Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Sorrow

The end of 1522 in the Age of the Sea Circle calendar.

This day is remembered as the 'Death of God'!

The sacred place where the world's aristocratic Celestial Dragons live, the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

On this fateful day, a fierce hurricane and thunderstorms struck, causing significant losses.

To cover up the truth, even though the World Government knew the identity of the possible perpetrator, they chose to conceal it. They declared that the leader of the Celestial Dragons, the Lord of the World Government, had been angered, which resulted in the great disaster that befell Mary Geoise.

However, the news that Admiral Borsalino was demoted and had ten years of his salary deducted sparked endless speculation about the incident.

...

Calm waters surrounded Amazon Lily.

When it was confirmed that Mary Geoise had been struck by a massive thunderstorm, Shiro was overjoyed. He celebrated with the world's most beautiful woman, Hancock, all night until dawn. The Pirate Empress, barely able to get up the next day, could hardly recover from their night together.

Shiro arrived at an island, once uninhabited but now transformed into the base. Shiro's ambition wasn't to become a pirate but to create a new force that would overthrow the World Government, dominate the seas, and establish a new order as the center of the world.

Shiro was the supreme leader and the commander-in-chief of the entire army!

Upon arriving at the base, Shiro was greeted by Aokiji, Momousagi, and his mentor Zephyr, who had defected days earlier and were exploring the island with Cassie.

Although they hadn't seen each other since returning to the Calm Belt, Shiro had heard the shock and awe in Aokiji, Momousagi, and Zephyr's voices when they first landed on the island—especially Momousagi. She had risked her life returning to the New World G-6 base to gather the wealth she had accumulated over the years to support Shiro.

The new force Shiro was forming, aiming to rival the Navy, required not only powerful soldiers, and cadres but also money! The Navy, after all, was sustained by the World Government's resources. Without sufficient gold and silver, even the grandest ideals would fail to form a new and formidable force.

However, upon landing, Momousagi realized she had worried too much. The island boasted a golden mountain and an underground gold mine of terrifying reserves! In a short time, and with Amazon Lily's support, Cassie and Kai had built a well-equipped base on the island following Shiro's instructions.

While it could not yet compare to the original Marineford, it was already on par with the current Navy Headquarters, formerly the G-1 base. Moreover, the top warship seized from Marineford had been repainted and now flew the flag of the base. The 30,000 sailors who had defected to Shiro had donned brand new black military uniforms.

The sight left Aokiji, Momousagi, and Zephyr stunned. They realized they had greatly underestimated Shiro. Aokiji, initially hesitant, felt his doubts waver—Shiro truly seemed capable of creating a new Navy independent of the World Government, one that could even overthrow it.

"Shiro, you're finally here. How was your night with the world's most beautiful woman?" Cassie and Kai guided Aokiji and the others around the island, while Robin came to greet Shiro.

"Hahaha, you'll get to know her soon enough," Shiro chuckled. For now, he and Robin were just close friends, and any future possibilities could be left for later.

"Shiro! You brat, finally willing to leave your love nest, huh?" Zephyr greeted Shiro with a few slaps on the back of his head.

The night before, they had only been able to share a brief celebration, with no time to talk in detail. Zephyr had much he wanted to say to Shiro. Initially, upon hearing about Shiro's exploits in the war, Zephyr felt anger mixed with shock—after all, the Navy was an institution he had dedicated decades to!

But now, Zephyr had completely let go, just as Shiro had predicted.

"Teacher Zephyr, I know what you went through. Don't worry, the Seven Warlords of the Sea will soon become history. That pirate who did so much evil will be taken down by us, and you'll have your revenge!" Shiro declared earnestly.

Among those present, Shiro, Aokiji, and Momousagi were all students of Zephyr. Although Aokiji and Momousagi had once been bound by their positions in the Navy, things were different now, free from the World Government's grasp.

"The pirates the World Government recruited to serve as the Seven Warlords of the Sea will soon meet their end," Shiro said.

"Teacher Zephyr, I'm about to start a World Conscription. The base will need you to guard it, and Aokiji will assist you. Isn't that right, Aokiji?"

In the conference room, Shiro subtly cornered Aokiji with his words. Now that Aokiji was here, there was no reason for him to leave!

"Ah, Shiro, you are sly!" Aokiji responded with a helpless smile, but he didn't refuse.

However, he suddenly turned serious. "Shiro, was the disaster at Mary Geoise your doing?"

Everyone's eyes lit up, eager to hear Shiro's response. The destruction of Mary Geoise by hurricane and thunderstorms, and the massive losses among the Celestial Dragons, was a shocking tale.

Though Shiro remained tight-lipped, the group's suspicions were confirmed by his knowing smile. Aokiji, leaning back in his chair and adjusting his blindfold, let out a sigh.

"Ah, la la, even a cunning fox like Borsalino got caught in your trap, Shiro!"

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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg

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