[143] The Beginning of the End

[3700 words]

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[Briefing Room, Marineford]

[New Year's Day of 1486]

It was a prestigious gathering; the highest available level of the Navy was present.

The dozens of top dogs and their penchant for cigars had created a small cloud of smoke at the ceiling. However, the smoke didn't take away from the authority in the room—a U-shaped seating to accommodate those of Vice Admiral rank and higher.

"Usually, a new year marks a time for celebration, for the future to come," a deep voice mumbled in disappointment.

It came from a highly muscular man with a mountainous hairstyle and freshly shaven face to appear more youthful.

His voice turned solemn and heavy: "Yet now a cloud of war and mayhem has taken over the New World. I'm afraid what's to come will determine the next era."

Naturally, the man talking was Kong, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters.

The next man to speak had white hair and a stylish goatee of matching colour. "We attained a new row of intel from our agents at Hachinosu," Asahi, the Director of the MCIS, informed.

"Rocks D. Xebec has exercised the majority of his firepower: 35,000 pirates in total."

Such words were disputed by the only admiral present—Sengoku's eyes scanned the intelligence report through his glasses with furrowed brows. "Rocks isn't the type to leave behind top officers, let alone one of his Titans."

Another voice, this time female, added to the conversation: "His particular distaste for the World Government must converge toward the Celestial Dragons. He must be after every single one of them."

It was the Great Advisor Tsuru. She placed aside the information while the purple-haired man to her right aired his thoughts.

"He's willing to give up a Titan to ensure the massacre of the World Nobles," Zephyr mused, crossing his muscular arms in solemnity. "That leaves three Titans and four Tragedies, led by their Supreme Commander… Such a force can easily overturn nations, let alone the entire New World!" 

Kong heaved a dull sigh, his eyes narrowing in thought.

The collective bounty of the Fleet leaving Hachinosu was around the twenty billion mark!

"..."

The silence continued in the large room and across the round table. Dim light peaked through the shut windows, reflecting off half the people present.

"Let's focus on the Titans."

Asahi lightly coughed, showcasing his mastery over the subject.

"I have been in touch with CP-0's findings and corroborated it with SWORD," the man informed. Bringing up another sheet of paper. "We found the weaknesses of Titans other than the Golden Lion."

The Director of the Intelligence Service went on to list:

"Edward Newgate, aka Whitebeard. He has a strong connection to his homeland of Sphinx Island, frequently sending back ship's worth of resources. He even struck dead a fellow countryman and former Overlord, Esso Borealis, for betraying Sphinx."

"Charlotte Linlin tends to become lost in her hunger pangs, leaving her in a berserk state that may be exploited to take her down. Outside of that, her children are young, and some of them can be used against her."

"Einar D. Damien… Originated from the West Blue. One of my oldest agents, Raiden, the Commander of the 111th Branch Base, confirmed the young pirate's first movements at Greta Island five years ago."

Asahi finished with a solemn declaration: "Although Raiden is no longer an active agent and has chosen to exile himself, I can vouch for his word—Einar D. Damien's first sighting was at Greta Island!"

A nearby Vice Admiral was the first to react with a hurried question, "Are you saying you can track his home island!?"

"We should hold the island hostage, demand his leave from Rocks, or even use it to get him to backstab his Captain!" One of the youngest top marines roared, smashing his fist on the table.

"I agree! It would go well with the Protocol!"

…

The fresh intel took the briefing by storm as a vast array of havoc-inducing suggestions were thrown out.

'The Fleet Admiral would have acted on this already, which means there are obstacles,' a thoughtful Zephyr mused.

He ran his left hand through the cold, metal right limb, recalling the young pirate who had disarmed him.

"Our outposts are most barren in the West Blue due to the Four Mafia Families. It makes it difficult to send agents to investigate the dozens of islands neighbouring Greta and confirm the origin of the Sin Incarnate," Asahi added, shutting down any further discussion.

