Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

"If you need to contact the outside world, you can do so through the special self-service Den Den Mushi placed inside the port. However, it should be noted that all calls made by that self-service Den Den Mushi are being listened to from behind, and you cannot mention anything related to Hell Port. This is just to clarify in advance."

"I see……"

The Straw Hat crew nodded repeatedly in curiosity to indicate that they understood.

Saiya then continued.

"In addition, fighting is strictly prohibited inside Hell Harbor. If you have any conflicts with anyone in Hell Harbor, you can resolve them by contacting the security team, but please do not engage in combat."

"Why? Are the residents here all very weak?" Luffy asked, puzzled.

"No, quite the opposite..."

Saiya shook her head and said.

"Don't say that the people living here live in perfect harmony with each other; they are also a group of people living in hell, constantly seeking revenge. The hatred in their hearts has been suppressed, waiting for the day it explodes. So, if an unnecessary battle occurs, it could very well lead to..."

At this point, Saiya sighed and said.

"Alas... In any case, please do not do this. This is not only one of the rules of Hell Harbor for outsiders, but also my request."

Upon hearing this, most of the Straw Hat crew members simply nodded subconsciously, but Reiju, who was relatively older, suddenly seemed to realize something.

Immediately, while the Straw Hat crew disembarked and explored this strange inland port, Reiju was still following behind, holding a stack of newspapers as if searching for something.

"Reiju, what are you looking at?"

Seeing this, Nami asked with some confusion.

"No, I remembered a legend I heard when I was a child, but my memory is a bit hazy..."

Reiku suddenly stopped what she was doing and exclaimed, "Found it! This is it!"

As Reiju made that unusual sound, the Straw Hat crew all stopped and turned to look at her.

Reiju held up the old newspaper in her hand, pointed to the front page, and said, "I think I know the true origin of this hellish port."

"what?"

Immediately, the Straw Hat crew became interested and all gathered around Reiju.

Reiju pointed to the newspaper in her hand that contained the "Mary Geoise Incident" and said.

"Thirteen years ago, the Holy Land of Mary Geoise was attacked by the 'Hueco Mundo' organization. A World Noble was killed on the spot, and countless slaves were freed and escaped..."

"Among these events, besides the heinous acts of those few Hueco Mundo members, what is shocking is the mystery that remains unsolved to this day: tens of thousands of slaves who followed Hueco Mundo to jump off the Red Line have all mysteriously disappeared."

Usopp swallowed hard, then asked, fully immersed in the role, "Could it be... a ghost incident?"

"Fool……"

Nami couldn't help but give Usopp a hard tap and said, "Don't you understand what Reju means? Those escaped slaves are the ones who built 'Hell's Harbor'."

“No wonder Miss Saiya claimed that more than half the people in this hellish port have ‘Dragon Hooves’,” Sanji said with a somewhat somber expression.

"However, it's hard to imagine how those slaves managed to build such a massive and sophisticated port within the Red Line, especially since its location seems to be directly beneath the Holy Land of Mary Geoise?"

Nami raised her question.

“The slaves have nothing, and there is no place on the Red Line that can provide the necessities for the survival of tens of thousands of people…”

[Chapter 760. The War... Is About to Begin!]

Reiju pondered for a moment and guessed.

"The only explanation seems to be that some huge organization has been providing material support to a large number of slaves, and the entire 'Hell's Harbor' is even the work of that organization, with the original slaves supporting and maintaining the operation of Hell's Harbor..."

As she spoke, Reiju looked up at the incredibly wide waterway where numerous ships were busily navigating back and forth.

"Have you noticed that most of the ships sailing on the waterway are not pirate ships or sightseeing boats, but are mostly cargo ships, in addition to the various confidentiality requirements Miss Saiya has put forward to us?"

"Perhaps one of the true meanings of this port's existence is that a large and mysterious organization bypasses the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and Fishman Island, secretly opening up a passage connecting the front and back sections of the Grand Line."

Listening to Reiju's words, which seemed to touch upon many secrets, the Straw Hat crew couldn't help but feel a little more nervous.

"You mean the 'Hueco Mundo' organization?" Usopp asked, trembling.

People of Usopp's generation grew up hearing many legends about the Hueco Mundo organization, and they felt more awe and fear towards it.

"This problem..."

Reiji hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Sora and Hikari, who had remained silent, and said.

"Perhaps Sora and Hikari know more, after all, we were able to enter the 'Hell Port' thanks to the permanent compass given to us by that naval hero."

Facing the Straw Hat crew's immediate gazes, Sora spread his hands and said...

"As you all know, Ying and I grew up in the 'New World' sea area, so we passed through 'Hell Port' once on our way to the East Blue, which is why we know some things about 'Hell Port'."

Usopp couldn't help but raise his hand and ask, "Speaking of which, Sora, I've always had a question: as the son of a Marine hero, why would you want to be a pirate?"

"Is this... strange?"

Sora blinked, then pointed at Luffy and said, "Isn't Luffy also the grandson of a Marine hero?"

The Straw Hat crew members present were taken aback at first, then looked at Luffy, who seemed bewildered, with surprised expressions and exclaimed.

