The Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago.
At the port of Mangrove Area No. 41, the atmosphere was a suffocating coil of tension. Hundreds of bounty hunters and pirates stood packed along the shoreline, their eyes straining against the horizon. The 1.57 billion berry "Outlier" and a crew of monsters—this was a windfall large enough to drive any desperado to madness.
Yet, the sea remained stubbornly still.
Just as the crowd began to stir with restless murmurs, the sky went dark. This wasn't the passing of a cloud, but a shadow so vast it seemed to swallow the light itself.
"Above... Look above!" a pirate shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the heavens.
From thousands of meters up, a teardrop-shaped obsidian giant had cut its engines. It wasn't landing; it was falling like a meteorite.
Boom!
The Eclipse struck the harbor without a hint of deceleration. Its Starfall Black Steel hull hammered into the water, the sheer kinetic force triggering a tidal wave dozens of meters high. A wall of white froth surged outward like a solid ram, instantly splintering a dozen pirate ships moored at the docks. The bounty hunters lying in wait didn't even have time to scream before the furious sea swept them away, clearing the port in a single, violent stroke.
As the mist of the impact settled, the Eclipse sat moored in the center of the ruin. The dark red Vermilion Bird ram shimmered with a predatory luster. Ace stood at the bow, his dark red trench coat snapping in the wind as he surveyed the chaos below.
Before the crew could disembark, two powerful auras closed in from the island's interior.
"A violent entrance for a violent brat. No wonder Boss Kaido wants you," a tall figure noted, landing atop a stone pillar via Moonwalk. He gripped a kusarigama, its chains weighted by massive, spiked iron spheres.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea: Hanafuda.
Almost simultaneously, the sea on the starboard side churned as a giant vessel decorated with gingerbread and candy broke through the waves. At the bow stood a man built like a fortress of flesh, a heavy broadsword resting on his shoulder. One of Big Mom's Sweet Four Generals: Snack.
"Portgas D. Ace, I presume." Snack looked down from his height, flicking a pink envelope toward the Eclipse's deck. It spun through the air with enough force to embed itself in wood. "Accept this invitation to the Tea Party. Mama has taken a liking to your potential. You will follow us to Totto Land and marry one of her daughters. To be protected by an Emperor is a divine decree for a rookie like you."
Hanafuda let out a rasping laugh. "Hey, Big Mom Pirates, there's an order to these things. Kaido personally ordered me to bring this Mythical Zoan back to Onigashima as an All-Star." He turned his gaze to Ace, his voice dropping into a snarl. "Listen well, kid. In the New World, the word of an Emperor is law. Come quietly, or I'll beat you half to death before dragging you there."
The two emissaries of the New World stood at the threshold, speaking of the Eclipse Pirates as if they were nothing more than valuable cargo to be distributed.
On the deck, the pink invitation never reached Ace. It vanished into a puff of grey ash as a surge of intense heat rippled from his frame. Ace's eyes turned cold.
"The dogs of the Emperors don't seem to understand human speech."
He didn't need to say more. His officers were already in motion.
"That arrogant tone is really starting to grate on me!"
Sabo's heels hissed as they spat out compressed blue flames. With a thunderous bang, he transformed into a blur, charging straight for Hanafuda.
"Seeking death!" Hanafuda roared. His arms shifted into the massive, scaled claws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki.
But Sabo, propelled by fire, was a lightning strike.
"Dragon Claw: Fire Dragon King!"
His fingers, wreathed in high-level Ryuo, clamped onto Hanafuda's incoming claws. The impact was devastating. Sabo didn't just parry; he crushed, snapping the Warlord's arms back with a sickening crunch. Before Hanafuda could process the pain, Sabo's knee slammed into his chest, launching him into the island's ruins like a discarded cannonball.
On the other side of the port, a wild laugh erupted.
"Nice build. Shame about the attitude."
Urouge leaped from the deck, his massive frame a moving wall of shadow as he crashed onto the candy ship, nearly capsizing it.
"A 300-million-berry rookie dares resist Totto Land?!" Snack was livid. He gripped his broadsword with both hands, Armament Haki coiling around the steel, and swung it down with the intent to cleave the monk in two.
Urouge didn't dodge. He braced himself, crossing his massive arms.
"Iron Body!"
Clang!
The blade bit through flesh and struck bone, drawing blood. Snack grinned, preparing to put his weight into the cut, only to find the sword stuck. Urouge's muscles had clamped onto the metal like a vice.
"That was... quite a blow," Urouge whispered, his grin widening into something distorted and terrifying as his Karma took hold.
Under Snack's horrified gaze, Urouge's body swelled. His muscles exploded in size, physically ejecting the giant sword from his shoulder. Darkness flowed down his arms, pouring into his hexagonal iron staff.
"Now, it is this humble monk's turn to grant you salvation!"
Transformed into a hulking Great Buddha, Urouge swung the staff. The brute force, multiplied by the power of the Sweet Commander's own strike, slammed into Snack's chest.
Rumble!!!
The deck of the candy ship gave way. Snack's Haki-clad arms snapped like dry twigs under the weight of the blow. Spitting blood and organ fragments, the mighty Sweet Commander was driven through the hull and into the lightless depths of the sea.
The entire exchange had lasted less than a minute.
The spies watching from the shadows were paralyzed with fear. These were agents of the Emperors and the Warlords—crushed by subordinates before the Captain had even lifted a finger.
Sabo brushed the dust from his gloves and stepped back onto the Eclipse. Urouge shrank back to his normal size, grinning as he took his place behind Ace.
"Cleaned up, Ace," Sabo said simply.
Ace glanced at the floating wreckage of the candy ship. "Let's go. We have a meeting at Shakky's Rip-off Bar. I'd like to see a legend of the old era."
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