The words of Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.
They caused the World Government, whose attention had begun wavering because of the sudden emergence of the "Falmart World," to once again solidify its strategic course.
The first target: conquer the "Nuclear Weapons World"!
Of course, this did not mean the mission of Uchiha Tekka, Yakura, and the others, who were to infiltrate the "Ginza Gate," would be canceled.
The objective of their mission, however, was altered. Instead of conducting a full-scale reconnaissance, they were now to locate the Imperial Capital, the magical city of Rondel, and the temples of the Twelve Main Gods. Once there, they were to lie low, ready to act when the World Government required them to in the future.
The risks for them were actually considerable. There was always the chance that once the "Gate" closed, they would remain stranded forever on the opposite side, on the continent of Falmart.
But for the World Government, this was a risk entirely acceptable.
Meanwhile—
The High Command had already finalized the date when Shiki's forces would officially march into Yokosuka Port.
The invasion would now begin two days after the Japanese advance team entered the "Ginza Gate."
That would probably take two or three months.
...
Time passed day by day—
October 5th, Sea Circle Calendar 1503.
Zeff officially resigned from his post as instructor of the Military and Political Department, and relinquishing his rank of Lieutenant General.
Five days later, on October 10th—
Zeff led twenty outstanding chefs, handpicked from the military, to the first half of the Grand Line.
There, he confirmed the establishment of the "Starfish Chefs' Association" headquarters with the support of the World Government.
On October 12th—
Once the buildings had been cleaned inside and out, the furniture, kitchenware, office supplies, and other equipment properly arranged—
Zeff immediately contacted the Media Division of the Ministry of Propaganda, requesting that news of the Chefs' Association's founding be spread across Starfish and even to other worlds.
In addition, he invited all chefs on Starfish to participate in the "Chef Rank Examinations," accompanied by a detailed list of benefits and entitlements granted at each chef rank.
Before long, the "Starfish Chefs' Association Founding Announcement" was printed across countless newspapers and carried by news birds to every corner of the world.
Even faster, however, was the official Den-Den Mushi broadcast channel of the Ministry of Propaganda.
At once, the entire culinary world of Starfish erupted in an uproar!
The World Government had established an officially recognized chef industry?
And those enticing rank benefits…
In that instant, countless chefs confident in their skills rushed to the major shipping companies to book passage to the headquarters of the Chefs' Association.
...
Nuclear Weapons World.
Three months had passed in the blink of an eye.
At this moment.
The location was Japan's capital, in the Ginza district of central Tokyo.
The atmosphere here was solemn, heavy, and utterly silent.
Rows of Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers stood in formation, clad in green helmets, combat uniforms, and bulletproof vests.
They lined up in strict ranks, attentively listening to the speech of the new Prime Minister standing before them.
Behind the Prime Minister loomed a fully sealed metallic gate.
"Thanks to the efforts of former Prime Minister Hōjō and everyone across the nation, this bill has finally been brought into effect!"
"Now, at last, we can send you all into the 'Special Region'!"
"Members of the advance force—your mission is of the utmost importance."
The Prime Minister's voice echoed through Ginza via loudspeakers, reaching not only the people of Japan but also audiences overseas.
Yet, in the shadows, unseen eyes quietly observed this so-called "Special Region Deployment Ceremony."
"It's finally about to begin."
On the rooftop of a high-rise building, Yakura, hidden under the effect of an "Invisibility Technique," gazed down at the formations of the Self-Defense Force while whispering softly.
"Yeah. We'll go in right after them."
Uchiha Tekka, his face expressionless, gave a curt nod in reply.
In just two days, the forces under General Golden Lion would pour in.
At the same time.
A lieutenant general, the commander of the so-called advance force, stepped forward onto the stage to deliver his speech.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Tekka and the two groups of shinobi, stationed atop the building opposite, waited with patience.
Elsewhere in Tokyo, at the gates of a duplex villa—
A sudden, radiant white light appeared out of thin air, rapidly forming into an oval-shaped passageway.
From it emerged Tabitha, Kirche, Tiffania, Hodolew, Illococoo, Siesta, and finally Hiraga Saito and Louise, stepping out one by one.
Through the "World Gate," the other side revealed itself as Louise's dormitory room back at the "World Gate Base."
"Hahaha! We actually went and did it!"
Kirche raised her hand with a triumphant laugh, before eagerly casting her gaze over the modern scenery around them.