Kong leaned into his seat and took a loud sip of his tea before giving further orders.

"We lack the time and resources to narrow down a location...for now."

He addressed Asahi again: "What of the Fourth Division in general?"

The White Swan took a breath to put together an answer.

He recalled the recent addition to Damien's Division alongside other surges.

"There is a Solomon who the Sin Incarnate brought along. He has no past for us to trace. Unfortunately, before any intel regarding his abilities could be sent, the agent was forced to end the call and go dark till the storm settles."

"As for the Hellspawn, the only thing we've confirmed is an ability that allows him to generate electricity—there are too many such fruits to narrow down."

Further talks regarding the Fourth Division were quickly ended; it was only one piece of incoming threat to consider.

.

Suddenly, Sengoku, who usually only spoke on essential matters, audibly cleared his throat. "Can we address the elephants in the room, or missing from it in this case?"

The others all drew their attention to the two empty seats of the remaining two Admirals.

"You already know about Basara. Rocks left his home island in flames; thankfully, his sole pupil was spared," Kong answered with little emotion. "I believe he even left the young lad a Devil Fruit."

"If Basara sees value in a young lad, then I'm sure he can help maintain the peace of the seas," Zephyr commented; he felt great sympathy toward the mountain maker.

"And what of Kurowa-I mean, Kurojū?"

This time, it was Kong who went quiet.

Hesitation flashed in his eyes, only for him to reluctantly sigh.

"His task is to transport the World Nobles to God Valley." However, Kong paused with uncertainty and breathed out, "But I'm afraid he won't stay for the inevitable battle."

"!!!"

"An Admiral missing such an event is unfound!" Tsuru exclaimed, her raised voice conveying her disbelief. "Let alone his Devil Fruit can bolster the morale of our armies!"

"I know he has been lost in his rage, but he is still an admiral; his presence is necessary!" Zephyr expressed his thoughts as well.

Kong huffed, tapping his finger on the glass table.

*Crack* Spider web-like cracks spread across by the sheer force, conveying the man's frustration.

"In his current state, Masao's Devil Fruit ability has no use; he has lost his 'Dazzling Justice' and can no longer help in that sense."

Kong clenched his fist, gnashing his teeth. "I'm just as frustrated as the rest of you. I raised that boy, and now he actually dares to flaunt his 'Miserable Justice!'"

A few days ago, he had a long talk with Masao. It was then that he learned of his newfound 'justice through misery' —a code that sought to make people yearn for the Navy's peace by forcing them into suffering and pain.

*Huuuu* The Fleet Admiral loudly exhaled helplessly, shaking his head away from the aggravating thoughts.

With a softer tone, he continued, "Though it's not all bad news. With the Evil Spirit and the Hundred-Beast staying at Hachinosu, his existence is an asset." The top marine went on to set his point in cement, "Enough about Masao; we have more important topics."

His voice grew resolute and authoritative, and his face wrinkles were stretched to the fullest.

"The Five Elders have shared their thoughts for the coming war. I will echo their orders to you all…"

Dozens of veteran marines straightened in their seats; a direct command from the Overseers of the World was even above that of the Commander-in-Chief!

And it was as short and sweet as it was daming: "The Rocks Pirates will no longer exist beyond this sacred event."

The words plunged the room into dead silence. Such a thought was unfounded, but it wasn't unexpected considering the grave taboo they were en route to commit.

"Cipher Pol, under Xerxes, will aid us in our efforts. Everything will work out fine. This gathering will be our greatest chance to remove the scourge of the pirates!"

*Click* Kong then reached for his Transponder Snail and dialled a number, leaving the room in suspense.

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru."

"Katcha~!"

"Are you finally done with your little vacation, brat? I want you at God Valley to spearhead the assault on the Rocks Pirates."

The snail conveyed its caller's lax nature, matching a person lying at the beach. "You want me to go way out to the boonies to fight? What's the point?"

Kong sighed, massaging his forehead.

