Karol nodded and said:
"Understood."
The warships in the distant harbor were steadily dwindling, marking the departures of the troops. This huge fortress was left with only the personnel needed to keep basic operations running.
Watching the last Vice Admiral lead his force away, a cold voice sounded:
"Bring that thing out."
Karol gave a light "hmm."
Whoosh—
A Devil Fruit ability activated, and in an instant the thing vanished without a trace.
Sakazuki turned and walked back into the Fleet Admiral's office.
Whoosh—
Karol reappeared. This time, however, appearing with him was a proportional duplicate of Sakazuki...!
From a distance it was hard to tell which was the real one...
...
New World — the Briana Islands.
This area, lying within Kaido's domain and forming a gap in the Navy's strategic deployment, had been taken after the 44th, 47th, 51st, 52nd and 57th Fleets fought here in recent days.
The fighting had not stopped; reinforcements and counterattacks under Kaido continued unabated. The rules were even being quietly broken — Kaido had actually sent the numbers among the All-Stars himself, although they had not yet intervened directly.
Navy reinforcements were already advancing toward this area.
Nearby, Enel had dispatched Law, Drake and others — Law using his ability to lead a few ahead, rushing toward this location without pause.
Why Enel felt comfortable sending his subordinates out to support...
It was the same reason Sakazuki had earlier moved to weaken Knock and Shanks' influence and business.
Because those two among the Four Emperors tended to act with reason — and the type who act with reason are the most troublesome.
Likewise, even knowing that the Navy's strategic layout was complete, both sides chose restraint, which is exactly why Enel was comfortable sending help.
Kaido and Big Mom's shortcomings were obvious: from a godlike vantage they were easier to control, but they also broke the rules more often and always wanted to try to tear everything apart...
When the senior figures from both sides held back, Kaido nevertheless sent All-Stars-level forces to command the battle — the intent was clear...
...
Onboard the Beasts Pirates' ship.
Queen, rounded like a balloon, stood at the edge of the deck, smoking a cigar as he directed his fleet and fought a naval battle against the Navy ships garrisoning the island.
Even at deep night, the sky was lit with the eerie flashes of cannon fire falling like rain.
Watching the battle continue, Jack — who looked especially fierce — could not contain himself:
"Queen, why aren't we joining in?"
"Let me tear these bastards apart!"
Queen turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
Seeing Queen's expression, Jack immediately froze like a child caught doing something wrong; his fierce face suddenly looked rather submissive.
Only then did Queen nod with satisfaction and say:
"Idiot Jack."
"Don't question any of my decisions."
"It's not time to act yet."
"We have to bait out some big fish first."
"Got it?"
He glanced sideways at Jack.
Jack shivered and hurriedly nodded:
"Y-yes!!"
At that moment, a familiar voice rang across the battlefield:
"ROOM!!!"
An almost imperceptible transparent light membrane instantly covered the sea.
Queen's mouth curled into a cruel smile:
"The big fish has arrived..."
All the Beasts Pirates' ships were lifted from the sea, tilting and bobbing as they floated in the air.
Whoosh—
A laser shot out from Queen's modified body.
Roar!!!!
Simultaneous with that, both sides let out roars like ancient beasts.
Two enormous forms collided in midair; the dull impact sound made chests ache...
...
In the sky.
A gigantic yellow brontosaurus-like arm creature lunged at Law.
Queen, whose body had been extensively modified, fired a machine gun from his mouth as the tail — constantly extending — lashed toward Law.
From his lengthened arms, various small missiles launched to chase Law.
But none of these had any effect on Law, not even to limit his range...
Clang!
Law swapped positions with a missile just fired from Queen's mouth, then slashed at Queen with his blade:
"Hey, hey, the Beasts Pirates are breaking the rules, huh."
"They actually sent out the All-Stars to fight."
Queen in brontosaur form planted his iron claws against the long blade that Law brought down, a feral smirk pulling at his face:
"You're the ones breaking the rules."
"You brat fights so strong and you're only a Rear Admiral — Sakazuki's treating everyone like idiots."
Law flashed and appeared behind him, letting out a light laugh:
"Then you can blame Fleet Admiral Sakazuki all you want."
"I'm a Rear Admiral only because I lack seniority, nothing more."
Clang!
Queen's long braid, like an iron serpent, blocked Law's long blade and climbed up along it. He turned his head slightly:
"Oh?"
"So he really is an old relic."
"Why not join the Beasts Pirates? You'd become the fourth of the All-Stars."
