Chapter 84

"Huff... huff..."

Within one uninhabited island, where the trees and vegetation were ruined and destroyed in a chaotic mess, the man with long and spiky blonde hair, 'Golden Lion' Shiki, was found huffing while leaning his back on a tree bark.

"...Heh," However, Shiki then grinned, "What caught your attention, Garp, for you to give up on chasing after me?"

For days and nights, Shiki was relentlessly chased and attacked by Monkey D. Garp. Shiki retaliated to his maximum capability, but his loss would've been guaranteed if the chase were to continue. However, Garp suddenly ended the chase and left Shiki by himself; even if the opportunity to attain the Op Op fruit has already passed, Shiki doubted that Garp would've given up the chase without a substantial reason to do so.

"...Whatever," Shiki then muttered, "That devil fruit wasn't that important to us anyway." He then raised his head up and gazed at the sky wistfully,

"...This time around, we'll succeed, right?"

Shiki whispered in anticipation,

"After all, if what that punk said is true, if he really is the successor of Xebec's will... he will awaken that fruit, and... become the 'Earth God.' He'll complete what we so yearned for in Xebec's stead... to change this disgusting world into the 'true' age of pirates."

Jihahaha...!

Shiki grinned, "As long as I can see that coming true, be it losing my entire crew, or losing three of my limbs. The Rocks pirates... we haven't collapsed yet!!"

The wind blew ominously as if reflecting the dark desire that Shiki held. And on this face, there existed nothing but that of bliss—in contrast to his heavily injured state.

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[January 31st, 1506]

In the cold and harsh weather of Polar island, Hina stood in disbelief as she gazed at Senor Pink, Baby 5, X Drake, and surprisingly, Law.

"...W-what do you mean?" Hina whispered, "Hina confused. N-no, Hina must've heard it wrong. Say it again."

Senor Pink lowered his head and frowned in anger. His clenched fists shook in frustration, and he finally muttered, "...Boss has been caught. By CP0."

From Hina's back, Rosinante stood with dark expressions on their faces.

"And it wasn't an average one even by the standard of CP0." Senor Pink explained with a shaky voice, "That man's strength... it was far beyond your imagination. I wished to help, but there was an order from the boss to retreat with these people..."

Law lowered his head. It frightened him that Smoker, the man whom he was intimated throughout the brief conversation, was silently defeated and taken away. He, knowing that the Op Op fruit is an extremely valuable fruit, came to fear that he may place his mother and little sister in danger, and ended up coming here with Senor Pink, Baby 5, and X Drake—with uncertainty in his decision to do so.

'...Mom, Lami,' Law thought with sadness, 'Will I be able to see your faces again in the future?'

Just then,

<<Purururu, purururu,>>

a nearby Den Den Mushi rang. Law ceased his thought, and Hina, with sharpened eyes, immediately grabbed the dial and accepted the call,

<<...This is Dragon of the Revolutionary Army.>>

Aramaki, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, narrowed his eyes at the Den Den Mushi.

<<I apologize for the abrupt call. However, I have urgent information to relay— >>

"In which Smoker's caught," Hina said stoically, "Am I wrong?"

The Den Den Mushi frowned, expressing Dragon's annoyance, <<...Calm yourself down and listen.>>

Dragon, from the other side, sighed. He, seemingly in quite a stress, clicked his tongue as he continued, <<Though he's been caught, we managed to confirm that he's still alive—from a trusted source.>>

Within this silence, everyone listened to Dragon's words with their utmost focus.

<<It is likely due to the presence of Monkey D. Garp, Smoker's mentor and my father, that they decided not to touch Smoker any further. That man... heh, I suppose that even he can be useful at some times— >>

"...What the fuck are you talking about?" Rosinante, finding himself in confusion, whispered, "Marine Hero Garp... is your dad...?"

<<D-Dragon!!!>> Another voice—Ivankov's—was heard through the same Den Den Mushi, <<You haven't told us about this either!!!>>

The Den Den Mushi's eyes widened, before Dragon's voice was heard, <<...Disregarding what I just said,>>

'''How do we disregard that?!!''' Thought everyone, but Dragon nonetheless continued,

<<Smoker is currently locked up in the Impel Down—presumably for the entirety of his life. Knowing my fa—ehem, Marine Hero's character, he will refute the reason behind Smoker's imprisonment. However, by coincidence... Whitey Bay was caught just few days ago, and Whitebeard began moving; a strange turn of event that may keep Marine Hero occupied. Additionally...>>

...

"...Just as Dragon said, Smoker isn't the only one caught." Said Hina after the call has ended, with a fresh newspaper on a table, "'Ice Witch' Whitey Bay, one of the Whitebeard pirates' executives that decided to build her own crew, has been caught by 'Blackbeard' Marshall D. Teach, one who's been given the title of Warlord in return."

Hina's cold eyes sharpened as she gazed at the picture of Whitey Bay that was displayed on the cover page of the newspaper.

"Whitebeard moved out of his territory, obviously in order to retrieve Whitey Bay. Essentially, Whitey Bay, to Marine, is nothing but a ticking bomb with no merit whatsoever." Hina snorted, "As far as I can think, Fleet Admiral Sengoku will bring Whitey Bay out of the Impel Down, out of concerns that Whitebeard wreaking havoc in the Impel Down will release all the criminals and return all marines' works to null."

Rosinante muttered, "...Is it possible to defeat Whitebeard even?"

