Revolution in the Shadows: The New Era
I will include Luffy in SWORD to ensure he continues to shine in the story. From here on, his impact would dilute if he remained as a pirate. Remember, we are in the world of One Piece, but the main narrative still revolves around Kara. Adding Fairy Tail into this equation will make the world evolve in unpredictable ways. The Navy will remain a key pillar, just like the bounty hunter guild, while pirates quietly take a step back, not losing their essence. This is still the world of One Piece. I will also address the time skip, but I'll condense it into a couple of well-detailed chapters about what happened.
"Ahh, damn, I let go too late...!" murmured Luffy, bouncing on the ground in the middle of the battlefield.
The marines, celebrating their victory, stared at him as if a meteor had just fallen.
"That fool!" yelled Nami, holding her head in frustration. "Franky, pick him up before they catch him!"
"I'd like to, but he just got super caught!" Franky replied, pointing down with nervous laughter.
Everyone looked... and saw Luffy being lovingly crushed by Uta and Chopper.
"Luffy! I got you!" yelled Uta, hugging him like her favorite stuffed animal.
"Got him!" Chopper screamed, clinging to his legs like a koala while joining the fun.
Luffy, confused, looked around.
"Uta...? Let go..." he was about to say something, but seeing Uta trembling after spotting Shanks, he just let her hug him as if he had been caught.
"The marines have Luffy!" screamed Rab, running around the Fairy Tail ship like a headless chicken.
"WHAT?!" Usopp and Nami shouted in unison.
Worse still, out of nowhere, Aokiji and Kizaru appeared, casually smiling.
"Well, well... looks like our captain caught a very bad pirate," Aokiji teased, while Kizaru murmured something so slow and quiet that the others couldn't hear.
"DAMN IT! Luffy's surrounded by admirals!" screamed Usopp, nearly passing out from fear.
"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!" Nami shouted, punching him in the head.
But when everyone looked... the admirals were chatting as if they were old friends! WHAT KIND OF MADNESS WAS THAT?!
Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail ship slowly descended thanks to Issho, and Kara walked toward them with a mischievous smile, as if nothing strange was happening.
"Ho, Issho! Long time no see, old sage!" Kara greeted cheerfully.
"It's good to hear you're well, Kara. And it seems you've gotten even stronger," Issho said, smiling kindly.
"Of course! What did you expect from me? Though..." Kara glanced around, "it's weird to see you in the middle of all this madness."
Issho chuckled softly.
"Well, we found a young woman worried about her sister on the way... they seemed to be talking about you, so I didn't say anything to avoid ruining the surprise."
"You're the best, Issho!" Kara laughed, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Then Issho pointed to Luffy, who was still trapped in hugs and surrounded by admirals.
"By the way... is your little brother okay? He's still a pirate after all..."
"Don't worry." Kara dropped a bomb with the casualness of talking about the weather. "Luffy is part of the navy, in a secret division called SWORD."
Silence.
Then...
"WHAT??????" the Straw Hats screamed so loudly it almost shattered the atmosphere.
"Yes, yes!" Kara laughed as if it were obvious. "What did you think? That I'd let my little brother be a filthy pirate for real?"
"But his dream is to capture one of the Yonkos!" she added nonchalantly.
She placed a hand over her mouth, pretending to be surprised:
"Oh... I wasn't supposed to say that. Forget it!" she hummed as she walked away as if nothing happened.
At that moment, Fairy Tail members shot toward her like rockets!
"KARA!!!" yelled Happy, flying and slamming into her face.
"Mini slave! So good to see you!" Kara laughed, catching him like a ball.
"I'm not a mini slave! But if you help me catch a giant fish, I'll let you call me that all day!" Happy yelled excitedly.
"Sure," Kara said with a smile.
"INCREDIBLE!!! Why are you so tall now?!" Natsu yelled, looking at her like she was a rare monster.
"FIGHT ME!" he roared, but in a blink, Kara slammed his head into the ground.
"Slave number 3, you haven't changed at all," Kara said with a sadistic laugh.
"REAL men are tall!" exclaimed Elfman, punching the air.
"But Kara's a woman," Wendy pointed out innocently.
Carla, serious, floated over to her.
"It seems... you grew a lot. Are you really okay?"
Kara looked at her warmly.
"The nutrition here is better, that's why," she said with a smile before returning to a serious and joyful look as she saw everyone. "For me, years have passed... but yes, I'm fine. Thanks to you. I never stopped thinking about coming back."