Law looked at the braid that climbed up, gleaming with a cold edge:
"Thanks for the offer, but I have no interest."
His body had been fully mechanically modified... in that case...
The long blade in his hand erupted with fierce electric light and stabbed straight in:
"High-Frequency Scalpel!!!"
High-voltage current converged on the blade, trying to pierce into the modified body of Queen.
Queen let out a "cut" sound as his body burst with a strong flow of Busoshoku Haki, separating the two of them:
"Then go die... Vegapunk's disciple!!!"
Circular launch ports popped up across his body, firing missiles outward in all directions. Before Law could lift his hand to evade...
Boom!!!!
All the missiles detonated at the same moment.
Queen at the center of the explosions held his breath, collapsing into human form and falling downward, but his gaze remained fixed on Law.
Law in midair felt the strength in his body draining away. Seeing Queen hold his breath, Law realized something:
"Seastone powder?"
They had put Seastone powder into the missiles... and with the explosion it swept across the battlefield...
He was turning it over in his mind, but his movements didn't slow down at all.
Even though a lot of his strength had been drained, the instant the thought arose, he cut off all connection between himself and the outside world.
Down below, Queen suddenly burst out with Armament Haki, shaking off the Seastone powder that had landed on his skin.
He reached out toward Law's heart.
A deadly sense of crisis locked onto Law.
Law had just started to activate his power when his body suddenly froze.
A wave of searing pain ripped through him.
A black-and-blue substance spread rapidly from his arm across half his body.
Law's heart tightened.
"Poison…"
He didn't have time to purge it.
Because of that single instant's delay, the laser had already arrived...
Ssst—
An arm flew off...
Queen cursed under his breath.
"What the hell kind of ability is that?"
A damn all-rounder.
Even in this situation, he still managed to dodge...
...
Law and the severed arm vanished in an instant.
He reappeared on a distant warship, pressing the arm against his shoulder while pulling out a syringe and jabbing it into the wound.
The power of the Op-Op Fruit activated.
New flesh and tissue rapidly grew and intertwined, and within moments the injury was completely healed.
But the cold sweat on his forehead was inevitable.
Stimulating cellular activity to regrow flesh and bone—what a lovely tearing sensation that was...
Then the Seastone powder he'd inhaled, along with the poison, was forced out of his body.
But where had the poison come from...
Law raised the long blade in his hand, aiming it at the entire battlefield.
"Scan!"
His eyes became like X-rays, instantly seeing everything on the battlefield.
The smoke rolling out from the explosions spread continuously through the air.
Some of it had mutated into a deadly red poison...
"I see…"
"I really got schooled this time…"
In an instant, Law understood how the deadly poison had invaded his body.
The missiles Queen had launched earlier had all contained some kind of poisonous base material.
Released on their own, they didn't trigger any reaction and were registered by the body as harmless.
That was why Law hadn't noticed them.
But in the final missile volley, mixed in with the Seastone powder was that last dose of the base material.
The moment they combined—they formed a deadly poison.
The substance he saw was about to sweep down toward the sea surface.
Many of the soldiers had already inhaled some of it earlier, and if this wave spread further, the entire fleet would drop dead in an instant.
But since he now knew, the solution was easy.
Swish—
Law appeared in midair.
One hand pointed toward the fleet, the other toward the sky.
"Takt!"
An invisible force swept through.
The soldiers below suddenly felt their bodies lighten.
Two swirling clusters of slightly discolored gas formed in Law's hands—one extracted from the soldiers, the other condensed from the sky.
He merged the two gas clusters, spinning them around his blade.
He aimed it toward the massive mammoth locked in battle with Drake.
"Injection Shot!!!"
The spinning gas clusters fused and shot out, turning into a black-and-blue poisonous arrow.
...
Far away, Queen, who was descending from high above to return, suddenly sensed something.
When he saw the poisonous arrow streaking toward Jack, cold sweat poured down his face...
He knew exactly what that black-and-blue color meant.
Law had inhaled only a little of it and half his body had been invaded in seconds...
Even with Jack's monstrous physique, if that dose hit him... even if he didn't die, he'd be ripped apart.
Queen extended his arm.
It transformed mechanically, forming a laser cannon aimed at the poisonous arrow.
Whoosh—
Boom!!!!
The poisonous arrow was shattered, but the black-and-blue poisonous mist spread outward with the explosion.
Queen's laser cannon recharged, gathering light once more, and aimed at the two ancient beasts locked together in a brutal clash.
