-Broadcast-
The Flying Pirates were somewhat unfamiliar to Kozuki Momonosuke. He'd only heard of them through his father's stories—tales told during lazy afternoons on the Moby Dick when Kozuki Oden would reminisce about the legendary figures of his generation.
Shiki the Golden Lion had once been a hero of the seas, a rival to Gol D. Roger himself. But he'd been defeated in the Battle of Edd War when a freak storm destroyed half his fleet. After that catastrophic loss, he'd disappeared with his remaining subordinates. Most assumed he'd died or retired into obscurity.
Yet here, in these newspapers, was proof that the legend had returned.
"After so many years in hiding..." Momonosuke whispered, tracing his finger across the newsprint. "Shiki the Golden Lion reappeared at the Battle of Marineford, forming an offensive and defensive alliance with the Whitebeard Pirates to fight against the entire Marine Headquarters."
The boy's eyes widened as he absorbed the reported feats.
"As expected of a pirate from the same generation as Roger and Father's era," Momonosuke continued reading aloud, his young voice filled with awe. "Shiki the Golden Lion's combat record at Marineford was truly amazing. Even the Marine Admirals couldn't match him in single combat."
According to Morgans' post-war analysis, Shiki the Golden Lion's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit) had achieved awakening. He possessed all three Haki and ranked among the world's top ten greatest swordsmen. Even in his advanced age, comparable to Whitebeard himself, the passion and power he displayed before death weren't something a single Marine Admiral could hope to contest.
The newspaper detailed the final battle: it had required the combined might of two exceptional warriors to finally bring down the Golden Lion. Admiral Kuzan—Aokiji—and the female swordsman Artoria Pendragon had fought together, and even then, the price had been catastrophic.
"The Marine paid dearly," Momonosuke read, his voice dropping to something like reverence. "The historic island of Marineford disappeared forever."
The battle had been brutal beyond imagination. In the two-versus-one confrontation, Admiral Aokiji had nearly died in a mutual kill exchange. If Shiki's twin swords had struck just a few centimeters differently, if Artoria's blade had been even a fraction slower, the Marine would have permanently lost one of its three strongest fighters.
Though Kuzan survived, he permanently lost his right arm and right leg. Only his Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit) allowed him functionality—generating prosthetic limbs from ice to replace what Shiki had severed. Without his Natural-type Devil Fruit, he would have remained crippled forever.
But even with prosthetics, permanent weakness had been inflicted. The artificial legs and arms made of ice couldn't generate Haki themselves, though they could be coated with Armament like weapons. The reduced flexibility during combat would forever remain a fatal flaw for someone operating at the highest levels of power.
Even Trafalgar Law, reading over the boy's shoulder, agreed with Morgans' analysis. The newspaper barely concealed its author's regret that Shiki hadn't managed to complete the mutual kill with Admiral Aokiji. It was no wonder the birdman had been hunted by both Marine and World Government after publishing such inflammatory content.
Momonosuke continued reading, each passage painting a clearer picture of the carnage.
The Flying Pirates had excelled at aerial combat, using Shiki's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi to dominate the skies above Marineford. They'd caused tremendous casualties among Marine elite forces and enabled the Whitebeard Pirates' second frontal breakthrough when the battle seemed lost.
Like their captain, none had been cowards. All had fought to the death.
Both sides paid unimaginable prices in the Battle of Marineford. Though the Marines were technically victorious—having wiped out two legendary pirate crews—too many of their elite had died in the process.
The casualty list was staggering:
Fleet Admiral Sengoku: Killed in action.
The Hero of the Marines, Garp: Missing after the war, presumed dead.
Admiral Aokiji: Maimed, permanently weakened.
Admiral Akainu: Missing during the battle with Whitebeard, whereabouts unknown.
Admiral Kizaru: Uninjured, though his coat of justice had sustained minor damage.
Momonosuke's hands trembled as he absorbed the magnitude of destruction. From the cold words on newspaper pages, he could envision the magnificent battlefield—explosions of Haki, Devil Fruit powers clashing, the strongest warriors of the era killing each other in glorious combat.
"This..." His voice cracked with emotion. "This is how men should fight. Even if you die at the enemy's hands, it's better than wasting away in a sickbed. Better than..."
Better than Father being killed by conspiracy and treachery.
The blood boiled instantly in the boy's veins. He understood now what true battle meant—what it looked like when legends refused to fade quietly. Kozuki Oden had died disgraced, boiled alive after being defeated by tricks. But these pirates had chosen their deaths, had fought until the very end.
That was the difference between a warrior's death and a fool's.
-Real World, Marine Headquarters, Present Day-
A chill ran down every spine in the war room.
The information Kozuki Momonosuke was reading from those newspapers amounted to a death sentence for half the people present. Imagining Marineford itself lifted into the sky by a Devil Fruit's power, fighting for their lives on floating terrain while the Golden Lion's fleet rained destruction from above—it was the stuff of nightmares.
"The Battle of Marineford..." Vice Admiral Tsuru's voice was tight with controlled tension. "We knew casualties would be heavy. But this..."
