"You actually want to risk the single agreement of the Styx Accords that allows you to exist for this little island!?" Shinrai thundered in confusion and anger. "What's so special about this place?"

The reply Shinrai was given was a little more painful than he expected; the young marine was bombarded with extreme force as the woman's voice echoed, "You're not the one who asks questions in this scenario."

"Ugh!" His near-8 foot frame was crushed with the downward force resembling gravity, pushing onto every ounce of his being. The marine fell to his quivering knees, though stubbornly glaring at the enemy with malice.

"Who allowed you to look at our Boss with those eyes?" Nekrós swung his staff, slapping the glare of the young marine. Blood spat out from his mouth, along with his ego. But under his desperation was a power worthy of merit.

"R-Remedy…" he slowly muttered, fighting the overwhelming weight with great spirit.

Like magic, the copious weight disappeared, restoring gravity to its original level! Shinrai's hand shot to the side, grasping a dozen pebbles.

He threw them separately, one aimed at Nekrós and Kaiser, the other at Fulcrum.

.

"Overhaul!"

.

Boom! *Crash!*

The two men dealt with the pebble-turned boulders easily, while Fulcrum didn't even move, and the three boulders coming at her were crushed to fine powder and pathetically clattering to the floor.

However, it allowed Dragon to exercise his powers and pull Shinrai to safety, appearing fifty meters away. Such a unique ability made the Egyptian god smile: "They ate some interesting powers."

Kaiser didn't speak and aimed his right arm in the direction of the super rookies:

.

"Dead Bone Pulse."

.

Thick bullets of pure bone began shooting out from the man's fingers, raining upon the marines. The digits were like a machine gun, releasing the bony rounds.

Dragon was quick to defend, creating a raging wind barrier:

.

"Tempestuous Wall!"

.

However, things didn't go as planned…

Bang!

Pain shot through his system—looking down, there was a bony spear spiking from below. The grunting Dragon looked to Kaiser, seeing his left arm dipping into the ground. The bone gun was a feint, and the actual attack came from below!

Shinrai saw the blood spurt from his friend's stomach and jumped to help. He touched the hole in his colleague's stomach, emanating warmth:

.

"Remedy!"

.

As the wound undid itself, it also left them open for attack.

A shadow flickered ahead, and a thick fist slammed into Shinrai's face, sending ripples of force through his brain. "Aaugh! D-Damn it, let the Vice Admiral's body go!"

Nekrós, still in his Anubis form, returned a menacing grin, puppeteering the veteran marine with joy, "You two rookies aren't ready for this stage yet. Unfortunately, you flew too close to the sun!"

"Surround them!"

His words carried great authority over the hundred-plus risen. They flooded the Marines without mercy, even running over one another without care; they existed solely to complete their tasks.

Soon, the two were surrounded by a thick sea of bodies.

"Damn it…" Dragon cursed, stabilizing his breathing from the earlier injury.

"Hehe, what is it? Are you hoping Daddy will come to save you?" Nekrós mocked from beyond the horde. "Even Garp will fold if the fossil Endou orders him to. You should know how important our Styx Passage is to them!"

Kaiser added his agreement by transforming from a white-bone demon to a black one, clad in Haki.

.

Both sides were turbulent; death was creeping around the star rookies, and the Guardians of Unso Island were more than ready to ensure it.

*Thump* *Thump* Thump* However, a few distinct footsteps resounded the chaotic scene, silencing the rowdy horde.

Nekrós slightly lowered his head, his Arisen subconsciously following suit to allow their true master a view of the marines.

"Fulcrum…" Dragon muttered, all the while crackling with storms in preparation.

Nekrós scoffed at the defiance and raised his magical staff, "I'll kill them at your order, Boss!"

But no reply came. The necromancer blinked, "Boss?"

Fulcrum stood tall, her body only topped by Orlov and the transformed Nekrós. Her elegant garb and starry presence overshadowed all others, acting like a magnet to draw their attention.

"Calm your Arisen down."

The order left the man confused, but he did as told. With a tap of his staff, the zombie-like monsters roaring and clawing ahead turned docile, becoming mannequins.

Kaiser turned to his master and cautioned, "These two will surely become great threats in the future."

"They do have dangerous powers..." The young woman's distorted voice mused in thought.

The casual conversation flooded Dragon and Shinrai with dread. They knew it; their fate lay in the Fulcrum's hand.

