The Reverie Called Early

Marineford

Sunlight streamed through the heavy glass windows, falling onto the desk and casting a tranquil golden glow.

The sea breeze lifted the corners of the curtains, bringing a faint salty smell and the cries of seagulls in the distance.

On the desk, the Den Den Mushi's eyes twitched slightly, mimicking Vegapunk's somewhat tired expression.

Roy leaned back in his chair, twirling a Fountain Pen, his expression languid yet his gaze deep.

"Sigh... Roy, as expected, you were right."

Vegapunk's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, slightly hoarse and tinged with disappointment.

"York —she still made a move."

Roy chuckled, a hint of teasing in his voice, "What's wrong, Doctor? This isn't like you at all~"

"Human desires are endless; don't you know that better than I do?"

A few soft grinding sounds came from the Den Den Mushi; Vegapunk seemed to be adjusting the equipment while sighing.

"Ah, that's exactly why," he said softly, his voice tinged with emotion.

"Human desire is the purest form of energy."

"It enables people to perform unprecedented miracles—flying, exploring, and creating life;

But it can also lead someone to destroy themselves, even if it's just to prove 'I can't'.

Roy's gaze lingered on the boundless sea outside the window, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. "It sounds like you don't intend to stop her."

"Stop it?" A soft laugh came from the Den Den Mushi.

"Haha~ I knew York would do this sooner or later."

"After all, she is the embodiment of my 'desire'."

"If I don't even study human 'desires,' then I don't deserve to be called Vegapunk."

He paused, his voice gradually turning serious.

"However, speaking of this... I did take some precautions beforehand."

Roy raised an eyebrow, his tone languid. "Oh? You figured this out all along?"

"You could say that."

Vegapunk spoke with a hint of smugness, "I tampered with the core of the 'Mother Flame'."

"What York stole was not the real 'Mother Flame,' but rather an 'unstable energy entity' left over from an early failed experiment."

"'Unstable energy body,' that sounds terrifying. This isn't like you at all."

"Ah~ Interesting inspiration often stems from failure," Vegapunk chuckled.

"However, the properties of this energy source are very troublesome—it cannot be completely controlled, and if someone were to try to use it to power something that requires 'enormous energy'..."

"That might lead to --"

"A violent explosion occurred."

Roy paused, his Fountain Pen still in his hand, and his eyebrows twitched slightly.

"A violent explosion?"

Vegapunk's laughter came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, tinged with bitterness. "That's right, the kind that can wipe them out along with their dreams."

Roy leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, the image of that cold, indifferent face flashing through his mind.

High in Mary Geoise, Imu sat on his Throne, with the legendary Ancient Weapon beside him.

If that thing were to be connected to the "pseudo- Mother Flame"...

"Haha... Doctor," Roy chuckled, his eyes deep, "You really are a genius."

The Den Den Mushi's eye twitched, looking puzzled. "Huh? What are you laughing at?"

Roy suppressed a laugh and lazily stretched, "Nothing, just thinking about... something related to 'art'."

"Art?" Vegapunk raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Roy said, his gaze drifting to the horizon outside the window, his tone almost indifferent.

"Destruction and creation are essentially the same art form, aren't they?"

The Den Den Mushi was silent for a few seconds, then a soft sigh came through.

Don't worry, Roy.

"York will learn sooner or later that playing with fire always comes at a price."

"Hmm." Roy nodded slightly, his tone returning to its cheerful tone.

"Then let's not expose her for now. Let's see how the World Government plans to play this game."

"Hehe~ I understand."

Roy paused for a moment, then his tone suddenly became firm. "Don't worry, Doctor, I guarantee—this action will not harm any civilians."

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi: "Your tone... it always makes me feel at ease."

"Let's see just how far 'desire' will lead them."

"Beep--"

Communication was interrupted, Den Den Mushi slowly closed its eyes.

Roy leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze sweeping across the horizon to the azure sky.

He murmured softly, "Desire...?"

The World Government's supreme order suddenly spread throughout the world in just a few days.

--The Reverie was convened ahead of schedule.

This news struck like a thunderbolt, shaking the world.

This grand ceremony, originally held only once every four years, is the most solemn symbol of the World Government.

The kings, queens, and nobles of fifty Affiliated Nation gathered in the Holy Land Mary Geoise to discuss the future of "world security and order" with the Celestial Dragons and representatives from various countries.

But now, this conference, a symbol of authority and peace, has been convened ahead of schedule without any warning.

There was no explanation, no reason.

Only that decree, stamped with the golden seal of the World Government, carried an irresistible pressure and reached the Thrones of every nation.

Amidst shock and unease, royalty from various countries began speculating...

But in the end, no matter how many doubts they had, they had no choice but to submit.

Because that command came from the throne of "God"—they had no right to refuse it.

--

Meanwhile, at Marineford, Marine Headquarters.

The heavy conference door closed slowly, and sunlight streamed through the windowpanes onto the long table.

A faint smell of tobacco filled the air, creating a heavy atmosphere.

The Reverie was held ahead of schedule...

The Warring Sengoku, who was listening in, frowned deeply and lightly slapped the table with the documents in his hand. "No matter how you look at it, this is unusual."

Sakazuki leaned back in Head Seat chair, his face as gloomy as a volcano about to erupt.

"Those old guys... they never do something like this without a reason."

"Hmph, they're definitely plotting something."

Kuzan leaned back in his chair, his tone languid yet unable to conceal his coldness. "Oh dear~ Maybe they're planning to use the name of 'order' to do something underhanded again."

Kizaru sat casually to one side, legs crossed. "Wow~ I have a feeling this 'meeting' is more than just drinking tea and chatting~"

At this moment, Staff Officer Tsuru put down the documents in his hand and slowly spoke.

"The Navy also received orders to 'escort' delegations from various countries to the Holy Land."

Sakazuki's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Escort? In the current situation?"

He snorted coldly, slamming his hand on the table and lightly tapping it. "They don't want an escort, they want something else, don't they?"

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

Roy leaned back in his chair, his expression calm, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table.

"Hmm... that sounds more like luring someone into a trap."

"However, whatever they intend to do, the navy cannot blindly follow."

"We outwardly follow orders, but in reality—"

"It's up to us to decide."

Sakazuki put away his Cigar, his tone cold and hard. "An escort is fine, but the route will be dictated by the Navy."

"I propose Vice Admiral a lieutenant general and a member of the New Generation be in charge of the Guard Unit, with the Three Admirals each stationed along different routes, in case of unforeseen circumstances."

Staff Officer Tsuru nodded. "We must leave ourselves an escape route, especially when facing the World Government..."

Kuzan lazily raised his hand. "Oh dear~ It sounds like I'm going to a funeral."

Kizaru chuckled nonchalantly, "Hey~ don't say that~ if it really is a funeral, don't forget to invite us for drinks~"

Despite the jokes, the atmosphere in the meeting room remained heavy.

--Ultimately, the resolution was passed.

The navy will outwardly carry out orders to escort delegations from various countries, but will secretly deploy defensive lines to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

The meeting ended, and night fell.

Sengoku and Roy walked out of the conference room side by side, the corridor lights casting long shadows behind them.

Roy.

Sengoku stopped in his tracks, his tone unusually low.

"You should come along this time too."

Roy tilted his head slightly, his expression remaining calm.

"Reason?"

Sengoku gazed at the horizon outside the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"My gut feeling tells me that this meeting is more than just a political matter."

I smell... the smell of war.

Roy was silent for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Um."

"I see."