[Marine Headquarters Engulfed in Fmes!]

  [The Fall of the Fort of Justice!]

  [The Most Notorious Criminal! Bounty of 4 Billion Berries?]

  [Pirate with a 4-Billion-Berry Bounty—‘Fallen Angel’ Kukulkan El!]

  [Marineford Bombed by Fallen Angel Pirates]

  [Wover Announces Global Recruitment Drive, Calls for All Righteous Fighters to Join the Marines, Promising Unpreted Promotions Based on Strength!]

  [Fleet Admiral Hammons William ns Fallen Angel El as Dishonorable, Insidious, and Depraved Beyond Redemption!]

  [Admiral ‘Steel Bone’ Kong: Justice Will Not Yield. We Will Fight Evil Pirates to the End!]

  …

  In just two or three days, these shog headlines, spread by news seabirds, sent tremors throughout the world.

  To cover up the Wover’s failures, including the attaary Geoise and the kidnapping of numerous Celestial Dragons, they did not ceal the destru of Marineford. Instead, they used it as an opportunity to unch a massive propaganda campaign.

  The Wover announced a global recruitment drive, urging all those with strength and a sense of justice to join the Marines. For the first time in history, they promised promotions based solely on ability, regardless of background or race.

  …

  "Is this real?"

  "I 't believe it!"

  "Look at the bounty—four billion berries?!"

  "Not just Fallen Angel El, but even his subordinates have shog bounties!"

  "That ‘Vampire’ Charlotte Linlin is only thirteen years old? How is she already worth one billion berries?"

  "And that ‘Mirri’ Barry—is he a Snakeribe member? What did he do to earn five hundred million?"

  "These are insane numbers. If anyone could take down one of El's officers, they’d never o work another day in their life!"

  "Don’t be ridiculous. If they were easy to kill, how could they kidnap and kill Celestial Dragons without repercussions?"

  "The fortress that stood for turies as a symbol of justice, gone in a si?"

  "This must’ve been a massive blow to the Marihey’re even hosting a rge-scale recruitment and promising quick promotions!"

  "Are the Fallen Angel Pirates really that powerful?"

  …

  The world was in an uproar, the seas in turmoil.

  For turies, the Wover had solidified its image as the rightful authority. Now, the promise of rapid promotion within the Marines was attrag many ambitious individuals, especially those disillusioned with a life of mediocrity.

  Meanwhile, the massive 4-billion-berry bounty on Fallen Angel El—the highest of its kind—shocked the world. Even more surprising was the 500-million-berry bounty on Barry, the wielder of the Paramecia Mirror-Mirror Fruit, refleg the Wover’s intered for him.

  …

  "Five Elders, over the past three days, we’ve deployed all Marine and CP forces to search every er of Mary Geoise."

  "We’ve uhed a rge cache of high-yield explosives buried at various depths across the Holy Land. Their bined power would have obliterated all of Mary Geoise!"

  "However, the excavation is ongoing, and sporadibs are still being found. It may take additional time to ensure all are removed."

  "Additionally, due to the rge-scale digging and the damage caused by the ret battle, the Holy Land’s buildings are severely promised. Initial repairs are estimated to take two to three months."

  Atop the Red Line, in the ruined, pockmarked, and barely reizable Pangaea Castle at Mary Geoise, the seat of Wover authority, chaned.

  In the Chamber of Authority, the exclusive office of the Five Elders symbolizing supreme power, a CP0 officer k in a cold sweat, delivering a grave report.

  CRACK!

  A teapot shattered, breaking into pieces across the floor.

  The Five Elders sat grim-faced, their expressions a mix of seething anger and dark ption. It was clear now: Fallen Angel El had not been bluffing whehreatehem.

  For three days, the Wover had mobilized massive manpower and special ability users, turning Mary Geoise upside down. They uhed a staggering number of high-grade explosives buried beh the Holy Land—enough to colpse vast swathes of the Red Line and engulf the entire Holy Land in fmes. Even now, there was uainty about whether more explosives remained undiscovered deep beh the Red Line.

  "What a blunder..."

  Saint Saturn, leaning on his e, angrily jabbed it at the ground. "That Fallen Angel brat... how dare he?"

  "Damn that Lunarian whelp!" snarled Saint Valkyrie, seated at the ter. "He's pyed us for fools!"

