Year 1525 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
After three years of settling and cleanup, the volcanic ash that had blanketed the entire planet no longer had a significant impact on the world. Nations and islands across the globe gradually began to enjoy the warmth of sunlight once more.
Meanwhile, the unstable elements that had been marked for elimination continued to die at an unbelievable rate, often under mysterious circumstances.
Since the first half of the year, with the return of the Marines, the entire world had begun operating like a highly efficient machine. Every day brought visible changes as new policies were steadily being implemented.
As Marine forces established bases and communication stations on island after island, global communications gradually began to recover. People who had been cut off from the outside world for years eagerly picked up their long-unused Den Den Mushi and called those they had longed to see but could not reach.
* * *
Sphinx Island, Whitebeard's hometown.
A ring of dilapidated houses surrounded the island, making it appear like an abandoned wasteland. In reality, things were very different.
To avoid the Heavenly Tribute and pirate raids, the island's residents had hidden deep within the valleys, living in isolation from the outside world. Secretly, they had also been protected by Marco.
As an island located on the Grand Line, Sphinx Island had long been marked on Marine maps. It was among the first islands to regain communications and begin implementing Marine policies. With the arrival of the Marines, the residents gradually returned to normal life above ground.
At this moment, in the town, the old ruined houses had long since been cleared away, leaving behind level ground. The former village chief was busy dividing the land into plots for each family.
Once the divisions were completed, a group of Marine clerks wearing uniforms stepped forward with numbered blueprints in hand. Alongside them was a Jinbe Seraphim that stood only about the height of an ordinary person.
They took out three vials of special green blood and injected them into the Seraphim, activating its abilities. Starting from the designated construction zones, it immediately got to work.
First, it used the Push-Push Fruit's power to continuously compress the soil and stone within the assigned area, forming a solid foundation within moments.
Next, specially developed seeds were scattered across the foundation. Using the power of the Grow-Grow Fruit, a sturdy wooden house resistant to earthquakes and tsunamis rapidly emerged. Inside, large furniture pieces appeared as well, everything having naturally grown from special seeds developed by the Marine research division.
The Seraphim then entered the house and activated the final Devil Fruit ability contained within the third container of green blood. Using the Dice-Dice Fruit's cutting power, it precisely severed the furniture from its growth points and support connections.
A single house took only a few minutes to finish. For a small island like Sphinx, providing every resident with a brand-new home would require only a matter of days.
Meanwhile, at the island's harbor.
Several Marine clerks supervised another Jinbe Seraphim standing over three meters tall. Using the Push-Push Fruit's power, it moved massive quantities of earth and stone to construct a new harbor. The plans had been designed by scholars and engineers, and the Seraphim merely followed the blueprints.
Behind it trailed a group of children, running around and laughing as they watched the fascinating scene unfold.
Not far away stood Marco. Dressed casually, he leaned against a defensive wall and watched the children with a faint smile.
The harbor's old rotting wooden pier had been replaced with a sturdy stone bridge. Dangerous cliffs around the island had been reinforced with towering walls of rock and earth. After extensive planning and redesign, the island had been left with only a single, wide and heavily fortified harbor.
Marine troops were stationed there permanently, military fortifications occupied the high ground, and twenty-four-hour patrols and emergency support systems ensured constant protection.
The same scenes were being repeated across nations and islands throughout the world. Without exception, every inhabited island would receive specialized planning and reconstruction teams dispatched by the Marines.
Crackle!
A flash of lightning appeared and Enel materialized. The oppressive aura surrounding him seemed to warn others to stay away.
He sat atop the wall beside Marco, his legs dangling over the edge as he watched the children playing.
Resting his elbows on his knees and interlocking his fingers, Enel spoke indifferently. "Former remnant of the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates. 'Phoenix' Marco."
The smile on Marco's face gradually faded.
The Marines...
His gaze remained fixed on the distant children, and there was a trace of reluctance in his eyes along with a hint of melancholy in his voice.
"I always knew this day would come. I just didn't expect it to come so soon."
More than twenty years of peaceful living had long caused him to forget much of his former life. But some things could never be escaped forever. Sooner or later, they had to be faced.
"How did you find me? I thought I'd hidden myself pretty well."
The only response he received was cold silence.
