Prelude to the Storm

Above the clouds over the East Blue, the wind howled past like blades.

Roy flickered through a continuous series of Teleportations, each flash tearing a pale blue afterimage through the air, as though it had sliced into the sky itself.

"Kuina's sacrifice... when all was said and done, was it nothing more than fuel to awaken Zoro's Swordsmanship, to turn him into a so-called 'Joy Boy Follower'?"

His voice was low, as though it came from deep within the sea of clouds, tinged with both sarcasm and resignation.

His gaze pierced the layers of mist, as though it could discern the threads of fate and see the paths already woven.

"And now, I've taken Luffy away from the East Blue, far from the stage that 'fate' prepared for him..."

A gale swept through the clouds, tugging at his clothes and whipping his coat into a noisy flutter.

Roy's pupils contracted slightly, and a deep light flashed in his eyes. "But that man... isn't the type to stop just because of that."

Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's office.

The sun shone brightly outside, but the air inside was thick with tension.

Garp sat leisurely on the sofa with his legs crossed, a large bag of senbei in his lap. His crunching filled the room, and crumbs were scattered all over the table.

A vein bulged on Sengoku's forehead, and he nearly snapped the pen in his hand.

He struggled to control his temper and continued reviewing the mountain of documents.

Finally—

Smack!

A booger landed squarely on Sengoku's paperwork.

"Garp!!!"

Sengoku slammed his hand on the desk and shot to his feet, his roar making the windows rattle. "If you've got nothing to do, get out and go on a mission!!!"

Garp lazily scratched his ear and grinned without a care. "We should leave those opportunities to the younger generation~"

Sengoku ground his teeth in anger and was about to resume yelling when the Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly began to ring.

Sengoku took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his anger, and answered the Den Den Mushi. "Sengoku speaking."

The Den Den Mushi took on Roy's appearance, but its image flickered from time to time. Clearly, he was moving at high speed.

"Admiral Sengoku, I'd like to report something to you~"

Roy's voice came through in fits and starts, carrying its familiar, carefree tone.

Sengoku frowned slightly. "What is it? Aren't you in the East Blue right now?"

"Yep~"

Roy's voice remained cheerful. "I've found two incredible Swordsmanship prospects here, but... I might have a little conflict with someone~"

Sengoku paused. Was there someone in the East Blue worth reporting to him about?

As soon as Roy finished speaking, realization flashed through Sengoku's mind. His pupils contracted, and he shot to his feet, his voice rising sharply. "You don't mean—Red-Hair, do you?!"

Garp, who had looked utterly relaxed, also sat up straight in an instant. His gaze sharpened, and senbei fell all over the floor.

In the Den Den Mushi, Roy's image wavered. His voice carried a smile. "That's right. I might have a fight with Red-Hair, but don't worry. Even if I can't beat him, I'm fast enough to run away~"

Garp snatched up the Den Den Mushi. "Should I come over?" he asked urgently.

Roy chuckled on the other end. "No need. It'll all be over by the time you get here, old man."

Sengoku's expression turned grave. After pondering for a long moment, he finally sighed. "If possible, try not to fight too fiercely. Peace in the East Blue is hard to come by these days."

"Understood." Roy's reply was crisp and decisive.

The Den Den Mushi clicked off, and a brief silence fell over the office.

Garp then threw back his head and laughed. "That brat's got some nerve!"

Sengoku rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly. "Let's hope he doesn't cause too much of a commotion..."

Garp suddenly scratched his head, his eyes flickering slightly. "Still... Shanks was on Roger's crew too... If they really do meet, it won't be simple."

At that, Sengoku's brow tightened further, and he gazed pensively at the horizon outside the window.

Under the dim yellow light, thick files lay piled on the desk. On top was a red dossier marked [Highest Alert].

Sengoku's fingers slowly traced the gilded words on the parchment—

"Red Hair Pirates, Captain 'Red-Hair' Shanks"

Bounty: 849 million Beli (In 1509, Red-Hair had only recently begun making his way through the New World, but he was already among the great pirates renowned throughout the region. I couldn't find his exact bounty, so I made it up~)

Origin: Former Roger Pirates apprentice

Danger Level: S

Garp stood by the window, unusually without any senbei, his arms folded as he studied a star chart of the East Blue.

His voice was low and grave. "That kid from Roger's ship... has raised his own flag now."

Sengoku pushed up his glasses, their lenses reflecting a cold light. "In just a few years, he went from a nobody to a force capable of shaking the New World. His crew—"

He turned the pages of the dossier, revealing the information that followed—

First mate "Benn Beckman"—a genius whose intellect surpassed that of the Marine Strategic Staff.

Sniper "Yasopp"—a legendary marksman who never missed.

Combatant "Lucky Roux"—a monster who used his bulky body to perform Martial Arts at extreme speed.

Garp suddenly snorted. "That lineup looks like a deliberate copy of the Roger Pirates back in the day."

Sengoku drew a heavy circle around the words "Roger's crew" with his pen. "The biggest problem... is Shanks himself."

