One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

Countless people speculated that a New Pirate Era had truly arrived.

However.

Only a day passed. When the latest newspaper issue appeared, the pirates who had just revived their ambitions fell silent once more.

What was going on here?

On the other side of the world, Dante, having returned to his base in the East Blue, stared speechlessly at the newspaper in his hands. He sighed, shook his head, and said, "As expected of the Marine Admiral known as the Strategist, Sengoku the Buddha."

No wonder he hid it so well. So this was his plan all along.

Zephyr leaned in to read the newspaper. As a powerhouse of the previous generation, he knew most of the Pirate King’s crew personally. After all, he had weathered countless storms at sea. Yet, staring at the red-nosed man in a pristine white uniform and Justice Coat, he froze.

"How did this brat join the Marines? When did this happen? How come I didn’t know?"

"You didn’t know either, Zephyr-sensei? Looks like Fleet Admiral Sengoku kept this well hidden." Dante sounded surprised, but his mind raced. Calculating the timeline, Buggy had enlisted right when Zephyr clashed with Marine HQ. The old instructor probably hadn’t cared who the Marines recruited back then.

"Actually, I wanted to recruit him myself and pair him with Mock. There’s more to Buggy than he lets on." Dante sighed, shaking his head. "But who would’ve thought that the moment he saw Garp, he dropped to his knees and begged to enlist? So, I had to give up."

Of course, Dante also hadn’t expected news of Mock’s true heritage to spread so soon.

Zephyr take the newspaper in disbelief. Even if this brat used a ridiculous method to make a point, he refused to believe a former member of Roger’s crew would suddenly join the marines after twenty years. What, was being a pirate no longer viable? It had been nearly two decades, why fail at it now?

He hesitated. "Did Garp force him?"

"No. Mock said Buggy dropped to his knees and kowtowed without hesitation the moment he saw Vice Admiral Garp."

If Buggy were going to kowtow, he would have done it during the Pirate King’s execution. Why wait until now? Zephyr didn’t believe Dante’s nonsense for a second. He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and frowned down at the paper. He hadn’t read the morning edition yet, having rushed over the moment he heard Dante had returned.

A moment later, he sighed and folded the newspaper.

"Looks like a lot happened back then. I never expected Sengoku to come up with a method like this."

"True." Dante nodded, admiration coloring his voice. "He truly deserves the title ’Resourceful General of the Marines.’"

Keeping Buggy in reserve, hiding him until now to reveal him. Using a Pirate King’s crew member to counter the Son of the Pirate King. Mock claims the One Piece exists? No. A former crewmate says it doesn’t.

Keep in mind that when the Pirate King had a son, his adventure had already ended. Who knew if the so-called One Piece was just a lie Roger told his own child? But a crew member had personally followed him to the Final Island. They might have seen it with their own eyes. Even if Buggy missed the final adventure due to illness back then, who else would know?

"While this is a good method, easily erasing the boy’s influence won’t be that easy." With a thoughtful look Zephyr said. "No one knows what the One Piece actually is anyway. Some believed from the start, and some didn’t. Doing this will only spark a greater debate."

"But doing this will also make some pirates who originally believed stop believing. There are plenty of people on the fence." Dante shrugged, his eyes glinting. "And right now, everyone’s attention has probably shifted from the public execution to whether the treasure actually exists or not."

At the same time, just as Dante said, screens across the world broadcast the figure of the former pirate, now the Marines’ newly appointed Rear Admiral, the representative of turning over a new leaf, Buggy the Clown.

Clad in the Marine Justice Coat, he stared straight ahead, radiating an aura of absolute justice. Despite the red nose, he looked nothing like the clown persona from the East Blue.

"What the hell am I seeing?"

Aboard the Red Force, now back in his own waters, Shanks stared in disbelief at the newspaper and the familiar figure on the screen.

[Justice will prevail over evil!]

[I walked the wrong path in the past, but now I have finally found the path of justice!]

[The One Piece does not exist! I swear this as a former member of the Pirate King’s Crew!]

Those words... Anyone could tell at a glance that Buggy would never say them.

Shanks rubbed his eyes and blinked, his tone still laced with disbelief. "What the hell is Buggy up to?"

Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky’s Rip-off Bar.

"Pfft!!"

Rayleigh stared at the screen in shock. He blinked again, and once he was certain, his voice hardened. "It really is Buggy."

"Everyone connected to your captain is full of surprises." Shakky blew a smoke ring from behind the counter, then sighed in resignation. "To think one of them actually joined the Marines."

"Hahaha, tell me about it! I never expected it either." Hearing Shakky, Rayleigh burst into laughter. He shook his head, face slightly flushed as he smiled at the broadcast. "I’m starting to wonder if this world has gone completely mad."

His captain was a two timer. A former crewman joined the military, and now he was mobilizing to arrest the Pirate King’s son.

"This is getting more interesting."

New World, Whitebeard Pirates Territory.

"The red-nosed kid?"

"It’s definitely him, Pops! Buggy actually went and joined the Marines!"

Hearing Marco’s words, even Newgate was stunned, but he had to accept reality. A crewman of that Roger’s crew actually joined the Marines?

"Gurararara! This is just too unbelievable!" Newgate burst into hearty laughter, slapping his thigh. "If Roger were here right now, I’d never let him hear the end of it!"

"Pops, the Pirate King is gone." Marco shook his head in resignation before reminding him. "But Ace is still right here! This isn’t right!"

Before the still-chuckling Newgate could reply, Ace spoke up with a smile. "It doesn’t matter. To me, you are my Pops, and everyone here is my brother."

"Gurararara, Ace, you’re my beloved son too!" Newgate’s face froze for a second before he burst into laughter again, leaning forward to pat Ace’s shoulder. "That’s right, we are your family. But as your Pops, I still want to tell you this: don’t question the meaning of your existence, and don’t drown in sorrow. You need to keep moving forward. A ship of the New Era should have a place for you."

He sat up, frowning as he looked at the figure in the newspaper, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Didn’t Shanks say the red nose was a pirate in the East Blue? How did he end up joining the Marines?"

Son of the Pirate King. A member of the Pirate King’s crew. Was the old era destined to pass after all?

"Did you orchestrate all of this, Roger? What are you trying to do?"

At that moment, countless people across the world watched the scene, voicing the same inner doubts.

However, they had no idea.

Inside the reconstructed Marineford, Buggy stared gloomily at his own reflection, voicing his own inner doubts.

"So, what the hell is going on?"

How did Mock become the captain’s son? The East Blue Overlord clearly had a good relationship with Garp, even inviting the Fleet Admiral to visit his territory. Wasn’t he a secret agent planted by Marine HQ? How did he suddenly become an enemy?

And him...

Buggy looked down at his pristine uniform and spun around the empty room, screaming, "Why the hell didn’t you say sooner that you were the captain’s son?!"

What an utter mess.

The moment those words left his mouth, a marine came running in.

"Rear Admiral Buggy! Fleet Admiral Sengoku is convening a meeting for all marine officers!"

Over in the East Blue, Dante and Zephyr dropped the subject. That business belonged to the Son of the Pirate King and his crew, it had little to do with them now.

After listening to Dante detail the specific circumstances of the war at Marineford, Zephyr spoke with somberness.

"Is that so? I didn’t expect so much to happen. The newspapers mentioned three Emperors arriving, but they gave no detailed account."

"The World Government probably paid off the press again. Marine HQ was thoroughly humiliated this time."

Dante wasn’t surprised. Although Morgans, President of the World Economic Journal, claimed he would never take dirty money or let anyone control his reporting, the man was ultimately a miser. As long as no one forced him to completely alter the news, he wouldn’t turn down cash. Like this time: while the reporting lacked detail, they only downplayed the impact. The events were still reported truthfully. Of course, it cost money.

Even though he hadn’t intervened much, his brief clash with Rayleigh was enough. The power of the Yonko warranted careful handling by Marine HQ and the World Government. One could say Dante had achieved his objective, even securing a verbal acknowledgment from Sengoku.

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