Sabaody Archipelago, Kael Grylls' private villa.
Afternoon sunlight poured through the massive floor to ceiling windows, spilling across the luxurious living room.
Kael lounged lazily on the sofa, savoring a rare stretch of peace and quiet.
Ever since that "big monster" of a ship was finally completed, he'd oddly found himself with nothing to do.
Over at the World Government, they were cowed like grandchildren in front of grandpa, too scared to even squeak.
And the pack of problem children under him, after the "hellish team building," had behaved a lot more. One by one, they'd thrown themselves into training like their lives depended on it, too busy to cause him trouble.
It was… so peaceful it made him want to yawn.
Just as Kael was about to drift off, a sharp, urgent "Buru buru" rang out, shattering the room's calm.
It came from a special encrypted Den Den Mushi sitting on the coffee table.
Kael cracked one eye and glanced at it.
That line was reserved for only the most urgent, most core intelligence.
He reached out and picked up the receiver.
"Talk."
On the other end, a voice came through, filtered and altered until it was impossible to tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.
"Kael-sama, emergency report. Marine Headquarters Spade Unit encountered the Beasts Pirates in the New World. All members have been captured and are currently being transported to Wano Country, Onigashima."
"Target, Portgas D. Ace, is stable. No immediate threat to his life."
The moment the name "Ace" hit his ears, the laziness vanished from Kael's face as if it had never existed.
The temperature in the living room seemed to plunge to freezing in a heartbeat.
An invisible pressure spread from Kael like a tide, pressing outward in every direction.
Robin, sorting documents nearby, paused mid motion. She lifted her head, staring at Kael with quiet alarm.
"Kaido…"
Kael's voice was light, almost soft, yet filled with a coldness that crawled under the skin.
He slowly sat up, setting the Den Den Mushi down.
Wasn't Ace supposed to be facing Hanafuda?
By all logic, Ace should have been able to beat Hanafuda.
But he was alive. That was the one mercy in all this.
As long as he was alive, everything could still be negotiated. Everything could still be fixed.
Kael closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, his gaze was calm, but beneath that calm lay a darkness so deep it had no bottom.
He picked up another Den Den Mushi and dialed.
"Buru buru…"
It connected quickly, forming the arrogant face of a man in sunglasses.
"Fuffuffuffu… Kael-sama, what a rare honor. You're actually calling me." Doflamingo's signature laugh crackled through.
"Doflamingo. Where are you?" Kael asked, cutting straight to it.
"Me? I'm in Dressrosa, handling some boring family matters. Do you have an order for me, Kael-sama?"
"Drop everything. Come to Sabaody. Now."
Doflamingo's laughter faltered for a fraction of a second. He could hear something off in Kael's tone.
"Oh? Did something interesting happen?"
"… "
A long pause followed. When Doflamingo spoke again, his voice carried a new weight, and an excitement he couldn't quite hide.
"The Beasts Kaido… fuffuffuffu, now that's… a hell of a hornet's nest. Kael-sama, you're planning to…"
"All hands. Víðófnir, assemble." Kael cut him off, his voice stripped of emotion. "We're going to Onigashima."
"Fuffuffuffu! Understood! I'll be there immediately!"
Doflamingo hung up cleanly.
He knew it.
A storm unlike anything before was about to tear through the New World.
And he would be inside it.
Kael dialed several more numbers, each message short and sharp.
"Crocodile. Work's here."
On the other end came the faint sound of a cigar being stubbed out, followed by a single hoarse syllable.
"Mm."
"Moria. Stop sleeping. Get up and fight."
"…Hah… who is… Kaido?!" The Den Den Mushi screamed back, all drowsiness gone.
"Tesoro. I want Wano to get rained on by gold. Prepare your stash."
"No problem, my king! Art is extravagance!"
"Mihawk. Wano has a great swordsman."
The line went silent for a moment. Then came a faint metallic whisper, like a blade sliding from its sheath.
After that, the call ended.
Commands left this quiet living room and spread to every corner of the world.
Out on the sea, monsters that had been lying low all stopped what they were doing at the exact same time, turning toward one destination.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Finally, Kael placed a call to the president of the World Economy News Paper, Morgans.
The Den Den Mushi formed a birdlike face.
"It's… it's Kael-sama! What can this humble one do for you?" Morgans' voice dripped with flattery.
Ever since the last time he'd nearly been turned into roasted bird, just hearing Kael's name made his feathers prickle.
Kael leaned back on the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and returned to that casual, almost lazy tone.
"Morgans. Want a scoop big enough to blow the world wide open and multiply your sales by ten?"
"I do! Of course I do!" The moment he heard the words "big scoop," Morgans tossed fear into the stratosphere. He was so excited his feathers practically stood on end.
"Good." Kael said. "Prep every visual Den Den Mushi you've got. Point them toward Wano. Soon, there'll be a grand performance."
"Performance?" Morgans sounded confused.
"Remember this." Kael's voice cooled. "I want every corner of the world to see that 'performance.' Do it right, and I'll make you the true King of News."
"Do it wrong…"
"You can count on me, Kael-sama!" Morgans thumped his chest as he swore. "By the honor of the King of News, I'll deliver!"
The call ended.
Kael rose to his feet and stretched. His joints crackled in a sharp chain of pops.
He walked to the massive window, looking out over the distant, calm blue sea. The glass reflected his face, perfectly composed.
"Kaido… you could've grabbed anyone."
"And you had to grab him."
"I was going to let you hop around for a few more years…"
"Looks like I'll also make this boring world lively again."
He turned and gave Robin an order.
"Tell Tom and Enel. Get the Víðófnir ready to sail."
"Yes." Robin replied, and left at once.
Inside her chest, waves were already crashing.
She understood it clearly.
Kael was truly angry this time.
And the wrath of a sea emperor was more than enough to set the entire world on fire.