In the waters at the edge of the Calm Belt, a pirate ship as massive as an entire island was diving beneath the surface and moving at remarkable speed toward its destination.
This extraordinary ship was shaped somewhat like a turtle, though far more complex in its design. It featured a relatively large central island serving as its main body, surrounded by several satellite-like smaller islands and facilities, resembling a planet encircled by orbiting moons.
These satellite islands were comparatively small but still impressive, each measuring tens of meters in diameter. They connected to the central landmass through various corridors—some enclosed for protection, others open to the ocean air.
Throughout the interior of this mobile fortress, numerous pirates worked diligently at their assigned tasks, skillfully steering their massive ship toward their intended target.
Byrnndi World was walking through the upper levels of the central structure when he spotted a familiar thin figure ahead.
Seeing the frail old man, World opened his toothless mouth and smiled with genuine warmth, a rare expression of gentleness from the infamous "World Destroyer."
The elderly man was his older brother, Byojack, who served as both vice-captain of the World Pirates and the group's primary strategist and voice of reason.
Noticing the tall and powerful World approaching from behind, the frail Byojack leaned heavily on his walking cane—which had an IV bag attached to its top—and spoke slowly with obvious concern. "World, do you really intend to go through with that plan of yours?"
"Absolutely!" World replied with fierce determination, stretching out his right palm before clenching it into a threatening fist. "As long as we capture the Pirate Empress, we can not only use her as a human shield, but also send a clear message to the World Government! Then, with a single cannon blast enhanced by my hundred-fold amplification, they'll all be reduced to nothing but ashes!"
His grin widened as he continued with obvious satisfaction, "Just imagine it, brother! The World Government and Mariejois blown to smithereens, countless Marine officers foaming at the mouth in terror! What a wonderfully satisfying scene that would be!"
Watching World's increasingly maniacal laughter, Byojack remained silent for a long moment before speaking with genuine seriousness. "But didn't you say originally that the cannon was only meant to deter our enemies? You claimed that it and this ship's ability to dive underwater were symbols of our freedom..."
World waved his hand dismissively, cutting off his brother's concerned words with a cold snort. "The World Government is the enemy that prevents us from achieving true freedom! Only by blowing them all to kingdom come can we finally gain the liberation we deserve!"
"So you see, it IS indeed a symbol of our freedom!" World turned his gaze toward the direction of the massive cannon mounted on their ship, raised both hands high above his head, and roared with unbridled enthusiasm.
After hearing these disturbing remarks, Byojack found himself speechless. He could only stare at his brother in worried silence, his heart filled with deeply conflicted emotions about the path they were traveling.
At the reconstructed Marine Headquarters in Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku looked around at the facility that was still showing signs of recent damage. He gently set down the intelligence reports he'd been reviewing and let out a deep, weary sigh. "What troubled times we're living in."
"Gahahaha! Sengoku, are you getting senile in your old age? It's still summer!" Garp's characteristic laughter echoed from nearby, where the Marine Hero was enthusiastically devouring his lunch.
Looking at Garp, who had apparently returned to his normal cheerful self following the dramatic events at Marineford, Sengoku shook his head and addressed the Marine officer standing at attention before him. "What's the current status of Borsalino's mission?"
The subordinate immediately straightened his posture and responded crisply, "Sir! Admiral Kizaru is currently leading his forces in the direction indicated by our intelligence, pursuing the World Destroyer Byrnndi World."
"Good. Make sure to report any developments immediately as they occur," Sengoku nodded with approval.
After the officer departed, Sengoku turned to observe Garp, who was contentedly munching on rice crackers, and said thoughtfully, "Do you remember thirty years ago, when we went to capture World the first time?"
"Of course I remember," Garp replied, swallowing his food with an audible gulp before his expression turned unusually serious. "That was an operation that still makes me feel deeply ashamed to this day."
It had been a World Government-led mission that brought together both Marines and pirates in a coordinated effort to capture the notorious World Destroyer. Although both Garp and Sengoku had been present at the scene personally, the final result was that CP organization agents had secretly convinced members of World's own crew to betray him, stabbing their captain in the back and enabling his capture through treachery.
Neither Garp nor Sengoku had been able to demonstrate their legendary combat skills during that mission. They'd simply watched from a distance and handled prisoner transport afterward.