A laser beam fired out.
Jack, who was colliding with Drake, was blasted away.
Drake's dragon-like pupils narrowed slightly.
"Wha—"
Swish—
He was instantly teleported away by Law.
The black-and-blue poisonous mist swept through...
...
Swish—
Drake appeared on the warship.
"The hell..."
He shook his head. That familiar teleportation sensation...
Law was directing the fleet to retreat and regroup.
"Temporary ceasefire."
His tone was relaxed.
Clearly, he hadn't taken the battle to heart.
Drake clicked his tongue.
"I wasn't done fighting yet, that bastard..."
Law gave him a strange look.
"Pretty sure you were the one getting your ass kicked…"
Drake froze, his face darkening with suppressed anger.
"You don't get it!"
"For Zoan types, that was an even match!"
Law's lips twitched.
"Yeah~ yeah~"
He turned away with an "I totally believe you" expression...
Veins bulged on Drake's forehead.
"Hey! What's with that look... you bastard!!!"
...
Beasts Pirates' fleet.
The pirate ships were frantically fleeing.
Yes—fleeing.
Unlike Law, they didn't have the ability to teleport the poisonous mist away.
They were terrified of touching it and dying on the spot...
Queen stood calmly on deck, looking toward the distant Marine fleet.
"What a pity…"
The fish had bitten the bait, but slipped away.
Catching them next time wouldn't be so easy...
Jack scowled beside him.
"Queen! The poison mist's coming!!"
Queen snorted coldly.
"What are you yelling for."
"As long as I'm here, no one's dying…"
He raised his hand, firing missiles.
The explosive shockwaves churned up the air, disrupting the spreading poisonous mist.
Queen turned around and headed back into the cabin.
"Just keep firing like this."
"This poison mist only happened because I saved your ass, so you're in charge of blocking it."
"Idiot Jack."
Jack immediately straightened up.
"Yes!"
In his head, he was already trying to figure out how to replicate the missile explosion's dispersal effect...
"External Armament Haki?"
...
Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago.
Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi and turned to Issho.
"Looks like you won't be leaving just yet."
"Sakazuki just called. He wants you to wait for another newly appointed Admiral so you can head to Marine Headquarters together."
Issho showed a trace of interest.
"Oh?"
"Another newly appointed Admiral…"
Sengoku said,
"That's right. He was also recruited through the World Military Draft."
"Your appointment letter and uniform are already here. Tomorrow, I'll take you around Sabaody to get familiar with the place."
"Jinbe of the Shichibukai is also on the island. You might visit Fish-Man Island if you get the chance."
"You two probably share similar temperaments."
Issho nodded.
"Alright."
...
Grand Line, an uninhabited island near Dieppe Island.
Half of the island had already sunk beneath the waves, and the remaining half was overrun with plants exuding a dangerous aura.
Borsalino descended in a beam of golden light, landing on a massive tree.
"Scary~"
"What a scary ability, yo~"
"Truly impossible to guard against~"
The green-haired Aramaki laughed cheerfully.
"Hahahahahaha."
"Nah, nah."
"Admiral Borsalino's ability is unbeatable!"
"There's no way anyone can even touch you."
The corner of Borsalino's mouth twitched ever so slightly.
"Ma~"
"Testing's over. Time to report back to Fleet Admiral Sakazuki~"
...
New World, New Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
A new desk had been added.
Karol was sitting there, working.
Buru buru~ buru buru~
The Den Den Mushi on the Fleet Admiral's desk rang.
'Sakazuki' picked up the call.
At the same time, Karol picked up the one-way Den Den Mushi on his desk and pressed a button.
A soundproofing shield like Rosinante's ability enveloped Karol.
Borsalino's voice came through.
Karol nodded slightly and spoke.
"Since the test's over, return to the New World immediately."
"Head back at once and hold position in Kaido's sector."
"As for Aramaki…"
"Welcome to the Marines. You've made an excellent choice."
"There's a temporary mission that needs your attention."
"The Vinsmoke family in the North Blue has colluded with an Emperor. Their guilt has been confirmed."
"Other than the primary target, Judge, no one is to be spared..."
"After that, meet up with Issho on Sabaody and head to Marine Headquarters together."
"The appointment letters and uniforms will be delivered by special personnel..."
Curiously...
Inside the soundproof barrier, Karol's mouth moved—but no sound came out.
Meanwhile, the 'Sakazuki' on the other end spoke in perfect sync with Karol...
The tone and inflection were identical to Sakazuki's…