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"Start A New Life?"
Arashi stood frozen. In that moment, long-forgotten memories stirred within him, like a dream once lost to time now returning with vivid clarity.
From running a tiny five-square-meter corner shop to becoming the president of a trillion-berry corporation, he had reached the pinnacle of his previous life.
But at the peak of it all, half his body suddenly went numb one day. After numerous tests, the diagnosis was clear—ALS.
To someone who had climbed so high, it was a crushing blow. The painful treatment that followed was hard to speak of.
After three grueling years of struggling, he had become nothing more than skin and bones, confined to a wheelchair.
It was then that glowing golden words shimmered into view before his eyes—
[Wealth, fame, power, strength. All that you've worked so hard to gain—are you willing to give it up? and start a new life of your own?]
This wasn't the first time he had seen those words. It was the second. But so much time had passed, he had nearly forgotten.
Beneath those words floated two red buttons: "Yes" and "No." In his previous life, his trembling hand had pressed "Yes" without hesitation.
Better to face a new life than wait for death in a paralyzed body. He had believed it was a one-time offer. He never expected it to appear again.
"An infinite cycle?" Arashi murmured.
It was just like the endless-world stories from his previous life—traveling through countless dimensions, living life after life, each filled with new wonders.
But this time, he wasn't given a choice. He couldn't know what kind of world awaited him next.
His calm gaze rested on the floating words. He never thought such a thing would appear now—when he had become the Marine Fleet Admiral, reaching yet another pinnacle.
Now, it was asking him to leave this life behind for another world? Without hesitation, Arashi tapped "No."
"There's still so much I haven't done. Right now, my life is just beginning to shine."
He smiled faintly. And as those words faded, he stepped away from his desk.
Fifteen minutes later, the Thunder set sail from Marineford's port.
Countless Marines watched the ship as it disappeared over the horizon, their eyes filled with awe.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi just took office and he's already heading out on a mission himself!"
"Hahaha! Compared to Sengoku the Strategist, Arashi is called the Strongest! He was never one to sit behind a desk—he prefers being on the front lines!"
Alongside the Thunder, two elite warships followed closely. Their mission: to capture the world's strongest swordsman—Dracule Mihawk.
"Hard to believe you're joining us on this mission, even as Fleet Admiral, or do you not trust our abilities?" Borsalino asked with a relaxed smile.
Buggy and Rosinante also looked puzzled. The title of Fleet Admiral wasn't something trivial.
It meant overseeing the entire Marine force—handling all operations and emergencies.
It was a role of command, not combat. Most Fleet Admirals wouldn't lift a finger personally.
"After sitting in the office too long, I felt like moving around a bit." Arashi replied with a light smile.
His gaze returned to the open sea, thoughts drifting away from those golden words.
Maybe one day, if he truly reached the top of this world and felt nothing but boredom, he might choose "Yes" again.
But that time hadn't come yet. There was still too much left to do—
The chaos of the New World needed to be quelled. The unruly pirates roaming the seas needed to be dealt with.
Even the scum nesting atop the Red Line deserved to be crushed and maybe, just maybe, he'd sail to Laugh Tale one day… and find out what the One Piece truly was.
Without realizing it, this world had given him countless bonds—and a purpose. Garp, Sengoku, Iveya, Buggy, Smoker, Rosinante, Hancock…
One face after another flashed through his mind. Each person he met… was a story of its own.
For a moment, Arashi zoned out. Then suddenly, he snapped back to reality.
"I'm not dead yet—why am I seeing my life flash before my eyes?"
He chuckled to himself, then turned to the three standing nearby. Originally, the mission to capture Mihawk was to be led by Kizaru with two Vice Admirals.
But due to the swordsman's overwhelming strength, Arashi had decided to go himself.
"Dracule Mihawk is currently residing on Kuraigana Island," Kizaru said with a grin. "The vanguard has already headed there ahead of us."
To him, with the current lineup, capturing Mihawk should be easy.
"Vanguard?" Arashi's expression shifted. "You already sent people to Kuraigana Island?"
Kizaru nodded. "Yeah, they'll surround the island completely. Mihawk won't have a chance to escape."
Arashi stared at him in silence for a moment. "If I didn't know you for so long, I'd think you were a spy planted in the Marines."
"Huh?" Kizaru blinked.
Arashi sighed. He honestly wasn't sure if the man was slow from too many naps or just naturally dense.
"With Mihawk's power, if he senses a Marine encirclement, he'll definitely retaliate and break through immediately. Sending a vanguard like that only tips him off."
Kizaru scratched his head, embarrassed. "Now that you mention it… that makes sense."
Arashi waved his hand. "Forget it. I didn't come out here just for this anyway."
Kizaru looked curious and was about to ask more—until Arashi glared at him, and he dropped the subject.
It didn't take a genius to know: if the Fleet Admiral personally mobilized, it had to be something big.
"Let's check out Kuraigana Island first. Though to be honest, I'm not holding out much hope."
Kizaru shrugged, showing no guilt whatsoever.
....
Two days passed in a flash.
Kuraigana Island.
Beep—
A sharp alarm blared across the sky, echoing over the castle's spires. A man in formal wear sat calmly in a chair. His eyes suddenly opened—sharp and piercing like a hawk's.
"The Marines have unilaterally terminated the Warlord agreement," he said in a steady but heavy tone.
"Only a few months into office, and he's already this decisive. He's quite the bold one."
"It's been a long time… but I can feel my blood boiling again." Mihawk said softly. His gaze landed on a figure cloaked in shadow ahead.
"Looks like I have no choice but to cooperate with you."
The shadowed man smiled, drew the rapier from his waist, and stood. "Let's go. We'll break through together."
