New World, Ed War Sea Area.
Above an unnamed deserted island, the island was already gone.
In its place was a volcanic crater nearly a thousand meters in diameter.
Once he felt it was about right...
Sakazuki plunged into the erupting crater, using his ability to suppress the magma.
Then, just before being engulfed by the sea...
He burst out.
Now, only the boiling seawater on the surface showed that something had occurred here.
No one would know where the towering wave came from.
Because no one would care about a vanishing deserted island...
Sakazuki nodded as he looked at the vanished crime scene.
Then shot into the sky to rendezvous with Bullet.
...
Grand Line, Jaya Island.
When Monkey D. Dragon's warship arrived, several other warships were already docked at the port.
It looked like they had also been summoned temporarily.
The island wasn't large.
Visibly surrounded and searched by Marines.
At the port—
Spandam, draped in a striped cloak, was discussing something with a few Marine officers.
As Dragon's ship docked, the group waved him over.
Dragon walked up and greeted them politely:
"Rear Admiral Leo, Rear Admiral Kit, Vice Admiral Rowen."
They all nodded. Rowen spoke to Dragon:
"Dragon, let me introduce someone."
"This is Mr. Spandam, officer of CP9 under the World Government."
Dragon reached out and shook Spandam's hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you."
After introductions, Dragon asked about the mission target:
"Vice Admiral Rowen, the intel shows that our targets this time are a group of scholars?"
"Why such a large-scale mobilization?"
Spandam spoke up:
"Let me explain it to you, Dragon-san."
"These scholars aren't just any illegal group."
"Their goal is to study government-forbidden knowledge."
"The organization itself exceeds a hundred members."
"Many people have already been brainwashed by them."
"And joined this illegal group."
"They pose a serious threat to the safety of the global population."
"This operation is under direct orders from the Elders."
"That alone shows how dangerous they are."
Dragon nodded thoughtfully:
"I see."
"No time to waste."
"I'll join the search team too."
After saying that, he nodded to everyone and headed into the town.
The group paused in surprise. Rowen chuckled:
"Young folks sure have energy."
"Trying to make a name for himself, huh."
"You two should learn from him!"
"..."
...
Inside a residential house in the town.
A man dressed in a white suit, wearing a simple white mask...
Was rummaging through the corpses on the floor.
Suddenly, he sensed something.
He concealed his presence and silently moved to the window.
Sensing outside.
After a moment, he found nothing.
He turned his gaze to the bodies on the ground and froze.
As if the face behind the mask was frowning deeply.
Then his fingers moved.
Multiple Shigan strikes shot out.
Papers scattered like confetti into the air.
Then he opened the door and stepped out, launching himself into the sky.
A gentle breeze swept through the quiet house.
A few minutes later—
Swish!
The CP member in a white suit appeared on the rooftop of a nearby building.
After confirming no one was around the house just now—
His figure flickered and disappeared again.
...
No one knew how much time had passed.
The breeze gradually gathered, and Dragon's figure appeared.
He frowned, looking toward where the CP0 agent had vanished:
"Why is CP0 involved in this too?"
Dragon, who had just been using his Devil Fruit ability to scout, had unexpectedly discovered this place.
He sensed something was wrong...
So he hid his presence and investigated.
He didn't expect the CP0 member to be so cautious.
Luckily, he had maintained his ability the whole time.
Only after the agent disappeared completely from his perception did Dragon appear.
Looking at the scraps of paper inside, the wind swirled.
The fragments gathered and landed in Dragon's hand.
Vaguely visible words like "government," "truth," and others appeared:
"The government, huh..."
Dragon was somewhat lost in thought.
He was no longer the young, passionate Marine of the past.
Over the years, he had witnessed too much darkness and helplessness.
It had deeply shaken the worldview he grew up with.
Some people, after seeing darkness, choose to change.
Others give up and complain...
He wanted to change things, but didn't know how.
"Will you give me the answer..."
Looking at the fragments in his hand, those revealed words seemed to point him in a direction.
The most important thing is to take action...
Only through action can one discover the truth and find solutions.
The paper fragments condensed and were slipped into his pocket.
Footsteps sounded in the distance—Dragon couldn't stay any longer.
Just as he turned to leave, he suddenly paused.
He looked at the untouched backpack that CP0 hadn't searched.
A corner sticking out looked like a notebook.
He quickly walked over and pulled it out.
"Oppression and resistance..."
He read softly.
No time to read further—the footsteps were getting closer.
Dragon stuffed the notebook into his coat.
His whole body turned into wind and disappeared.
"Captain!"
"There are a few bodies here!"
"What!"
"Where, where!"
"Search the area, quick—see if there's anything left!"
"Hurry up and look!"
...
Inside a high-rise building far away—
That same CP0 agent in a white suit stood behind a window.
Watching the group searching below.
He had seen everything just now—
Including the booklet Dragon had taken.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Dialed...
After a few rings—
The call connected.
Sakazuki's voice came through:
"How did it go, Karol?"
Karol chuckled:
"Handled."
Sakazuki spoke again:
"You weren't discovered, right?"
"Did the outfit work?"
Karol replied:
"I wasn't discovered."
"The outfit was excellent—completely blocked Observation Haki."
"Didn't expect those materials we got from the Sky Island ruins to be this useful."
Sakazuki's voice:
"Good. Get out quickly."
"Just in case."
Karol said:
"Understood."
He hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Karol vanished instantly from the building.
A blurred shadow streaked through the air, flying away from Jaya Island.
No one knew how far or how long later, but pieces of white clothing fell from the sky...
Merging into the sea, disappearing...
...
Elsewhere in the New World—
Within Golden Lion's sphere of influence.
Sakazuki hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He looked at Bullet and his Roaring Assault Squad:
"Execute immediate decapitation strikes. Destroy Golden Lion's subordinate forces on each island as fast as possible."
"Destroy as many as you can."
"Retreat in three days."
Bullet and his squad donned their pitch-black uniforms:
"Yes!!!"
Sakazuki nodded:
"Go."
Swish, swish, swish...
Several sonic booms echoed—Bullet's entire squad vanished instantly.
...
Sakazuki pulled a large bundle from a speedboat.
The stuffed backpack was filled with fake newspapers...
The front page read in bold headlines:
"Gol D. Roger Battles Pirate Admiral Golden Lion! Flying Pirates Annihilated, Golden Lion Killed in Action!"
Below was a blurry photo of scattered wreckage...
Sakazuki chuckled softly.
He slung the bag on his back, activated his powers...
And flew toward the border sea between the Big Mom Pirates and the Steam Pirates...
...
At one of Golden Lion's island strongholds—
Bullet looked at the grand gates and grinned savagely.
Buzz—
Demon Mode activated instantly.
With blue skin and blood-red eyes, he looked utterly terrifying.
Behind him stood two rows of elite assault troops.
A frenzied, bloodthirsty voice shouted:
"Crush them all!!!"
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