Marco let out a soft sigh as blue flames began rising from his body. "Allow me to say goodbye first. How about it, Mr. Marine?"
Enel glanced at him from the corner of his eye before turning his gaze back toward the children playing in the distance.
Marco chuckled. "Thanks."
With a sweep of his arm, his body transformed into a giant bird of blue flames and flew toward the town.
Far away, some of the children happened to look back. Their eyes immediately lit up with excitement as they stopped chasing one another and pointed toward the blue flaming bird.
"Wow! It's appeared again! Big Brother Marco's magic!"
"I want to turn into a bird and fly too!"
"Let's go find Big Brother Marco!"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
The carefree children ran toward the town, but they would never see their Big Brother Marco again…
A few minutes later, high above the clouds nearly a hundred nautical miles away from Sphinx Island, blue regenerative flames and lightning so dense it seemed almost solid collided repeatedly.
The battle continued from afternoon until evening. Only when a body fell from the sky into the sea beneath the setting sun did the fight finally end.
"Phoenix" Marco was dead, and his Devil Fruit had been recovered.
* * *
Water 7.
Dockyard No. 3.
At the entrance, a towering monk over three meters tall walked out. His body was covered in muscles, pure white wings stretched from his back, and despite his fierce appearance and rugged face, he wore a compassionate expression beneath his monk's robes.
It was Urouge.
Following behind him was a group of subordinates dressed in similar monk robes. However, they looked far more like gangsters than monks.
When the great war between the Marines and pirates had broken out, they had been forced to hide here while waiting for the outcome. But before news of the war could even reach them, the Great Cataclysm had engulfed the world, and as a result, they had been trapped here for months.
Afterward, once things had finally settled down and they were preparing to set sail again, the Marines had returned.
Several of Urouge's men looked visibly irritated. They quietly cursed the shipyard for charging outrageous prices and even considered robbing it, but none of them dared act.
Since the Marines' return, law and order across the seas had become increasingly strict. Every harbor and sea route was guarded by Marine forces. If they caused trouble now, escaping alive would be difficult. Under such circumstances, they had even put away their pirate flags.
Boom!!!!
A figure landed from the sky, and the impact shook the ground violently.
Compared to the giant monk, this man possessed an even greater sense of mass and oppression.
Bullet.
The Justice cape behind him fluttered in the wind as he lowered his head slightly and looked down at the man before him.
His indifferent voice rang out. "Mad Monk Urouge."
Urouge's pupils instantly contracted, and cold sweat poured down his face.
But Bullet gave him no time to think. He raised his right fist, looking at Urouge no differently than a dead man.
Can't dodge it!!!
The sensation of death stimulated every nerve in his body, and only a single thought flashed through his mind. His muscles tensed to their limit, his Devil Fruit power activated, and with a furious roar, he unleashed his ability.
"Retrib—!!!"
Dong!
A deep sound like a giant bell being struck spread across the air, and the entire island heard the thunderous noise.
Bullet's fist punched straight through Urouge's chest.
The Devil Fruit ability that had never failed him before accomplished nothing. Perhaps the force had simply exceeded the limits of what the fruit could absorb. Like an overinflated balloon bursting apart, the accumulated force exploded inside his body while Bullet's monstrous strength shattered flesh and bone alike.
Fragments of bones, organs, and blood burst outward behind him in a fan-shaped spray. Empowered by the doubled force, even the flying bone fragments alone annihilated all of Urouge's subordinates standing behind him.
Some had their skulls blown apart, while others clutched their pierced throats and struggled helplessly before dying.
Urouge felt no pain, only confusion. His mind had gone completely blank as he watched Bullet slowly withdraw his bloodstained hand. Then the Marine pulled out a container fitted with a needle.
Instinctively, Urouge forced out the final word of his attack.
"...ution..."
His balance vanished, the world around him darkened, and an overwhelming weakness washed over him.
Thud.
He collapsed to the ground.
Dead.
Bullet stepped forward and pulled the Devil Fruit recovery device from the corpse, attaching it to his waist. Then he raised the specialized device on his wrist.
A portrait of Urouge appeared on the screen, and Bullet drew a cross over it. Immediately afterward, the device displayed the real-time location of the next Devil Fruit user. That target was also on this island, not far away.
Bullet stomped the ground, and his figure vanished instantly.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!