One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

Naval Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office!

"Fleet Admiral, all members of the Shichibukai have assembled at Mariejois," reported a Marine Commodore.

"Is that so? Understood," Sengoku replied with a nod.

The Commodore saluted and exited the office.

"This Shichibukai gathering went smoother than expected, Sengoku," a calm voice spoke from across the room, hands clasped in front of him.

"Indeed, it did. Even the Pirate Empress showed up, but..." Sengoku's face darkened.

"What's the issue, Sengoku?" Tsuru asked, her expression serious.

"According to intelligence, Moria's 'Thriller Bark' was destroyed," Sengoku said gravely.

"Destroyed? Was it Ace's doing?" Tsuru's eyes narrowed.

"He's the only one capable of such a feat while passing through the Devil's Triangle," Sengoku answered, his voice heavy with concern. "What's even more perplexing is that Moria arrived at Mariejois unscathed. According to Kuma's report, he brought Moria here using the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit. But something feels off—Moria had a confrontation with Doflamingo in Mariejois. He seems to have completely lost the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit and is now using a sword and Haki instead."

"What?!" Tsuru's eyes widened in shock.

Moria had been a broken man after his defeat by Kaido years ago. His confidence shattered, his Haki lost, and he had given up on the use body entirely. The Marines knew this well. Moria was considered the weakest among the Shichibukai, even though his reputation as the pirate who once challenged Kaido still struck fear into the hearts of ordinary pirates. For the Marines, his past fame was enough to maintain control over the first half of the Grand Line.

But now, his 'Thriller Bark' was destroyed, and yet he showed up at Mariejois unscathed. And, more startling, he lost his Devil Fruit power but regained his long-abandoned swordsmanship and Haki. This was no ordinary occurrence.

"Can we confirm that Moria has truly lost his Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability?" Tsuru asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

The ability to steal Devil Fruit powers was known to only one individual in this sea.

But why was Moria still alive after losing his powers? And how did he regain his Haki and martial prowess?

"Based on the report from Gion, it's almost certain that Moria no longer possesses the Shadow-Shadow Fruit," Sengoku said with a grim expression.

"Then why is he still alive? Could Ace have something to do with this?" Tsuru muttered, a chill running down her spine.

In the 800-year history of the world, there had been few instances of people with the power to steal Devil Fruit abilities—like the Dark-Dark Fruit, said to be the most dangerous of the Logia types. But even so, no one had ever survived after losing their Devil Fruit power.

The unknown was always the most terrifying. If Portgas D. Ace could truly do such a thing...

Tsuru's face darkened.

Ace's abilities seemed to surpass even the greatest figures recorded in Marine history over the past 800 years, even rivaling the one who almost brought the world to ruin—Rocks.

"And more troubling, according to Gion's report, it seems that Boa Hancock responded to the call and came to Mariejois because of Ace. You know, the Pirate Empress has never answered the World Government's summons before. And then there's Kuma... He's hiding something about what happened at 'Thriller Bark'," Sengoku said, his frustration evident.

"Kuma? Why would he cover up anything related to Ace?" Tsuru's face hardened.

As someone intimately familiar with the inner workings of the Marine headquarters, she knew all too well about Kuma's situation. He had sacrificed himself for Ginny, the woman he once loved, and had been forced to bear a child with a Celestial Dragon. Kuma then willingly became a prototype for the World Government's human weapon project. Every action he took was calculated and deliberate, yet now he was concealing something related to Ace—someone he had no prior connection to.

"Something must have happened at 'Thriller Bark' that we're not aware of. Damn it, Portgas D. Ace! What did you do?!" Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk in frustration. "Moria loses his Shadow-Shadow Fruit, and Kuma stays silent about what went down, all because of Ace! Even the Pirate Empress comes to Mariejois because of him!"

Sengoku clenched his teeth in anger. "And what is it about that man that's drawing all of these powerful figures together?!"

Tsuru's expression remained grim. "Mihawk also has an unshakable bond with Red-Haired Shanks. If a war breaks out, we can't be sure that the Shichibukai will side with us when the time comes, right?"

She had to consider every possibility as the chief strategist of Naval Headquarters.

"When the time comes, have Gion and the others keep a close eye on the Shichibukai to prevent any unexpected incidents. Damn it! We called them here to help, but now it feels like our hands are tied because of them!" Sengoku grumbled, massaging his temples in frustration.

"And the man behind all of this chaos... Portgas D. Ace!" he muttered under his breath.

'Bang!'

"Fleet Admiral!"

Suddenly, the door to the office flew open.

A Rear Admiral from Naval Headquarters rushed in, his face filled with horror.

"What's happening?!" Sengoku's expression shifted instantly.

"We've lost all contact with the surveillance team monitoring the Red-Haired Emperor's fleet. The reconnaissance outposts observing Kaido have also been destroyed. Furthermore, the vast surveillance network we set up from the Devil's Triangle to the Sabaody Archipelago to monitor Entei… it's completely collapsed," the Rear Admiral stammered, visibly shaken.

"What did you say?!" Sengoku's face paled as cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I regret to inform you, sir… we've lost all traces of the Three Emperors!" The Rear Admiral's voice broke, his eyes filled with tears.

"T-The Three Emperors… attacked us at the same time!" He stood at attention, his voice cracking with desperation.

'Bang!'

Sengoku slammed his fist down onto the table, gritting his teeth.

"Immediately summon the Shichibukai! Call Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu! Have them prepare for deployment!" Sengoku shouted.

There was no time to discuss if anyone in the Shichibukai had ties to Ace. Every available resource needed to be deployed immediately. Guessing wasn't enough to hold back the power of the Shichibukai, especially since the Five Elders had requested their presence. Despite the risks, their strength was crucial now.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" The Rear Admiral stood at attention and quickly left the room.

"Damn it! He actually did it! Kaido and Ace are reckless, but for Red-Hair to attack so directly?" Sengoku muttered, frustration written across his face.

Kaido's actions were no surprise; he was known for his wild, drunken fights. Ace was hotheaded, too. But Red-Hair? Why did he attack the observation ship? There was an unspoken agreement between the Marines and the Four Emperors: Marines could monitor them from a distance without provoking conflict. Red-Hair's sudden aggression was unexpected.

"What is he after?" Sengoku wondered aloud.

"Hey, Sengoku," Tsuru interrupted, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. "We're in a tight spot. We've lost track of the Three Emperors, and we're completely on the defensive. Red-Hair's attack was a surprise, Kaido is roaming like a loose cannon, and even though we set up a huge surveillance network from the Devil's Triangle to Sabaody to track Ace, it's all fallen apart."

She stood, her voice tense. "Ace's Observation Haki is strong, but the network was vast and carefully planned. How could he have escaped without us noticing? What is he really trying to do?"

Tsuru's words echoed in Sengoku's mind as he reviewed recent events. The movements of Red-Hair, Kaido, and Ace all seemed to point to something bigger.

"The Marines are focused on the Entei Pirates, Ace's crew," Tsuru continued. "We spread our net wide, from the Devil's Triangle to Sabaody. And Aokiji confirmed that Ace can see short-term future events with his Observation Haki. So how did he manage to slip through?"

Sengoku's face grew more tense. Moments ago, he'd been overwhelmed by the idea of the Three Emperors attacking the Marines at once. Now, a troubling thought entered his mind.

How did Ace manage to bypass such an extensive network? And why did the Entei Pirates, the ones at the center of all this, suddenly disappear without a trace?

What is Ace really after?

The memory of Ace's reckless past actions flashed through Sengoku's mind, making his head ache.

"Immediately dispatch more surveillance ships around the waters near Sabaody Archipelago! We must locate the Entei Pirates!" Sengoku barked into a phone-transponder.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" came a nervous voice in response.

Sengoku clenched his fist, his expression darkening. "We can't let the Celestial Dragons evacuate the Sabaody Archipelago until we have Ace's exact location. We must make preparations, but we're bound by their whims!" he muttered, frustration boiling beneath the surface.

As world nobles, the Celestial Dragons held supreme authority anywhere they pleased, including their leisurely exploits on Sabaody Archipelago. The possibility that Kaido, Shanks, and Ace might clash there couldn't be ignored, but without concrete proof, the Marines couldn't force the Celestial Dragons to leave.

If a confrontation between the Three Emperors broke out on the archipelago, the Celestial Dragons would likely flee for their own safety. But until the threat was verified, they would refuse to budge.

"What did you just say, Sengoku?" Tsuru asked suddenly, her face tight with concern.

"What? I said we can't evacuate the Celestial Dragons without knowing Ace's location."

"No, not that," Tsuru said, her face tense. "The sentence before."

Sengoku's eyes widened in realization. "I said, if we don't know where Portgas D. Ace is, we can't make the Celestial Dragons evacuate..."

His voice trailed off, and his pupils shrank as the realization hit him.

"No… it can't be…" Sengoku murmured.

"If it's Portgas D. Ace, what's impossible?" Tsuru retorted grimly. "Don't forget what happened at Mariejois! He used Conqueror's Haki against the Celestial Dragons!"

"Damn it!" Sengoku roared, pounding the table. "Get those trash Celestial Dragons to evacuate immediately!"

"Sengoku, your language. But you know that's impossible without solid information," Tsuru replied, her frustration mirroring Sengoku's.

Sengoku's face twisted with anger. "Damn it! Station forces at Sabaody Archipelago. Notify us immediately if there's any sign of Portgas D. Ace!"

"Send Akainu to Sabaody at once! And tell Kizaru to prepare for immediate action!" Sengoku's voice thundered, veins bulging on his forehead.

Even if it weakened their defenses elsewhere, they had no choice but to act. Under no circumstances could the Celestial Dragons perish on the Sabaody Archipelago.

"Understood," Tsuru replied, leaving the office with a somber expression. Even a small chance of a catastrophe had to be prevented. The potential consequences were too terrifying to ignore.

If Ace truly targeted the Celestial Dragons, the situation could spiral completely out of control.

Sengoku paced back and forth, sweat beading on his brow. His mind raced, tormented by the unknown, but there was nothing he could do. For now, the Entei Pirates remained untraceable.

Suddenly, a transponder den-den mushi began ringing.

"Garp! You old fool, can you contact Ace?! I need you to tell him to stop before he causes any more havoc. Damn it!" Sengoku bellowed into the transponder, his nerves frayed.

The usually composed Buddha Sengoku had lost all semblance of control.

"What?" Garp mumbled through the transponder, distracted as he tried to break his donut-eating record.

At this time, Sabaody Archipelago.

In a small shop called "Shaky's Rip-off Bar", the doorknob turned slowly by itself.

"Um?!"

Shakky, who was at the bar, suddenly raised her head.