The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

Time flew by.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Nef, Stussy, Lillian, and the others all gave birth in quick succession.

On Atlantis, the Kukulkan family welcomed several new members—each genetically enhanced with Lineage Factor and showing remarkable innate talents.

…

Marineford, in the First Half of the Grand Line

In the stately, imposing Marine Headquarters building, on the top floor of a grand office:

Having served as a Marine Admiral for quite some time now, Sengoku the Buddha stood at attention, delivering a solemn report to the tall, white-haired man seated boldly behind his desk. This man—hair in a spiky style—was Fleet Admiral Kong, whose temples had gone gray with age.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, for the past six years, the Rocks Pirates have been purchasing large quantities of artificial Devil Fruits through their dealings with the Hell Trading Company…"

Sengoku continued gravely:

"Just three days ago, they completed a massive purchase of over three thousand artificial Devil Fruits from the Hell Trading Company."

"Reportedly, the Rocks Pirates have formed a corps of more than three thousand artificial Devil Fruit users. Over the last few years, some impressively powerful newcomers have also joined them."

"The group has fully recovered the strength it lost when Silver Axe, John, and Wang Zhi led their followers away—an event which had gravely weakened them. In fact, they may now be stronger than ever, seemingly on track to once again rival the Fallen Angel Pirates."

Kong—known as Steel Bone—though only fifty-five years old by the calendar, had effectively aged past seventy-five in body because Charlotte Linlin had stolen twenty years of his lifespan in a battle seventeen years before. Frowning, he slammed a hand on his desk, voice tinged with doubt:

"So that bastard Rocks is still alive and kicking, as ambitious as ever… But what is Fallen Angel El really thinking? He dares sell such massive quantities of artificial Devil Fruits to the Rocks Pirates, not fearing that he's arming an enemy—nurturing a tiger that could bite him later?"

Sengoku shook his head.

"No one knows. Thus far, there's been nothing unusual about these artificial users. Even when occasional skirmishes erupted between the Rocks Pirates and the Fallen Angel Pirates, we never observed any 'countermeasure' from El's side."

"Meanwhile, the Fallen Angel Pirates themselves have grown at a frightening rate, like a snowball rolling downhill. A whole generation of young powerhouses has sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain…"

"From our investigations and deductions—excluding their Homies Corps—Totto Land's total military forces now exceed 500,000. They can easily muster at least 60,000 elite troops, not even counting that vast, blade-proof and bulletproof Homies army!"

"Their technological development is extraordinary, too. They've produced new warships whose performance outstrips our Navy's latest models. And they've mastered plating the bottoms of ships with Seastone, allowing them to sail straight across the Calm Belt…"

With a wry chuckle, Sengoku went on:

"Fortunately, under the leadership of 'Saint Saturn,' our Science Defense Force has put years of effort into cracking the plating technology once unique to the Fallen Angel Pirates. By reverse-engineering captured warships, we now possess similar Seastone hull tech."

"However, Wano—once our prime source of Seastone—has been seized by Totto Land and renamed Fusang Island, so the production and sale of Seastone is fully monopolized by the Fallen Angel Pirates."

"Though the World Government has been secretly purchasing large quantities from the Hell Trading Company, the costs are exorbitant… Not to mention that Seastone is notoriously difficult to process. Each year, we can only outfit a limited number of new naval vessels."

Sengoku sighed, a look of helplessness on his face:

"They've also established multiple military academies within Totto Land, pumping out huge numbers of competent officers. Over many years of training and study, those mid- and lower-tier leaders have acquired considerable command ability."

"Even if they lag behind us in naval battle experience, they can offset that with superior equipment, bringing them nearly on par with us. Indeed, in the repeated skirmishes between Totto Land and the Navy in recent years, we haven't exactly come out on top."

No matter how reluctant Sengoku, a Marine Admiral, felt to admit it, he had to concede that the Fallen Angel Pirates had expanded at a dizzying speed. Even setting aside the terrifying power of "Fallen Angel" El, the group's mysterious leader, the Fallen Angel Pirates were now fully capable of going toe-to-toe with Marine Headquarters. Should war break out, even if the Navy won, it would be a pyrrhic victory—for all he knew, they could well lose.

Kong massaged his temples, letting out a weary sigh.

"Fallen Angel El… truly a colossal headache."

To check the Fallen Angel Pirates, he had no effective method. Not only were there constraints within the Navy itself, but also major impediments from the World Government. As a fleet admiral who'd only taken the post a few years ago, his hands were tied. If things had been different, he'd never have let the Fallen Angel Pirates inflate their power to this extent.

"Any news from the Roger Pirates?" he asked, shaking his head as if to rid himself of thoughts about the Fallen Angels.

Sengoku gave a curt nod.

"Nothing. Garp's been chasing them nonstop.

A year ago, Rocks tried to recruit the Roger Pirates, hoping to merge them into the Rocks Pirates, but Gol D. Roger refused outright. That led to a fierce conflict—Roger's crew got surrounded and almost wiped out. A sudden giant storm saved them at the last minute…"

"Since then, the Roger Pirates have essentially vanished. Word is they occasionally appear on the four seas, but by the time the Navy shows up, they're gone."

He paused. Just then, an urgent ringing came from the Den Den Mushi on the desk.

Picking it up, Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku heard the unmistakable voice of Zephyr, alias "Black Arm," crackling through the line:

"Fleet Admiral Kong, I'm Zephyr… After lengthy negotiations, the Fallen Angel Pirates have agreed to a deal! However, besides the three Devil Fruits the Navy already promised, they're making one harsh demand…"

"Somehow, they got wind that the World Government possesses a certain Logia— the Glint-Glint Fruit. They insist that we hand it over if we want them to return the lifespan that was stolen from you!"

"What!?" Kong's expression darkened, plainly upset.

His real age was only fifty-five, but courtesy of Charlotte Linlin's Mythical Zoan Vampire fruit, he'd lost twenty years of his life, causing his body to resemble a person of seventy-five or more. He badly wanted those years back. For some time, the Navy had tried to negotiate with the Fallen Angel Pirates to reclaim that stolen lifespan, but no settlement had ever panned out. This time, he'd prepared three Devil Fruits that the Navy had painstakingly acquired, including one Ancient Zoan and two Paramecia—one of them the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, the other the Glint-Glint Fruit. That was the best he could muster within his authority as Fleet Admiral. Yet the Fallen Angel Pirates demanded the World Government's Glint-Glint Fruit too. It was sheer extortion.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, I doubt the World Government will consent so easily," Sengoku interjected, frowning. "Word is they plan to offer that Glint-Glint Fruit as the top prize for the Celestial Dragons' upcoming three-yearly 'study trip.'"

In his younger days, if Sengoku had understood the dark truth behind that so-called "study trip," he would have raged—maybe even turned his sword on the Celestial Dragons. But after becoming an Admiral, he'd seen too many bitter realities. He'd grown numb. For the sake of his ideals, he had to compromise, even turn a blind eye. If he openly defied the World Government, he'd forfeit any chance at the Fleet Admiral post.

"I'll go in person to Mary Geoise and talk with the Five Elders!" Kong muttered, expression shifting. At last, he made up his mind, determined to try. Whatever it took, he wanted his lost lifespan restored.

~~~

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