Grand Line.
A man with grass sprouting from his head hurried through the windswept roads, travel-worn and grim.
Aramaki looked up at the thick, sunless mass of storm clouds gathering overhead. A shadow flickered through his eyes.
This time, Doflamingo... you're going to taste the same pain I felt.
Picking a concealed spot to avoid drawing attention, Aramaki slowly rose into the sky.
...
At the same time, in Sabaody Archipelago, a Donquixote family merchant ship was docking quietly at the harbor.
Seated on the deck were Tesoro, Machvise, Gladius, and a slightly anxious Franky.
Ever since hearing about the Marines' new campaign to intervene in the New World, Doflamingo knew a clash with the Navy was inevitable. So he'd already ordered Tesoro to prepare for evacuation from Sabaody — after all, people are far more valuable than material assets.
If I get caught up in a fight in the New World and the Marines swoop in and capture Tesoro... that'd be a huge loss.
Franky, still a bit on edge, wasn't sure yet if the Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo, would actually help him get his revenge.
"Once the boss finishes his clash with the Marines in the New World, Franky, you'll meet him," Tesoro said, clapping him on the shoulder with a reassuring grin. "With your shipbuilding skills, there's no way he won't find a use for you."
High-quality shipwrights were rare these days. Who would've thought Gladius had quietly lured away Tom's own apprentice?
In fact, this kid had already proven himself invaluable — those sea train tracks laid across the North and West Blue in recent months? That was all thanks to him. No one else could've pulled it off.
Franky, still an unofficial member of the family, hadn't been fully briefed on why they were evacuating Sabaody. But hearing Tesoro now, he first blinked in shock — and then, his heart ignited with excitement.
"Tesoro-san! W-What did you just say?!"
"I said you'll get to meet the boss this time." Tesoro thought the kid had simply misheard and repeated himself.
"N-No, not that!" Franky stammered, nearly tripping over his words in his excitement. "Did you just say the boss is fighting the Marines in the New World right now?!"
"That's right," Tesoro confirmed.
Franky's heart pounded with glee. He'd never witnessed a true battle on this scale. Back in the day, even the Pirate King Roger had been chased across the seas by Marine heroes. And now, here was Doflamingo, bold enough to declare war on the Navy itself!
If he followed Doflamingo, there'd surely be a path to revenge — and to power!
Watching Franky's shifting expression, Tesoro immediately read the kid's thoughts. After all, he knew Franky's background all too well. He shot a glance at Gladius and asked with a raised brow:
"You didn't explain any of this to Franky yet?"
"It's family business," Gladius said curtly. "Franky might be someone I brought in, but he hasn't earned the young master's recognition yet."
Franky was a friend, sure — but the young master was the one who granted status, resources, everything. Gladius knew exactly where his loyalty lay.
Tesoro chuckled. "You're thorough, I'll give you that. Alright, let's go. Time to head home."
With that, Tesoro took the lead, heading toward the Donquixote family base.
And in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing Stella again — it'd been too long.
...
New World.
Boom!
Crack!
The shockwaves from the clash between Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, and Garp rippled across the battlefield. Their strikes collided head-on, sending tremors through the earth and sky.
Even someone as monstrous as Linlin couldn't keep her balance this time. She was blown backward, tumbling through the air alongside Zeus, before crashing into the ground in a heap.
Meanwhile, Garp, blasted away by a pillar of flames, wasn't doing much better. The upper half of his Marine uniform had been burned away, revealing his scarred, muscular frame beneath — a body hardened by countless battles.
Linlin hauled herself from the rubble, face twisted in pain as she roared.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! That hurt! Zeus, Prometheus — get ready!!!"
It had been a long, long time since she'd felt pain like this.
"Yes, Mama! We're on it!" Zeus and Prometheus snapped back to attention.
Prometheus clamped onto Napoleon's hilt while Zeus, shaking off his dizziness, wrapped himself around the sword's tip. Fire and lightning merged, infusing Napoleon with terrifying energy waves.
"Tough old bastard, aren't ya, little girl?" Garp called out, his skin scorched crimson as he shook out his fists. He grinned — but his eyes grew serious.
With that monster's natural resilience and her mastery of Armament Haki, Big Mom was like an indestructible rubber ball. It had taken his most advanced internal destruction Haki just to crack through her defenses.
And on top of that, she could manipulate both fire and lightning — elements that even Sakazuki's boys could only handle one at a time.
This was trouble.
Meanwhile, Linlin let out another thunderous roar as her attack charged.
A beam of concentrated energy, thick as a cannon shell, fired from the tip of Napoleon, tearing through the battlefield.
For the first time in years, Garp felt his blood boil again.
Bracing his legs deep into the ground, he pulled his right fist back — taut like a drawn bowstring.
No Devil Fruit. No special bloodline. No Conqueror's Haki.
All he had was this: pure, unrelenting Armament Haki, honed through decades of grinding combat.
With a shout, Garp's punch tore through the air, launching a shockwave so dense it was visible to the naked eye. A surge of Haki burst forth from his fist like a beam — one of the highest-level techniques of Armament: emission.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The two overwhelming forces clashed, triggering chain explosions that rattled the skies. Energy waves collided and canceled out, locking into yet another fierce stalemate.
From afar, Doflamingo, who had been surveying both the Whitebeard and Sengoku fronts, suddenly grinned.
This is it. My chance.
Behind him, the feathers on his back began to unfurl and grow, forming massive, sweeping wings.
With the force of a storm, he launched himself forward at terrifying speed, sonic booms exploding in his wake.
"Nice to meet you, Garp-san! I hope you'll treat me kindly!!!" Doflamingo sneered.
Charlotte Linlin couldn't help but laugh.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Good timing, Doffy!"
Garp didn't flinch — he kept pushing forward.
Sengoku had already made preparations for dealing with Doflamingo long ago.
Boom!
Suddenly, in a seemingly insignificant corner of the battlefield, an explosion rang out.
A black silhouette flashed forward at breakneck speed, intercepting Doflamingo mid-charge before he could reach Garp.
Recognizing the purple hair of his opponent, Doflamingo smirked — and instead of backing off, he pressed in even harder.
Perfect, he thought. If I can tie up this guy, I'll pull Sengoku's attention right where I want it. And between Garp and this old-timer with asthma... well, one's bound to crack sooner or later.
BANG!!!
Their fists collided, shaking the earth.
It was none other than "Black Arm" Zephyr — even after nearly twelve years of retirement, his strength hadn't dulled one bit. He met Doflamingo's strike head-on, his legs digging deep trenches into the ground from the impact.
"Fufufufufu... well, if it isn't the so-called 'No-Kill Admiral' whose whole family got wiped out. What's this? Decided to crawl out of your cozy Marine academy and stretch your legs?"
Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with mockery as he emphasized the words No-Kill, twisting the knife.
Zephyr's face darkened like a storm cloud.
"With criminals like you running rampant, how could I just stand by and do nothing?" Zephyr barked. "Attacking the Navy is a grave crime, Doflamingo! Surrender now!"
His voice was hoarse and furious — because once, long ago, it was precisely his refusal to kill that had cost him everything. His family, murdered by the very pirates he'd spared.
The No-Kill Admiral?
That man died years ago.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg