Over the past three years of relentless pirate hunting, Sakazuki's strength had grown tremendously.
Through rigorous, guided training, he had mastered the fundamentals of Haki—now all that remained was to refine it further through experience.
By this point, Sakazuki already carried the imposing, unstoppable presence seen in his future self.
Dressed in a pristine white Marine uniform, his towering, muscular frame—over two meters tall—stood out like a juggernaut. The "Justice" emblazoned on his billowing cloak only added to his overwhelming aura.
Even when standing still, he radiated an oppressive sense of authority.
And when he fought, Sakazuki never left survivors.
Pirates in the North Blue had come to fear his very name. The word "Sakazuki" was enough to make them tremble.
His reputation even began to spread to the other seas, though that was partly because Jorisen couldn't resist bragging to his fellow base commanders whenever he called them.
...
One week later.
A Marine battleship from headquarters was scheduled to arrive at the 194th branch the next day to pick up the elite recruits.
The night before his departure, Jorisen called Sakazuki into his office.
"It's hard to believe it's already been three years," Jorisen said with a rare, bittersweet smile. "Time flies faster than I expected."
He paused for a moment, then reached into his desk, pulling out a worn, leather-bound notebook. He extended it to Sakazuki.
"Take this."
Sakazuki accepted the notebook without a word, his brow furrowing slightly as he glanced at Jorisen.
Jorisen chuckled. "This notebook holds information I gathered over the years: details on the factions within headquarters, and the personalities and preferences of some key figures."
He leaned back slightly, sighing.
"I've spent most of my life in the Marines. I'd like to think I understand how things work. Strength matters, yes, but connections matter too. Keep that in mind."
Hearing this, Sakazuki carefully tucked the notebook away. His expression turned serious.
"Thank you, commander."
Jorisen smiled, patting his shoulder.
"Hah… hearing you say 'thank you' is a rare thing."
He then laughed, the sound hearty and genuine. "Don't keep that serious look on your face all the time. Come on, let's go for a walk!"
...
The next day.
After a firm handshake with Jorisen to say goodbye, Sakazuki boarded the warship sent from headquarters to pick him up. It was a large Marine battleship, the kind only headquarters would dispatch.
As Sakazuki stepped onto the deck, countless eyes turned his way.
Aside from the usual patrolling marines, there were also dozens of young recruits scattered across the deck, quietly observing one another.
These weren't ordinary recruits. Each one had been hand-picked from their respective branch across the Four Blues, recommended for the elite training program at Marineford.
When Sakazuki boarded, many of them frowned subtly. His name had already spread across the seas—a legend in the making.
And among young people, comparisons were inevitable.
When they saw Sakazuki in person, most couldn't help but change their expression. His sheer size alone was overwhelming, leaving many feeling overshadowed, and that was before factoring in the intimidating aura he carried.
Led by one of the ship's personnel, Sakazuki picked a room and settled in by himself.
The moment he disappeared from view, whispers broke out across the deck.
"Damn… so that's Sakazuki? He's just like the rumors say."
"Tch, he's just big. I don't see what's so special about him."
"Don't be stupid. You think someone gets a reputation like that without serious strength?"
"Pfft, who knows if the stories are even true?"
"Doesn't matter. This time, it's all about proving our strength. If you stand out here, your future's set."
"You can't get anywhere if you're scared of this guy or that guy."
"Easier said than done. Compared to the people from the Grand Line, we're still a step behind."
"Still, we have to give it our all. You wanna stay stuck in some backwater corner of the Four Blues forever?"
...
Over the next month, the warship continued collecting recruits from the remaining branches. With everyone on board, they finally set sail toward the Grand Line.
After crossing Reverse Mountain, Sakazuki expected they'd head straight through the Calm Belt to reach Marineford quickly.
But they didn't. Instead, the ship veered directly into the Grand Line.
In hindsight, it made sense. The timeline was still forty years before the original story began; Vegapunk hadn't even started developing Seastone-coated warships yet.
...
On the tenth day in the Grand Line, alarms blared suddenly.
Sakazuki immediately dressed in full gear and stepped out. Waiting on deck was Rear Admiral Wells, the officer in charge of their escort. His expression was grim.
"Form up!" Wells commanded.
Though most of the recruits didn't know each other, they were all top marines from their respective branches. It didn't take long for them to line up neatly.
Wells spoke, his voice steady and strong.
"Two nautical miles ahead—pirate ship spotted."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Confirmed to be Bonebreaker Noss. Each of you here is an elite recommended by your branch. A mere 24 million bounty pirate shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
As soon as he finished speaking, murmurs broke out among the recruits. Some looked excited, others nervous.
Wells' eyes darkened, and he roared.
"Silence! I'm asking you—Do you have a problem with this mission?!"
The deck fell dead quiet, no one daring to speak under the furious gaze of a Marine Rear Admiral.
Most of the recruits stiffened and shouted in unison.
"No, sir!"
Wells nodded in approval. "Good. Pass the order: full speed ahead. Prepare for a boarding battle."
Under Wells' firm commands, the warship surged forward, cutting through the waves toward the pirate vessel.
...
Aboard the Bonebreaker Pirates' ship.
The lookout shouted anxiously from the crow's nest.
"Bad news, Captain! A Marine warship is chasing us!"
Bonebreaker Noss, fresh from plundering a merchant ship, grabbed a massive, blood-dripping beast bone and laughed wildly.
"Ahahaha! What are you afraid of? Turn around! We'll smash them to bits!"
"I'm the great pirate Bonebreaker Noss with a 24 million bounty! How dare a single Marine ship chase me down!"
His crew roared with excitement.
"Hahaha! Captain Bonebreaker is unstoppable!"
"Kill those Marine weaklings!"
"My blade's been itching for blood!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Charge!"
...
Back on the Marine warship.
Watching the pirate ship turn and barrel toward them, Rear Admiral Wells sneered slightly and barked, "Prepare for boarding combat!"
He also adjusted his stance, ready to intervene if needed. A 24 million bounty pirate wasn't much to him, but for these hand-picked Marine recruits, it was still a tough challenge.
As the two ships closed the gap, only a few hundred meters apart now…
While the other recruits were tense, Sakazuki's lips curled into a cruel smirk. He stepped forward to the bow, ignoring the bewildered stares from the others.
In his right hand, magma swirled. It pulsed like a living, molten heart, expanding and contracting rhythmically as though alive.
Magma flowed endlessly into it, yet it didn't grow in size. When the pirate ship was nearly upon them, Sakazuki hurled the seething heart forward with force.
"Lava Volcano!"
It streaked through the air like a blazing meteor.
The molten heart crashed straight into the pirate ship's hull. Before the pirates could react—
BOOM!
A surge of relentless magma erupted from the ship's core, blasting upward and engulfing everything. The ship instantly transformed into a floating volcano, spewing fire and molten rock, burning from the inside out.
"Damn it! What is this?!"
"It burns! I'm burning alive!!!"
"Captain! Help me!"
"Ahhhhhh!!"
Sadly, no one came to their rescue. As for their captain…
Unlucky for him, he had been standing right above the eruption's core. He didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to ashes on the spot.
By the time the marine ship finally made contact with the half-sunken wreck, silence fell over everyone.
They stared at the charred, smoking remains of the pirate ship, then at Sakazuki's figure.
A cold, creeping fear stirred in their hearts, an emotion none of them expected to feel toward one of their own.
Numerous pirates had been swallowed by magma, their bodies melted beyond recognition.
The deck was littered with scorched, severed limbs. Every corpse bore a twisted mask of agony and despair, forever frozen in their final moments.
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