"So this is Saito's homeland… it really is strange."
Tabitha, gripping her long staff, spoke in her calm voice: "Our appearance and clothing will stand out as unusual in this world. It's best to avoid drawing too much attention."
Indeed, they had gone and done something outrageous.
Without informing anyone, they had secretly come to this "Nuclear Weapons World."
Their plan was simple—since they couldn't enter the "Falmart World" directly through the "World Gate," they would first slip into the "Nuclear Weapons World," and then find a way to sneak through the "Ginza Gate."
This was a reckless gamble.
But for Tiffania and Hodolew, they were willing to take that risk!
At the same time, it was also a way to stop the World Government from invading Saito's homeland.
After all, without Louise's help to open the "Gate of World," the World Government's army would never be able to get through.
"Let's go. This is my home. My mother should be inside. I'll introduce you all to her. We can stay here for the night, then think about when to head for Ginza."
Hiraga Saito gazed at the detached house with its small garden, his expression filled with emotion.
Then he turned with a smile to the group behind him, his eyes finally resting on the maid, Siesta.
"Siesta, once you and my mother are familiar with each other, I'd like you to stay here and take care of her for a while. Once we've helped Mr. Hodolew find his daughter, we'll be back as soon as possible!"
"Yes, Saito-san, don't worry."
Siesta felt a pang of disappointment in her heart, but she knew full well that without any combat ability, she would only become a burden if she went along. Suppressing those feelings, she forced a gentle smile and answered softly.
"Then… Mom! I'm back!!!"
Taking a deep breath, Saito exchanged a glance with Louise before decisively turning and pressing the doorbell.
[Ding-dong, ding-dong!]
Who would have thought that not only had he become a traveler across worlds, but now he had returned again.
And not alone—he had brought back a group of friends from the magical world, as well as the girl he loved.
Louise, welcome to my home!
At the same time—
Back in the "Zero Magic World," at the "World Gate Base."
It didn't take long for people to realize that Hiraga Saito, Louise, and the others had vanished.
This caused shock and confusion among many.
The CP7 agents within the base immediately launched an investigation.
"What!!!"
Not long after, in the former Elven Council's high tower, Shiki heard Budo's report.
He exploded with fury, sweeping the desk before him aside in a single motion.
In the next instant, he blasted through the wall and shot straight toward the "Gate of World."
He had been waiting all this time, and the war was about to begin.
And now they were telling him—the one who could open the gate was gone?
And worse, that they might have run away in secret?
Outrageous!
What the hell were the guards doing?
A bunch of useless trash!
Shiki's eyes burned red, his entire body radiating killing intent.
'Tch, things just got troublesome…'
Budo shook his head helplessly at the sight.
He knew that with the Golden Lion General's temper, the CP7 agents and the Other Worlds Strategic Committee members might scrape by unscathed.
But the auxiliary troops stationed at the "World Gate Base"? Eight out of ten of them were about to meet a miserable fate.
In the next moment, he activated his Teigu.
A deafening crack of lightning split the air.
In a flash of golden electricity, his body shot forward, chasing after Shiki.
Budo thought to himself that he had to intervene, to at least keep the rank-and-file soldiers from being slaughtered in misplaced fury.
As for the senior officers—especially those in charge—there was no doubt they were doomed.
Some time later.
The incident was reported up the chain of command until it finally reached Starfish itself.
In the Supreme Command, Kong was left speechless. He truly didn't know what to do.
It seemed the only option was to wait for CP7's investigation to clarify matters.
As for retrieving Louise, that was clearly impossible in the short term.
Which meant the planned offensive set for two days later would have to be postponed.
"Sigh… I knew it. A 'Gate' controlled by outsiders would always carry hidden dangers."
Kong sat in his office, shaking his head with a heavy sigh.
Only now did he truly realize how vital the stability of the "Dimensional Gate" was.
Of course, that stability was guaranteed only because its master was Imu.
Like Kong, the Five Elders above him could do nothing more than continue filing reports upward.
By this point, Imu already knew.
At first, he was indeed surprised—but he did not lose his temper.
For now, the priority was solving the problem of opening the gate.
So Imu decided to personally go to the "Gate of World" and see for himself.
In recent months, he had learned much theoretical knowledge of space from Namikaze Minato.
He had also gained a deeper understanding of the spatial powers of his Fruit.
And his sharp sixth sense was whispering to him—once he arrived, he would know exactly what to do.
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