World Economic News Headquarters
Midnight.
The giant air balloon swayed gently amid the stormy clouds. But the turbulence outside was nothing compared to the chaos inside.
The wooden deck was littered with flying papers and spilled ink. The roar of the printing presses was like that of old cannons forced to work nonstop. Reporters ran along the narrow corridors carrying conflicting reports. Their faces were pale because the news they had received seemed impossible.
In the center of the room stood the Albatross Bird, said to eat human-type Zoan fruit. Morgans' Big News held a chair. His hands were stretched out into the sky. His eyes glowed red like a desert predator who had found the biggest prey of its life.
He snatched the headline sheet from the nearest editor's hand with his sharp claws. "The Phenomenon of Simultaneous Sea Level Rise: A Mystery of Nature?"
Morgan read the headline aloud, then "This?"
He crumpled the manuscript and threw it at the unfortunate editor's face. "This isn't news! It's a bedtime story for little kids!"
The editor trembled. "But Morgans-sama, there's no official confirmation from....."
"CONFIRMATION?"
Morgan jumped out of his chair and hit the floor with a loud thud. The entire room fell silent.
"The world doesn't need confirmation! The world needs the truth!"
He walked over to the large bulletin board and dipped a giant red ink brush into the bucket beside it.
With brutal, rough movements, he crossed out all the prepared headlines. Ink splattered like blood across the wooden deck.
Then, in large, bold letters, he rewrote:
[Sea Levels Rising!
World's Shores Disappearing!
King Harald of Elbaf Swallowed by the Sea!
IS THIS THE END OF THE WORLD?]
Morgan turned to face all his employees. His eyes shone with ambition. "Listen carefully!"
His voice boomed.
"This news will change the world. Our names will be remembered for all time. We are not mere reporters, we are history makers!"
He raised his wings high.
"Tomorrow morning, the whole world must know what is happening! The world must know the truth!"
The airship's roof opened wide with a roar.
Thousands of seagulls flew out like a white storm, piercing the dark clouds of the Grand Line.
They carried newspapers, still warm from the printing press, and spread them to all corners of the world.
The Next Day
Eeast Blue
Foosha Coastal Village.
The sun rose with an unusual reddish glow.
At the pier, Makino stood holding a newspaper. The sea breeze blew through her green hair. She read the big headline with bated breath.
The pier, usually bustling with fishermen, was now deserted. The sea level had risen nearly half a meter overnight. Small boats were stranded on the village roads. Houses on the coast were submerged halfway up their doors.
"Makino..."
An old fisherman approached her with a pale face.
"Why does the seawater keep rising? My grandfather used to tell me about the legend of the 'world-devouring sea,' but I thought it was just a fairy tale..."
Makino slowly folded the newspaper. His hands shook slightly. "I don't know. But we have to move all the residents to higher ground. Now."
Similar scenes were repeated across the East Sea. Coastal villages were thrown into chaos. Sea water surged onto the land, engulfing main roads and flooding docks.
Children cried in fear. Parents recounted ancient legends they had always thought were fairy tales.
Emergency barricades were hastily erected.
Sailings were canceled.
Even the minor pirates, who only appeared briefly, began to panic as their log poses became chaotic and their navigation routes were completely altered.
The world they knew was changing.
The North Sea
The Kingdom of Lvaeel.
In the magnificent white stone palace, King Haldor II stood on the balcony overlooking the sea. He gripped the iron railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Below, the kingdom's largest port, once their pride and joy, was now half submerged.
Large merchant ships had overturned. The docks were cracked. Hundreds of citizens gathered in the square, shouting for protection.
The prime minister approached with a copy of the Morgan newspaper in hand.
"Your Majesty, King Elbaf Harald is reported missing. He was swallowed by the waves."
Haldor II did not respond. His face was as pale as a corpse.
Harald. The giant king who terrorized this kingdom 30 years ago and took the princess. The figure whose skin was impervious to cannons. The force that made the entire sea tremble. And now...gone. Without a trace. Swallowed by the sea, just like that.
"If even the Giant King disappeared without a trace..." Haldor II whispered softly, almost inaudibly. "What will become of us?"
The Prime Minister couldn't answer. Because he was thinking the same thing.
Across the Northern Sea, nobles and minor kings held emergency meetings. Exports were paralyzed. The economy had ground to a halt.
The royal army had no answer to this invisible threat.
Fear began to creep into every corner.
Grand Line
Sabaody Archipelago.
The Bar Shakky remained calm, even though the outside world was in chaos.
Yellow lights cast a soft glow onto the old wooden tables.
Thin wisps of cigarette smoke curled from Shakuyaku's lips as she sat casually behind the bar, cleaning glasses with a cloth.
In the corner, Silvers Rayleigh sat with a glass of rum in his hand. His blond hair still shone, not yet gray as it would be in his old age. His face was still young.