"I too have the same doubt. And if we can think of this, so can the Five Elders of the World Government." Hina grimaced, "...I have a bad hunch. It just seems a little strange to me. Just a short period of time after Whitey Bay's capture, Smoker too was captured. If a war is to occur, and all the eyes will be focused on it, then..."

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"...Due to the 'mistakes' made by the staffs of the Impel Down, the prisoners will accidentally be released from their confinements, and in the middle of this chaos, White Hunter Smoker will be killed by those malicious pirates." CP0 agent Pierro or the former Admiral Blaise, stated as he genuflected, "And prior to those pirates escaping the facility, the immediately dispatched CP agents will resolve the situation... that is the plan that I have set, dear gods."

"...Too risky. Far too risky for our liking," Remarked one among the Five Elders who were found right in front of Blaise, "however... earning Garp's disobedience is worse than having those pirates escape. Furthermore, the very presence of White Hunter Smoker itself... is proving to be a threat to us, in a sense that marines are coming to question their loyalties."

"But still," Another Elder then spoke solemnly, "Initiating an operation of this scale during the war against Whitebeard... there are too many variables to consider."

"It is because of said war that now is the only time, dear gods," Blaise then said with his head lowered still, "Marine Hero Garp will certainly be required to face the wrathful Whitebeard, along with Fleet Admiral Sengoku; they won't have the time to process the ongoing operation in the Impel Down. The assassination that you ordered for me... this is likely to be the only chance."

"..."

The Five Elders, in silence, looked at one another. They deeply contemplated for a while, before one among them finally stated,

"It is permitted, however, with one condition," The Elder grimaced, "...Do not free 'Demon Heir' Douglas Bullet under any circumstance."

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"...War? Whitebeard moved...?"

In the darkness, there sat one, extremely muscular and huge-sized man. He, characterized by gigantic horns on his head, drank away a bottle of liquor while reading the newspaper in his hand.

"...Interesting." The man grinned, "Is it because his subordinate is caught alive this time around? Would you have come if I kept Oden alive instead of killing him?"

Throwing the bottle away, he roared,

"REFILL!!!"

His voice thundered across the room, and the walls shook from the sheer force generated by it. One servant entered while sweating profusely before hurriedly exiting the room with the empty bottle on the ground.

"Worororo..." The man, casually throwing the newspaper away, chuckled while standing his huge body up. He said in glee,

"It doesn't matter, does it? War will happen for sure—the war between the 'Strongest Man in the World,' the 'Marine Hero,' and the 'Golden Buddha'... WORORORO!!!!" His body shook in excitement. He aggressively grabbed a huge and spiky kanabo, named Hassaikai, before swinging it few times around impulsively.

BOOOOOM! The air pressure generated by his casual swings destroyed the surrounding walls effortlessly, but engulfed by the excitement, the man ignored the damage around him and shouted with a wide grin,

"KINGGGG!!!!! QUEEEENNNN!!!!! GET READY TO SAIL!!!!!"

His voice boomed across the entire island. The servants, petrified by the man's domineering burst of Conqueror's Haki, then fell simultaneously with their mouths foaming.

"WE'RE GOING TO A WAR!!!!! WORORORORO!!!!!"

He was Kaidou of the 'Beast,' the warmongering maniac who's been defeated seven times throughout his life, caught and arrested eighteen times, tortured and locked up for countless occasions—yet came out alive. Being one of the three known 'Catastrophes' with 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, he was being called as such by people nowadays,

The 'Strongest Creature in the World.'

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Impel Down, known as the world's greatest prison, is commonly known to be constituted of five floors,

Level 1: Crimson Hell.

Level 2: Wild Best Hell.

Level 3: Starvation Hell.

Level 4: Blazing Hell.

Level 5: Freezing Hell.

Also, it was known that the lower the floor, the greater the threat level and the committed sins of criminals.

However, there lied one hidden floor beneath the Freezing Hell, named the 'Eternal Hell.' Harbouring only the worst of the worst, this place served to erase their identities, deeds, and everything that constituted them—from history itself.

"...That Teach... who would've known that he was hiding such a colour within his idiotic look?"

And in this prison, a woman of long blue hair and thick lips, Whitey Bay, snarled while being cuffed on her wrists and ankles.

"Damn it!!" Whitey Bay cursed in anger as she tried to move her body around. However, strapped by all limbs, she was fully immobilized. Eventually, she sighed while loosening up her body, before gazing at an individual within the same cell as her, also locked up by the cuffs on his wrists and ankles.

White hair and toned physique. This man looked young, around seventeen to eighteen in terms of age. He was Smoker, one who currently was snoring without a care of the world, with a huge snot bubble inflating and deflating as he breathed in and out.

"...White Hunter Smoker..." Whitey Bay muttered, having recognized Smoker right away, "...I wish I can be as relaxed as you."

Just by the look alone, Smoker looked as if he was in a fine hotel instead of the world's worst prison.

"...But really, when are you going to wake up?" Whitey Bay said out of curiosity. After all, Smoker was sleeping for days ever since his arrival, "Geez, you are just like pops—"

"Oi, woman,"

Then, a deep voice was heard from the darkness, causing Whitey Bay to freeze,

"be quiet, will you?"

A pair of eyes glared down at Whitey Bay, and she instinctively shivered in response to it. Subsequently, before Whitey Bay could say anything,

"Woman." Said another voice within the darkness,

"Hahahahahaha!"

before a sipping sound came.

"Hahahahahaha—"

"...Wait, hold on," Whitey Bay squinted her eyes, "What are you drinking?"

The laughs and sipping noises abruptly stopped, and the silence returned.

"...What were you drinking?"

"..."

"...Damn."