The Battle Begins

The sun shone brightly that day.

Great banks of white clouds drifted lazily overhead, and the temperature and humidity made for comfortable weather.

But everyone in the world knew what would happen today. It would be the greatest, most shocking event in the eight hundred years since the World Government was founded.

The battle of Hachinosu was about to begin.

"Hurry up, old man!"

"Move faster!!"

Two pirate underlings dragged Kong out of the dungeon, hitting and cursing him as they hauled him outside.

Kong's eyes were vacant, as if his spirit had died.

He didn't know how to face the other Marines, or the justice he carried on his shoulders.

On the one hand, he didn't want the Marines to show up. He could simply die here; there was no need to drag them down with him.

On the other hand, deep down, he still harbored a sliver of hope: hope that he hadn't been abandoned.

What a coward I am, having thoughts like that...

Caught between those conflicting feelings, Kong was led up a long slope by the two pirates. When he crossed the final step, the view suddenly changed.

Directly beneath Hachinosu's Skull Rock Mountain stood an Execution Platform built of steel, the highest point on the entire battlefield.

When Kong appeared there, a stir swept through the pirates packed below.

Kong took one look and felt dizzy. Their numbers were simply unbelievable.

From the streets between the buildings to the rooftops and vast open spaces, all the way to the harbor shoreline, pirates swarmed as thickly as bees pouring out of a hive.

Kong was shoved down, landing on the ground.

"Get on your knees!" One pirate tried to force Kong into position, but Kong braced himself and refused to kneel.

How could a Marine kneel before pirates!

That enraged the two pirates. They were about to punch and kick Kong when someone called out to stop them.

"You two can go."

"Yes, boss!"

"Boss, we've brought him here, so we'll be going!" The two pirates wisely withdrew.

Kong kept his head slightly lowered and said nothing. One person stood on either side of him.

One was Rocks, the man who had just spoken.

He didn't know the other.

"Well? Any thoughts?" Rocks stood with his arms folded, looking into the distance rather than at Kong. It was hard to tell whether his tone was mocking or surprised.

Naturally, Kong didn't answer. He just sat there without moving.

"Heh, a Marine Admiral is actually as docile as a sheep here." Rocks sneered.

"Someone must have poisoned him," Kaya said.

That was right.

Kong wasn't an ability user, so the only way to control him was to poison him, leaving him unable to resist but barely conscious.

Why make a point of keeping him conscious?

Simple. The pirates wanted Kong to watch with his own eyes as the Marine forces came to rescue him and were ultimately crushed!

As the appointed time drew closer, many of the pirates below rubbed their hands in anticipation. Some were Hachinosu locals, while others had come from elsewhere on the Grand Line.

Others had come here as well.

At some point, several birds had appeared in the blue sky. They weren't passing through; they were circling overhead, each with a Den Den Mushi strapped to its head.

Those weren't ordinary Den Den Mushi, however, but equipment for a live broadcast, capable of transmitting the images back.

Meanwhile, at the World Economy News Paper headquarters.

Everyone, including the president, had crowded into an office area, staring at a large screen on the wall.

Several Image Den Den Mushi had been placed at the front, projecting light from their eyes onto the wall.

There was more than one image. The large screen was divided into views from multiple angles, covering everything. It was an extremely professional setup that wouldn't miss a single detail.

Led by Big News Morgans, these people had all been carefully selected. They were the sort who would risk their lives for the news.

"Ooh! What a lineup!"

"With a force like that, they could flatten Marine Headquarters! That's Hachinosu for you!"

"Why aren't the Marines here yet? The wait is killing me!"

"What if they don't come?"

"As if that could happen! We've already received word that the Marines set out a long time ago!"

Everyone was both excited and nervous.

It couldn't be helped. This was the first time in history that pirates had taken the initiative to seek a decisive battle with the Marines.

And they even thought the pirates had the advantage!

Morgans, the birdman sitting in the large chair at the very front, showed no joy on his face. Instead, he wore a grave expression for some unknown reason.

"What's wrong, boss?" someone beside him asked.

"I received another piece of intelligence. The World Government seems to be making a move on some island in the West Blue," Morgans said slowly.

"The West Blue? Is the World Government not planning to support the Marines this time?" Everyone was somewhat surprised.

"They even transferred away some of the Marines!" Morgans sneered.

At that, everyone present looked at one another.

They couldn't make any sense of it. Had the World Government never considered what would happen if the Marines lost? Would they still be able to maintain a foothold on the seas afterward?

Unlike the others, Morgans could think of more. There had always been a rumor about the World Government.

Something about human hunting...

Forget it.

He shook his head. It had nothing to do with him anyway. What he should focus on was recording this great battle faithfully, then reporting how it unfolded and how it ended!

"Hey! Have a News Coo fly in from the outside. I want to see the entire layout of Hachinosu!"

At Morgans's command, though it was unclear how they managed it-perhaps every News Coo also carried a Den Den Mushi for communication-

A bird above Hachinosu suddenly changed course and flew out to sea.

Once it was far enough from Hachinosu, it turned and flew back.

This perspective simulated the Marines' approach, taking them straight toward the pirates' formation on Hachinosu.

"Ooh! Hurry up and take pictures!"

"At the very front, we can see Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Captain John, Babel the Catfish Strongman, Ganzui, and others. They're all first-rate fighters!"

"We can also see the gunman Keel Bastar, and the boss Maron and the mafia members he leads."

"But that guy who stands out most in the square... Is that a giant? He only looks like a child, but have the giants come to help too?!"

"And there are the Hyena Pirates! The Red Blood Pirates! The Polar Bear Pirates! The Headshot Pirates! The Overlord Pirates! The Magic Stone Pirates!"

"They're all dangerous figures on the seas!"

"Quick, quick! Lower the camera! Point it at that stone platform not far from the Execution Platform!"

"Ooooh! Is that?!"

"The most beautiful woman in the world! The former king of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates!"

"Shakky!!!!!"

"Beside her is Gloriosa, who also came from Amazon Lily but later joined the Rocks Pirates! She's a beauty too! Just not quite as beautiful as Shakky."

"Look farther back! The three guarding the area directly below the Execution Platform are..."

"Whitebeard! Edward Newgate!"

"Golden Lion! Shiki!"

"Silver Axe! Kyo!"

Gasp!!!

A collective gasp rang out in the newspaper office. They were clearly frightened by the lineup.

Besides that, if Morgans were to work as a commentator, he would be quite a professional. It was a pity that only they could see this live broadcast.

"Boss! What's the story behind Whitebeard's and Golden Lion's nicknames?" a subordinate asked, raising his hand.

"I gave them those names! Got a problem with that?" Morgans snorted, giving him a sidelong look. "They'll definitely leave Rocks someday. When they go out to make their names on the seas, that's what we'll call them in our paper!"

Everyone was full of admiration at those words.

Regardless of whether the men themselves liked it, once the titles spread and everyone called them that, they would have to accept them even if they didn't want to!

That was the charm of journalism!

"The person sitting on the Execution Platform is Kong, right? Beside him are Rocks and..."

"Uh, who's that guy?"

Someone had suddenly noticed the young man in white robes standing beside Rocks on the Execution Platform and realized he had no recollection of him at all.

But they had no time to ponder it, because a row of indistinct dark shapes had emerged on the other side of the sea.

The Marines had finally arrived!