Previously, the Sky Screen had only mentioned through oblique references that the Marines had paid enormous sacrifices at Marineford. Everyone had assumed significant losses among mid and lower-level officers. But the revealed brutality exceeded all estimations. Even the Admirals—the Marine's highest combat power—had nearly died.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat rigid in his chair, staring at the Sky Screen with an expression carved from stone. According to this future, he would join the battle personally. His Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu (Human-Human Fruit, Model: Great Buddha) would be lost—presumably extracted by Blackbeard somehow. And rather than acknowledge his survival as a cripple, official records would claim he'd died gloriously in battle.
A lie to preserve morale. To hide weakness.
The thought was bitter as poison.
"Fleet Admiral..." Vice Admiral Doberman started, then stopped, unsure what words could possibly address this revelation.
On the Sky Screen, Kozuki Momonosuke had stopped reading the subsequent newspapers in detail. Whether intentionally or unconsciously, he'd begun conversing with Trafalgar Law instead, setting the papers aside.
And crucially, the Sky Screen had blurred out the scattered newspapers around them—preventing the audience from gleaning additional information about the battle's specifics.
"No..." someone whispered in the back of the war room. "No, show us more! We need to know what happens!"
But the Sky Screen was merciless. It revealed only what it chose, when it chose.
The Sky Screen's calculated censorship was more painful than outright revelation. The Battle of Marineford—the conflict that would define the boundary between old and new eras—had been shown only partially. The Flying Pirates' participation was confirmed, but countless mysteries remained unanswered.
Most pressing: how had Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach obtained two additional Devil Fruits? The Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) from Whitebeard and the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu from Sengoku—neither man would have given up their powers willingly.
Which meant Teach had found a way to extract Devil Fruits from corpses.
The implications were horrifying.
Garp sat in the corner of the war room, his normally jovial expression replaced by something rare: genuine worry. His eyes were fixed on Kuzan, and the sympathy radiating from the old man was palpable.
If the Sky Screen had shown any other Admiral fighting to the death against Shiki the Golden Lion, Garp might have doubted it. Especially Borsalino—the lazy bastard would never commit to a death match if he could possibly avoid it.
But Kuzan? His student? That fit perfectly with the young man's character.
"Old man?" Kuzan noticed the stare, confusion crossing his normally stoic features. "Is something wrong?"
"Kuzan..." Garp's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Don't try so hard in the future. I'm genuinely afraid you won't outlive me."
Admiral Aokiji: "???"
What kind of thing was that to say to someone?!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku shot his old friend a sharp glare from the main seat. This senile fool is getting worse with age. Can't he consider the occasion before running his mouth?
But despite the inappropriateness, everyone understood Garp's meaning. Losing limbs to Shiki the Golden Lion might be honorable, but survival was better than glory. The Marine needed its Admirals alive, not martyred.
"At least we know Admiral Sakazuki survives," Rear Admiral Onigumo offered, trying to find silver lining. "The newspaper mentioned he was missing, but later Sky Screen footage confirms he returns. We just don't know how long he's gone."
"And Garp-san?" another officer asked hesitantly, looking at the Hero of the Marines. "The newspaper said you went missing too. There's been no mention of you in subsequent events..."
The unspoken question hung heavy: Are you dead in that future?
Garp's expression was unreadable. "Guess we'll find out eventually. Not much point worrying about it now."
But his hand had unconsciously moved to rest on his desk, fingers drumming an anxious rhythm.
"However," Vice Admiral Tsuru's sharp voice cut through the tension, "we can identify who was the least committed during the Battle of Marineford."
All eyes turned to follow her gaze, landing on Admiral Kizaru in his corner seat.
Borsalino felt the weight of resentful stares and sighed internally. Even Morgans—the Newspaper King himself—had made jokes about it in his coverage. The evidence was damning: while everyone else had fought desperately, risking life and limb, Admiral Kizaru had apparently spent the battle coasting.
His coat of justice had sustained minor damage.
That was it. That was the extent of his "injuries" in a battle that killed Fleet Admiral Sengoku and maimed Admiral Aokiji.
"Don't look at me like that," Borsalino said with exaggerated weariness. "I didn't write the future. If I was slacking off at Marineford..." He shrugged. "Well, it's consistent with my work ethic. Why would I risk my life for the modest salary the Marine pays?"
"You're one of the three Admirals!" someone shouted from the back. "The highest combat power! You can't just—"
"Can't I?" Borsalino interrupted mildly. "Seems like I can and will. Besides, I survived, didn't I? Unlike some people."
The casual dismissal of his duty—the almost proud acknowledgment that he'd avoided the worst fighting—sent waves of anger through the assembled officers.
But no one could truly dispute it. Borsalino had always been like this. Powerful beyond measure, but utterly unwilling to exert more effort than absolutely necessary.
In a battle that would determine the fate of an entire era, where legends fell and futures were rewritten, Admiral Kizaru had apparently decided the stakes weren't high enough to warrant his full attention.
The Marines watching the Sky Screen didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the revelation.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.
"Enough," he commanded, voice cutting through the chaos. "Speculation accomplishes nothing. We've learned that the Battle of Marineford will be catastrophic. We've learned that we'll face both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Flying Pirates simultaneously. We've learned the cost will be severe."
His eyes swept across the assembled officers. "So we prepare. We revise strategies. We train harder. We find ways to minimize casualties when—if—this battle occurs. The future shown by the Sky Screen isn't set in stone. We can change outcomes if we act intelligently."