Chapter 897 Fish-Man Island Saga: Return to Sabaody Arc! (2)
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Marineford:
In the Fleet Admiral's office, which also served as the military meeting room, the top brass of the Marines gathered in front of a massive screen displaying the latest chapter of the One Piece manga.
Despite this, each person held a copy of the manga in their hands—this had long since become a tradition.
The atmosphere was tense, filled with anticipation, as smoke rose from Sakazuki's cigar. He sat on a couch in the corner of the room, his gaze fixed on the screen.
"So, this is the next scene…" Sengoku muttered, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth. Sitting beside him, Zephyr crossed his arms, his sharp eyes scanning the pages.
"This is a historic moment," Zephyr said in a low voice as he stared at the panel where Luffy placed his hat back on his head—the very hat that had become his symbol at this stage.
"The kid didn't waste his time over the past two years," Borsalino commented lazily while chewing gum, though his eyes remained fixed on the page with rare intensity.
Sakazuki, who had been silent the entire time, spoke sternly:
"None of this matters. Whether he's stronger or not, his fate will be the same as any other pirate… just ashes beneath the Marines' justice."Yet deep inside, his confidence in this statement had wavered long ago. The world was no longer as simple as he once believed.
On the other hand, Kuzan, sitting across from him, was not entirely convinced. Unlike Sakazuki, his doubts were evident on his face and in his words.
"Hmmm… but look at his expression… This is not the same man who barely escaped the Summit War on the brink of death. It seems he's changed a lot."
"You're overthinking it, Kuzan," Tsuru commented as she studied the panel. Then, with a faint smile, she added:
"But I can't deny that he looks more mature now."
Zephyr muttered with a frown:
"Luffy… will you follow in your teacher's footsteps? Will you truly become the man who shakes this world?"
The teacher he was referring to was Rayleigh, of course. After all, Rayleigh had been, and still was, the second-in-command of the Pirate King's crew.
A crew that shook the world in the manga… but in reality, Rob and his organization had overshadowed Roger and his crew's legendary feat of reaching the final island where the One Piece lay.
...
Sorbet Kingdom – Revolutionary Army Headquarters:
On the other side of the world, another meeting was taking place in a private room within The Art Store in Sorbet Kingdom. Most of the Revolutionary Army members had gathered there.
Garp, sitting comfortably on a couch with a massive bowl of rice cakes in front of him, burst into laughter upon seeing the scene.
"Buwahahaha! That boy hasn't changed one bit! Look at him—he's still trying to eat his training partners…"
He was referring to the Luscaina beasts.
Kuma, who was quietly reading in the corner, glanced up slightly, while Bonney—sitting nearby, chewing on a piece of meat with a ravenous expression—muttered, "They do look really tasty…"
Meanwhile, Dragon stood by the window, gazing at the crowded interior of The Art Store. He murmured in a barely audible voice:
"The winds are starting to shift… He still has a long way to go, but now… he's closer to the truth."
"As long as he remains on the right path, I can rest easy. His very existence is enough to keep the fight going in this world drowned in darkness."
"Ohhh~ Isn't it exciting to see your little son becoming a global superstar?" Ivankov teased, waving a fan playfully.
"This is not a good thing," Dragon replied seriously. "The more famous he becomes, the greater the danger surrounding him."
Kuma, who had been silent the whole time, quietly murmured,
"It doesn't matter… This is the fate of a man who walks the path of freedom."
...
In the Manga World – Sabaody Archipelago.
The air was calm—the stillness before the storm.
"Well, it looks like plenty of pirates who made it through the hardships of the first half of the Grand Line are gathering on this island once again."
Inside a bar, men discussed the pirates who had recently made it this far.
"I remember two years ago, when the likes of Kidd and Drake arrived here… that sure was a thrill."
"These days, the pirates of that generation are roaming the seas of the New World. And though I wouldn't say they're necessarily of the same caliber, there are a fair few over-a-hundred-million bounties hanging around here right now, too."
Some people had interesting bits of information about the pirates. It was impossible to talk about them without mentioning those who had caused massive upheaval in the archipelago two years ago.
"Still, it sure was a surprise! After vanishing completely for two whole years… The Straw Hat crew, whom everybody thought was dead, suddenly showed up right here on this island!!"
"And what's more, it looks like they're recruiting…!! Planning to expand their crew and head out to the New World by storm…!!"
"Now, doesn't that just give you chills!? D'you think I should give it a shot?"
...
..
Fish-Man Island:
"Already? When did the crew even reunite!?"
Franky's eyes widened as he read this part in the manga, feeling like he had missed something.
"It doesn't seem like they've fully gathered yet… And they're not the type to recruit people randomly."
Iceburg spoke with a doubtful expression.
"Oh, looks like Brook has become famous! Tahaha!"
Tom laughed in surprise at Brook's grand return after two years.
"He seems to have had a good life. Look, he has so many fans,"
Kokoro also smiled at the scene.
"Ahahaha! Looks like Sanji crawled out of hell!"
Franky burst out laughing after seeing Sanji's reaction to being around women again.
...
The atmosphere in The Art Store at Mermaid Cove was lively. After all, every Fish-Man was eagerly awaiting the moment when the Straw Hat Crew would finally arrive at Fish-Man Island in the manga.
"Seeing Luffy and the others venture into our Fish-Man Island… it feels like a dream."
"That dream is about to come true."
"We have to wait another month for the next arc…"
"It's fine. We've already waited this long—what's another month?"
A group of Fish-Men chatted excitedly about the upcoming arc while reading the current one. After all, this arc marked the crew's reunion and their journey to the next island.
Of course, their next destination after resuming their journey was Fish-Man Island.
"That is… if they follow the only route pirates can take to enter the New World."
"They decided on that route a long time ago. There's no turning back now."
"The alternative routes—without diving into the deep sea—are controlled by the World Government, it seems."
"That's in the manga world. Don't forget that the real world has changed drastically compared to the manga. Traveling to the New World is no longer difficult, even for pirates."
"And the World Government no longer controls the trade route between the two halves of the Grand Line."
"The most amazing thing is that Fish-Man Island is now connected to the Sea Train Network… and also to Sky Port, all under the control of the Hunters."
Hearing this conversation among the people, Fisher Tiger, who was not far away, smiled, as did Jimbei, who stood beside him.
"It seems the world has become more peaceful under that man's protection," Tiger said.
"Since this manga is still releasing new chapters, I suppose that means the world remains at peace," Jimbei replied with a smile.
"That's true. It looks like the crew members are arriving at Sabaody Archipelago one by one…"
"They all have bad memories of this place, don't they?"
"That means they won't stay long."
"Why would they? They'll probably head to Fish-Man Island the very same day."
"That's Brook… and that's Sanji… Hahaha! It looks like Sanji has suffered a lot."
Tiger felt pity for Sanji, whose desperation for women was even more obvious than before. After all, it seemed he had lived through hell on the Okama Island.
"Sigh~ Seeing Brook in a much better state just makes me feel even more sorry for Sanji."
Even Jimbei sighed at Sanji's situation at that moment.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 876: Nami's Appearance Moves Hearts, but Political Change Is More Important!
Chapter 877: Who's the New Fleet Admiral?
Chapter 878: The Fake Straw Hat Pirates!
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