April, Sea Circle Calendar 1498.
Roger's final words had plunged the world into the Great Pirate Era, sending countless ambitious souls scrambling out to sea.
For a time, the pressure on the Marines in the Grand Line multiplied, forcing them to temporarily shift their focus from the New World back to the Grand Line and the Four Blues.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The atmosphere in the Conference Room was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Kong sat at the head of the table, his expression dark as he surveyed the officers before him.
Sengoku's fingertips tapped rhythmically against the table. Zephyr sat with his arms folded and his brow furrowed, while Garp remained unusually silent, his gaze resting on the sea outside the window.
"In just three months," Kong began, his voice low and hoarse.
"The number of pirates in the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line has increased dozens of times over!
"Those final words of Roger's lit a fire under every restless opportunist in the world!"
"Unfortunately, that isn't all." A cold gleam reflected off Sengoku's glasses as he continued gravely, "The pirate powers in the New World have been making moves, too.
"Whitebeard, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin... they've taken advantage of our retreat to start expanding their territories.
"And we can't redeploy our forces to the New World anytime soon."
"The biggest headache is..." Zephyr slammed a fist onto the table, making the teacups jump.
"Those rookie pirates have no idea how far out of their depth they are!
"For the sake of this so-called 'One Piece,' they've even dared to attack Marine Branches directly!"
"Thank you for your hard work, Zephyr." Kong nodded at him apologetically.
The dawn of the Great Pirate Era had multiplied the pressure on the Marines. Sengoku, Garp, Sakazuki, and