The atmosphere suddenly became serious and warm.
"KARAAAA!!!" yelled Gildarts, launching himself to hug her like a giant pillow.
Kara, laughing and complaining, pushed him away, while Cana was also accidentally caught.
"Now you're taller than this idiot!" Cana laughed, struggling to free herself.
"Hey, that guy there," Gray pointed to Aokiji, "he's an ice wizard, right? He looks strong."
Kara sighed. "If you fight him, slave number 2, you'll probably end up as an ice pop."
With a precise kick, Kara knocked Gildarts off her.
Then Laxus appeared, arms crossed like a grumpy statue.
"I see you didn't waste any time..." he murmured, sizing up Kara's strength.
"Ohhh, slave number 1! I knew you missed me!" Kara joked, stretching her hand toward him.
"SHUT UP!" Laxus roared, his face red.
"You lost the bet!" Kara sang.
"You cheated!" Laxus protested, sparks flying.
"I challenge you right now, cheater!" he shouted, already throwing lightning.
"Do you really want to lose in three moves this time?" Kara mocked, releasing her aura.
"ENOUGH, YOU FOOLS!" Makarov thundered, appearing between them. "It's good to see you, Kara... You look more mature."
"Normal, it's been almost 30 years for me!" Kara said as if talking about the weather.
Everyone froze.
"THIRTY YEARS!?" they shouted.
"That means you're more than..." Gray tried to count, but before he could finish, Kara gave him a smack that left him buried next to Natsu.
"Well done, slave number 2," Lucy mocked, while Happy and she poked Natsu as if with sticks, asking if he was still alive.
"Gihihi, what idiots!" Gajeel laughed, chewing something metallic.
"To reveal a lady's age is a crime," Lily declared solemnly.
"Hey, that guy is eating the Kairoseki chains!" Chopper shouted, scandalized, while Zoro had approached to be bandaged again by Chopper, who was happy because he felt much stronger after this war. He could even feel some Haki.
"Mmm? Want a piece?" Gajeel offered, chewing.
"N-No, thanks!" Chopper refused, pale.
Meanwhile, Erza and Mirajane approached, having delivered the captured pirates to Tokikake and Guion, who was watching them out of the corner of his eye.
"Now, Kara," Erza said seriously. "We need to talk."
"It looks like my big boss Sengoku is calling me. After all, I'm a proper marine who follows orders, so I must run wherever they tell me," Kara quickly replied before disappearing at full speed.
If any marine had heard those words, they would have surely thought she was stuck in an alternate world.
"See you later. I'll send someone to give you instructions," Kara added while running away.
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After the battle, Marineford, half destroyed, was filled with makeshift tents where injured marines were being treated. Meanwhile, the bounty hunter guild withdrew after delivering detailed reports on the captured pirates, reports that would be properly followed once Marineford was fully operational again.
Before leaving, Issho helped lift the rubble with his gravity manipulation ability, showing his willingness to help beyond his duty. He also took the Straw Hats with him, who were still processing the shocking truth: they had always been, secretly, a special division of the Marines.
Luffy received a good beating from Nami and the others for not having told them, as they scolded him for "running away" all the time.
The answer was simple: their existence had been a secret even within the Marines, and technically, they were considered special pirates.
For their part, the Fairy Tail members decided to stay a little longer in Marineford. Not only did they want to wait for Kara, but they also offered to help move the wounded. Makarov insisted on staying until receiving the promised reward for capturing the Three Calamities.
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Meanwhile, Kara and Aokiji were called to Sengoku's office.
Kara entered like a storm, breaking a wall on the side of the door, while Aokiji simply walked behind her, unconcerned.
Sengoku barely sighed. After all, his office was practically in ruins after the war, so he had no energy to complain.
"What's up, old man?" Kara asked casually, sitting without ceremony. Her body was covered in bandages, though thanks to Wendy's healing, she actually didn't need them; she just thought she'd use them as an excuse to take a vacation. After all, she had been the MVP of the war, along with the members of Fairy Tail, who were still hanging around Marineford helping where they could. She was sure Makarov, the stingy master, would find a way to charge for it.
In a corner, Garp ate cookies calmly, oblivious to the tension.
"I'll get straight to the point. Tell me, what are your plans?" Sengoku asked, looking intensely at Aokiji and Kara, who adopted serious expressions.
