A sharp whistling sound tore through the sky above the island, unrestrained and piercing.
Everyone looked up. A black dot was plummeting down at high speed... it was Bullet, carrying a missile on his back.
The leader under Knock, who controlled this island, grabbed his great blade and charged out the door. Raising his head toward the sky, he shouted:
"Alert!!!!"
Buzz—
Haki coated both his arms, his blade turned pitch black, and with a stomp of his foot, he shot upward toward the falling figure, swinging his blade in a slash.
A sword aura, dozens of meters long, blasted toward the descending Bullet.
Bullet looked at the incoming slash, sneered viciously, and released a hint of his power.
The missile he carried instantly expanded several times in size, coated in Armament Haki, smashing through the sword aura as it hurtled straight toward the pirate leader.
There was no time to dodge. Terror and despair froze his face.
"Wh—"
Crack—
The immense force of the Haki and the ten-meter-wide missile crushed every bone in the pirate leader's body.
His corpse was pressed down as the missile barreled into the panicked pirates below...
Boom—!!!
Inside the massive crater, the enslaved people stared in horror at the explosion's aftermath, not knowing what had just happened.
At the blast's center, Bullet strode out, bare-chested, his body marked with injuries. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the smoke.
He walked to a scattered ammunition crate, casually grabbed a handful of round bullets, then turned his gaze toward the distant pirates. His face twisted into a feral grin.
...
Splash!
He hurled the last pirate into the heap of corpses.
Bullet found an unopened barrel of liquor, sat on a giant rock, and began to drink in great gulps.
Buru-buru~ buru-buru~
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Thud—
Bullet put down the barrel, pulled out the Den Den Mushi, and said:
"Hello."
From the other side came a voice:
"Vice Admiral Bullet, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has summoned all officers of Vice Admiral rank and above back to Headquarters for a meeting."
Bullet gave a brief grunt:
"Got it. How long until you arrive here?"
The voice replied:
"About twenty minutes. The warship will reach Talkea Island soon."
Bullet said:
"Good. Once you arrive, come straight to take custody of the loot."
Clack—
He hung up the Den Den Mushi.
At that moment, an elderly slave approached hesitantly.
"Esteemed sir..."
"W-We..."
They didn't know Bullet's true background, but with all the pirates on the island dead by his hand, the slaves had no idea what fate awaited them.
Bullet glanced at the man.
"What is it?"
Encouraged by the people behind him, the old slave clenched his teeth and spoke:
"We slaves... what do you intend to do with us?"
Bullet frowned slightly.
"What about this country's king?"
The old slave gave a bitter smile.
"Killed by the pirates."
Bullet nodded.
"And the citizens?"
The slave's voice grew bitter.
"We are the citizens..."
Bullet waved his hand.
"Then go. Collect and sort all the weapons for me, bring them to the port."
"After that, you're free."
"Choose your own leader."
The old slave, overwhelmed, tried to speak again but was silenced by Bullet's impatient glare. Overjoyed, he ran back shouting to the others.
Moments later, the island resounded with cheers, swelling louder and louder.
The slaves, nearly mad with excitement, rushed to gather the weapons, desperate to finish quickly and seize their freedom...
...
At the port.
Weapons and ammunition piled up like mountains, messy but still organized by type.
Bullet gave a satisfied nod, and again the island thundered with cheers... they were free at last.
He walked up to one of the piles, casually picked up a musket, fiddled with it a few times, weighed it in his hand, and felt its loose, shoddy structure.
"What garbage."
Boom!
The musket shattered completely, exploding into pieces. Bullet lost interest and didn't bother inspecting further.
Turning to the soldiers who had long since arrived and waited for him, he said:
"Pick out the cannons and rifles worth using, bring them back."
"Dump the rest."
"Set sail."
...
South Blue, the Sorbet Kingdom.
Inside the palace, now serving as a temporary Revolutionary Army base.
Only a handful of upper ranks were present — the former commanders of the East, West, North, and South armies, as well as Kuma, Sabo, and others.
They all stared at the most complete distribution map of the Revolutionary Army. Dragon spoke:
"How many have been pulled back from the Grand Line?"
The now-grown Sabo wore a grim expression.
