Today.
A message arrived from the G-1 branch.
What followed was a storm of chaos at Navy Headquarters—the contents of the message shook the room.
"Brazen. Arrogant. Unbelievably arrogant!"
"A mere pirate dared to directly attack a naval branch and slaughtered numerous soldiers and even high-ranking officers!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face turned grim with rage. His fists clenched as his simmering anger reached a boil.
Kairos Flint's act of assaulting a major naval base wasn't just criminal—it was a declaration of war against the Navy.
If the previous incident, where he annihilated the Demon-Slaying Order, could be dismissed as a desperate counterattack, then this was something else entirely.
This was an offensive.
And that distinction changed everything.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this letter was left specifically for the Five Elders. Flint handed it to one of our soldiers at the G-1 branch before he left."
A colonel stepped forward, presenting a sealed letter—unopened and heavy with the tension it carried.
"A declaration of war?" Sengoku asked, voice heavy with foreboding as he took the envelope.
Whether the letter was truly meant for the Five Elders or not didn't matter to him now—he needed to see what Kairos Flint had written.
He tore open the envelope and began to read.
A few lines in, his expression twisted.
His eyes froze on the page.
The weight of the words stunned him.
"This lunatic…" he muttered.
"How dare this brat be so damned arrogant!?"
Sengoku slammed the letter against his desk with a force that made the wood groan. He wasn't sure how much longer that desk would hold up under his fury.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what does the letter say?"
Admiral Akainu, face stern and tense, asked. The room was filled with top-level naval officers: Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, Garp, and more—none could ignore a letter left by the infamous Kairos Flint.
"See for yourself," Sengoku snapped, tossing the letter toward Akainu.
Akainu caught it, scanning the words with lava simmering beneath his skin. His eyes widened, then narrowed as his body temperature visibly rose.
"This bastard pirate dares to threaten both the Navy and the World Government? He thinks we're weak? That we're fools?!"
His rage was barely contained—only his self-control stopped him from incinerating the letter on the spot.
"Sakazuki, what exactly did he write to provoke you like this?" Kizaru asked lazily, his usual aloofness hiding a hint of curiosity.
"See for yourself," Akainu growled and lifted the letter for all to read.
Even at a distance, everyone in the room could clearly see the bold handwriting:
"To the Fleet Admiral of the Navy and the Five Elders of the World Government:
I, Kairos Flint, take full responsibility for the attack on your G-1 naval base. I'm not here to mince words. I have three demands:
Revoke the bounty on me and my crew immediately. Reinstate our status as bounty hunters.
Issue a public apology in the global newspapers every day for one month.
Pay compensation totaling 10 billion Beli.
Comply, and this matter ends here.
Refuse, and I will burn down every naval branch in the New World. G-1 was just the beginning. Do you understand me?"
The silence after reading was suffocating.
Every face in the room darkened.
He didn't just defy the Navy—he was stepping on the face of the entire World Government.
A direct, unapologetic challenge.
"Marshal Sengoku," Akainu said, voice like stone, "let me personally capture this man. We cannot let such defiance go unpunished."
No one was surprised—this was exactly Akainu's style.
But Admiral Kizaru interjected, voice half-lazy, half-serious.
"Sakazuki, you're being reckless. Your strength is solid, sure—but if you go alone, you'll lose. You might even die."
Kizaru, who had once briefly fought Kairos Flint and nearly lost his life, understood Flint's terrifying power.
Akainu scoffed. "Porusalino, you're just looking for an excuse to avoid work. I will not fail. I will use everything I have to crush this pirate."
Everyone knew Kizaru's reputation—aloof, evasive, always fishing for an easy assignment.
But Akainu believed that the only reason Kizaru didn't defeat Kairos Flint was because he didn't try hard enough.
"If that's how you feel," Kizaru shrugged, "I'll send flowers to your funeral next year."
"KIZARU!" Akainu roared, fists clenched.
The insult stung deeper than expected.
"Enough!" Sengoku bellowed, his hand crashing down onto the desk again, halting the rising tension.
His voice carried the authority of a man still respected by every Admiral in the room—except maybe one.
That one was Garp, who casually munched on rice crackers, completely unfazed.
Sengoku shot him a death glare. If looks could raise blood pressure, his would be terminal.
"I'll notify the Five Elders myself," he said with a weary sigh. "This isn't just about us. It's mainly their problem now."
Kairos Flint's letter wasn't an idle threat. If ignored, it would mark the beginning of a war on every naval outpost in the New World.
Years of effort, resources, and military strategy had been poured into establishing the G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 branches. Letting Kairos dismantle them one by one would unravel the Navy's grip on the New World.
It would all collapse into dust.
Holy Land: Mariejois
Within the sacred chambers of the World Government, the Five Elders sat in tense silence.
They had read the letter.
"A lowborn pirate dares to threaten us?" snarled Saint Nashiuro, gripping the legendary First Generation Kitetsu blade at his side.
"It's useless to fume," said Saint Peter, his calm voice masking seething fury beneath a composed exterior. "What matters now is resolving this threat."
"Kairos Flint has already killed a Celestial Dragon. And now he pulls this? He's spitting in our faces!" Saint Satan, the one with white curly hair, barked.
"This isn't a question of venting," said the bald Saint Vouchli. "What do we do now? Flint clearly intends to strike more naval bases."
"Agreeing to his demands is not an option," Vouchli continued. "He deserves only execution. Nothing less."
Saint Maz, the one with a thick beard, added gravely, "If we allow this to continue, we'll lose control of the New World. Everything we built—years of investment, both financial and military—will crumble."
"One naval branch may be gone," Nashiuro said coldly, "but we must ensure no second branch falls."
Saint Peter nodded. "Let the Navy prepare a trap at the G-2 branch. It's likely his next target. Deploy overwhelming force—catch him, and end this."
"Activate the CP intelligence network," said Saint Satan. "Track his movements. We cannot afford missteps now."
The destruction of G-1 had already caused devastating losses. Rebuilding would cost fortunes—but the lives lost, especially from the previous Demon-Slaying Order, were irreplaceable.
They would not let this repeat.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Unanimous."