One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 105: A Close Call

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The Newkama Land Pirates, now safely aboard the Marine warship, watched in horrified awe as the meteor plummeted towards them.

Then, with a world-shaking roar, their boss, Emporio Ivankov, unleashed a furious barrage of "Death Wink" attacks and a gale-force "Galaxy Wink," shattering half of the blazing projectile and extinguishing its fiery tail.

"Pull yourselves together! What are you, a bunch of scaredy-cats? We're revolutionaries! We're going to overthrow the World Government, those tyrannical, power-hungry fools! Why panic over a measly meteor? If the sky falls, we'll hold it up! Just follow my lead and trust in our boss!"

The Newkama pirates looked up at what remained of the meteor, now miraculously suspended in mid-air. Pulling a meteor from the heavens was a terrifying display of power, but their boss had shattered half of it with a single blow and stopped its descent. This feat was practically legendary, rivaling even Whitebeard's might.

"What a dangerous fruit, controlled by the Marines... troubling." Dragon muttered, a frown etched on his face.

The Marines and the World Government preferred imprisonment to execution for the majority of pirates. Executing a Devil Fruit user meant the fruit would simply regenerate somewhere else in the world. If the Marines recovered it, fine. But if it fell into the hands of another pirate, especially a dangerous one, the consequences could be devastating. Therefore, indefinite incarceration was the safest option.

The Zushi Zushi no Mi was undeniably one of the most dangerous fruits. If he remembered correctly, the previous user of a similar gravity-based Devil Fruit had been captured and imprisoned in Impel Down decades ago, possibly even dying within its walls. That would explain the fruit's resurgence.

...

Impel Down's breach by Kaido and the subsequent slaughter of prisoners by "The Black Winged Devil" to quell the ensuing riots meant that a flood of Devil Fruits would be released back into the world.

But unbeknownst to everyone, these fruits were gone, consumed, becoming fuel for another's power, lost forever to the annals of time.

"Are you new to the Marines? It seems our goal of toppling the World Government just got harder. If I'd stayed on my original path, I might be an Admiral myself by now." Dragon remarked, a hint of wistful contemplation in his voice. Two to three decades ago, he, Borsalino (Kizaru), and Kuzan (Aokiji) were renowned as the monster rookies of their generation.

Recognized for their exceptional talent, Dragon was entrusted with numerous highly classified missions by the World Government, exposing him to their deep-seated corruption.

This fueled his decision to become a criminal, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, seeking to dismantle the very system he once served. Borsalino and Kuzan, however, chose a more passive, ambivalent form of justice within the Marines.

He had both the ambition and the skill, a monster rookie alongside the future Admirals, wielding the devastating power of the Wind-Wind Fruit, considered among the most potent Logia-types.

"Interesting. I may be blind, but I can see into the hearts of men. I sense a great benevolence within you. And I am not a Marine, but a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"For years, I've quietly pursued my own justice, witnessing the ugliness that lurks beneath the surface of this world's supposed order. I was recently offered the position of Warlord, and I accepted. It's a role that allows me to act independently, unbound by their commands." Issho explained, recognizing a kindred spirit.