NOVEL WEB Chapter 225: Chapter 225
"Jiehahaha! Sengoku, Garp... I haven't seen those two in over twenty years. I wonder what they're like now. Will I be shocked when I finally face them again?"
Golden Lion Shiki stood up, his wine glass shattering in his grip as his pupils dilated and a crazed grin spread across his face. He'd been preparing for this moment for over two decades.
Finally, the time had come.
He had raised an army—super beasts, monsters painstakingly bred and trained by him. They were enough to shake the world to its core. And with his own Devil Fruit powers added to the mix, the entire world would soon be forced to acknowledge his return.
Originally, his plan had been simple: destroy the East Blue as a demonstration. Let the Navy and the World Government tremble in fear of his might.
But now, everything had changed.
The resurrection of Gol D. Roger was an unexpected twist—but far from discouraging him, it thrilled Shiki to his core. His destined rival had returned from the grave.
And that meant...
He could finally have a real fight.
This time, he would win. And he would make Roger one of his own.
Together, they would conquer the world.
With Roger at his side, who could possibly stop them?
"Captain, there's one more thing..." said Indigo, the ship's doctor, as he shuffled over in his strange, squeaky shoes. "A new figure has emerged in the world—someone called the Bounty King, the Godslayer, Kairos Flint."
"Even Whitebeard couldn't stand up to him."
On the way to Marineford, Indigo had scoured every newspaper he could get his hands on, collecting all the headlines and reports from the last few months. What he read had shocked him.
A young man—barely past his prime—had risen with terrifying speed.
He had defeated three Navy admirals, slain three Celestial Dragons, bested Garp, and even toppled Whitebeard.
Each of these battles was legendary—unprecedented in the history of the seas.
Indigo's hands had trembled as he read them.
And though he hesitated to dampen the captain's mood, he felt it necessary to tell Shiki about Kairos Flint. They were heading straight for Marineford, after all. If they ran into someone like that without warning...
Even Shiki could be in danger.
The Golden Lion paused in disbelief.
"What?" he muttered. "That kid did all that?"
As Indigo listed out Kairos's achievements, Golden Lion Shiki stared, stunned.
He felt as though he had missed out on everything these past twenty years.
Killing a Celestial Dragon, let alone three? That alone was unthinkable.
The Celestial Dragons were the world's highest aristocracy—nobles so powerful they practically owned the planet. Even Shiki, wild and arrogant as he was, had never dared to kill one.
But Kairos had?
And not just once. Three times.
"Is this kid even human?" Shiki muttered. "He's fiercer than I was when I sailed with Roger..."
A wild light sparked in his eyes.
He couldn't help but feel... impressed.
"He's got guts," Shiki grinned. "I like that. If I ever get the chance, I've got to meet him. A guy like that—he's not just a powerhouse, he's like me."
"If I could bring him to my side, then not even the World Government could stop us."
The more Shiki thought about it, the more excited he became. His ambitions burned hotter than ever.
"Captain," Indigo said, lips twitching with unease, "I think this guy might be even more dangerous than Roger. If he gets in your way, your plans could be ruined."
At his side, the pink-furred chimpanzee monster Scarletto pounded its chest mockingly, as if ridiculing Shiki's delusion.
But the Golden Lion wasn't fazed in the slightest.
"Hah! A brat like him couldn't possibly understand my ambitions," he sneered. "He's just a child."
"Just like Captain Rocks once led us... I'll do the same."
"No—greater than him. I'll make the entire world crumble beneath my rule."
Golden Lion Shiki laughed maniacally, controlling the massive floating island with renewed vigor.
Meanwhile — Marineford, Naval Headquarters
The clock ticked onward.
Sengoku stared at his pocket watch, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Twenty minutes had passed.
Only an hour remained until Portgas D. Ace's execution—and still, there was no sign of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Nothing. Not a single ship.
It was too quiet.
"Where is Whitebeard...?"
Sengoku's gut twisted. He had never been confident about this war to begin with, and now the creeping silence only made things worse.
Too many variables had changed.
Too many unknowns.
And the closer they got to the hour of execution, the deeper the sense of unease in his chest.
"Whitebeard will come," said Garp, arms crossed, his face dark as a storm cloud.
But his voice betrayed him.
It trembled.
Because Garp, despite his unshakable strength, was just a man.
A man torn in half.
Though not blood-related, he had raised Ace like a grandson.
And now, he was expected to watch him die—perhaps even execute him with his own hands.
His chest felt hollow.
Every second that passed was agony.
His sense of duty as a Marine clashed violently with the love in his heart.
He was breaking.
On the execution platform, Ace looked down at Garp with gentle eyes—not hatred, not blame. Just... understanding.
And that only made it worse.
Garp could feel it: Ace's gaze. Quiet, accepting, forgiving.
It pierced his soul.
Suddenly—
From the circular port of Marineford, the ocean boiled.
"Wh-What's happening!?"
"The water... it's bubbling!"
"Everyone on alert—something's wrong!"
Naval soldiers posted at the port immediately raised the alarm.
Then—BOOM!
The sea exploded as three massive ships erupted from the depths, each wrapped in shimmering bubbles that burst as they broke the surface.
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"They came up from underwater!"
"The enemy is here!"
The klaxons wailed.
The Navy's entire command center surged into full Level One Alert.
Every Marine, every officer, every admiral—everyone snapped into combat readiness.
The war was about to begin.
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