"Not even half. The biggest obstacle is Marine Headquarters' Admiral Sakazuki."
"He single-handedly annihilated six districts, leaving no survivors."
The Grand Line had only a little over a dozen districts... and nearly half had been slaughtered.
Everyone's faces turned grave. Dragon took a deep breath.
"This was my mistake. I misjudged the World Government's stance."
"I must offer my apology to you all."
He bowed deeply. The others hurried to lift him back up.
Dragon said firmly:
"Their sacrifice will not be in vain."
"One day, their names will be recorded in history."
His gaze swept across the group as he continued:
"The seeds we've nurtured these past years have all been deployed across the four seas."
"No one has been missed, no place overlooked."
"Everyone, prepare yourselves for the turmoil to come."
The commanders exchanged uncertain looks, doubt flickering in their eyes.
Bang—
A stack of documents, half the height of a man, slammed down in the center of the table.
Dragon's low voice rumbled:
"Time to purge the parasites..."
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
With the three Admirals now present, the meeting began.
As for the Vice Admirals still en route, tasks would be distributed to them after the meeting concluded.
Sengoku sat at the head, two rows of sofas arranged below.
On the left sat Sakazuki, Enel, Doberman, Momonga, and others...
On the right sat Garp, Borsalino, Kuzan, Yamakaji, and others...
Other Vice Admirals such as Tsuru and Bullet were still on their way back.
Sengoku briefly summarized the New World's turmoil, then spoke:
"There's only one matter today, so this will be a short meeting."
"The forces stationed in the New World are no longer sufficient to deal with the Four Emperors."
"Although, judging by the current situation, the chaotic New World leaves little chance of direct conflict between the Four Emperors and the Marines..."
"Still, to be safe, it has been decided to station the three Admirals there for a time."
"The chain of bases in the New World directly borders the former Three Emperors."
"So, accordingly, each of the Admirals will be sent to face one."
"What are your opinions?"
Kuzan nodded.
"No objections."
Borsalino sighed.
"Such a hassle~"
Sakazuki crossed his arms, his tone indifferent.
"Fine."
Sengoku cast him a brief glance, his eyes narrowing... but Sakazuki showed no concern.
Everyone felt the atmosphere grow strange, and silence fell over the hall.
Enel stretched lazily and yawned.
"Haah—"
He twisted his neck and said:
"Hm? Rosinante isn't here? That's why it's so quiet?"
The tense atmosphere broke briefly. Sengoku retracted his gaze.
"Choose your opponents yourselves."
Kuzan thought back to when he had observed Knock battling Charlotte Linlin years ago. He spoke:
"I'll take Knock."
Borsalino's eyes shifted, landing on Sakazuki.
"Who will you choose, Sakazuki?"
Sakazuki replied coldly:
"I'll take the strongest one."
Borsalino sighed again.
"Such a hassle~"
"Those two left are strong as well~"
"Who should I pick~"
"Hmm... Kaido, I suppose~"
Sengoku gave a small grunt.
"If they don't provoke us, avoid direct conflict if possible."
"The Revolutionary Army's rise is already a huge problem for us. We cannot handle everything at once."
"Especially you, Sakazuki."
"Your bloodlust is excessive."
Sakazuki turned his icy gaze on Sengoku.
"They are all enemies."
Sengoku frowned deeply.
"They are not pirates. There's no need to—"
Sakazuki suddenly cut him off.
"Know your place, Sengoku."
"Do you pity them?"
Everyone knew this was about the Grand Line Revolutionary Army massacre. None dared to speak.
Sakazuki had killed so many that even within Headquarters, many could no longer stomach it.
And now, he had even dropped the honorific, calling the Fleet Admiral by name to his face... the room grew even more chilling.
Sengoku fixed his eyes on Sakazuki and said heavily:
"The birth of the Revolutionary Army stems from civil unrest within nations."
"Stripped of the title, they are simply ordinary citizens, Sakazuki."
"They are not pirates."
Sakazuki rose slowly, tyrannical killing intent and Conqueror's Haki erupting and sweeping through the hall.
"I am not one to be swayed by emotions."
"But right now, you've made me furious..."
"You pity them...?"
"Then who will pity our soldiers!"
"Sengoku!!!"
Boom—
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total