"I can't say, Garp. But we need you there! Our reports haven't been verified, but if the danger is real, it'll be a disaster for the World Government!"

The man on the snail proceeded to pick his nose, waving off the emergency.

"This is about the Celestial Dragons' little field trip, isn't it?" the man asked. "Why should I care if they're in trouble? I always said it'd come back to bite you if you messed with Hachinosu. It's their fault for poking the hive!"

The other top marines zipped up their mouths in the hope of not pissing Kong off anymore, allowing the conversation to go on.

"What did they expect? You don't just swipe the crown jewel of Pirate Island! Of course, Rocks would come to take it back!"

"!!!" Kong's eyes widened in shock. "Where in the world did you hear about that!?" he thundered.

Garp continued, ignoring the question, "You must've assigned them extra protection for their stupidity, right? So what's got you so flustered that you need me there too?"

Kong sighed once again, putting his daily sigh count into the hundreds.

"Well, there's something we didn't account for… it seems Roger's on the move there too!"

"!!!" This time, it was Garp who was left in shock, "Lead with that next time! I'm on my way!"

"Katcha~!"

…

Kong then leaned into his chair and spoke to everyone present.

"Our enemy is the most fearsome pirate crew to have sailed the seas in centuries," he solemnly stated.

"Rocks D. Xebec holds the reins to the pirates of the New World. Therefore, his death will not only end this damned pirate era but also pirating itself for good. Failure is not an option; the entire Navy will be put into action, and no matter what, justice will prevail!"

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[The Titanic]

The Fleet had prepared to depart.

Damien now stood at the magnificent ship, walking out from the Captain's Quarters—just now, he had a little chat with Rocks himself. 

He recalled the meeting: "Xahahaha! This is a little special; the Government will be in full swing since they wanted to mess with me…"

"Guess I missed the whole stealing of the crown jewel thing," the Sin Incarnate commented. 

"Hehe, Xerxes, that wily fox has some stealthy agents. But it's fine. I can drive those golden bastards to extinction while retrieving it!"

Damien narrowed his eyes, wondering about his captain's confidence. "You think they'll crumple that easily?"

"Xahaha! I have a secret weapon that the Government stands no chance against!"

…

'Maybe it's from his Awakening?' Damien thought on his way back. 

The pirate shook his head, unable to fully decipher the meaning behind Rocks' words. 

Now, he could examine his surroundings, which were similar to those of the Scorched Sea War. But this time, they had 35,000 troops spanning over a hundred ships. 

'So much evil intent, but that has nothing to do with me.'

Damien's Empathy skill naturally decoded the emotions around him; all seven deadly sins were present. 

"!!!" The young pirate suddenly felt a vile and snake-like stare from the side.

Matching the eye level, he found a familiar face. A man with long pink hair, a coat and a wild grin. 

'This guy still feels odd, but I can never sense anything truly out of place from him with my Haki,' Damien thought to himself. 

The only things that flared were his instincts, something he had grown up never to ignore.

Captain John smirked from afar before walking away.

"Speaking of snakes...it's time to cut a few loose ends…"

…

Damien eventually made his way to his ship with eight other men on board. They each stood across the deck, breathing in the salty sea air, watching as the dozens of ships came together into a formation.

"Kuhuhuhu! It's quite the spectacle," came a dull laugh from the towering Solomon.

He wore his usual get-up, simple trousers that showcased his tattooed and muscular body. This time, he also sported the spanning scar he acquired from Indra alongside the pulsating stamp of the sacred lightning.

Kaen poked Solomon with his elbow, joining his admiration for the line of ships covered with thick smoke. "Hehe, I like this guy. He can appreciate my taste in art!" 

The much smaller Pablo said, through his smokey breath, "This advent feels quite somber. I hope to see you all on the other side, mi amigos!"

"Arai hopes everyone well."

"Majajaja! Let's destroy the Navy and the World Nobles!"

