Bang!
Fortunately, the special combat suit Simone wore softened the impact of the fall, leaving him only with a dull ache.
"It hurts… damn it, it hurts so much! You filthy commoners, I'll have the Admiral wipe you all out!"
Saint Simone screamed, scrambling to his feet—only to realize with horror that he was surrounded by lifeless corpses.
"Y-You! Don't come closer!"
The terrified Celestial Dragon backed away, trembling as he waved a pistol toward the silent, rotting bodies.
"I'm a Celestial Dragon! If you dare harm me, I'll— AAAAAAHHH!!!"
Grotesque moans echoed as the corpses lunged forward, tearing Simone, the very cause of their deaths, into shreds of blood and flesh upon the deck.
"He's… dead. The Celestial Dragon… is dead..."
Vice Admiral Doug froze in disbelief, watching as Simone was devoured by the very souls he'd wronged.
"It's over... it's all over now!"
His voice cracked, panic rising as he stared at the carnage.
"My career is ruined! The Celestial Dragons will never forgive this! I'm finished—it's all your fault! All your fault!!!"
Grief twisted into fury. Doug leaped high into the air, sword gleaming.
"Let's die together!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three slashes tore through the air.
Doug's eyes widened. His motion froze mid-strike—then, slowly, his body split apart.
By the time several Marine warships arrived, not a single soul was left alive aboard the ship.
Only the stench of blood, shattered bones, and shredded flesh painted the deck.
---
Marine Command Room
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Footsteps echoed across the blood-soaked floor.
Click.
A tall Marine wearing a dog-head cap entered, his face grim as he surveyed the carnage.
"How tragic... what kind of monster did they face?"
He stepped over the debris, eyes narrowing at a Marine flag laid over a table.
"Hm?"
Lifting it, he uncovered Vice Admiral Doug's body—neatly sliced into three pieces. His severed head stared upward, frozen in terror.
"How audacious..."
The Marine, Garp, sighed heavily and whispered,
"Rest in peace, Vice Admiral Doug."
He lifted the bloodstained flag. On it, scrawled in crimson:
Evil Marines raise the banner of justice and commit unrighteous acts.
The World Government, which protects the Celestial Dragons, is the largest pirate crew in the world.
This is just the beginning.
— Vespera
"Vespera?" Garp muttered. "What kind of group is that? Never heard of them..."
"Report! Vice Admiral Garp!"
A soldier burst into the room, saluting sharply.
"It's confirmed—no survivors!"
Garp exhaled slowly. "Sigh... the Celestial Dragons will be in an uproar again. They never let us Marines rest easy."
---
Totto Land — Cake Island
"Look! Big Brother Katakuri's back!"
The BIG MOM Pirates turned as Katakuri drifted toward the dock atop his mochi boat.
With a flicker, he vanished from sight and reappeared on land.
"Katakuri, that monster didn't cause trouble for you, did he?" asked Daifuku, frowning deeply.
"No."
Katakuri shook his head, his gaze lingering on the collapsed Cake Castle in the distance.
"Has Mama woken up?"
"Not yet," Daifuku growled. "Whatever ability that monster used—Mama hasn't regained consciousness. I've never seen her so... fragile."
"Don't wait for Mama to wake before moving," Katakuri ordered firmly. "Clean up Cake Island. Assess the losses. And make sure—none of this leaves Totto Land."
"Of course! We can't let the world know Mama was defeated by some new pirate crew!" Daifuku hissed. "That damned monster! When Mama wakes up, we'll—"
"Don't talk about revenge."
Katakuri's gaze turned cold. "Didn't you feel it? Mama couldn't even touch him. Do you want today's tragedy to repeat itself?"
Daifuku bit his lip, unwilling. "But—"
"I'll explain it to Mama," Katakuri interrupted. His eyes hardened. "Perhaps... we weren't the only unlucky ones."
Daifuku frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You'll see soon."
Katakuri turned away, his voice heavy with unease.
Shirogai... where did a monster like you even come from?
---
In Memory — Earlier
"Help! Don't eat me! Someone help!"
Terrified Marines stumbled across the frozen sea, slipping and falling as corpses chased them from behind.
"Wuwuuu..."
The dead crashed onto them, biting through flesh and bone without hesitation.
On the deck of the doomed warship, Shirogai stood calmly, watching the carnage unfold.
"Katakuri, I'm very satisfied with your performance," he said lightly.
He turned to the man beside him, whose expression was unreadable.
"I'll contact you again soon. From now on, your code name within Vespera—is Vochi."
Katakuri's eyes narrowed. "You killed a Celestial Dragon. That's already leverage enough. Once I join... you'll let Mama's incident rest, right?"
Shirogai chuckled softly. "Leverage? Don't be ridiculous. Killing a Celestial Dragon is hardly worth mentioning."
His black wings spread wide.
"Believe me, Katakuri. Joining Vespera won't disappoint you. Maybe the dark fate of your Charlotte Family will change... because of you."
"I hope so," Katakuri replied.
"I have other matters to attend to." Shirogai looked up at the darkening sky. "Some vicious fools think they can provoke us. Since your side's settled... it's time they learned a lesson."
Katakuri's expression tightened. "You mean... the Beasts Pirates?"
"Of course."
With that, Shirogai soared into the sky, six black wings cutting through the clouds.
"Leave this place once I'm gone," his voice echoed. "Everything here... has nothing to do with you anymore."
By the time Katakuri looked up again, Shirogai had vanished into the horizon.
---
Beasts Pirates... you're about to face disaster.
Katakuri smirked faintly.
"Let's see if that harbinger of ruin forgives your arrogance."
The world was beginning to shift.
Perhaps the Four Emperors no longer represented absolute power.
Only that man did.
Unfathomable. Irresistible. God-level power.
_____
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