The Dawn of a New Era

A week ago, on the Grand Line, in Marineford, countless warships set sail from the port, reinforcing their forces across the Four Seas and various branches. Simultaneously, the world was in an uproar; pirates in every sea were completely enraged, causing smoke and fire to erupt at naval strongholds, plunging the entire world into chaos. "Damn it!" In the highest conference room of the Marine Headquarters, with only a few people present, the leader, Kong, slammed his hand on the table, his anger blazing. "That damned Roger!" Below, Sengoku, Tsuru, and others wore grave expressions, even disbelief. "Boo-hoo!" "Fleet Admiral Kong, the G-4 Branch has been breached by pirates!" "G-17 Branch!" One piece of bad news after another poured into Kong's office. "Summon all officers of Rear Admiral rank and above!" His eyes blazing with fury, Kong had never been so enraged before. Meanwhile, in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, in a vast and luxurious palace, the direction of power in the entire world was influenced from this very place. "Roger must die!" Five elderly men sat on the sofa, their aura of authority so intense it seemed to stagnate the air. "He actually reached Laugh Tale! The secrets there must not be exposed!" "Should we inform Lord Imu?" A bald old man, his face solemn and somewhat uneasy, asked. "Let's go and ask!" The five old men, sweat dripping from their foreheads, looked utterly terrified. --------------------- "What's going on?" At Marineford port, Ye Chen, carrying Strawberry, stood at the shore, frowning as he looked at the massive warships and the entire mobilized navy. Such a large-scale operation suggested something unimaginable had happened! "Rear Admiral Strawberry, the Fleet Admiral Kong is initiating an emergency meeting. All officers of the rank of Rear Admiral and above, please assemble in the highest conference room." Just as they left the shore, a navy officer ran up to Strawberry, ignoring Ye Chen, and saluted Strawberry. "Understood." Strawberry also frowned, unsure what had happened. Now, the entire Marineford was on high alert, with the navy transporting shells and mobilizing various supplies everywhere. Seeing this scene, Ye Chen roughly guessed what had happened. "Let's go!" Giving Strawberry a look, Ye Chen took the lead and flew towards the highest conference room, leaving the navy officers who had delivered the message stunned, because Rear Admiral Strawberry was actually following behind that man. Soon, the top floor of Marineford's tallest building was bustling with activity, and countless rear Rear Admiral Vice Admiral could be seen entering the conference room, all with serious expressions. When Ye Chen and Strawberry appeared, many people were slightly surprised. "Brother Ye Chen." A joyful voice came, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, Ye Chen was tightly embraced by a soft body. "Chen, you're finally back." Without exception, Vergo, Smoker, Shu, Very Good all rushed forward, looking at Ye Chen with surprise. "Why are you all here!" Looking at everyone, Ye Chen smiled. "The Roger Pirates have reached the Final Island, Laugh Tale, and are now hailed as the One Piece. The whole world is in an uproar. We just returned recently." Vergo was as cold and unsmiling as ever. "Disappeared for two years without a single word. We all thought you were dead, you bastard!" Smoker cursed. "Let's go inside first! We can have a good get-together after the meeting." Pushing away Hina, who was clinging to him tightly, which drew her displeasure, Ye Chen looked at the surrounding Marines and entered the meeting room first. "Hina, let go." Looking at his right arm deeply buried in those large white rabbits, Ye Chen twitched his lips. "No." Extremely dissatisfied, Hina clung tightly to Ye Chen, refusing to let go. Hina's bold behavior drew many stares. After all, Hina and Gion were well-known beauties of the Marine Headquarters, with countless suitors. Some who didn't know Ye Chen all had sinister and jealous expressions on their faces, but they all hid it well. "I'm angry." His voice grew cold. Although Ye Chen didn't know why Hina was so emotional, it was inappropriate to be in front of so many naval officers. "Oh!" Her large, bright eyes immediately filled with tears. Hina lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, and finally released Ye Chen's arm. Expressionless, Ye Chen looked at the huge conference hall and walked to one of the front seats, drawing many sarcastic sneers. Clearly, these officers didn't recognize Ye Chen; some were probably promoted from the branch office, or newly appointed officers, all waiting to see Ye Chen. "Take it slow. You should know his personality well. After the meeting, have a good talk with him! Otherwise, he won't understand." Seeing Hina left behind, Smoker walked over and comforted her. "Don't give up," Vergo added. "I know." Hina looked up, no longer dejected, but instead showing a sweet smile. "Find a seat!" There were many seats at the front. Ye Chen saw a familiar figure dozing off and sat down next to him. Perhaps startled by Ye Chen pulling out a chair, Kuzan lifted his hat, glanced at Ye Chen, and paused slightly. "When did you get back?" "Just now," Ye Chen replied expressionlessly. "Many people thought you were dead. Two years, and not a single word from you." Kuzan sat up straight, clicking his tongue. Ye Chen's indifferent face and lack of response left Kuzan feeling bored. At this moment, Vergo came to Ye Chen's side and sat down. "When did this happen?" Ye Chen asked uncertainly as Vergo sat down. "Some time ago." "Congratulations." Ye Chen had expected Vergo to become Vice Admiral, and congratulated him first. Then, he felt somewhat complicated. If those beasts in the group hadn't gone crazy, Vergo was Doflamingo's man. This memory came back to Ye Chen when he was retrieving data on Enies Lobby, but he wasn't sure now. One after another, Borsalino and Sakazuki arrived, but they were both surprised to see Ye Chen. "When did you get back?" Sakazuki, unusually, asked as he walked by. "Not long ago." Hearing Ye Chen's reply, Sakazuki nodded and then sat down next to Kuzan. Borsalino, however, remained silent, simply nodding to Ye Chen. Seeing this, many Marines unfamiliar with Ye Chen were somewhat incredulous. After all, these were Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan —they were actually greeting that man. Then, people began to ask questions, and slowly, everyone in the conference room understood Ye Chen's identity. He was an extraordinary monster, disappearing for two years while others were at their peak, remaining unknown. Finally, Sora, Tsuru, Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and others entered the conference room. Seeing Ye Chen, they were slightly surprised, as his sudden reappearance after two years was still a pleasant surprise.