The Underworld Empress glanced at Shinrai first: "A survivor of the Fallen G-2, one that was fortunate enough to have eaten a Devil Fruit, which saved him from definite doom."

Shinrai looked gloomy, but he didn't speak.

"We've classified your fruit, an interesting Paramecia-Type," the King of Shipping calmly announced. Her voice shifted into that of intrigue as she shared her findings, "The Fix-Fix Fruit—a power that allows its user to fix anything they deem broken or faulty."

She then turned to Dragon: "A Stormbringing Human... the Storm-Storm Fruit."

The woman hummed, almost as if debating different ways this could end up.

"..." Her silent stance filled the marines with dread; from her mysterious figure, further amplified by the indifferent nature of her mask and overpowering strength, Fulcrum was truly unpredictable in her actions.

And finally, the order was given: "Release them."

The words shocked the Marines and the two Underworld men: "B-But Boss!?"

"Do it."

"Yes!" Nekrós waved his hands, breaking the encirclement.

Kaiser exhaled heavily, retracting his bones hastily.

Shinrai, ignoring his embarrassing condition, jumped up and roared, "Release the others too!"

His mind was constantly on the hundred or so soldiers still being pressed without mercy. Their bodies were subjected to such weight that all but a few whimpers and quivers leaked out.

However, his tone wasn't appreciated.

Shinrai's face warped from anger to livid shock as he saw the marines burst into a bloody mist and explode into a red paste, splattering over the cold soil.

"Y-You bitc–"

Boom!

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The marine instantly blacked out as his body was nailed to the ground by an influx of force. *Crack* *Rumble* Scars formed all over the dark soil, Shinrai being embedded deeper and deeper; the earth cried in pain alongside the miracle marine.

"Stop!!!" Dragon cried, rushing to defend his fellow rookie marine. "I'll apologize on his behalf!"

Fulcrum didn't stop, still squeezing Shinrai to a pulp.

*Krrrrr* The weight began to vary. The force near the fallen marine's chest and head remained the same, but the one on each of his limbs quintupled, instantly turning them all to mush!

"Shinrai!!!"

Dragon's eyes shook at seeing his fellow star rookie reduced to a head and chest. At the same time, everything else was turned to paste. The stress over his throat stopped any screams, but his twisting torso conveyed the pain.

"Take back his top half back with you. Don't worry, his heart is still beating," Fulcrum casually said. "I'm sure Shinrai can fix himself once he wakes up."

Dragon was left speechless; his helpless eyes glared at the titanic threat before relenting. He summoned a collection of clouds under him and slowly floated up, bringing Shinrai toward him with a soft gust of wind.

Coils of electricity arched through the cloud, cauterizing the wounds instantly.

The shaken marine clenched his fists from the helplessness and looked to the elegant Fulcrum one last time. Although he couldn't make out her face, he could still feel the firm confidence in the woman—she really could have ended their career here!

.

The woman felt the distant gaze and turned to the side. The two parties grew further apart, but her voice reached Dragon with ease: "You attacked someone's home and nearly killed his family..."

Dragon followed the Underworld Emperor's gesture, his eyes eventually landing on a little boy who had appeared at the unconscious couple's side. Although they were far away, He could still feel the piercing eyes locking onto him. No, it wasn't onto him specifically, but rather the Navy emblem on his tattered shirt.

The distorted voice returned to the rookie's ear, "I hope you Marines are ready for his future hunt."

The young soldier gave no reply; he heaved a tired sigh and flew away, the remains of Shinrai in tow.

…

[Thirty Minutes Later]

An unmasked Fulcrum stood before the gravely injured husband-and-wife duo; Nekros and Kaiser had returned to the ship.

They had moved to a warmer setting: the living room of the Dracule Manor, which overlooked the now-flattened hedge maze.

"I'm sorry I was so late... Things have gotten so hectic these past few days," The previously ice-cold voice had become soft and apologetic.

She addressed the injured couple that had woken up. They each rested by sitting up and leaning onto a sofa, green candles lighting up the vast room.

Kaiser, an orthopedic doctor on his down-time, had already administered aid and painkillers to them, granting them vague mobility.

Although in their fifties, the two expertly hid any further pain or injury, purposefully doing so to calm the girl sitting across from them.

Aurora spoke candidly, "The fleet was previously helping clean up the other four islands of pirates… But their mission was changed at the last minute. The orders ignored policy and came straight from the Commander-in-Chief to Orlov."

The young woman's purple eyes were filled with regret, "I didn't receive any word of it. If not for another dark island being taken over, I would have never rushed here."

