Half of the building nearest to them was already shaking violently.
Debris swirled through the air, walls crumbled, and marines who had failed to evacuate in time were snatched up and dragged into the gale.
Caught in the storm, anyone without powerful Armament Haki to protect their bodies was instantly torn apart, unable to offer the slightest resistance.
"Sengoku, the Hall of Justice is falling apart. Do you have anything to say?"
Vladimir stood outside the tornado. Amidst the chaos, the area around him remained calm and peaceful, as if nothing were happening at all.
"You bastard!" Sengoku was so enraged that his blood pressure surged. But he was just as trapped as the rest.
"What exactly do you want?! If your only goal was to destroy Headquarters, you could have done it long ago!"
Now that things had come to this, he had to admit it: even a new, unknown face from Phantom possessed combat power that inspired nothing but despair.
An organization this powerful could not be opposed by tricks or schemes.
The World Conscription was practically meaningless. The subsonic sniper rifle had been completely useless.
Even the "Pacifista" army, nearing completion, would likely be reduced to scrap metal with a single wave of this man's hand.
Phantom had grown so strong that even an alliance with the Four Emperors would probably not be enough to stand against them...
The only things that held even a glimmer of hope were the Ancient Weapons — and the hidden treasures of the Celestial Dragons.
"Hahaha..."
Vladimir seemed to read the fear deep in Sengoku's eyes and let out a low laugh.
"Now, I will give you a chance. If you don't want this symbol of justice to be reduced completely to rubble, answer my questions properly."
"Ask then!" Sengoku clenched his fists, burning with rage.
If looks could kill, Vladimir would have died a thousand deaths.
"The World Origin... do you know what that is?"
"What?"
Vladimir spoke slowly and casually — he was in no rush; Sengoku was the one under pressure.
"From what we have deduced, the so-called 'World Origin' is the fundamental source of all mysterious power in a world. And the greatest mystery of this world is the Devil Fruits. If we trace it back far enough... the question becomes: How were Devil Fruits born?"
But to this question, Sengoku remained silent for a long time.
"...I do not know. In all recorded history, Devil Fruits have always existed. They are the 'Secret Treasures of the Sea'. Legend says the very first one drifted here from the ocean."
"Is there a tree somewhere that bears fruit called 'Devil Fruits'?" Vladimir asked again.
"No!" Sengoku snapped angrily. "If such a thing existed, do you think the World Government would allow it to remain free? It would have been seized and controlled long ago!"
That made sense. If there really was a Tree of Devil Fruits, even if the Government couldn't possess it, they would have sealed off the area entirely.
"What a pity. Since you know nothing, I suppose I'll just destroy Marine Headquarters after all."
Vladimir shook his head, his tone mocking. "The hurricane will not stop until you give me an answer that satisfies me."
"WAIT!"
Sengoku's pupils shrank. He shouted at the top of his lungs. "If you want to trace the origin of the fruits, search the deep sea! Ninety percent of this world is ocean. There is absolutely no Tree of Devil Fruits on land, not anywhere!"
Vladimir paused, thought for a moment, then nodded. "You have a point. Since they are called the 'Secret Treasures of the Sea', they are obviously inseparable from the ocean itself. But... that is still not enough."
He smiled confidently and crossed his arms over his chest.
"One minute left. This building will be completely reduced to ruins. If you still haven't given me a satisfying answer by then... I might just sink Marineford Island itself!"
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Sengoku's heart skipped a beat.
If Headquarters was destroyed, it could be rebuilt. But if Marineford sank, it would be a humiliation carved forever into history — a dark chapter that could never be erased.
"There is one thing you absolutely cannot do! This place represents the justice that shines upon humanity!"
"Marineford is the shining justice of mankind!"
Trapped in the hurricane, Sengoku struggled against the wind while shouting frantically.
"This world is full of war, chaos, and evil. Countries and people are trapped in darkness — and this is the only ray of hope left. Do you intend to wipe that away too?!"
"I am one of the 'evil' people you speak of," Vladimir replied, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, instead of lecturing me, you'd better think hard about what useful information you can give me."
"Damn it!"
Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot. He hated his own helplessness. As Fleet Admiral, he was powerless to protect his own base.
If he were twenty years younger, he would have had the strength to fight back — though he wasn't sure he could win, he could at least have tried to break free from this tornado.
Thinking of this, he roared at the top of his voice: "RUN! EVERYONE, EVACUATE THE BUILDING!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
Below, in the plaza before the building, crowds of marines looked up, watching Sengoku and the others trapped in the storm.
In the entire history of Marine Headquarters, the worst disaster prior to this had been twenty years ago, when the Golden Lion single-handedly stormed the base.
He had fought a brutal battle against Sengoku and Garp, and was only captured after destroying half the fortress.
But today was different. Every top-tier fighter of the Marines was trapped. Even the Warlords and CP9 agents were caught up in it.
And this terrifying, despair-inducing power came from only one Special Envoy of Phantom.
"The world is finished!"
"Is there anyone who can stop them?!"
"Is that nightmare from years ago coming back...?"
Countless marines lost all will to fight, falling into a state of stunned despair.
"Waiting to die?" Doflamingo spoke up. "Sengoku, do you really think they can escape? In a few minutes, your Headquarters will be gone. The tornado will expand further and sooner or later it will swallow the entire island. If you don't want to die, you'd better start talking about the origin of Devil Fruits!"
"SHUT UP!"
Sengoku shot him a furious glare. "You are a Celestial Dragon yourself! Phantom will eventually overthrow your rule. You should be our enemy, yet you have become their dog!"
"Fufufu... Dog? Such an ugly word. I have been cooperating with Phantom from the very beginning. Who cares about Celestial Dragons? Those trash are unworthy of ruling the world. They have shamed the glory of their ancestors!"
"ENOUGH!"
Suddenly, Garp roared, his face dark and heavy.
He was wrapped in an armor of Haki, shielding himself from the full force of the wind. He turned his head toward Vladimir, a complex expression flashing across his face.
"Phantom... We first learned of you years ago, when the Shadow Beast assassinated a Celestial Dragon. Since then, you have sought only Devil Fruits. But now, having enough is no longer enough — you want to know the secret of their birth? What are you planning to do? Do you want to take over this world?"
"Hahaha... Monkey D. Garp... every member of your family is truly remarkable. I hold no grudge against you; we are simply on opposite sides. In fact, we are already cooperating with your son, Dragon. For his sake, I will spare your life."
Vladimir spoke calmly. "Thirty seconds left. You are wasting time chatting with me, and you have very little time remaining."
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