One Piece: Curse of Immortality

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Their fate is unknown!!

Those four words echoed in the room, and the calm expression on Arashi's face instantly turned grave.

"What did you just say?" Arashi's eyes locked onto Kuzan's, disbelief flashing across his gaze.

SWORD was the special unit Arashi had personally established after becoming Fleet Admiral—a hidden blade within the Marines. 

Among them were seasoned veterans, elite fighters, and former CP9 members, making the squad perfect for infiltration and high-risk intelligence work.

This mission had been a simple reconnaissance operation—investigating Wano's current state to avoid going in blind when the Marines launched an all-out offensive against the Beasts Pirates. 

With Sengoku and Tsuru accompanying the team, it should've been safe.

"Arashi, calm down!!"

Sensing Arashi's Conqueror Haki starting to spiral out of control—so much so that cracks formed on the nearby walls—Kuzan shouted sternly to break through.

Snapped back to his senses by the shout, Arashi exhaled deeply and narrowed his eyes. "Where did this intel come from?"

Once Arashi had settled down, Kuzan relaxed slightly and motioned to the door.

A battered man in tattered clothing slowly stepped into the room. His face was bruised and cut, his eyes hollow with fatigue.

"Rob Lucci!?" Seeing the man, Arashi was visibly shocked. His expression darkened.

"What happened to you?"

Lucci's lips twitched as memories surged—his comrades giving up their chances of escape to buy him time. His eyes reddened.

"A month ago, we arrived in Wano and infiltrated the Flower Capital."

"That city is the most prosperous region in Wano, ruled by Kurozumi Orochi—Kaido's local ally."

"Through him, we managed to sneak onto Onigashima, where Kaido's crew was based." 

"That's where we discovered they were preparing a banquet for another Emperor—Big Mom, who was scheduled to arrive in half a month."

"From this, we confirmed the two Emperors' plan to ally. Their target is none other than the rapidly rising Marine force...and more specifically—Fleet Admiral Arashi!"

Lucci licked his dry lips, continuing quickly. "But I made a fatal mistake during the mission... we were exposed."

"Fukuro, a former CP9 member, had joined Kaido's crew. He recognized us. A battle broke out in the Flower Capital between our team and Kaido's forces."

Lucci lowered his head. His whole body trembled. But even without further words, Arashi already understood what had happened.

He slowly stood, the shadow over his face so heavy it felt suffocating. He walked up to Lucci and reached out his right hand.

Lucci closed his eyes, accepting whatever punishment was coming. He knew the failure was on him.

Three Marine legends had been left behind in Wano, the rest of the team scattered or missing—some perhaps already dead.

During the journey back from Wano to Dressrosa, he had even considered ending his life to atone. But he hadn't. He had intel. And now, he had finally delivered it.

In his life, he had never known warmth. He lived in darkness, trained and used for the most ruthless, inhumane work.

But with the Marines—since joining SWORD—he had begun to feel something different. Happiness. Humanity, and then... strong arms pulled him into an embrace.

"You've done well, Lucci. This wasn't your fault."

"Every mission comes with risk, with uncertainty. I'm sure Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, and every single SWORD member were fully prepared for this."

"Now, rest. Recover." Lucci looked up in a daze at the tall figure before him. His chest felt tight. His eyes itched.

"...Fleet Admiral..." he choked out, voice trembling.

Arashi smiled. "Don't worry. Garp and the others may not be in danger. Even if Kaido won, he wouldn't harm them easily—they're still useful to him."

Lucci blinked in surprise. 

"Leave the rest to us. I had planned to wait until the New Marine Headquarters was fully built before launching any major operation."

"But now..." Arashi's smile faded, his voice turning icy. "Plans can't keep up with reality. We'll strike Wano directly!"

Lucci's eyes widened. Arashi had just declared his intention to attack one of the Four Emperors—on their home turf.

"Arashi! Don't be reckless! This is still the pirates' territory!" Even Kuzan turned pale.

The Marines had only just begun establishing a foothold in the New World. 

With time, they could expand gradually, building more bases and regaining control over the Grand Line.

But now? They were stretched thin. Facing an Emperor like Kaido with current forces would be suicide, and mass mobilization would take time and effort, not like the Marineford War.