"Don't be ridiculous, Aurora-chan," came the elegant voice of Dracule Mina. The middle-aged woman reassured Aurora with a smile: "You already saved us from those rabid pirates a few weeks ago. Now you saved Hawk-chan from becoming an orphan. How can we accept your apology?"

Vlad nodded alongside his wife, showing nothing but gratitude.

Aurora was briefly unable to respond. She could feel the duo's thankful nature and sighed—there was another side to the chaos.

"No," she shook her head in guilt. "I should have long guessed their interest in this island." An image of the Scorched Sea War flashed in her eyes, which she truthfully conveyed, "It has to do with the way Damien ended the war some months ago..."

...

[Stygian Archipelago, North Blue]

A dark shadow stood tall in a forested atoll at the center of the archipelago. Its name, Stygian, conveyed the dark nature of the chain of islands.

The archipelago was littered around a giant volcano that continuously spewed ash and smoke into the atmosphere, creating a thick, suffocating blanket of ash that blocked out the sun, allowing only a fleeting glimpse of the sun through a temporary break in the cloud cover each day.

Footsteps rang through the grass, and a black-clothed marine rushed toward the man standing tall under the veil of darkness.

The soldier gulped at his superior, noting the fierce expression of the scarred man. His hair was long, flowing, and golden-brown, with a mane-like appearance that framed his face and extended past his shoulders. His intense, piercing eyes reflected a lion-like ferocity.

"L-Lord Xerxes, we found a small vein deep in the island, almost eight hundred meters down!" he reported with a salute.

Respect was warranted as the man was tied in authority with the Fleet Admiral; he was Xerxes, the Chief of Cipher Pol!

The authoritative figure firmly nodded, his eyes narrowing in thought.

"That confirms five dark islands of the nineteen we took over do indeed have the ore," Xerxes' deep voice resounded. He cupped his chin, his eyes returning to the agent: "It seems Tensai's words held merit."

...

"A metal that rarely forms in places that see little to no sunlight," Vlad echoed Aurora's words. "Jigoku Ore."

The young woman nodded grimly, "Damien recovered the same ore from G-2 and ended the Scorched Sea War with it..."

"So that's why they came here," Mina understood. She took one peak at her husband who returned a knowing nod before turning to the regretful Aurora. "Is that why you have that my-dog-is-dead face on?" She smiled in question, reaching out for the girl's hands. "We would never blame you for this scuffle."

"But–"

The woman quickly hushed Aurora's rebuttal: "We might live on a small island which sees no visitors, but we aren't blind to the seas outside. I'm sure they didn't make it easy for you to get here in time either."

Her voice was mostly unwavering, but Aurora easily grasped the trembling in the woman's hand.

She looked into her ringed eyes and saw the worries Mina was hiding. "Is it Mihawk?" she slowly asked.

The middle-aged woman's eyes widened as she looked away, choking back a sob. Vlad reached to grab his wife with his only hand, comfortingly nodding at the shaken Aurora. "Mina's just a little frantic about him, don't worry."

Aurora sighed in dismay and deeply regretted her late arrival. She pictured Mihawk's lost eyes that remained after taking care of the Marines, the sheer betrayal and darkness growing in those piercing eyes.

Even the stoic Vlad wasn't free of concerns; Mihawk was a lone child raised in darkness and silence. His parents were the only humans he grew up with, the same two that almost died before him.

"He's too young for those emotions! H-His innocence is gone!" Mina cried. Her voice was breaking with grief, remembering the look on her son's face before he ran into the forest.

Vlad pressed a calming touch on his wife's shoulder and reassured her, "Mihawk is strong. He will rise above this."

The man stood up with Mina in his arm. "We are grateful to both you and Damien. Just know this: Mihawk is our only concern."

Aurora deeply exhaled and stood up. Her gem-like eyes met those of a hawk's and firmly declared, "The Navy will never bother you here ever again."

The conviction boomed through the mundane living room, leaving the Dracule couple with faint smiles.

"I believe you," Vlad nodded. "But it will change Mihawk."

Aurora's gaze shook under the grave thought of the child, but the older man's following words calmed her down: "I'm endlessly glad that Mina and I can be there to help him through this."

Mina left her husband's arm, turning to Aurora and grasping her hands like a friend's. "Aurora-chan, can you tell Damien that when he's free," she glanced at Vlad to confirm her intentions, then turned back to the girl, "We'd like to talk to him about something important."

"Of course."