Mihawk calmly pulled the black blade Yoru from his back. "Let's see what kind of people the Marines sent this time."
Just then, a deep and fierce voice echoed from outside the castle.
"Dracule Mihawk, you are surrounded!"
"Surrender now!"
The two exchanged a glance and walked outside. Firelight illuminated their faces.
One had three scars over his left eye, a missing left arm, and fiery red hair—his gaze cold as steel. It was none other than Emperor Red-Haired Shanks.
"Never thought we'd be working together like this. Should be fun, huh, Mihawk?" Shanks grinned.
"Let's deal with the Marines first," Mihawk replied with a snort. The two walked side by side out of the castle.
Before them, dense lines of Marines raised rifles, surrounding them. Behind them, battleships lined the coast.
"The Marines really went all out just for me, huh?" Mihawk said with a sigh.
At the front stood massive robots—the same Pacifistas deployed during the Summit War to battle Whitebeard.
"Dracule Mihawk! Surrender immediately!" shouted the Marine commander.
But Mihawk's eyes, sharp as ever, saw the nervous tremor in his voice and the sweat glistening on his forehead.
"This is all the Marines sent?" Shanks asked with a smirk as he scanned the crowd.
"Red-Haired?!"
The commander's heart skipped a beat. "Why are you here?"
"Just visiting an old friend," Shanks replied calmly. "Didn't expect to walk into such a performance."
"So Arashi really intends to abolish the Warlord system?"
The commander swallowed his fear. He knew Kizaru and two Vice Admirals would arrive soon.
"Hah… Red-Haired! The Warlords have outlived their purpose. Fleet Admiral Arashi has already welcomed former Warlords like Kuma and Moria into the Marines."
"You're the last one left, Mihawk." He took a breath, his tone sharpening.
"The Marines have sent you five letters urging surrender. You ignored them all. That kind of arrogance has enraged Marine HQ!" Mihawk blinked.
He suddenly remembered the five unopened envelopes sitting on his castle desk.
"So those were surrender orders! Sorry! I hadn't read them yet!"
That only enraged the Marine Rear Admiral further. He immediately drew the saber at his waist.
"You arrogant pirates… must be completely wiped out and thrown into Impel Down!"
Shanks, however, just smiled. "With your strength? That's not happening."
The Rear Admiral's face twisted in fury. In a flash, he charged forward.
"Let me tell you this—Admiral Kizaru, along with Vice Admirals Buggy and Rosinante, will be arriving soon!"
"Even the Fleet Admiral himself is already on the move! We're just the vanguard! That's why I—just a Rear Admiral—am not afraid to face you both!"
His soaring battle spirit and thunderous voice echoed through the hearts of every Marine.
In the next instant, countless Marines shouted as they charged toward the two men ahead. With the Fleet Admiral and Admirals behind them, they had no fear!
"Fleet Admiral?"
"Sengoku?"
Dracule Mihawk was visibly surprised. After the war at Marineford, he had returned to Kuraigana Island and cut himself off from the world.
He hadn't even heard that the position of Fleet Admiral had changed.
"It's Arashi," Shanks said solemnly.
"Arashi?! He became Fleet Admiral?" Mihawk was stunned.
"Otherwise, which Marine would be crazy enough to ignore even the Seven Warlords?"
As Shanks spoke, he slowly raised his saber. Mihawk did the same.
Their expressions turned intensely serious. The Marines before them weren't the problem. If Arashi were coming in person, that would be a massive headache.
"We need to break through, Mihawk. We don't have time to waste here," Shanks said with a firm swing of his sword.
"Right." Mihawk nodded and swung his blade as well.
In an instant, two massive slashes soared forward. The charging Rear Admiral's expression changed drastically.
He gripped his saber tightly, covering it in Armament Haki, then slashed back with force.
BOOM!
The slashes collided, shaking the air. The Rear Admiral was blown away without even time to react.
At the same time, the other slash hit the advancing Marines, sending them flying.
"Run!"
Shanks and Mihawk exchanged a glance and took off without hesitation. Clearly, neither wanted to face a Marine force led by Arashi himself.
"Pacifistas! Stop them!"
The Rear Admiral, struggling to his feet, roared. Instantly, ten Pacifistas sprang into action, blocking the path ahead.
"Take them down!" Shanks shouted, slashing again. Mihawk's eyes gleamed sharply as he struck.
Two devastating slashes shot skyward and crashed toward the Pacifistas. The Rear Admiral's eyes widened in disbelief. The attacks sliced through the Pacifistas with ease.
"It's over. We can't stop them…" the Rear Admiral muttered in despair.
Against a Yonko and the world's greatest swordsman, it was nearly impossible to hold them back.
He could only watch helplessly as Shanks and Mihawk tore through the Marines,
charging straight to the shore, then leaping onto Mihawk's tiny coffin boat.
"Let's go! If Arashi shows up, we'll really be in trouble!" Shanks yelled.
Mihawk pursed his lips but didn't hesitate. He activated the boat's engine, and in moments, they vanished from Marine sight.
By the time Arashi and his team arrived, the castle was empty, and monkeys were scattered all across the island.
"You startled the enemy, Borsalino," Arashi sighed as he stepped into the castle.
Looking at the five untouched envelopes on the table, he spoke quietly, "I'm more curious why Shanks was here too,"
Kizaru shrugged with a carefree smile. "Didn't you hear? He was here to visit a friend."
Arashi replied calmly, tossing the envelope back onto the table. This operation to arrest the remaining Warlords had clearly ended in failure.
And one thing was certain, from today on, the Red-Haired Pirates had gained a powerful new ally.
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