The voices echoed through the streets, and a bold boy poked his head out to question a Marine.
"Mr. Marine, what's going on?"
His voice trembled, filled with nervousness.
The Marine paused at his question, then a smile appeared on his stern face. "There's no need to worry."
"We're changing the entire world!"
"Once everything settles down, you'll see that a new era, a new world, has arrived!"
Then the Marine strode away.
The boy stood there blankly, unable to grasp what he meant.
Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
With a cigarette between her lips, the woman pulled the bar's shutter down with a clatter, closing it tight. Then a large group of Marines ran past the entrance.
"Hey, Rayleigh!"
"How can you still sit there drinking so calmly?"
"The Marines have launched an attack on the World Government!"
Shakky straightened and turned toward the white-haired old man, who was still sitting there without a care.
"I saw!"
"It's certainly unexpected, but it makes sense, too."
Rayleigh turned his glass between his fingers and spoke quietly.
Despite his calm tone, Shakky knew him well enough to hear the complicated emotions beneath it at once.
Far too many people around the world had never imagined this scene.
Even though relations between the Marines and the World Government had repeatedly broken down over the past two years, and the chill between them had practically reached freezing point, people still hadn't believed a sudden war would erupt between the two.
Yet who could have imagined that this war would come so unexpectedly?
"Luffy, Ace, and the others..."
Rayleigh murmured.
News of the Marines bringing the pirates into their ranks was naturally kept secret, so outsiders couldn't possibly know. Thus, the latest news Rayleigh had received was that they had been captured by the Marines and