Beneath a blue sky, sunlight shimmered across the azure sea. Over a thousand Navy ships cut through the water, their sails carrying them swiftly toward their destination and leaving rows of wakes behind them.
Not far away, a pirate fleet flying all manner of flags trailed well behind the Navy, eager to witness a feast of destruction. As the World Government launched its operation, countless pirates sang and drank aboard their ships, gloating over the spectacle to come. None spared a thought for how many people would die once war broke out. After so long without a major incident at sea, witnessing this would give them something to brag about for years.
Suddenly, countless black dots appeared in the distant sky, rapidly approaching the Navy. At first, the sailors aboard the ships paid them no mind. Birds migrated across the sea all the time.
But as the buzzing grew louder, the sailors busy aboard the ships began looking up.
"What are those? A new kind of Sea King?" a lieutenant commander asked in alarm.
"Report to Vice Admiral Garp immediately! Something's happening up ahead!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hello? Hello? This is the forward fleet. We've spotted a large migration of Sky Sea Kings. They may attack the fleet."
"Right! Understood! Ignore them and keep advancing!" Garp hung up the Den Den Mushi.
"Oh, we're really lucky! We're almost at our destination, and we even get to run into a huge group of Sea Kings!" Kuzan pushed up his sleep mask, exposing one eye as he looked at Garp and spoke lazily.
"Since when did the East Blue have Sky Sea Kings, let alone so many? I've never heard of such a thing!" Garp said doubtfully.
"Will you handle them, or should I?"
"I'll go!" Garp looked at Kuzan, who had been