200: Fujitora and Ryokugyu, The Navy’s Forces Assemble!

Not long after Ron finished reading the newspaper—

A Den Den Mushi in his coat pocket started ringing.

It was Dragon.

As soon as he answered, the Den Den Mushi mimicked Dragon's expression and tone, speaking in a deep, steady voice.

"Ron, you must have seen the news about Ace's public execution by now."

"I just read it."

Ron chuckled slightly as he responded to the Den Den Mushi.

"This event… is it the 'Prelude to War' you spoke of before?"

"That's right. I told you already, didn't I? I will demonstrate power capable of challenging the World Government during a war where the strongest forces of the sea converge. Then, I will formally declare war on the World Government.

"The Whitebeard Pirates should already be making their move by now. The Strongest Man in the World, the Four Emperors, the Marines—there's no better stage than this battle."

On the other end of the line, Dragon, Sabo, and Ivankov fell silent for a moment, absorbing the weight of his words.

Sabo, unable to hold back, finally asked, "So… you knew from the start that Ace would be captured?"

"That's right. He went after Blackbeard alone—an opponent stronger than him. There was no other outcome but defeat."

Ron's calm voice drifted through the Den Den Mushi, making Sabo's eyes widen slightly.

His hands clenched into fists.

"Then why didn't you stop him?!"

"Because there was no need."

Ron's tone remained indifferent. "Besides, the situation we have now… is exactly what I—no, what we—need."

"Trust me, Ace won't die."

Hearing Ron's composed yet confident words, Sabo gritted his teeth, his fists tightening even further.

He trusted Ron, but this was about Ace's life. No matter what, he couldn't remain calm.

Dragon's voice interrupted the silence.

"Do you need us to do anything?"

Standing on the beach of the island, the wind whipping his long black hair, Ron rested the Den Den Mushi against his palm. His black coat fluttered against the breeze, and his twin swords hung silently at his waist.

"This war is only the prelude to our true plans. You don't need to make a move for now.

"But if Sabo wants to join this battle, let him come with Ivankov."

Before Dragon could even respond, a loud voice burst through the Den Den Mushi.

"I'm going! I have to be there!"

Ron chuckled.

"Then head to Sabaody Archipelago first. Contact me when you arrive—I'll tell you what to do next."

"Understood."

After ending the call, Ron gazed at the vast blue ocean before him, his mind drifting elsewhere.

"I wonder where Luffy and the others are right now… Have they arrived at Sabaody yet?"

Shaking his head, he put the thought aside.

A flicker of light flashed within his deep blue eyes, as boundless as the ocean itself.

The very air around him distorted.

His figure vanished in an instant.

The next moment, he reappeared beside the Traveler, a ship docked along the shore of another island.

A hundred miles of distance—covered in a single breath.

Rayleigh had already returned to Sabaody Archipelago.

As for how?

Naturally, he swam back.

That old man's physique was as robust as ever—strong enough to fight off even the largest Sea Kings in the ocean.

…

On the ship The Traveler, Robin and the others were busy loading the supplies that Hancock had sent over from Amazon Lily—a massive haul of meat and fresh fruit.

Ron stepped forward, moving silently toward a certain someone who was currently sitting behind a mountain of fruit, stuffing herself without a care in the world.

Jewelry Bonney.

Like a little hamster, she kept shoving large chunks of fruit into her mouth, not even bothering to spit out the seeds.

Watching her eat so voraciously, Ron couldn't help but find it both amusing and curious.

How was it possible that, despite eating like this, her stomach remained completely flat? In fact, her waist looked even slimmer than Conis' and Robin's, both of whom actually paid attention to body management.

Robin noticed as well, covering her mouth with a chuckle but choosing not to interfere.

Nearby, Enzo spotted Ron and immediately called out with excitement:

"Master!"

Bonney, who was still lost in her feast, heard the voice and instinctively turned around—only to see Ron standing right behind her.

Her entire body jolted in surprise.

"C-C-C-C-Captain?!"

Ron bent down slightly and reached out to flick her forehead.

"You're the only one slacking off while everyone else is working. I'll deal with you later."

Bonney froze for a moment. Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, a faint blush crept up her cheeks, but deep within her eyes, there was an unmistakable glint of… anticipation?

"Ron!"

A cheerful voice rang out as a shadow pounced onto Ron's back.

It was Carrot.

The bunny girl wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder while tilting her head to the side to look at him.

"When are we finally leaving this place and setting off on an adventure?"

"We're leaving today."

Ron reached up and gently ruffled her head.

Carrot's eyes gleamed with excitement as she leaned into his touch, a blissful smile spreading across her face.

Ron then shifted his gaze to Robin.

"Where's Kuina?"

"She went to spar with Hancock and hasn't returned yet," Robin replied.

At that moment—

A powerful, sky-blue slash suddenly erupted from the other side of the island, slicing clean through the peak of a mountain. The severed mountaintop, its cut smooth as a mirror, slowly began to slide downward.

Ron glanced in that direction and smiled.

"Rayleigh really knows how to train someone."

Originally, Kuina had already reached the level of a Great Swordsman, but her control over her power had been slightly lacking. However, after two months of rigorous training under Rayleigh, she had refined her strength to perfection.

Now, Kuina's combat prowess had undoubtedly reached the level of a Vice Admiral candidate—only a step away from an Admiral.

Conis and Enzo followed closely behind, with a strength slightly lesser.

Meanwhile, Robin, Bonney, and Carrot—having mastered Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Breathing Techniques—had reached the level of a Rear Admiral.

Even Su, the cloud fox who had eaten the Tori Tori no Mi (Bird-Bird Fruit), had successfully unlocked a second transformation and now possessed considerable combat power.

