!"
"Our captain's a Great Pirate with a bounty over 200 million Belly!"
"Even Big Mom's officers have lost to him!"
"..."
Gion tilted her head slightly and said calmly,
"Your captain?"
As soon as the words left her lips—
A dark figure plummeted from the sky and smashed into the earth with a thunderous crash.
The ground trembled beneath their feet, and as the dust settled, a massive crater appeared before them.
At its center stood a man gripping a giant black axe.
"C-Captain!?"
The moment they recognized the body, the pirates' eyes went wide with terror, pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
Before they could react—
A hulking figure dropped from the sky like a cannonball, slamming into the ground with a loud boom.
A wide black cloak whipped through the air, bearing an ominous inverted cross.
"B-Black Arm?!"
"Black Arm Zephyr!!"
"A former Marine Admiral?!"
"Damn it!!"
"He's here too?!"
"He killed the captain!"
The pirates screamed in terror.
"Black Arm? Sorry, this old man hasn't gone by that name in a long time."
"My name now... is Z!!"
The man's short purple hair blew wildly in the wind. Muscular, wearing sunglasses, and with only one arm remaining, he curled his fingers into a loose fist, a bold grin spreading across his face.
"Pirates... it's time to face justice!"
As soon as he finished, he slammed his arm down onto the ground!
BOOM!!
Like a mountain collapsing, the entire port shook violently.
Massive stone pillars burst upward like a forest of blades... soaring into the sky!