Two Years Later

Marine Headquarters - Admiral's Office

"Click--"

The heavy wooden door was slowly pushed open, and steady footsteps approached.

Luo, dressed in a crisp Vice Admiral's uniform, walked in, carrying a thick document in his hand. His expression remained calm as usual, but his increased status added a touch of authority.

He walked to his desk and said softly, "Admiral Roy, Ace and Luffy have already set off."

Behind the desk, Roy was engrossed in reviewing official documents, his pen scratching softly.

Upon hearing this, he raised his head, the sharpness between his brows softening slightly. He rubbed his temples and said, "Ah... those two brothers caused chaos every day when they were at Marine Headquarters."

"Letting them out and cause trouble is actually much less of a hassle."

Upon hearing this, Luo also showed a rare smile and placed the documents in his hand on the table.

"Indeed." He paused, his expression turning serious, his tone steady. "Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Pirates on the high seas have almost disappeared."

The office fell silent instantly, with only the morning light streaming in through the window, illuminating the thick carpet and piles of documents, making the atmosphere even more somber.

Luo continued, lowering his voice slightly. "However... the 'adventure groups,' led by Blackbeard Adventure Group, have risen to prominence."

They don't fly Pirate flags, but they secretly annex territory and expand their resources, leading to increasingly frequent clashes with the World Government.

He looked up at Roy, his gaze deep. "Now the seas are free of thieves, but a new kind of 'Free Armed Forces' has emerged. However, judging from the current situation, there haven't been any large-scale arson, murder, or looting."

He paused for a moment, then his tone grew even heavier. "Moreover, without the threat of Pirates, many countries began refusing to pay the exorbitant Heavenly Tribute..."

Instead, they chose to maintain close ties with our navy.

"The World Government is anxious, but it can't come up with any solutions."

"Especially... after you decided to take over as the Fourth Admiral of the Marines' and publicly declared it as Free Mobile Seat."

The air inside seemed to freeze.

Roy closed the file, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Heh... those five old guys have started to get restless lately."

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes deep, and spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, "As for Shanks, he actually managed to become the 'Commander of the Holy Knights' within a year, which surprised me quite a bit."

He chuckled softly, a hint of teasing in his voice, "After all... that position was practically his brother's for the taking."

Luo pondered for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly and thoughtfully began, "Speaking of which..."

"Intelligence has come from Mary Geoise that Saint Shamrock secretly departed some time ago for Elbaf, his purpose unknown."

Roy lowered his head again, opened another thick document, and slowly traced lines on the paper with his pen, his expression remaining calm and composed.

Let him be.

His tone was calm, yet sharp and cold. "The new king of Elbaf... won't tolerate him."

The only sounds in the office were the rustling of papers and the scratching of pens.

New World Seas

The sea surface was churning with deep blue and white foam. A strangely shaped small boat streaked across the water like a shooting star, leaving a trail of intense light as flames shot from its stern.

At the stern, Ace's legs had transformed into blazing flames, with the flames at his ankles burning and expanding like turbines, making the small boat an extension of himself.

Flames roared behind him, and the seawater was burned into mist.

Luffy lazily squatted on the edge of the boat, a large piece of Barbecue stuffed in his mouth. The aroma of the meat mingled with the sea breeze as he chewed and mumbled a question:

"Ace —you said you'd take me out to play, where are we going this time?"

Ace turned around, the firelight making his silhouette appear exceptionally cold and stern.

"Recently, Blackbeard's group has become increasingly arrogant. They've retaken Hachinosu and intend to use it as their base."

Luffy nearly dropped the meat into the sea. "Hachinosu? That's the place where the Shichibukai were executed, I remember it was half blown up, wasn't it?!"

Ace nodded, his tone becoming more serious. "Intelligence Division reports indicate that Teach has somehow acquired an 'Island-Island Fruit.' Combined with his Swamp-Swamp Fruit, reshaping half an island is not impossible for him."

Luffy's eyes shone like two little stars as he excitedly jumped to Ace's side, his fists clenched tightly. "So, are we going to go beat them up?!"

Ace's smile was instantly swallowed by the flames, his eyes filled only with fighting spirit. "I've disliked that guy for a long time. If Roy hadn't ordered us not to make a move back then, I would have gone there long ago."

"His men crossed the line this time, which conveniently gives me a legitimate reason to give him a good warning."

He paused, his voice low and deep. "Zoro and Kuina, having accepted my invitation, should be on their way."

Luffy thumped his chest and shouted, "Yay! -- Finally, we can cause a huge ruckus!!"

"I've been getting beaten by my grandpa every day for the past two years, I can't take it anymore!!"

The fiery boat kicked up scorching waves as it sped towards the rebuilt Hachinosu, leaving only its long trail of flames and the silhouettes of the two figures on the sea.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Blackbeard Alliance on Hachinosu...

The rebuilt Hachinosu resembles a giant beast slumbering in the sea.

The fractured earth's crust intertwines with mud, and the ruins and newly formed islands piece together a bizarre outline, resembling the body of some kind of twisted and reshaped monster.

In the heart of the island, in a magnificent yet eerie hall, torches flickered, and the air was thick with the dampness and stench of blood.

Teach sat high in the Head Seat, his face half-hidden by shadows. His eyes were deep and ruthless, staring at the crowd below like a venomous snake.

Suddenly, his right arm stretched out, extending out strangely like rubber!

With a "whoosh," he grabbed a squad leader by the neck and dragged him forcefully in front of him!

What did you just say?!

Teach's voice was deep and filled with undisguised anger; every word struck the stone walls of the hall like thunder.

The squad leader's face turned deathly pale, his legs kicked wildly, and his eyes were filled with terror as he cried out in a panic, "Boss! I didn't mean to!!"

"The cargo ships of that Sea Train slowly drifted past me... I... I couldn't help myself—"

Before he could finish speaking, Teach suddenly roared, his voice like a beast's howl. "You fucking want to die--!"

"Boom!!"

He slammed the squad leader to the ground, and the hard stone bricks cracked instantly, sending fragments flying.

The squad leader's head was nearly Quake-Split; blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and his limbs convulsed.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

Teach slowly rose to his feet, his massive figure shrouded in the firelight, like a demon emerging from hell.

"You bunch of bastards!!"

With a raised arm and a sharp flick, the squad leader was flung like a rag doll to a corner, crashing heavily against the stone wall with a dull thud. His fate was unknown.

He surveyed the entire room, his voice booming like a raging storm. "I told you so!"

"You can steal the World Government's ships if you want! You can plunder the Underground Black Market all you want!! But—"

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, causing the stone pillars in the hall to tremble.

"Sea Train!! That's a vital public welfare project that the navy is fully supporting!!"

"That's the lifeline of the people! How dare you touch it?!"

"What's the difference between this and Pirate?! Do you want to be wiped out by the Navy like Pirates?!"

The torch swayed violently, casting a long shadow behind him like a rabid demon.

The air was so oppressive that everyone held their breath, not even daring to make a sound like swallowing.

It seemed as if the entire hall would be set ablaze by his fury in the next second.