One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

Two days later, somewhere in the New World.

The Blackthorn had already left the Calm Belt and was cutting swiftly across the open sea. 

A closer look revealed thick ropes, each as thick as an arm, trailing from the stern of the ship into the ocean below.

Tied to those ropes was none other than the Road Poneglyph from Fish-Man Island. 

It was kept submerged for two reasons, one, to lighten the ship's load, after all, a block of stone that massive could weigh the Blackthorn down dangerously if kept on deck. 

And two, to keep it hidden. A Poneglyph that size would draw far too much attention if left in plain sight.

Inside the captain's quarters, Ashen set down the Den Den Mushi with a face as dark as a storm. Tesla and the others sat silently around him, the tension thick.

It had been a distress call from Salles. Just yesterday, waves of pirates had begun swarming into Dressrosa.

The reason was obvious, they were after the technology that allowed passage through the Calm Belt.

At first, it had just been small-time pirate crews, the kind that barely made a name for themselves in the New World. 

Riku's army was able to deal with them easily. But as more and more pirates arrived, they began organizing and launching coordinated attacks.

Riku's forces were slowly being overwhelmed. It wasn't until members of the Helgrave Pirates joined the defense that the situation finally stabilized.

But that was just the beginning. With the newspapers spreading word of the Helgrave Pirates' breakthrough, the technology to cross the Calm Belt was no longer a secret. 

Now, it was only a matter of time before more powerful pirate crews arrived in Dressrosa, eager to steal it for themselves.

Ashen's concern deepened. Even at full speed, it would take the Blackthorn at least two more days to get back.

"Dan…" he ordered, his tone sharp, "send the boys out to find a few speed-type Sea Kings. Hitch them to the ship and make it go faster."

Then he turned to Tesla. 

"You contact Umit and Feld. Tell them to go all in, don't hold back anything. If there are losses, I'll take responsibility."

"Yes, Captain."

"Understood."

Recognizing the urgency, both men rushed out of the cabin to carry out Ashen's commands.

…..

Just as Ashen sank into thought, trying to make sure he'd missed nothing, a Den Den Mushi that was rarely used began to ring.

"My lord..."

It was Ulysses. Since rejoining CP0, Ulysses only contacted Ashen when something truly critical came up.

And sure enough, the news was worse than Ashen had anticipated. 

According to Ulysses, the World Government had adopted Admiral Sengoku's strategy to deal with the Helgrave Pirates. 

They'd leaked a message. Anyone, pirate or otherwise, who could get their hands on the Helgrave Pirates' technology would receive a 10 billion berries reward from the government.

The message had gone out two days ago. The pirates who had reached Dressrosa so far were just the first wave, those closest in proximity.

The real threat was still on its way, old, established pirate crews who had been rooted in the New World for years. 

The latest intel showed that three major pirate crews had already left their territories and were en route to Dressrosa.

"Hmph! What a clever move, killing with a borrowed sword, Sengoku," Ashen muttered after ending the call.

…

Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, news from the New World had just come in.

"Looks like your plan is working. The Helgrave Pirates are already scrambling to respond," said Kong with a satisfied grin as he looked at Sengoku. 

Inwardly, he thought that if more officers were like Sengoku, he wouldn't have to worry so much.

"This outcome was expected," Sengoku replied, calmly reviewing the intelligence in his hands. 

"Pirates will do anything for profit."

"But Sengoku," said Kong, his tone cautious, "these pirates can only cause so much trouble. Ashen isn't even in Dressrosa right now, and they've still failed to take it."

"I never expected them to succeed," Sengoku replied. "They're just a distraction. The real move is already underway. I've arranged things with CP0, they'll take care of the rest."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Besides, no matter who wins this war, it's a victory for us. Taking out a pirate crew without risking a single Marine life? That's a trade worth making."

…

One day later, the southern port of Dressrosa.

After more than ten days of construction, part of the original shipyard had been dismantled and replaced with new foundational structures. 

This had been part of Riku's deal with Umit. No one had expected this place to become a battlefield.

A major battle had just ended. The Helgrave Pirates, Dressrosa's army, and the subordinates of Umit and Feld had fought off an alliance of invading pirates.

Now, everyone was catching their breath. Civilians from Dressrosa were bringing food and ammunition to support the exhausted fighters.

"Parnell, are you alright? You should get that bandaged," Salles said as he handed over some gauze.

"I'm fine, just surface wounds," Parnell replied, accepting the gauze.

"But I have to say, your ability really turned the tide out there. Without you, that battle would've dragged on much longer."

Reflecting on the past two days of fighting, Parnell spoke with sincere admiration. 

While most of the invading pirates weren't particularly strong, the waves of relentless assaults had pushed Dressrosa to its limits.

At first, Riku's army and the black market fighters had fought bravely. But over time, as casualties mounted, morale began to crumble.

In the latest skirmish, some fighters had even started hiding behind cover, unwilling to face the enemy head-on.

That was when Salles used his power, his Emotion Fruit ability, to erase their fear. Courage surged through them, and they charged out to fight with renewed determination.

"Sigh… But this only works when the strength gap isn't too big," Salles said. "If the enemy is too powerful, pushing our guys forward will just get them killed."

He understood the strength of his Devil Fruit well, but he also knew its limitations.

Puru…Puru…

A sea eagle descended, transforming in mid air into Abbas.

"I scouted the skies. The enemy pirates have retreated. No other hostile forces spotted nearby," Abbas reported.

"Looks like they've finally realized Dressrosa isn't going to fall easily," Parnell said, exhaling in relief at the first piece of good news in two days.

"Don't get complacent. The captain said Ulysses confirmed that three veteran pirate crews are already on the move. Their destination? Dressrosa."

"Got it. I'll stay alert and keep a close eye on the surroundings."

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