One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Inner Bay Harbor

All the ships docked here were either reduced to wreckage or consumed by flames.

The harbor was littered with debris and destruction, with only two intact warships—one large and one small—remaining amidst the chaos.

The pier itself was strewn with corpses, the blood pooling and streaming into the sea like countless rivulets. The stench of blood permeated the air, overpowering even the salty tang of the ocean breeze.

Just minutes ago, the pier had been overrun with pirates.

Now, led by Gion, the Navy forces had effortlessly slaughtered every last one of them.

Standing amidst the carnage, Gion flicked her wrist, shaking the blood from her blade. Then, focusing her senses, she activated her Observation Haki, scanning the surroundings.

After confirming that no pirates were left alive in the vicinity, she retracted her Haki and sheathed her longsword.

The majority of the pirate corpses scattered across the pier were victims of Gion and Bogart. Both were among the Navy's most skilled swordsmen. While not quite at the pinnacle of strength within the Navy, their abilities were undoubtedly indispensable.

Under their joint assault, it was a testament to the pirates' tenacity that they lasted even a few minutes.

In addition to Gion and Bogart, another noteworthy presence was Captain Robbie, freshly transferred from headquarters.

Robbie was highly proficient in Rokushiki techniques. Just a single "Finger Pistol" was enough to pierce through the defenses of the pirates.

As for Aokiji, before Gion and the others had launched their attack on the pier, he had already followed Garp into Mad Hat Town.

Gion turned her gaze toward the town.

The enormous crash that had echoed from within the town moments ago likely signaled Garp's confrontation with the notorious sniper, Phantom Gun.

"Phantom Gun is Garp-san's to handle. As for the rest of the pirates in the town..."

A cold, murderous glint flashed in Gion's eyes as she strode decisively toward the town. She had always been merciless when it came to pirates.

Robbie silently followed her without a word.

Noticing his movement, Gion cast him a brief glance but made no comment.

As long as Phantom Gun remained in Mad Hat Town, regular soldiers could only provide support from the outskirts.

Anyone who ventured into his range without sufficient strength would merely become a living target and a needless casualty.

Bogard watched as Gion and Robbie disappeared into the streets.

His role was to guard the harbor and prevent any stragglers from escaping. Naturally, he wouldn't follow Gion into the town.

Watchpoint Street: Top Floor of the Mad Hat Auction House.

In a lavishly decorated room, Ralph, dressed in a red suit, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression twisted as he looked down at the chaos engulfing Mad Hat Town.

Before dawn, the Revolutionary Army had stormed the Pig Farm, freeing all the slaves and leaving his armed forces in shambles. Even Scott, the most powerful fighter under his command, hadn't survived.

And now, after dawn, the legendary Navy hero Garp and admiral Aokiji had arrived in this backwater town, far from the central routes of the Grand Line.

The relentless chain of disasters had finally shattered Ralph's composure.

The destruction of the Pig Farm was manageable.

The loss of the slaves? Also tolerable.

He had money—he could rebuild the Pig Farm and buy new slaves.

As long as the munitions factory remained intact, all would not be lost.

For now, the factory was indeed intact.

But Garp and Aokiji's arrival had thrown everything into disarray.

Ralph found it impossible to accept the situation.

He had only recently secured a connection to Joker, a key player in the underworld.

But before he could begin leveraging that connection, everything was already spiraling toward its end.

"Brrrr, brrrr…"

Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on the coffee table began ringing.

Hearing the sound, Ralph's distorted expression turned pale and lifeless.

He glanced back at the Den Den Mushi.

It was a call from Joker.

But given how things had devolved, answering or ignoring the call seemed equally meaningless.

Amidst the oppressive silence, Ralph turned back to the window, his gaze fixed on the chaos consuming Mad Hat Town.

He had seen this town as the foundation of his rise, never imagining it would become his grave.

As the thought crossed his mind, a flicker of despair appeared in his cold, inhuman eyes.

Suddenly, frost began to creep across the window, spreading like ivy until it was completely covered in a thin layer of ice.

Ralph froze for a moment before a lazy voice spoke from behind him.

"The Den Den Mushi is ringing. Aren't you going to answer it?"

Startled, Ralph spun around.

There, lounging on an opulent sofa, was a tall man dressed in a white casual suit who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

When Ralph saw the man's face, it was as if the cold air had seeped into his very soul. His expression and body became utterly rigid.

"A-Aokiji…!"

He struggled to utter the name of the towering figure before him.

Then, as if realizing something, Ralph continued, "You're here for me? Because of 'Joker,' right?"

"???"

Aokiji tilted his head, question marks practically visible above his head as he regarded Ralph with a puzzled expression.

He didn't even know this man.

But Ralph seemed convinced of his own deduction.

Why else would a Navy admiral appear before him?

"If I'd known... if I'd only known…"

Despair filled Ralph's eyes.

Aokiji remained baffled, though Ralph's mention of "Joker" did bring to mind a certain eccentric pirate.

At that moment, the Den Den Mushi went silent—the caller had lost patience and hung up.

The look of defeat on Ralph's face evaporated, replaced by a grim determination.

He refused to die a humiliating death.

With a roar, veins bulged across Ralph's face as his muscles swelled, shredding his tight red suit.

Swish!

Fueled by desperation, Ralph overcame his fear and lunged at Aokiji with a powerful punch.

But before his attack could land, Aokiji's figure flickered and vanished, leaving behind only shards of ice.

Ralph's punch hit nothing but air.

In the next instant, white frost engulfed Ralph from all sides, rapidly encasing his body.

By the time Aokiji reappeared by the window, Ralph was nothing more than a frozen statue.

Despite Ralph's display of speed and strength in that brief moment, he was no match for an admiral.

"I wasn't here for you, you know. This place just had the best vantage point," Aokiji muttered to himself as the frost on the window began to melt.

Looking out, his gaze settled on Garp and Sol's location.

"Incredible," he murmured, impressed by the devastating attack Sol had unleashed.

As a Logia user, Aokiji had a healthy respect for top-tier snipers like Sol—one well-placed shot could ruin his day.

Suddenly, Aokiji shifted his attention toward Wall Mountain.

His sharp eyes picked out two figures—a young man and a young woman—fleeing with all their might.

Scratching his cheek absentmindedly, Aokiji's body dissolved into shards of ice that drifted through the shattered window, heading toward Wall Mountain.

Watchpoint Street

On the streets of Watchpoint Street, Maude and Sunny ran as fast as they could.

A sudden cluster of ice shards descended from the sky, landing directly in their path.

The moment Maude saw the ice, Aokiji's image flashed in his mind.

You've got to be kidding me…

His expression hardened as he swiftly drew Usopp.

As the ice shards coalesced into a towering humanoid figure, Maude didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Bang!

The lead bullet pierced the forming figure's head, halting its transformation.

"Run!"

Without bothering to retrieve his weapon, Maude grabbed Sunny and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Ah-la-la, a wise choice," Aokiji remarked, watching their retreat with amusement as his form fully solidified.

Had that shot been imbued with Haki, it might've posed a slight problem, he mused.

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