The scent of ink, parchment, and polished steel filled the air of Marineford's command hall. Flags of the World Government fluttered in the warm sea breeze that slipped through tall windows, their immaculate white colours emblazoned with the proud symbol of absolute authority.
And beneath that symbol, two of the Navy's most promising figures argued like schoolboys.
"Garp!" Sengoku's voice thundered across the room, his dark brows twitching with frustration. "How many times have I told you NOT to wipe your snot with the World Government's flag!?"
Young Monkey D. Garp, muscles bulging under his crisp uniform but posture as lazy as ever, blinked innocently while rubbing his nose on the folded edge of the pristine banner. He gave a toothy grin, not an ounce of shame in sight.
"Kyahahaha! Relax, Sengoku-chan! A little snot never killed anybody."
"'Sengoku-chan'!?" Sengoku's forehead vein pulsed dangerously as his hand slammed against his desk. "Have you no respect for anything sacred!?"
"Sacred, shmacred," Garp waved him off with a chuckle, scratching his head. "If the World Government can't handle a little nose juice, how are they gonna handle pirates?"
"You—!" Sengoku's palm struck the table so hard the stack of reports jumped. "I swear your idiocy will be the end of me—"
Puru puru puru… Puru puru puru…
The Den Den Mushi on his desk rattled. Its snail eyes blinked, mimicking the ringing.
Sengoku's temper stilled at once. He exhaled sharply, adjusted his cap, and lifted the receiver. "This is Fleet Command. Report."
The voice on the other end was frantic, strained with disbelief. Words came out in gasps. Sengoku's eyes widened, his jaw tightening. He said nothing at first, only listening, his face growing paler with every second.
When the call ended, Sengoku set the receiver down slowly, his hand trembling. A heavy silence fell over the office.
"Oh… shit."
Garp tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "What's got you looking like you just swallowed a Sea King?"
Sengoku inhaled deeply, then turned, "Two Celestial Dragons… have been killed. In Sabaody."
For a moment, the words didn't register. Then—
"Kyahahahahaha!" Garp slapped his knee and howled. "Serves those pieces of shit right! Can't believe it finally happened—"
"Garp!!" Sengoku roared, his face darkening red. "Do you realize what this means!? This isn't a joke!"
But Garp only leaned back, still cackling. "Those pompous bastards thought they were untouchable. Hah! Guess not anymore."
Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning. "The Gorosei will not let this go."
He slumped into his chair, suddenly looking older than his years. "First Roger rises and the chaos from Rocks Pirates… and now this. I swear, I just want to retire in peace."
His gaze hardened. He reached for the Den Den Mushi again, this time with deliberate weight.
"Contact Admiral Z immediately."
------------
"BIIIGGG NEEWWWSSS!!"
The cry echoed through the skies of the Grand Line as a massive albatross flapped its colossal wings, sending papers fluttering like a storm of white.
Morgans, the bird-man journalist, cackled with manic glee atop his airborne press ship. His feathers were ruffled, his beak glinting in the sun, his eyes bloodshot with excitement.
"Unprecedented! Unthinkable! Two Celestial Dragons—slaughtered in broad daylight!" he bellowed into his printing press, his voice booming like a showman's.
"These so-called 'gods of the world'… reduced to corpses! History in the making! Print it, ink it, SELL IT!"
Gears churned, presses clanked, and ink stained hundreds of sheets at once. The bold headline screamed across the front page:
"UNTouchable Gods? TWO Celestial Dragons Killed at Sabaody!"
Morgans tossed the first fresh sheet into the air, wings flapping.
He laughed hysterically as the wind carried it away.
"The world will quake! The seas will roar! This is what I LIVE for!"
And indeed, his newspapers scattered across oceans, islands, and villages, delivered into the hands of eager, trembling, and horrified readers.
-----On a peaceful island in East Blue------
A fisherman dropped the paper into the sand, his weathered hands trembling. "This… this can't be real…"
His wife gasped, clutching her rosary. "Two Celestial Dragons? Dead? No one has ever dared…!"
Children peeked over shoulders, whispering, their innocent eyes wide with wonder.
"Welp."
"Anyways , what's that got to do with us? Honey , lets grill the fish we just caught!"
-----In the taverns of the West Blue-----
Pirates laughed, mugs slamming against tables. "Did you see this!? Someone gutted two of those balloons!"
One drunken rogue spat on the headline. "About damn time! They think they're gods, but they bleed just like the rest of us!"
Another pirate, more cautious, frowned. "You idiots don't get it. Whoever did this just painted a target on their back. The Admirals… hell, maybe even the World government's secret agents themselves… they'll hunt them to the ends of the sea."
"Oi Oi Oi! What do you say?! Isn't this the best time to be famous?!"
"BweHehe! You want die so soon? For what?"
"ShiShiShi! You don't understand! That's what we pirates live for!."
This action from Radahn's side shattered the worldwide view of the Celestial Dragon's invincibility and this may encourage many to take some weird paths to get fame quick.
Some may achieve , Some may not.
------In the halls of kingdoms--------
A king in North Blue slammed the paper on his throne. "What madness is this!? If the Celestial Dragons can be killed… then what of our treaties? Our protection?"
"We pay so much to these fatsos and they can't even protect themselves?!!"
His ministers whispered, their faces pale. "If the people believe the Celestial Dragons are not untouchable… revolts could spread."
"Contact Vice-admiral Pink Potato!"
Fear rippled through the noble courts, where loyalty to the World Government was built on the illusion of divine authority.
-------------------
Far from the whispers of civilians, on a darkened ship moored in the New World, laughter shook the deck like thunder.
"Gurararara! Someone killed a Celestial Dragon!?" The voice was deep, monstrous, and amused.
At the head of the long table sat a towering figure, his teeth bared in a shark-like grin, his body cast in shadows. Around him, men and women of impossible strength feasted and drank.
Some were human, others twisted giants, their eyes glowing with bloodlust.
One hulking warrior slammed his cup down, splashing ale. "Wororororo! Captain, when do we get to kill one!?"
Another chimed in, licking his blade. "Lets hear their scream!"
The captain's eyes gleamed from the darkness.
"Hyahhyahhyahhya… patience, my beasts. The seas are shifting. If two Celestial Dragons can fall…"
'Then more too.'
He rose, the room trembling under his presence.
His voice was like a storm, his name a curse.
"…then it is only the beginning. The world is ripe for conquest."
Rocks D. Xebec's smirk widened as he crushed the newspaper in his fist, ink smearing across his scarred knuckles.
"Very soon…"
'We'll slaughter more than Celestial Dragons.'
"We'll topple the whole damn world!"
His crew erupted in laughter.