"I, too, wish to see the despair in the faces of those Celestial Dragons; I hope to carve their fear into my memory," Hensō commented, boasting an indifferent mask.

"I'll ready the drinks after we're done with this mission. It's all on me, or in me, I should say!" Voyd Nomu laughed, chuckling at his saké fruit power.

Damien smirked at their enthusiasm, though his eyes hid a sharp gleam.

"Unfortunately, not all of us will return alive."

"..." 

The pirates blanked, staring at their boss.

Their Commander ignored their questioning gazes and dropped a few words: "The two things I find the most despicable are liars...and traitors."

The words were laced with a solemn air, bouncing across the ship as if silencing the rowdy pirate fleet gathering around them. 

The Suicidal Rambo, who had seen much war, was swamped with grim topics; the boisterous atmosphere quickly dissolved into panic.

"And well, when those two come in a package, then I can't help but want to eradicate it."

The crimson eyes fell onto a single pirate amongst the others. The rest of the Division Mates followed Damien's gaze and began to space out subconsciously.

The one under the Commander's cold eyes had long, nicely-combed white hair. 

"Ehh, w-what do you mean by this, Bossman?" The dark-skinned man audibly gulped, "T-The joke is going too far…"

Damien's gaze conveyed nothing but silent disappointment, forcing the man to take a few shaky steps back.

Sweat ran down his facial markings, but his confused expression quickly warped into pain: "Auugh!"

He was quickly lifted off the wooden deck nearly ten feet into the air, a sharp blade protruding from his chest. Miserable grunts spat from his mouth as his quivering hands grasped the katana responsible for his pain.

"Voyd Nomu," Indra's collected voice broke out. He stood 11 feet tall, his arm extended to hold the enemy in the air, with Tenmei piercing through a lung.

"A new generation pirate hailed as a Supernova when the World News Agency was still in power," the swordsman recounted. "All your feats were awfully loud, yet no one actually knew of your existence even after boasting a bounty of two hundred million."

"You claimed to be born in a Cult of West Blue, yet your home island exists only on paper."

Nomu, who was leaking copious amounts of blood, grasped at the white blade with both hands, desperately clinging on to life.

"I-I-I am no traitor…!"

Indra narrowed his eyes, lacking even a hint of pity.

"Don't insult my intelligence. You've been desperately trying to unearth my Devil Fruit ability to report to your superiors. Do you really think I wouldn't notice?"

Nomu gulped; his breathing spiked.

He painfully looked around, hoping to find an anchor to latch on to to save himself. Yet Nomu saw disgust in the other's eyes and felt his life slipping away.

.

Damien finally spoke, this time with a smile, "You wanted to know what power I granted my right-hand man?"

"Well, it happens to be the invincible Rumble-Rumble Fruit."

Shockingly enough, even after Indra's thirst for battling top opponents in the past year, he never let the extent of his powers show. And when he clashed with Kaido and Big Mom, none remained conscious long enough from the thunderous battles.

Nomu heard the news, feeling despair cloud his vision.

"Twenty-four calls," Indra spat. "That's how many times you rang up your leader at SWORD. A marine agency that has left the Navy, existing as a secret force."

The revelation brought shock to the dying pirate's face, feeling wholly seen through.

Indra pulled back his blade, forcing the man to collapse to the floor in a pool of his own blood.

"I heard every word your transponder snail conveyed. The only things you leaked were things I wanted you to leak."

"Haaa, Huuuh, Haaah…" Nomu clawed across the ground, his bloodied fingers digging into the floorboards. He looked up and saw the eyes locking onto his body and knew his time was up.

.

"G-Golden Supernova!"

.

Like a grape, his body exploded into a spectacle that reached the ship's crow's nest.

The others watched as a few droplets from across the ship and toward the sea suddenly shook.

Voyd Nomu's body splashed into the familiar liquid, reforming from the few droplets away from the Suicidal Rambo.

'No matter what, I need to report this to the Captain!' the man told himself in deep panic.