This outcome had left Garp—who always preferred direct, honorable confrontation—feeling extremely frustrated, though he hadn't known how to express his displeasure at the time.
After all, World's behavior had been so utterly destructive that it made both the World Government and any traveling Celestial Dragons tremble with terror, constantly fearing they might be blown to pieces if they weren't careful.
Sengoku gazed at the distant sky and murmured quietly, "I hope Borsalino will be successful this time. Since Kuzan and Sakazuki are still recovering from their injuries, he's our most suitable option for field deployment."
Hearing this assessment, Garp seemed to remember something amusing and burst into laughter. "Gahahaha! You did cancel that vacation he'd been requesting for months. However, unless he happens to encounter that Jerry kid, Borsalino's mission success rate should remain quite high."
"It can't possibly be such a coincidence..." Sengoku paused mid-sentence as he stroked his distinctive braided beard, suddenly looking concerned.
Back on Ruskaina Island, Jerry was addressing Carrot with obvious excitement. "Carrot, I think we're going to catch a really big fish today! Don't you agree?"
"Yeah! Delicious! Absolutely!" Carrot quickly finished the dessert in her hands and didn't forget to respond enthusiastically to Jerry's question.
Carina took a leisurely sip from her juice glass and observed dryly, "Carrot, he said exactly the same thing yesterday. You really don't have to take him seriously."
Hearing this skeptical comment, Jerry protested indignantly, "What do you know about it? If a person has no dreams, what's the difference between them and dried fish? Besides, today..."
At this point, Jerry suddenly paused mid-sentence, turned his head to look toward the distant ocean, and the corner of his mouth curved upward in a knowing smile. "Ha! Look over there—there really are big fish coming today."
The members of the Black Star Pirates who had been eating lunch, along with Nami and Robin who happened to be taking a rest break nearby, were all drawn by Jerry's confident announcement and turned their eyes in the direction he was pointing.
They could see that the ocean surface, which should have been perfectly calm in the Calm Belt, was now rippling with tiny waves. Bubbles kept rising to the surface, and the water level appeared to be gradually rising, as if something enormous was about to emerge from the depths below.
"What is that thing? A Sea King?" Considering their location in the Calm Belt—which was notorious as the nesting ground of Sea Kings—Deuce immediately jumped to this logical conclusion.
Jerry denied this possibility with characteristic confidence. "Sea Kings only appear when they're caught on my fishing hooks, so this definitely can't be that."
The rumbling noises continued growing louder, and a truly massive shape gradually emerged on the horizon in the distance.
"Is that an entire island?!" everyone exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with amazement.
Deuce raised his telescope to get a better look, studying the distinctive logo visible on one section and the pirate flag flying prominently above the structure. He shook his head thoughtfully. "It doesn't look natural. Maybe it's another island-type ship, similar to Thriller Bark?"
"I remember seeing that symbol in the intelligence reports from a few days ago," Brook said, lowering his own telescope and pointing at the pirate flag flying thousands of meters away. "That logo belongs to Byrnndi World."
On the other side of the water, World studied the island ahead of them and turned to ask Byojack, who was sitting on his shoulder for a better view. "Is that our target destination?"
Byojack lowered his telescope and addressed his younger brother with careful precision. "It's not the right island, but we're very close now. If we simply navigate around this landmass, we should reach Amazon Lily very soon."
"Go around it? Absolutely not!" World declared with obvious bloodlust. "Just fire the cannon and sink the whole thing!" After delivering this command, he gestured aggressively to his subordinates standing behind him.
Seeing the increasingly unhinged expression on World's face as he turned and strode out of the cabin, Byojack sighed deeply, his heart heavy with foreboding about what was to come.
After a few moments, World stood before their ship's massive cannon, stroking the weapon's surface while his eyes flashed with fiery excitement and anticipation.
"More-More: Fifty-Times Cannon!"
A huge cannonball whistled through the air, and immediately after leaving the barrel, the projectile's volume suddenly expanded fifty times its original size before hurtling toward Ruskaina Island at tremendous speed.
"Whoa! Isn't that the legendary Armstrong Cyclotron Jet Armstrong Cannon?!" Jerry exclaimed with obvious delight as he watched the giant cannonball approaching their position.