The Admiral's Shadow
"Yes," Sengoku's voice echoed through the transponder snail, heavy with the weight of history. "This is your era, Rosen."
The Fleet Admiral's words carried no hesitation. No doubt.
Rosen stood on the observation deck of Marine Headquarters, the sea breeze carrying the scent of salt and gunpowder. Behind him, the remnants of his elite forces gathered. Vice Admiral Gion stood at attention, her expression unreadable. Around them, the three Admirals—Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu—waited with silent intensity.
Sengoku's mind drifted to the fates already sealed. The Whitebeard Pirates. The Big Mom Pirates. Ships turned to wreckage, crews scattered, legends extinguished. His initial worry vanished like mist before a gale.
The Four Emperors reigned supreme. Or rather, they had.
Kaido had escaped only with the intervention of the Red-Haired Pirates. The rest—Whitebeard, Big Mom—had fallen. All perished at Rosen's hands. The Marines today were no longer the Marines of the past. Whether Emperors or rookies, any pirate cowered before the navy's shadow.
Except today.
While the Navy juggled two Emperor-level conflicts simultaneously, the Red-Haired Pirates dared to strike the Judge Forbidden Zone. A calculated risk.
"If they touch the Forbidden Zone," Rosen's thoughts were ice, "a black maw tears from Marineford to North Blue. Shanks and his crew vanish into the void. Annihilation."
Kaido's escape changed nothing. They would cage the beast again.
As for the Red-Haired Pirates?
Rosen's jaw tightened.
"Find a time. Wipe them out. Just like today."
He turned from the sea. "I'll check the Judge Forbidden Zone."
The three Admirals and the Devil's heir—Gion—nodded. They'd overheard the call. They understood the stakes.
"Leave it to us."
---
The Departure
Rosen's gaze shifted to Boa Hancock. The Pirate Empress, beautiful as moonlight, dangerous as poison. She stood close, her presence a quiet demand for attention.
"Hancock. Return to Amazon Lily."
After explaining the post-war arrangements, Rosen raised his hand. The air split. A black portal tore through the sky—a gateway to Amazon Lily, a shortcut only possible through the absolute control of space granted by his Arms-Arms Fruit.
Hancock hesitated. Her role had shifted from Warlord to ally, from enemy to something softer. "I understand."
She stepped into Rosen's embrace briefly, a rare display of vulnerability, then turned back twice before vanishing through the portal.
Rosen watched her go, then turned to Gion.
"Let's move."
He tore the sky again. This time, the destination was North Blue—the Judge Forbidden Zone. Gion followed without hesitation.
The black hole swallowed them whole.
---
The Judge Forbidden Zone
They emerged from the void into chaos.
The Judge Forbidden Zone—Vinsmoke Judge's scientific stronghold—was a battleground. Harbor defenses shattered. Smoke rising from key facilities. Marines patrolling with weapons ready, faces grim.
But they stood. They held.
"Black Hole!"
"It's Admiral Rosen!"
"Thank the heavens!"
The Marines erupted. Relief washed over them. The patrol, led by Vice Admiral Garp's second-in-command, Lieutenant Bogart, rushed forward.
"Admiral Rosen!"
"Report," Rosen commanded, his voice cutting through the noise.
"The Red-Haired Pirates struck sudden and hard," Bogart reported, saluting crisply. "They breached the perimeter, released Kaido from his Seastone cell. Vice Admiral Garp fought Shanks and Ben Beckman alone—he held the line, but..."
But he was outnumbered. Outgunned. Garp had fought with the ferocity of a legend, but the Red-Haired Pirates had come prepared. A contingency plan.
Rosen's expression didn't change, but the air around him grew heavier. "Understood. Return to your posts. The rest is mine to handle."
He strode toward the infirmary, Gion at his heel.
---
The Infirmary
The automatic door hissed open.
Vinsmoke Judge lay in bed, wrapped in bandages like a mummy. Medics and wounded Marines looked up. Judge tried to rise, pain etched across his face.
"Lie down," Rosen ordered. He moved with blurring speed—Rokushiki: Soru—appearing beside the bed in a flash. His hand pressed Judge back down.