This is Rayleigh in his prime.
He calmly reads the Morgans newspaper.
Page after page. Then, he slowly puts it down. His sharp eyes stare blankly out the window.
"Swallowed by the waves?"
His tone was flat and cold yet meaningful.
Shakky put down the clean glass and poured himself a whiskey. She sat across from Rayleigh.
"That giant..." Shakky took a long drag on his cigarette. "Its skin was impervious to bullets. Its body was as hard as steel. In fact, Rocks once said that Harald was as strong as he was. If he just disappeared like that..."
Shakky looked at Rayleigh. "That means it wasn't an ordinary sea that swallowed him up."
Rayleigh twirled the rum glass in his hand. The brown liquid swirled slowly, reflecting the light from the lamp.
"This isn't a natural disaster, Shakky." His voice was calm but full of conviction. "Someone's hand is behind this. Or something....."
Shakky exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "You think the Ancient Weapon?"
Rayleigh didn't answer directly. He stared out at the sea through the small bar window.
The waves of Sabaody sounded louder than usual out there. They crashed against the mangrove trees with unusual force.
"Perhaps the story Roger once told is true." Rayleigh finished his rum. "Hopefully, the course of history will not change..."
Before Roger's Pirates disbanded, Rayleigh recalled, the Sun God Nika was supposed to reappear to liberate the world. The members of Roger's pirates hid and waited for the appointed time to assist Nika's successor.
But something was wrong now. Nika hadn't appeared, and the ancient weapon hadn't been born. Yet, the sea level had risen. Rayleigh sensed that an unprecedented storm was about to engulf the entire world.
"We must go too, help those fish people, it's our only chance to free them." Rayleigh got up from his seat and went outside, followed by Shakuyaku.
Water Seven
BOOM!
A small explosion of water burst from the crack in the rock. The ground shook violently, as if hit by an earthquake that wouldn't stop.
"Peg number four! It's cracked!" Iceberg shouted in panic, his purple hair soaked by splashes of water. He ran along the dark underground tunnel, carrying a torch and blueprints.
At the end of the tunnel, Franky remained in human form, holding the hydraulic jack with his shoulders. His muscles were tense. Sweat and seawater mixed on his face. "Why is the water rising?"
A torrent of water crashed down, hitting his face.
CRACK!
The vibrations grew stronger. The giant iron peg in front of Franky began to shift.
"Keep pushing!" Iceburg arrived with an emergency support beam. "Now, Franky!"
Franky roared like a wild animal. "Miawwwww!"
BOOM!
The peg was driven in with a loud thud. The support beams were installed. The water stopped gushing.
Franky fell to the ground, panting. His breath was ragged. His body trembled with exhaustion.
Iceberg sat down beside him, equally exhausted. They both fell silent and listened only to the sound of water dripping in the wet, foundation cave.
Then, Franky spoke softly. "This city..."
He stared at the cracked stone ceiling. "It has to be able to float."
Iceberg turned his head. "What?"
Franky stood up slowly, though his body was still shaking.
"If the sea level keeps rising... Water Seven will sink. Sooner or later."
He looked at the wet blueprint in Iceburg's hand. "We have to build a system that can survive, like Mr. Tom said: a city that can float. A floating city. Or a ship big enough to save everyone."
Iceburg was silent. Then he smiled slightly. "Crazy."
"Yeah." Franky grinned. "Super crazy."
But in his eyes was a burning determination.
He was determined to protect the city and fulfill Mr. Tom's hopes. Mr. Tom had cared for both of them.
The Holy Land of Mariejois
The Hall of Power.
The luxurious room was silent.
The only sounds were the turning of Morgan's newspaper pages and the aroma of herbal tea filling the air.
On the table was a world map and a newspaper marked in red ink.
The five Old Stars, who rarely spoke, sat down.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn slowly and calmly placed the newspaper down, but his eyes were sharp as knives.
"Harald is missing. No signal. No report." His voice was cold.
Saint Marcus Mars pointed to a spot on the West Blue with his long finger. "Two small islands disappeared from the map overnight. They didn't sink. Gone. As if erased."
Saint Topman Warcury slammed his staff onto the floor with a loud thud. "The Abyss Mark isn't responding!"
All the Gorosei turned to him.
Warcury continued urgently. "The teleportation mark in the Valley of the Gods ruins is gone. It's as if that area has been erased from existence."
Meanwhile, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro wiped the Kitetsu sword with a silk cloth. His movements were calm, but his gaze was cold. "We have lost our sharpest sword and our most important asset. This is no coincidence."
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter sighed deeply. "The world is moving... not by nature. This is a deliberate act. But by whom?"
Saturn stared at the map and the Morgan newspaper. "An ancient weapon?"
