Sabaody Archipelago

In a stretch of sea in the New World, thunder and lightning raged. The Moby Dick looked exceptionally lonely amid the flashes and crashes, as though foretelling that something grave was about to happen.

"Old Man! Teach stole Thatch's Dark-Dark Fruit and defected!" Soaked to the bone, Marco burst into Whitebeard's cabin and shouted in panic.

"What about Thatch?"

Upon hearing this, Whitebeard sat up from his bed, his hand instinctively reaching for Tenguyama. Ever since Cifer had left, he had instructed Marco to keep an eye on the Dark-Dark Fruit. He had not expected something to actually happen.

"Teach was going to kill Thatch too. Luckily, because you warned us, Old Man, I managed to save him in time." Marco still looked shaken. "That guy Teach seemed to have prepared to become a traitor long ago. His ability was strange, and his strength felt completely different from how he was on the ship!"

"When I fought him, he grabbed me for a moment, and I couldn't activate my Devil Fruit ability at all! Before I could react, he threw me into the sea and escaped in a small boat!"

Marco still felt lingering fear when he recalled the sensation of losing his ability. As the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division, he naturally did not rely solely on his Devil Fruit, but suddenly losing a power he had grown accustomed to in the middle of battle was simply unimaginable.

"Teach?" Whitebeard could not help frowning. He recalled the child who had once knelt before him and begged to be taken in. Today, that child had actually harbored murderous intent toward his family over a single fruit!

"It's good that you're all safe. As for Teach, the next time I see him, I'll deal with the traitor myself."

The moment Whitebeard finished speaking, Ace, who had just learned what happened from Thatch, suddenly shoved open the door and rushed in.

"Old Man! I'm going to bring Teach back! He used to be a member of the Second Division. This is my responsibility!"

Whitebeard looked at the furious Ace. As captain, Ace's request was perfectly reasonable, yet for some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.

"Forget it this time, Ace. No one knows where that guy ran off to, and he has that bizarre ability. Even Marco suffered at his hands. Leave it to me next time we run into him!"

"No! If it hadn't been for Marco this time, Thatch might already be dead. This is the shame of our Second Division! And the shame of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

Seeing the determination in Ace's eyes, Whitebeard knew that even if he stopped him, Ace would sneak out to sea anyway. He might as well let him go. He was Whitebeard's son! Even a fledgling would one day fly into the sky!

"Then I'll leave it to you, Ace!" Whitebeard released Tenguyama. "Wait until the weather clears before you leave!"

"Understood!"

Ace turned and stormed off, intending to gather some luggage and prepare for departure.

And above all, be careful.

Whitebeard did not say it aloud. Men did not need such words at parting, and he believed Ace would take care of himself.

"Marco, Jinbe is with that brat Cifer, right? Contact them."

"Yes!"

Elsewhere.

Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago.

"It's good that Thatch is all right. I'll keep an eye out for news about Teach and Ace over here." Cifer handed the Den Den Mushi back to Jinbe.

Blackbeard had still obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, and Ace had gone to sea to pursue him just like in the original storyline. But Thatch had not died. It seemed changing an established storyline was not as difficult as he had imagined.

Blackbeard had only just gone to sea. There were probably still a few months before the plot began, but Cifer could not remember which countries he had visited. He only remembered that Ace was ultimately defeated on an island called Banaro Island.

He would head there when the time came. In any case, he had Ace's Vivre Card and could check on Ace's condition whenever he wanted.

"I'm going ashore to have a look around Sabaody Archipelago. Want to come, Jinbe?" Cifer stood at the bow and looked back at Jinbe.

"I'll pass. Someone has to stay and watch the ship. This place is quite chaotic."

The Sabaody Archipelago consisted of seventy-nine trees, each with its own number, towns, and facilities built upon it.

The archipelago's districts were also clearly divided according to the numbers on the trees:

Trees 1 through 29 were lawless areas, including human auction houses.