"Do you really think I haven't noticed your hidden moves?" the admiral added harshly. "You should think about who's been covering your tracks all this time. The World Government is neither stupid nor blind... And I'm not Garp."
The atmosphere grew tenser. Even the air seemed to weigh on them.
"Hahaha, looks like they've caught you," Garp mocked as he looked at them.
"In reality, we never completely hid it. Especially not from the Marines," Kara responded calmly. "So, I'm not surprised."
"So?" Sengoku pressed.
Kara and Aokiji exchanged a quick glance before she spoke, as it was clear that Aokiji would rather not bother explaining anything.
"We want to separate the Marines from the World Government. Not just to stop being their dogs, but also to seek true justice. Not the one they impose on us," Kara declared, her voice full of seriousness.
Sengoku stared at her, weighing every word.
"Tell me the whole plan. And if I think it's foolish, I'll force you to abandon it, even if that means appointing Kizaru as Fleet Admiral," he warned.
Without hesitation, Kara began explaining every detail of the plan. She trusted Sengoku. By this point, if she failed or was declared an enemy, she would simply become a pirate, accompanied by the members of Fairy Tail and their bounty hunter guild.
Moreover, she now had considerable power and influence in the world.
When she finished, Sengoku remained silent for a few minutes, processing everything.
"Are you really sure you want to go ahead with this madness?" he finally asked, his tone completely serious. Even Garp had stopped eating to listen.
"Of course. Years before we started rising in the Marines, we had already planned every move. We know exactly what steps to follow. Getting the Shichibukai to be members of the bounty hunter guild is essential," Kara explained, with her usual calmness.
"Why?" Sengoku frowned.
"Because Aokiji and I are the creators of the guild," Kara replied with a confident smile. "And now, with two vacancies available, we only need to invite some S-rank members of the guild."
"And what about the Yonkou?" Sengoku inquired.
"After the destruction of Marineford, even if we win, we'll need a massive recruitment. Issho will be more than willing to take the position of admiral," Kara explained.
Sengoku thought for a few seconds before asking:
"How do you know that man will want to become an admiral?"
"Because he has the power to do so. And more than anyone, he wants to protect the innocent. That's his true justice," Kara stated confidently.
"And what about Akainu?" Sengoku added gravely. He wasn't stupid; he had seen how Kara set up a trap to face him against Whitebeard.
"We discovered that the Government wanted to provoke the death of more than half of our vice admirals, including Aokiji and me. Their plan was for Akainu, following their orders, to place Government agents in high positions, regaining total control over the Marines.
The attempt to attack me during the battle against Whitebeard was improvised... I took advantage of my friends' arrival to turn it around," Kara explained.
Sengoku pondered the information for a few moments. Kara and Aokiji could only hear the sound of Garp chewing calmly.
Finally, Sengoku made a decision.
"Fine. I'll allow you to proceed. I will step down and leave my position to Aokiji; there shouldn't be any opposition, given that he killed Whitebeard thanks to his detailed plan. But in return, I want Kara to be promoted to admiral as well," he announced seriously.
"Eh!? Why!?" protested Kara, clearly upset.
"You can't use the excuse that you don't want to protect the World Nobles. If you want to separate the Navy from the World Government, you need the power of an admiral. And besides, that way, you'll be tied to the Navy's movements," Sengoku said coldly.
"Kahahaha, looks like they've got you," Garp teased with a laugh.
"Tsk... Fine," Kara accepted begrudgingly. "But I want Kizaru's position with Vegapunk."
Sengoku frowned.
"I don't think Kizaru will accept easily," he objected.
"Tell him the World Government plans to assassinate Vegapunk for knowing too much. Just like they did with Ohara. And if we don't act before the separation, Kizaru will be sent to kill his own friend. Also, many of our plans depend on Vegapunk," Kara explained bluntly.
"I'll talk to him," Aokiji intervened, in his usual calm tone.
"Alright," Sengoku agreed as Kara slouched in her seat, still annoyed.
"You may leave. You too, Garp," he added, irritated by the sound of Garp eating near his desk.
"You're such a party pooper, Sengoku," Garp laughed as he followed his granddaughter and Aokiji.
"Come on, old man. I'll officially introduce you to my family," Kara said with a cheerful smile.
"Sure," Garp replied, smiling warmly, happy to see his granddaughter so lively.