Marine Headquarters — Fleet Admiral's Office
The vast office felt unusually lifeless.
The usual atmosphere was gone, replaced by a heavy silence.
It had already been more than half a day since Vice Admiral Onigumo's mission failed. The investigation teams dispatched by Headquarters had reached the scene and begun gathering information.
"…We finally have a clear report."
Sengoku rested his chin on his clasped hands, his expression grave.
"Did they find Onigumo?" Garp asked, still chewing on senbei.
"They did. But it's not good news."
Sengoku let out a slow breath.
"Onigumo's body… was completely incinerated. Burned to ash. The warship he was on was destroyed as well. That entire sea has practically turned into a hellscape. It's hard to imagine what kind of power could do that."
Garp's expression hardened. For once, he even stopped eating.
"That's… unexpected. Onigumo isn't weak—even among Headquarters, he's above average. And yet he was wiped out in such a short time."
"…Just who is this 'Death'?"
Sengoku stood up and began pacing the room.
He tried to piece together clues—
but there was almost nothing to go on.
Only two things remained:
A sea reduced to flames…
and a single name—
Death.
"…Never heard of him." Garp frowned. "Could he be some rookie from one of the Blues?"
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
A rookie who had just set sail would never possess the strength to kill Onigumo instantly.
Anyone capable of that…
was at least Admiral-level.
The sudden appearance of such a pirate was terrifying.
"No matter who he is—anyone who dares challenge the authority of the Navy must pay the price!"
Sengoku slammed his hands onto the desk, then picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Borsalino—get in here."
A moment later—
The office door creaked open.
"Ahhh… Fleet Admiral Sengoku. A mysterious man who can kill Onigumo instantly? How scary~"
A drawn-out, almost mocking voice echoed into the room.
The man who entered was tall and thin, with curly black hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a pair of tinted sunglasses. He wore a yellow-and-white striped suit that stood out instantly.
Admiral Kizaru.
"You're as irritating as ever." Garp snorted, rolling his eyes as he snapped another senbei in half.
"Well, I've been lounging around Marineford for too long." Kizaru stretched lazily. "Whether he's a 'Death' or a monster… anyone who provokes the Navy can't be ignored."
Kizaru—
A user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
One of the Three Admirals, possessing power at the very peak of this world.
The title alone carried enough weight to shake even the New World.
"According to intelligence, that mysterious man is likely lingering near the Sabaody Archipelago," Sengoku said firmly. "I'm assigning this mission to you. Find him—no matter what."
He had absolute confidence in Kizaru's strength.
To Sengoku, this was already settled.
Meanwhile—
At the Sabaody Archipelago.
Colorful bubbles drifted up endlessly from beneath the ground, floating lazily through the air.
Warm sunlight bathed the island, turning everything into a dreamlike scene—brilliant, surreal, almost unreal.
At the center stood a colossal tree, towering beyond measure.
This cluster of islands—
was known as the Sabaody Archipelago.
Located just before the Red Line, near Marine Headquarters, it held a uniquely strategic position.
The islands themselves were formed from the exposed roots of the massive Yarukiman Mangrove trees, which grew so large that their roots broke through the sea's surface.
There were 79 groves, each forming its own town or district.
The archipelago's most distinctive feature—
was the bubbles.
The mangrove roots secreted a special resin that expanded when exposed to air, forming floating spheres that drifted upward into the sky.
Because it was the gateway to the New World, the islands were crowded with pirates, merchants, and bounty hunters.
But at the same time—
it was also home to the Celestial Dragons.
A place where order and danger coexisted.
At Grove 13, the streets were packed with people.
Voices rose and fell in a constant hum of noise.
Amid the crowd—
two figures walked calmly.
"Compared to the brutal struggles of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo… this place feels almost peaceful."
Gin Ichimaru glanced around, observing the expressions of passersby with quiet interest.
"Don't be fooled, Gin," Ren Kuro said with a faint smile. "This world isn't as simple as it looks."
"Oh my… seems like a world full of pirates."
Gin narrowed his eyes, that fox-like smile never leaving his face. Along the way, he had already heard the word pirate countless times.
"That's right. In this world, the sea is everything." Ren Kuro continued walking. "Come on—I'll take you to meet someone interesting."
A face appeared in his mind—
Silvers Rayleigh.
After the Roger Pirates disbanded, the former Pirate King's right-hand man had been living here in seclusion.
And if you wanted to find him—
there was only one place to go.
After weaving through alley after alley, Ren Kuro finally stepped onto a wider street.
"…We're here."
He stopped.
Before him stood a modest, old-fashioned building.
Not large—
but unmistakably unique.
And above it—
a bold, eye-catching sign.
Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.