This upcoming war at Marineford…

The strength of the Calamity from the Skies would undoubtedly shake the world to its core.

A smirk played at the corner of Ron's lips.

He was looking forward to it.

…

9 days until Ace's public execution.

…

Marine Headquarters – Marineford.

Inside the grand conference hall—

Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood at the center, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

Gathered before him were the highest-ranking officials of the Marines.

The Three Admirals, the Chief of Staff, the Admiral Candidates, the Vice Admirals, and the Rear Admirals—every high-ranking officer was present.

Except for one.

Sengoku's expression darkened slightly as he turned to look at Vice Admiral Tsuru.

"Where is Garp?"

"He went to Impel Down."

Vice Admiral Tsuru, clad in her Justice coat, spoke softly. "Right now, his heart must be in turmoil, struggling between duty and family."

Sengoku remained silent.

But Akainu, standing with his arms crossed, let out a disdainful snort.

"Hmph. To think that old man actually raised Roger's son as his own grandson. What the hell was he thinking? Does he even understand what justice means anymore?"

"Sakazuki."

Sengoku shot Akainu a sharp glance, his tone cold and firm.

"Garp may be reckless and unpredictable at times, but no one upholds the justice and order of the seas more than he does. That is beyond question."

Akainu narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"Even so…" Kizaru drawled lazily, trimming his nails as he spoke, his usual sleazy tone unchanged. "Choosing between family and justice… it's not an easy decision for Vice Admiral Garp, now is it?"

Kuzan remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed in thought.

"Ignore Garp," Sengoku said, cutting off any further discussion. "He is not the focus of this meeting."

His sharp gaze swept across the room.

"Today, we are here to discuss the formation and deployment for the upcoming public execution."

"All signs point to Whitebeard's forces already making their move in the New World. They will be our primary enemy in this battle."

"Additionally, considering Traveler Ron's friendship with Fire Fist Ace, it is highly likely that he will also get involved."

"Traveler Ron is also an enemy we must eliminate!"

The moment Ron's name was mentioned, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

Akainu's expression darkened, his single arm clenching into a fist, veins bulging with barely suppressed fury.

Kizaru, who was usually indifferent, actually looked serious for once.

"Whitebeard's crew… and that Ron guy, whose strength is equivalent to two Admirals…"

"If those two join forces…"

"It would be no different from two Four Emperors working together. We must prepare for every possible scenario."

Sengoku's gaze swept across the room.

Everyone's expression turned grim.

Even the battle-hardened Vice Admirals felt the immense pressure weighing on them.

As for the newly promoted Rear Admirals, some of them swallowed nervously, unable to hide their anxiety.

"The deployment for the execution at Marineford will be handled by Vice Admiral Tsuru."

Sengoku turned toward her.

Tsuru nodded.

Then, Sengoku looked at the Vice Admirals.

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea must also be summoned. Hina, you will be in charge of summoning Dracule Mihawk. Dalmatian, you will go to Amazon Lily and summon Boa Hancock."

The named Vice Admirals nodded.

With the meeting concluded, a smaller, more confidential gathering took place.

In Sengoku's office, Vice Admiral Tsuru and the Three Admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—were present.

But they were not alone.

Two additional figures stood in the room.

One was a tall, blind man with a Justice coat draped over his shoulders, a sheathed cane sword in his grip.

The other was a towering man with long, messy green hair, his lean yet muscular frame exuding an air of carefreeness.

The green-haired man leaned back in his chair, resting his head against the top while grinning at the three Admirals.

"Yo~ Nice to meet you guys."

Akainu narrowed his eyes.

Aokiji's expression became more serious—he could sense the immense power radiating from these two newcomers.

Sengoku clasped his hands together and introduced them.

"These two are special recruits from the World Government's global enlistment program."

"They have been directly promoted to Admiral Candidates—Issho, also known as Fujitora, and Ryokugyu, also known as Aramaki."

"They will also participate in the upcoming execution."

Aramaki grinned lazily as he leaned back further into his chair.

"Yup. I'm Aramaki, and he's Fujitora. Try not to mix us up, okay?"

"Oh, and by the way…" He stretched out his arms, cracking his knuckles lazily.

"I hate troublesome things. That includes eating. I haven't had a meal in over a year."

"But don't let that fool you—I'm still damn strong."

Unlike the carefree Aramaki, the blind swordsman Fujitora simply nodded and said in a calm tone—

"Pleasure to work with you all."

…

New World – Wano Country.

The Beasts Pirates had taken over Udon after the fall of Onigashima.

Inside the new headquarters, a thunderous laugh shook the walls.

"Gurararara!"

Kaido guzzled from a massive gourd of sake, his laughter echoing through the hall.

"So, Whitebeard and the Marines are going to war, huh?"

"All because of one brat?"

"Hah! Interesting! Very interesting!"

He slammed the gourd onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Queen, Jack! Gather our forces!"

Queen, one of the All-Stars, hesitated.

"Captain… Are we really joining this fight?"

Kaido's drunken grin widened.

"Of course, we are."

He grabbed the massive sake gourd again and took another deep swig before standing up.

"This will be one of the greatest wars in history!"

"There's no way I'd miss out on something like this!"

Kaido's eyes gleamed with battle-hungry excitement.

"And besides…", his grin stretched even wider. "That brat might show up, too; Traveler Ron."

Jack's eyes narrowed, a flicker of hatred flashing through them. "I see…" 

He turned, his voice filled with determination. "I'll make the preparations immediately."

As the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates began making their moves—

The entire New World was thrown into turmoil.

A storm was coming.

A war that would shake the world to its core.

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