While Dimon and Kaido stirred chaos across Wano, the outside world was no less turbulent.
The Rocks Pirates had fallen apart—yet their remnants, freed from the iron grip of discipline, now rampaged across the seas like beasts loosed from their cages.
Marineford, Headquarters of the Navy
Inside the indomitable fortress, atop the highest floor, a crisis meeting unfolded.
Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong sat at the head of the table, rubbing his temples as he stared at the intelligence reports.
Around him gathered the Navy's elite: Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Zephyr, Vice Admiral Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Kong's sigh weighed heavy.
"Rocks' remnants are on the move. Especially Golden Lion Shiki—he's formed the Flying Pirates. The situation's… troublesome."
He passed the report to Sengoku, who read it grimly before handing it on to Tsuru. Each officer's face darkened in turn.
"The Big Mom Pirates have reemerged!"
"That Whitebeard fellow's started his own Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Captain John's recruiting on Gibuti Island—calling it the Treasure Pirates!?"
"Summer Queen Shakky and Gloriosa have returned to Amazon Lily… even that Toretoma woman's back—three former Kuja empresses alive at once? Good grief!"
And the list went on.
Each page chronicled a new sighting, a new spark from the ashes of Rocks.
Together, they'd been one disgusting lump—now scattered, they were a storm of stars.
The sea would soon see the rise of multiple monstrous crews.
Even if none could match the infamous Rocks Pirates, each was a headache large enough to make the Navy's might tremble.
Tsuru tapped the desk thoughtfully.
"They were bad enough united, but apart? They've become worse—harder to predict. And more concerning…" she paused, "…those people are immortal."
The word hung in the air like a curse.
Kong's brow furrowed. "Garp, you were there at God Valley. Can you confirm your report? They truly couldn't die?"
Garp looked distant, as though still hearing the echoes of that day.
He nodded, voice heavy. "It's true. No matter how you hit them—they healed. Couldn't kill 'em."
"What about Rocks himself?" Zephyr pressed. "There hasn't been a trace of him in the news. Orders say to erase all records, but… what happened to him?"
"That's for the World Government to answer," Garp muttered. "The Holy Knights took him away."
Kong rapped his knuckles on the table. "From this day forward, no one utters the name Rocks—or Rocks Pirates. That history no longer exists."
Then, after a beat:
"New directive—those remnants must be dealt with before they grow stronger. Kill them if you can't capture them. I don't care how 'immortal' they are."
He pointed sharply.
"Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp—you three take your fleets into the New World. Hunt every last one down. No rest. No excuses. Understand?"
The three stood. "Aye, Fleet Admiral."
"Lastly," Kong added, "the new bounty posters are ready. They'll be published worldwide tomorrow."
Garp's Office, Later That Day
The old vice admiral found a young soldier waiting in his chair.
Garp grinned. "I'm heading to the New World for a long mission. You're coming too, kid. Time you got some real experience. That mess at God Valley—you saw what real monsters look like, huh?"
The young man said nothing. Instead, he slowly removed his Marine cap, then folded his uniform with care and set it on the desk.
"Father," he said quietly, "I've made my decision. From today—I'm leaving the Marines."
Garp blinked. "What—?!"
"I've been lost lately," Dragon admitted. "But now I see clearly. I joined because you told me to. I wanted to believe in justice. But here…"
His eyes hardened. "I see no justice."
He turned and walked out.
"Oi—brat! Get back here!" Garp shouted after him.
But the words rang hollow. Deep down, he knew he had no right to stop him.
Wano — Shogun's Residence
Dimon and Kaido sat across from each other in lavish comfort.
Geisha poured wine, musicians plucked shamisen strings, and courtesans fluttered fans beside them.
Dimon looked utterly bored, head propped on his palm. One glance from him, and the top courtesan hurried over to knead his shoulders with trembling hands.
Life as a shogun, he thought, was dreadfully dull.
Kaido, meanwhile, drank like a man on a mission.
"The samurai rebellion's crushed," he reported lazily. "I sent the survivors to Fujiyama to work the mines. Locals are overseeing them, but I don't trust those rats, so—"
"You're starting a pirate crew?" Dimon cut in.
Kaido grinned. "Exactly. I'm going back to Hive Island. But I'll do it differently from Rocks."
Rocks had absorbed other crews through Davy Back Fights, forcing loyalty by oath—breeding resentment instead of unity.
"I'll hold a Pirate Tournament on Hive," Kaido declared. "Winner gets Eternal Life Wine! Only the strong can join me. And when captains win, their crews join too—willingly."
Dimon raised a brow. "Look at you, using your head for once."
"Eh, I've been learning from you!" Kaido barked a laugh. "The Navy's crawling all over Hive now, though. You worry too much."
"Just don't get caught," Dimon said dryly. "I'm not flying across the sea to bail you out."
Kaido laughed harder. "Ogorogoro! If I do get caught, brother—remember to come save me!"
With a roar, he transformed into a massive azure dragon and burst into the sky.
Dimon sighed. Back to dull, decadent shogun life.
A Few Days Later
He wasn't entirely idle.
He founded the Shinsengumi, appointing Abel as captain—answerable only to the shogun himself.
They were the only ones permitted to bear blades in the Flower Capital, acting as a police force to enforce the Sword Ban and suppress crime.
He also subjugated the Oniwabanshu. Once the ninja learned their new shogun couldn't die, they submitted instantly.
Administrative matters he dumped on the old bureaucrat Rokku, dealing only with major issues himself.
On the surface, Wano appeared calm—stable, even.
"News from Kaido, my lord." Abel handed him a newspaper, bowing.
"He left already?" Dimon asked.
"Again, yes."
Dimon unfolded the paper. Inside were fresh bounty posters.
The first face—Kaido's.
"Hundred Beasts" Kaido — 944,500,000 Berries.
The second—his own.
"The Brewer" Dimon — 1,066,000,000 Berries.
He flipped further. Every page bore a ghost of Rocks' past—Shiki, Whitebeard, Big Mom, John, Captain Wang Zhi… all with staggering bounties.
Shiki's topped them all—over three billion.
Dimon whistled softly. "What kind of accountant makes bounties like these? Couldn't round up?"
Still, it wasn't the numbers that caught his eye—it was the headlines.
Across every sea, Rocks' remnants were stirring.
Each forming crews, staking territory, spreading their shadows over the Grand Line.
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"Together, we were one pile of crap."
He raised his cup, smiling at the absurdity.
"Apart, we're a sky full of stars."
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