----------------------------------------------

The conclusion to the military takeover at Yozora spawned a chain of events that would quickly burn any shred of peace remaining in the seas.

For where there was warmth and relief on the island of the Night Sky, there was turbulence at another such island...

----------------------------------------------

"What did you say?" Xerxes's grizzly voice shook the Stygian Archipelago. The shrieking air revealed the man's fury.

A lone marine official stood by the side, fearfully watching as his superior roared into a transponder snail.

'H-He was satisfied just a moment ago,' the black-suited man murmured.

The agent gasped as the air around him suddenly turned bone-dry, each breath scraping painfully down his throat and chest like inhaling sandpaper. His lungs burned, desperate for moisture, while his vision blurred from the rapid onset of dizziness and dehydration.

Xerxes was too focused on the conversation to rein in his ability, which left the poor agent on his knees.

"Only Garp's son and Shinrai made it out, Chief. It was Fulcrum who had declared Yozora under her protection," the snail explained.

*Shhk* *Krssh* The soil under Xerxes' feet was stripped of moisture, transforming into fine grains of sand. He squeezed his grip around the snail as his nails elongated into sharp claws, and his eyes grew feral, glowing with an unnatural intensity: "Five of nineteen islands have revealed small veins of Jigoku Ore, and Fulcrum would dare to obstruct our takeover!?"

Meanwhile, the kneeling agent was on his last leg, grasping his throat with bloodshot eyes, 'I-It burns!'

But as the world darkened around him, the agent was freed from his struggles as the air regained its moisture.

"This changes everything, Kade," Xerxes calmly continued, staring at the snail.

The man on the other end was his right-hand man, the Deputy Chief of Cipher Pol. Kade hummed through the snail, offering his thoughts, "Shall I resume my investigation on the missing princess?"

"Bring me results," the Chief ended the call and began striding away from the ashy island.

"Fulcrum... Amethyst Aurora... Sin Incarnate," he murmured, dialling another number on his personal snail.

"Puru," "Puru," "Puru."

"Katcha~!" The snail assumed the appearance of a black-haired, bearded man. His scarred appearance conveyed his veteran status.

"Commander-in-Chief," Xerxes grew respectful. "I would like to personally confirm the location of more Jigoku Ore and a link between Fulcrum and the Sin Incarnate."

"And what are your thoughts?" Endou's deep and hoarse voice held little emotion. It was an attitude born from his vast years in service; there were no surprises he had not already witnessed.

"I'm unsure if they are allies, but they surely share interests based on Fulcrum's reckless actions," Xerxes confidently shared.

"Can you ensure the transport of the Jigoku Ore from the islands to Tensai's new lab?" Endou questioned, once again, without emotion.

"I cannot."

A hum echoed from the broody snail's mouth. There was a lot of politics to consider.

Fulcrum controlled the Styx Passages that provided safe transportation of goods and even the Heavenly Tributes, alongside aid to marine bases worldwide.

"So either we attempt to transport the ore, and risk losing it to Fulcrum or leave it behind for the Sin Incarnate to weaponize," Endou surmised.

"I'll handle the World Economy News Paper. Xerxes, I leave the clean-up to you."

That said, the snail went to sleep with a "Katcha~!"

.

The Chief of Cipher Pol lightly smiled at the trust instilled in him.

"You see that, Kong? Your goodwill with Endou-san is slipping away!" the man rejoiced, clenching his fists.

The grinning Xerxes turned to the panting marine trailing behind and commanded, "Call an evacuation at the nineteen dark islands. I'll give their inhabitants twenty-four hours to leave..."

The look in the man's eyes was driven and unshaken: "After that, have Kong order a Buster Call at every single one of them!"

The soldier was left stumped; he froze in place and absently murmured, "B-But only five islands had the ore? And most of these islands have primitive societies. They won't leave just because we orde-"

Xerxes raised a hand, shutting the marine up.

His voice was cold and relentless, each word cutting through the air like a blade. "If sinking nineteen islands means preventing the Sin Incarnate from amassing more of his doomsday bombs, then so be it."

The marine, still reeling from the order, could barely process the magnitude of the decision. "Sir, the innocent lives..."

Xerxes turned, his intense orange eyes glowing with a chilling resolve. "Their fate is sealed. Let them perish with their land, consumed by fire and blood!"

The soldier stood in stunned silence, the weight of the command settling heavily in the pit of his stomach as Xerxes walked away, leaving a path of devastation in his wake.

To Be Continued…