"Admiral Rosen... I'm sorry." Judge's voice was raw. "You entrusted this fortress to me. You sent Vice Admiral Garp. And I—"
"You did your best," Rosen cut in, his tone flat but not cruel. "The Red-Haired Pirates invaded. You defended. That is enough."
Judge blinked. Rosen wasn't berating him. Instead, he saw the concern in the Admiral's cold eyes.
"Recover fully," Rosen continued. "Restore the Forbidden Zone. Artificial Devil Fruits. Combat suits. Don't let production stall."
He paused. "Later, I'll send the bodies. Newgate's. Linlin's. We'll give them proper burials—more than they deserve."
Judge's chest tightened. "Thank you."
Rosen's hand rested on Judge's shoulder. "Rest now."
With a thought, the Shield of the Six Flowers activated.
Orange-gold light pulsed. A barrier enveloped Judge. In seconds, the bandages dissolved. Broken ribs knitted. Bruises faded. Judge gasped as pain vanished, his body whole again.
"A... new ability?" Judge stared at his hands, unbandaged and steady.
He was a scientist. He recognized power when he saw it. This wasn't Minazuki's healing. Not Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame's restoration. This was something higher. Time reversal? No—beyond time.
Rosen walked past him to the intensive care unit.
Through the glass, Garp lay unconscious, wrapped in bandages, IV lines snaking into his arms. The room was quiet, the only sound the steady beep of monitors.
The medic exited, saluting sharply. "Admiral Rosen."
"Vice Admiral Garp's condition?"
"Severe." The medic's voice was grave. "Six broken ribs. Comminuted fracture of the left arm. Multiple muscle tears. Organ trauma. But the worst..." He swallowed. "Cervical vertebrae fracture. Even with recovery, his combat ability will never return to previous levels."
Gion's breath hitched. "What?"
Rosen's expression remained cold, but his eyes glowed crimson for a split second—Conqueror's Haki bleeding through.
Garp's injuries were catastrophic. Only the Monkey family's monstrous durability and peak physical condition had kept him alive. In his prime during the Hive raid, he'd have died. Now, his health bar was almost empty.
"Red-Haired Shanks." Rosen's thoughts were a blade. "Kaido."
Garp had fought for the Forbidden Zone. For the Marines. He'd faced two Emperor-level pirates alone and held the line until reinforcements arrived.
He was a hero. And heroes shouldn't bleed like this.
Rosen opened the door.
Garp's eyelids twitched. He forced them open, vision blurry. Two shapes swam into focus. Rosen. Gion.
"Rosen..." Garp's voice was hoarse, a shadow of his usual booming laugh. "Gion... hah. Looks like I've lost face. Got humiliated by that red-haired brat, and now you see me like this."
He tried to chuckle, but it ended in a cough.
"I'm sorry, Rosen. The Forbidden Zone... I promised to protect it. Instead..."
"You fought Shanks and Beckman alone and survived," Rosen said. "You held until I arrived. That's not failure, Garp."
Garp blinked. Rosen's tone held no scorn. Only cold assessment.
"I only saw heroes dancing," Rosen said softly, placing a hand on Garp's shoulder. "As expected of the Marine Hero."
Garp's chest tightened. He wasn't used to praise from Rosen. Not like this.
"Rest," Rosen commanded. The Shield of the Six Flowers pulsed again, golden light wrapping Garp's battered form. Bones knitted. Bruises vanished. Pain faded. Garp gasped as energy flooded back—not to full strength, but enough to stand, to fight, to live.
He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. "I'll be back in action soon."
Rosen stepped back. "No. You'll recover fully before returning to duty. That's an order."
Garp grinned, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "Aye, aye, Admiral."
Rosen turned to Gion. "Secure the perimeter. Interrogate prisoners. Find out what Shanks and Kaido are planning next."
"Yes, sir!" Gion saluted, her eyes burning with determination.
Rosen walked to the window, staring out at the harbor. The Red-Haired Pirates had escaped—again. But they wouldn't last forever.
He would end this.
All of it.
"Move out," he ordered. "The dance isn't over yet."
—-
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