  He tinued, his teeth gritted: "CP’s statistics show that 233 Celestial Dragons were kidnapped, with many more injured, and over a dozen killed!"

  "The assault on the Fallen Angel Pirates cost us two members of the Holy Knights, including Saint Muner, whom we retly empowered with the Mythical Zoan ‘Azure Dragon’ fruit and promoted to Viander!"

  "And that's not all," Saint Mars added grimly, his brow furrowed. "The Fallen Angel Pirates’ Homies army not only attempted to attack the Woverreasury but also looted numerous private treasuries belonging to Celestial Dragons, stealing vast amounts of wealth!"

  "In addition, they liberated tless sves, taking them away with them!"

  "Thankfully, we were prepared," Saint Ju Peter said, folding his arms. "With the Holy Knights and CP0 agents guarding the treasury, they failed to take anything there. If not, the losses would’ve been catastrophic."

  Saint Mars issued firm orders: "Find every st explosive buried beh the Holy Land. Leave no stourned. We must eliminate all potential threats!"

  The CP0 officer bowed a immediately.

  With the officer gone, Saint Ju Peter broke the silehe families of the kidnapped Celestial Dragons are creating chaos outside every day..."

  His tourned grim: "There are too many of them, and even we ot simply igheir demands."

  Adding to their s, Saint Nasujuro spoke while gripping the Shodai Kitetsu, the legendary cursed bde. The ominous glint on his gsses mirrored the unease in the room.

  "More importantly, Imu-sama is furious. He demands we stabilize the seas aore the Wover’s prestige immediately."

  He hesitated for a brief moment before suggesting coldly: "Perhaps we should request permission from Imu-sama to activate the ‘National Treasure’ and obliterate them in one fell swoop."

  Saint Mars’s tone grew cautious: "The Heavenly King’s energy reserves are limited. Every use depletes them further..."

  "Not to mention, activating it would create a signifit disturbance. While it might elimihe Fallen Angel Pirates’ subordinates, I fear El himself would sense something amiss and escape before we could strike."

  Saint Saturn nodded, his expression dark: "That Lunarian monster is too powerful. He likely already possesses advanced observation haki. With his speed and future-sight abilities, if he notices anything unusual, he might flee."

  "A’s not fet—he already has intelligen us. He may know more than we realize," Saint Ju Peter added grimly.

  Saint Valkyrie rubbed his tattooed bald head, his expression refleg his lingering frustration from their previous failures.

  "Even if we Five attack together, while we could suppress him, we might not be able to kill him ht."

  He sighed, his tone grave: "If that wless creature decides to harass the Holy Land endlessly, it’ll be even harder to expin ourselves to Imu-sama."

  Saint Mars leaned forward, his voice tinged with urgency: "We must bide our time until the global scription campaign replehe Marines' ranks. For now, we iate to secure the return of the kidnapped Celestial Dragons."

  He paused before tinuing: "If we decide to activate the Heavenly King, it must be during a moment of their greatest xity, leaving them no time to prepare."

  Saint Ju Peter nodded in agreement. "Ihe current Marine forces are woefully insuffit."

  His tourned frustrated: "This assault cost us even Admiral Pegasus Horn. With only Steel Bone Ko, the Marines ck the strength to ter the Fallen Angel Pirates effectively."

  "And with Marineford in ruins, the fallout has been unpreted. The seas are in chaos, with tless opportunists stirring up trouble."

  The Five Elders fell into a tense silehe weight of their decisions pressing down heavily.

  Finally, Saint Valkyrie broke the quiet with a bold suggestion: "Perhaps we should sider recruiting powerful pirates as temporary allies to bolster our forces."

  The room erupted into heated debate.

  "Recruiting pirates? Are you serious?"

  "Won’t this tarnish the Wover’s image?"

  "This is practically admitti to the pirates!"

  Saint Valkyrie raised his hand to calm the room.

  "Not true recruitment," he crified, his voice deliberate.

  "The idea is to offer powerful pirates certain privileges, such as halting Marine pursuits, in exge for their cooperation. If they disobey, we strip those privileges aate their bounties."

  He tinued, his tone calcuted: "Furthermore, we could manipute them to fight other pirates, weakening both sides before dealing with them ourselves."

  The room grew quiet as the other elders sidered the proposal.

  Saint Mars leaned back thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "That... might be worth sidering."

  Bleam