Nomu willed his body to turn fluid, dancing across the sky and toward a random ship nearby. 

By now, the other pirates had naturally noticed the Fourth Division's antics, watching in great interest.

Damien sighed in disappointment, not faltering by the turn of events.

"Kaen."

The man in question moved immediately and pointed a hand toward the distant stream of saké.

A vicious grin appeared on the red-haired man, "Hehe, I enjoyed billowing flames with your ability, Nomu! So I'll give you the privilege of going out in a blazing glory!"

*Snap!*

Instantly, the steam of saké ignited in the air, sending out a massive plume of fire.

Boom!

It burst so sweltering that it began to melt a few ships nearby while burning dozens of sails as well.

"Auuughh! Uuguh! Ahhhh!"

Miserable cries echoed from the conflagration, voicing out the mind-numbing pain of being burnt to death. It was mixed with a hundred other pirates and celebrated by thirty-five thousand others. 

.

Indra ran a stream of Haki, burning away the blood on his sacred blade.

Turning to Damien, he said, "His final call was to both the Captain of SWORD and Hakuchō, the Director of MCIS. I know every detail of their plan…"

The next few minutes left the Sin Incarnate privy to the fine details the Navy relied upon—a long list of enemies, plans and backup plans.

One such protocol would cement the death of thousands within seconds.

Indra then expressed his last remaining thought, "Should I alert the other Division Commanders of their plan?"

"..."

"No."

Damien lightly chuckled, his eyes locked onto the distant horizon, no longer caring about the dead Nomu.

Indra paused momentarily, examining the look in his Commander's eyes, "As you wish."

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The fateful day approached while both sides were preparing for the storm. The tremors affected even the Holy Land. While the Celestial Dragons were more than excited to let loose, their overseers had one final box to tick...

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[Pangaea Castle, Mariejois]

Five elderly men slowly walked across a dimly lit hall. Each looked solemn as they continued, slowly arriving at their destination.

*Creak*

The giant doors to the Throne Room opened, allowing the five old men inside. They were the Five Elders, also known as the Five Elder Planets!

They stopped to kneel across the long red carpet, bowing their heads to the throne far above—the Overseers of the World were submitting! Such an act that would leave every living soul in shambles!

The Empty Throne symbolized that a single figure did not rule the world—it sent a message of peace by making all royals equal before it, with none greater or lesser than the other.

Even the First Twenty plunged their swords at the side of the seat, showcasing their unanimous agreement for the throne to remain vacant.

Yet the Five Elders waited in patience and deep reverence.

[Empty Throne Image (in Discord)]

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*

Light, rhythmic steps echoed as an elusive figure appeared, slowly scaling the staircase to the throne of the world.

"!!!"

The person took the seat, draping their arms over the gold armrests designed to look like lion head statues. Instantly, the Throne Room was plunged with the sanctity of gods!

.

"Balance has been shaken as you prophesied," Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro calmly stated.

Shepherd Ju Peter continued their unanimous thoughts, "We will carry across your words to bring the world back into its orbit."

Marcus Mars spoke next, "Have you decided which 'light' needs to be extinguished…"

"...from history this time?" Jaygarcia Saturn finished the sentence.

Topman Warcury concluded the thoughts of each of the Five Elders: "If so, share the name with us."

"..."

A deafening silence pervaded the fresh air of the throne room. The Elders no longer spoke and continued to kneel for however long it may take.

After what felt like an eternity, a sole piece of paper flew down from the throne above. It fluttered in the divine air of the spanning hall, slowly falling before the loyal servants under the throne.

The Five Elders peered at the paper and examined the figure in the picture. It was the bounty poster of Rocks D. Xebec, spelling his doom.

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

Linlin, Kaido, and Kuroju will not be present at God Valley, but they will surely get involved in some way or another. The traitor Nomu has also been vanquished. Damien hopes the same for the Rocks Pirates but has little control over what's to come.

What do you think Rocks' secret weapon is against the World Government?

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q