"You want me to just sit here while Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru are left behind in Wano? Kuzan, I've never been that kind of man!" Arashi's voice rang out cold and firm.

Lucci felt as though something was lodged in his chest. 

He stared blankly at the young-looking Fleet Admiral who, even in the most dangerous moment, was ready to go to war for a handful of people.

"Arashi!! Are you sure about this? This isn't like Marineford! If we rush into Wano, we'll be surrounded, walking straight into a trap!" Kuzan gritted his teeth.

Wano was one of the world's most complex nations. Even the World Government struggled to handle it.

Its warriors were descendants of legendary dragonslayers. They wielded high-level Armament Haki, boasted powerful samurai and ninja, and lived in total isolation.

"How sure am I?" Arashi said quietly. "Maybe... a little bit."

Then, without warning, he spun around and stared at the massive map hanging on the wall. The island marked "Wano" was unmistakable.

"The Marines may not understand Wano, but someone does, and that someone...has been waiting decades for this fight."

Kuzan frowned in confusion, unsure what Arashi meant. Suddenly, Arashi grabbed a red ink pot and threw it hard.

Smack!

The mark for Wano was stained in crimson.

"Kuzan." Arashi's voice dropped to a thunderous growl. Kuzan's pupils contracted as he turned toward the admiral.

"Notify Marine Headquarters. Tell the other two Admirals to prepare for deployment."

"Also, gather 10,000 elite troops—Vice Admirals and top-ranking officers—and send them to Dressrosa."

His voice echoed in the room, weighty and resolute.

War.

There was no mistaking it now. The war for Wano had been officially declared, and this battle would be no less intense than the legendary Marineford War.

Arashi's decisiveness, strength, and sheer force of will had even surpassed what his old friends thought possible.

"Understood," Kuzan replied, though heavy-hearted. He didn't support this war. He feared it would leave the Marines in shambles.

Unlike Marineford, they held no advantage—not in timing, not in terrain, not in morale, and according to Lucci, this wasn't just Kaido they'd face—he was allied with Big Mom.

Unlike Whitebeard or Shanks, these two were monsters of a different breed.

These two forces—Kaido and Big Mom—are some of the most powerful factions in the New World. If they were to fully mobilize their crews, the sheer number would be unimaginable.

How could the Marines possibly take on such a united threat? After all, taking down their leaders wouldn't be enough to eliminate the core problem. 

Their crews are massive, well-organized, and deeply entrenched.

"We move fast. We don't have time," Arashi said grimly. Kuzan nodded and turned away with a grave expression. He needed to alert the other Admirals immediately.

Taking action against two of the Four Emperors at once was no small matter—it was a global event that would surely draw attention from every major force in the world.

Back in the Fleet Admiral's office, Arashi sat quietly, lost in thought. Rob Lucci stood still, uncertain and dazed. 

Suddenly, something came to his mind, and he looked toward Arashi. Arashi raised his head just then.

"Go get some rest, Lucci," Arashi said calmly. "Rescuing the SWORD unit is our job now. Your mission is complete."

"No, sir!" Lucci took a deep breath and shook his head. "I want to be part of this battle too!"

Arashi was stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright."

The massive machine that was the Marine organization had already begun moving in silence.

By midday, the three Admirals stationed in the New World arrived at the Fleet Admiral's office in Dressrosa.

"Prepare for war. Once the elite forces are assembled, we march on Wano immediately," Arashi commanded sternly.

The three Admirals nodded and left. They had preparations to make for the upcoming conflict. Half an hour later, Doflamingo appeared before Arashi.

"You're a smart man. So I assume we don't need to revisit what you've done in the past," Arashi said coldly. Doflamingo's eyes flickered as he listened silently.

"You've heard we're going to war with the Beasts Pirates, haven't you?"

"I have," Doflamingo replied in a low voice. "I just didn't expect you'd have the guts to go through with it."

Kaido wasn't like Whitebeard. Doflamingo knew him well. Kaido was powerful, yes, but what made him even more dangerous was his shamelessness.

Ambushes, deception, and dirty tricks—he had no problem using tactics considered dishonorable by most warriors.

And in this war, Kaido had the home-field advantage. The Marines would find it extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, to breach Wano.