He pulled out another battle report—

"Grand Line · Encounter battle"

Description: Without drawing his sword, Shanks unleashed Conqueror's Haki alone, instantly knocking out 300 Marine elites.

Garp's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. "Conqueror's Haki... the same 'qualities of a king' Roger had."

Sengoku closed the dossier, his voice hard as iron. "According to the Marine Science Unit's analysis, the purity of his Haki rivals Whitebeard's at his peak. If we leave him unchecked..."

He didn't finish, but Garp knew the rest—

"Another seed of a 'Pirate King' is sprouting..."

Outside the window, rain suddenly poured down, as though heralding the storm that was about to rise in the East Blue.

Rain lashed the windows, and a brief silence fell over the office.

Suddenly, Garp grinned, his hearty laughter breaking the somber mood. "Speaking of which, that kid at the training ground a year ago..."

A light flashed in Sengoku's eyes behind his glasses, and his tense shoulders relaxed without him realizing it.

He unconsciously rubbed his pen. "Indeed... that boy's control over his power has already clearly surpassed the level of an Admiral Candidate."

Ever since Roy had taken down seven Supernova crews in succession, the Five Elders' attitude toward the Marines had grown noticeably warmer.

Garp laughed and propped his feet on the desk. "Not to mention the insane extent to which he's developed his fruit. And it's not as if he definitely can't take on Red-Hair..."

Sengoku clearly knew what Garp was referring to. The curtains in the office stirred without a breeze, and the cape bearing the words "Justice Reigning over the World" billowed slightly behind him.

He suddenly slammed Shanks's dossier shut.

"Orderly!"

A messenger wearing a Den Den Mushi helmet immediately pushed the door open and entered.

"Issue an additional order in my name: Rear Admiral Roy is authorized to take any necessary measures in the East Blue. If he comes into conflict with the Red Hair Pirates..."

A sharp light flashed in Sengoku's eyes. "He need not hold back."

Garp gave a loud whistle and casually shook senbei crumbs onto the documents Sengoku had just reviewed. "That's more like it! A new era calls for new tactics!"

After the messenger hurried away, Sengoku looked out at the storm.

There was a time when he had insisted on "prudent justice," yet now he was giving such an order of his own accord.

"Ever since Roy burst onto the scene, a lot of things have changed..."

Through the curtain of rain, Marineford's lighthouse suddenly blazed, projecting the two enormous characters for "Marines" onto the clouds.

That column of light piercing the downpour was just like the Marines' current posture, their edge on full display.

Meanwhile, in the East Blue, at Makino's tavern in Foosha Village.

Night was falling, and the wooden tavern was bustling beneath its faint yellow lights.

"Cheers!"

Members of the Red Hair Pirates drank together, their laughter deafening. The wooden tables were covered with well-gnawed meat bones and half-empty jars of liquor.

"Hey! Lucky, I saw that meat first!"

"Hahaha! Yasopp, have you been missing your son lately?"

"Like hell I have. How could a son be more fun than an adventure?"

"Hahaha!!!"

Voices filled the tavern, and the air was thick with the aroma of ale and the smell of pirates' sweat.

Shanks, however, sat alone at the bar, his fingertips gently rubbing a glass that had long been empty, his brow slightly furrowed.

His gaze passed through the lively crowd and settled on a corner of the tavern—an empty corner, with only a small, dust-covered wooden stool standing there all alone.

Beckman approached with a cigarette in his mouth, a silver lighter turning between his fingers, an occasional spark flickering.

"What's wrong? You've been distracted ever since we came ashore."

Shanks kept his eyes on the stool and spoke quietly. "I don't know... I just feel like someone's missing here."

Beckman raised an eyebrow. "Missing what?"

Shanks unconsciously tapped the rim of his glass, the crisp sound seeming to strike deep in his heart. "It's like... someone who should have been here isn't here anymore."

Beckman fell unusually silent, and it was a long moment before he breathed out a cloud of smoke.

"You don't often make that face."

Shanks chuckled, then shook his head. "Maybe it's my imagination..."

Outside, the last rays of the setting sun fell across the shoreline. A small orange figure sat alone on a reef, letting the waves wash over her ankles and the sea breeze tousle her long pink hair.

Uta hugged her knees, her gaze resting on the distant horizon, a hint of loneliness at the corners of her mouth. "That's so strange..."

She reached up and gently pressed a hand to her chest, where she felt an inexplicable emptiness.

"Everyone's here, so why do I keep feeling like someone really important is missing?"

Peals of hearty laughter drifted from the distant tavern, accompanied by the clinking of glasses.

Uta turned to look, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

She seemed to see the boy in the straw hat, laughing freely, singing and playing with her.

But now, that smile had scattered as if blown away by the wind, leaving her with nothing to hold on to.

"Uta! It's time to come back and eat!"

Yasopp waved from afar, his voice drifting over on the sea breeze.

Uta slowly stood, the hem of her skirt fluttering in the sea breeze.

She looked back at the empty beach and murmured to herself, "Why is that, I wonder?"