Trees 30 through 39 were amusement parks.

Trees 40 through 49 were sightseeing areas, with local specialties for sale.

Trees 50 through 59 housed shipyards and coating craftsmen.

Trees 60 through 69 were entry and exit zones for the Marines and the government.

Trees 70 through 79 contained places such as hotel districts.

Cifer's destination this time was Shakky's Rip-off Bar, as well as the legendary Silvers Rayleigh, whom every transmigrator supposedly had to meet.

"Young man, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and kneel like the rest of us!"

Just as Cifer was about to ask someone for directions, a commotion suddenly broke out. People along the road moved to either side and knelt down, opening a path. An old man beside Cifer saw that he had not moved and hurriedly tugged at him.

As far as the eye could see, a man fat as a pig, with snot constantly hanging from his face, dressed head to toe in something like a spacesuit complete with an oxygen mask, was riding atop a burly kneeling man. As the big man crawled forward, he slowly entered the crowd.

That was one of the World Nobles, the so-called descendants of the creators—the Celestial Dragons.

"You, go seize that woman for me. I've taken a liking to her!"

For the moment, the Celestial Dragon had not noticed the conspicuous Cifer, because he had already set his sights on a woman kneeling on the ground and ordered the armored guard beside him.

"No! Lord Celestial Dragon, please spare my wife!"

A young man stood up and shielded the woman with his body. Though his legs trembled violently, he did not retreat even half a step.

"You foolish lowlife, how dare you resist the great Celestial Dragons! How dare you stand before me, Saint Charlos!" Charlos forcefully sniffed up his dangling snot and drew a golden pistol. "Die!"

Most of the kneeling people closed their eyes, unable to bear witnessing such cruelty.

The gunshot did not ring out as expected. It was as though a fierce gust of wind had swept through, followed instead by the Celestial Dragon's agonized scream.

"My hand!"

Everyone opened their eyes. To their utter disbelief, the Celestial Dragon was already writhing on the ground in agony, while the right hand that had held the gun lay quietly on the ground.

Cifer stood in the middle of the road, holding a long blade he had casually snatched from a pirate nearby. The scorching sword mark on the ground told everyone what had just happened.

"Protect Saint Charlos!"

The armored guards surged forward. Half surrounded the Celestial Dragon, while the other half surrounded Cifer.

"Blades are pretty useful after all. Too bad this isn't a good one."

If only my Zanpakuto were here too! It would have to be at least Supreme Grade Sword level.

Cifer slowly walked forward. Amid flashing blades and flying shadows, only the Celestial Dragon remained, sitting on the ground clutching his wound, along with the slave whose eyes had suddenly lit up.

As for the passersby who had originally knelt on both sides, they had fled the moment Cifer cut off Charlos's right hand. After witnessing such a scene, staying behind would likely mean certain death.

"Damn lowlife! I'm a great Celestial Dragon! The World Government won't let you get away with this!"

Charlos had no idea that death was already upon him and continued shouting arrogantly. The pain from his severed hand had left tears and snot filling his oxygen mask, making Cifer feel sick.

"Too noisy!"

A flash of steel passed. The Celestial Dragon's oxygen-masked head fell to the ground. Even then, his face remained twisted with malice, though now it carried a trace of confusion.

"That man actually killed a Celestial Dragon!" Some nearby pirates and passersby who had hidden themselves and watched in secret were so frightened by the sight that they barely dared breathe.

Those lofty World Nobles could actually die miserably in the streets too!

"President! Huge news!"

Somewhere in the New World, a Den Den Mushi in Morgans's hand chattered endlessly about what had happened on the Sabaody Archipelago as he drank hot tea.

Marineford, Fleet Admiral's office.

"What?! A Celestial Dragon actually..." Sengoku's eyes were filled with disbelief, while Garp, who was eating senbei beside him, could not help bursting into laughter.