"Sorry, you're a bit too late with that order, Fleet Admiral Kong. I've already arrived at G-5."
Kizaru surveyed his surroundings while taking a deep breath.
"However... Black Prison seems to have already left. The G-5 branch is completely gone; it is flattened to the ground!"
"Even the warships... They're all gone!"
He knew Fujitora well.
Despite being blind, his Observation Haki was frighteningly powerful, so powerful that he could hear the drifting clouds and lightning in the sky, even accurately locking onto meteors from space.
Not only was he a powerful swordsman, but he also wielded the Paramecia Press-Press Fruit, one of the most formidable devil fruit abilities.
He's a true monster.
Even with his own Glint-Glint Fruit powers, renowned for extreme speed, Kizaru wasn't confident he could definitively overpower Fujitora.
Yet, despite his strength, Fujitora had failed to hold out until Kizaru arrived.
It's simply unbelievable.
"Damn you, Obask Luke!!!"
On the other end of the call, far away at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Kong's face turned grim.
He was well aware of Kizaru's speed.
If even someone as powerful as Fujitora couldn't last until backup arrived, then Obask Luke's strength had clearly grown far beyond what it was five years ago.
And possibly by a terrifying degree.
"That bastard!"
"He's getting way too bold!"
"In such a short time, he actually managed to take down Fujitora, a marine admiral... That guy..."
... ... ...
"Unbelievable..."
Atop the red line, in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
In the room, the Five Elders who received the report were extremely angry.
They had assumed the Netherworld Pirates would, at most, seek revenge by destroying branch bases in the New World as a show of force.
But they never expected Obask Luke, who had maintained a low profile for five years, to personally take action, launching an assault on the G-5 branch.
And worse, before Kizaru could even arrive, he had already slain Admiral Fujitora.
His strength was truly terrifying.
"Even if Fujitora was weaker than past admirals, the difference wouldn't be that vast..."
St. Marcus Mars' expression shifted unpredictably.
"Indeed..."
St. Jaygarcia Saturn gripped his cane, his tone filled with dread. "It seems that over the past few years, that monster, Obask Luke, has not remained stagnant. His power has increased tremendously!"
"A mere insect is still just an insect. No matter how much he flaunts his strength, he won't be jumping around for long!"
St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, clutching the first-generation Kitetsu, spoke coldly.
"Regardless, we can't allow him to run rampant anymore..."
St. Shepherd Ju Peter crossed his arms while frowning.
"We must find a way to weaken the Netherworld Pirates!"
"We can't afford to be careless anymore..."
Sitting with his fingers interlocked, St. Topman Warcury spoke in a deep voice: "The Marines has yet to recover its full strength. And now, they just lost an admiral who was painstakingly selected and promoted; we can't recklessly mobilize a fleet for an expedition..."
"For now, let's have CP agents stir up conflict between Black Prison and the other emperors!"
"Before the next great war begins, let's make sure that bastard Luke has his hands full dealing with internal strife!"
"If that's the case... The Whitebeard pirates might be the best target."
St. Marcus Mars paced back and forth, hands behind his back, pondering for a moment before speaking bluntly: "If just one of Whitebeard's sons were to die at the hands of the Netherworld Pirates, that old man certainly wouldn't take it lying down..."
"Then let CP start making preparations immediately!"
"Make it quick!"
… … …
"What!?"
"The Netherworld Pirates attacked marine bases across the New World?"
"G-10, G-11, G-12, G-13, G-14, every single base was destroyed!?"
"Oi, oi, is this for real!? Their strength is way too terrifying!"
"Even the G-5 branch, a supposedly unbreakable marine stronghold in the first half of the New World, has been wiped out."
"Gulp! Admiral Fujitora has been taken down?"
"That guy is practically an admiral slayer!"
"Yet another admiral... Has fallen at the hands of Obask Luke!"
"Is Obask Luke declaring all-out war against the Marines?"
"The World Government must be going insane!"
That day, the seas trembled, and the world was in an uproar.
As the latest newspapers spread across the globe, delivered by the News Coos, everyone was shaken by the sudden news.
No one had expected that the Netherworld Pirates would not only launch surprise attacks on multiple Marine branches in the New World but also kill Admiral Fujitora, who was stationed at the G-5 branch.
Even the major powers were stunned.
"No, there's no report of the Netherworld Pirates' fleet mobilizing on a large scale!"
"I just received intel that one of the Eight Stars under the Netherworld Pirates, Kuro, is still stationed on Alft Island with his forces, showing no intention of moving out!"
"Most of the other cadres stationed on various islands haven't made any moves either... This doesn't seem like a full-scale war!"
"Could it be... That the World Government did something unforgivable, and Obask Luke has gone mad?"
Countless civilians were terrified.
For no apparent reason, the Netherworld Pirates had suddenly gone on a rampage, attacking Marine branches without fear of full-scale war with the World Government and destroying them all.
Yet, some keen observers noticed something unusual, sensing a deeper situation at play.
The Netherworld Pirates' large-scale actions did not seem like an outright declaration of war against the Marines and the World Government.
Instead, it looked more like... Revenge.
"Gu ha ha ha ha! What an unbelievable guy!"
Aboard the Moby Dick, Whitebeard laughed heartily after receiving the news.
"Admirals, who represent the Marines's highest combat power, have been taken down one after another... I'd like to see how those Marines bastards still claim to stand for justice!"
"However, pops, Obask Luke's strength is becoming more and more terrifying!"
Marco stood beside him, full of concern.
That man had the ambition to swallow the entire sea, just like the legendary Shiki, the Golden Lion.
No... His rise was even more shocking than Shiki's back then.
At this rate, a direct clash with the Whitebeard pirates was inevitable.
"Gu ha ha ha ha! A cub is still a cub..."
Gazing at the roaring sea while gripping his naginata, Murakumogiri, Whitebeard exuded an overwhelming aura.
With supreme confidence, bordering on arrogance, he bared his teeth and declared: "If he dares to challenge me, let him come!"