The World Government would likely interfere too. Doflamingo knew the shady deals better than anyone—smuggling artificial Devil Fruits, producing weapons with Seastone, and the environmental devastation of Wano that resulted from it.

Kaido and Orochi weren't the only ones responsible. The World Government had blood on its hands as well.

So, how was Arashi, the Fleet Admiral, going to stand against pressure from both sides?

"Former Admirals and a former Fleet Admiral are trapped in Wano," Arashi said calmly. "I have every reason to act."

"This war—you're part of it." That sentence made Doflamingo pause, his brow furrowing. He didn't want to get involved in this mess. 

But facing Arashi's authority, he had no choice but to nod. "Kaido is not someone to be underestimated," he warned.

Arashi simply smiled. He knew Kaido far better than Doflamingo did. Whitebeard had been strong, yes, but age had worn him down. 

Even with Jewelry Bonney's Devil Fruit powers, he couldn't fully fight against time.

Age didn't just weaken the body—it made the mind rigid, the fighting style predictable. Decades of habits were hard to change.

Kaido was different. He was in his prime—an awakened Mythical Zoan user with monstrous strength and top-tier Haki, and on Onigashima, Big Mom's forces were likely already assembled.

In the chaos of war, there was no telling what other factions might intervene. This would be a war full of variables—perhaps the most challenging battle of Arashi's career.

If they won, it would open a bright path forward. If they lost, the Marines would be under unimaginable pressure.

At that same moment, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford—

"WOOO—WOOO—WOOO—"

The deep, blaring sirens echoed across the sky. Tension immediately spread over the entire base.

"Something big is happening…"

At the port, Marines watched as platoons rapidly assembled in the plaza, their expressions turning grim.

This suffocating atmosphere—they had only felt it once before: during the Marineford War.

"Da-da-da-da!"

Footsteps thundered from all directions. Troops formed tight formations and moved quickly toward the harbor.

"Quit standing there like idiots! Ready the warships! We're heading to the New World!"

A Vice Admiral shouted angrily, a smoking kiseru clenched in his teeth. Startled, a young Marine pointed instinctively to the side. "Dock 3! Battleship 205!"

As the mass of Marines swept past him, he turned to a nearby comrade. "What's going on? Are we going to war again?"

The other Marine sighed. "Yeah... war."

"War? With who? Didn't we just defeat the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"You'll find out soon enough…"

Inside Marineford's central building, high-ranking officers with grave expressions stepped out one by one.

"Are the troops assembled?"

"Not a second to waste. All ten thousand elite troops must be ready!"

"What about the Science Division? Where's Vice Admiral Kuina? Their tech is vital for this war!"

Vice Admiral Stelles bellowed. 

"My unit is fully assembled and ready to deploy," came a lazy voice as golden light flashed beside him.

"Admiral Kizaru?!" Stelles was stunned.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Kizaru said with a smile. "Vice Admiral Kuina already went ahead to the New World with the Fleet Admiral."

"For now, I'm in charge of the Science Division."

Then he shouted to the side, "Sentomaru, send Enel and the others out!"

A large man with a massive axe stepped out from the building. "Got it, old man!"

Stelles stared at Kizaru in disbelief.

"Incredible... I can't believe Fleet Admiral Arashi moved against Kaido this quickly."

"Did something happen in the New World?" Kizaru mumbled, his tone light but uncertain.

"Don't joke like that at your rank! You could cause a panic!" Stelles snapped.

Kizaru waved him off. "Just thinking out loud."

Just then, the air thickened with the scent of smoke. A tall figure stepped out—Crocodile.

"Have all ten thousand troops been assembled?" he asked.

"If the Fleet Admiral only asked for ten thousand, then he must be planning to end this with precision," Kizaru muttered.

His eyes gleamed. "I still can't guess what he's truly thinking…"

The two Admirals locked eyes, then turned to the formations racing toward the harbor.

Moments later, a Marine more than six meters tall, with flames burning from behind his head, approached them.

"Crocodile," the man said bluntly, directly addressing the Admiral. A massive pressure swept over them as he spoke. Even Stelles turned pale.

This man was powerful—yet he was entirely unknown. Standing quietly beside him was another towering figure, silent and imposing.

"So, it's you. We couldn't do this without you," Crocodile said with a sigh. "I've waited twenty years for this," the man growled, fire burning in his eyes.

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