"No," replied Mars. "Hades is missing, Poseidon hasn't been born yet, and Uranus has run out of energy. If Uranus had been used, we would know because it belongs to the Lord. It's like..."
They fell silent.
"It's as if the world is being rewritten," Nusjuro continued.
Silence enveloped the room.
Suddenly,
The red light outside the window began to grow larger.
Mars turned his head. "What is that?"
From the large window where they were standing, they could see flames rising high into the sky in the eastern sector of Mariejois. Black smoke billowed. Faint screams could be heard in the distance.
Saturn stood up. "That's the Tenryuubito sector."
Warcury clenched his fists. "It's impossible for an attacker to slip past the guards, except for that crazy guy who broke in decades ago."
BRAAAAAK!!
The large door slammed shut.
A CP0 agent crawled in, half of his body burned, his white mask cracked and his cloak tattered. Blood flowed from behind his mask.
"Lord Gorosei,"
He gasped hoarsely. "The Sky Dragon's residence is burning! There's a slave uprising!
We couldn't hold them back!"
Saturn barked in a thunderous voice. "The mastermind? The Revolutionary Army?"
The CP0 agent cried. His body trembled with fear. "No... not a group... not an organization..."
He raised his face, one of the eyes behind the cracked mask was blind. "The mastermind... One Fish-Man."
The Five Elder fell silent.
Saint Saturn slammed his staff onto the floor. "Lowly insects causing trouble... Call the Holy Knights to quell this riot! As for you..."
A red light emerged from his eyes. At that moment, the head of the CP0 agent exploded like a melon.
.....
The white building where the Sky Dragon lived was transformed into a red hell.
Flames licked at the marble walls. Black smoke billowed into the sky. The air was filled with cries, screams, and the rattling of chains.
The chains melted.
Guards collapsed with shattered skulls.
The slaves scattered, crying out of fear, pain, and hope.
At the center of the fire stood a large, muscular Fishman with glowing red skin:
Fisher Tiger.
He smashed the concrete wall with his bare fists. He tore through the electrical panels as if they were paper. He ripped the slaves' chains as if they were straw ropes.
His breath was labored. His body was covered in burns. But his eyes burned like fire itself.
"CONTINUE!"
His voice boomed amidst the chaos.
"Jump off the cliff! Tonight, we go home!"
Among the crowd of slaves running around were the Shichibukai candidate, the Golden Emperor candidate, the former king of a kingdom, and others. There were also old slaves with backs covered in whip marks. They cried and begged to the sky, unable to believe they were finally free.
Fisher Tiger raised his torch high. The light illuminated his face, covered in wounds and blood, and his unshakeable determination. "Freedom is ahead! Run with all your might! It belongs to all of us!"
Cries of freedom erupted throughout the area.
"Long live Fisher Tiger!"
"Thank you!"
"We are free!"
Thousands of voices merged into one resounding echo amidst the chaos unfolding around them.
Several months ago.
The Holy Land of Mariejois
Cold... Dark. Only the sound of dripping water echoed through the basement.
Fisher Tiger hung from the stone wall, his hands locked in Kairoseki shackles. An explosive collar encircled his neck. His body was covered in whip marks. His breathing was barely audible.
He had given up.
There was no way out.
Then...
Slow footsteps approached.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Fisher Tiger lifted his head slightly. His eyes, nearly blinded by the darkness, tried to focus.
A knight stood before him. His entire body was wrapped in a black cloak; only the large sword at his waist was visible.
Fisher Tiger laughed bitterly.
"Are you here to deliver the final blow?" His voice was hoarse.
The knight did not answer.
He just stood there silently, like a statue.
Then...
His cloak fluttered in the wind. Three scars were visible on the knight's face.
That's right. The knight standing in front of Fisher Tiger was Shanks.
He was the future Yonkou whose face had been smashed by a sake bottle by the Bandit King, Sig, and whose hand had been eaten by a sea eel.
He was still young. His face was serious. There was no sign of the smile that would come in the future.
Tiger narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "You..."
Shanks stared at the Kairoseki chain and the explosive necklace.
Then, in a flat voice, he said, "Noisy."
He held the Gryphon in his hand.
He swung a swift slash.
Bonk!
A spark of light.
The Kairoseki handcuffs split open perfectly. The explosive necklace fell to the ground.
Fisher Tiger fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He looked at Shanks with questioning eyes. "Why?"
Shanks put his cloak back on. His voice was muffled by the cloak. "I didn't see you come out."
He turned and began walking away. But before he disappeared into the darkness, "If you come back, burn it all."
Fisher Tiger fell silent.
Then he smiled, his first smile in years in that hell.
"Yes." He rose slowly. "I promise."
Somewhere in Mariejoa.
Shanks stood on the roof of a building and stared at the blazing fire on the horizon.
He said nothing. But in his eyes,
there was a hint of a smile.
"I must act quickly, too."