"Huh???"

"Luffy...Luffy, is what Sora said true?" Usopp asked in shock.

Luffy picked his nose and replied nonchalantly, "Ah, yeah, my grandfather is Vice Admiral Garp."

Immediately, the expressions of the others twitched, completely unexpected that such a small pirate crew had gathered the descendants of a naval hero.

The captain is the grandson of naval hero Vice Admiral Garp, and the first mate is the son of naval hero Vice Admiral Yann...

"No no no..."

Nami turned her head repeatedly, then walked up to Sora and said.

"No, you almost changed the subject again, you bastard. The point now is, how could Vice Admiral Yann, as a naval hero, have a way to enter 'Hell's Port'? And isn't 'Hell's Port' supposed to be preparing to take revenge on the Holy Land Mary Geoise sometime soon? It should be on an opposing side to the Navy."

Sora looked at Nami approaching him, his gaze inadvertently glancing downwards, then a few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes unusually became somewhat unfocused.

"Um..."

Just as Sora felt his mind go blank and he was stammering, Ying, unusually, spoke up. "It's nothing, it's just that Father has his own sense of justice, it's that simple."

These words, however, caused Nami, Reiju, and Sanji, who were relatively quick-witted, to start having all sorts of thoughts.

Perhaps it was simply that Arn accidentally learned of the existence of "Hell's Harbor," but felt compassion for it, and thus secretly protected "Hell's Harbor."

Of course, it is also possible that Arn was aware of "Hell's Harbor" from the very beginning, or even that Arn was the builder of this "Hell's Harbor," or that as a naval hero, he had a deeper connection with that unknown mysterious organization.

"If the matter of Hell's Port and Vice Admiral Yann were to leak out, the entire ocean would probably be shocked, wouldn't it?" Sanji said, somewhat shaken.

"It can't be leaked..."

Sora seemed to have regained his composure and spoke in his usual tone.

"Putting aside the fact that I believe you wouldn't do such a thing, more importantly, even if you told others, no one would believe you. Whether you reveal it to the news agency or report it to the World Government and the Navy, it would be useless. The fact that this hell port has been able to exist for more than ten years without being discovered means that the scale hidden behind it is beyond imagination."

These words, when spoken, instilled a sense of dread in some of the more quick-witted members of the Straw Hat crew.

This ocean... seems to be far more complex than the information on the surface, and not simply a matter of checks and balances between the so-called Marine Headquarters, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the three remaining Emperors of the Four Emperors.

However, a gentle, sunny smile immediately appeared on Kong's face, and he continued.

"Alright, there's no point in worrying about these distant things; those are the old man's business. We've just escaped death, so let's celebrate properly first, then do some supplies and a quick rest at Hell's Port before heading to the 'New World' seas!"

Immediately, upon hearing Sora's words, the Straw Hat crew became excited and stopped thinking about those seemingly distant and irrelevant matters.

"Oh! A banquet, a banquet!!!"

……

And it was during the brief period when the Straw Hat crew entered "Hell's Port" and were cut off from outside information that the entire sea was violently shaken by one thing.

"One month from now, Marineford will hold a live-streamed execution of the 'Son of the Pirate King,' Portgas D. Ace, whose real name should be Gol D. Ace!"

This news has completely set this era ablaze!

The Great Pirate Era began with Gol D. Roger, and now the Marine Headquarters at Marineford is publicly executing the son of the Pirate King, undoubtedly issuing the strongest and most powerful declaration of condemnation against this Great Pirate Era.

More importantly, Portgas D. Ace was the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Revealing Portgas D. Ace's identity and background beforehand was undoubtedly tantamount to provoking the Whitebeard Pirates and all the remnants of the Roger Pirates.

War... is about to begin!

Furthermore, this could very well be an unprecedented war, or even a war that affects the entire navy and pirates!

[Chapter 761. One Hundred Thousand Generals]

At the harbor of Marineford, the naval headquarters, a dragon-headed warship slowly docked.

"salute!"

As the rear admiral on duty at the naval headquarters gave a stern shout, a series of neat salutes rang out in the harbor.

"Snapped!"

And under the watchful eyes of the navy in countless ports, Yann stepped off the warship, his white cloak billowing behind him in the sea breeze.

'Finally, I'm back here.'

Yone looked up at the prominent "Justice" lettering atop the Marine Headquarters building in the distance, and silently thought, 'This time, let it all come to an end.'

Immediately, Yann returned a military salute to the numerous marines in front of him, and then strode down toward the port.

However, after taking two steps, Yann paused, turned around to look behind him, and said sternly.

"Skull Emperor, if you want to become a Shichibukai, surely you can't even stand up to this land that represents justice?"

Suddenly, a chilling laugh echoed through the naval warship.

"Hehehe~"

The next moment, a skeleton wearing a conspicuous golden crown and a black cloak, exuding a chilling and terrifying aura, emerged from the warship.

As Brooke's skull opened and closed its mouth, it seemed to be saying something malicious: "Lieutenant General Yann, why are you in such a hurry? No matter how anxious you are, the world will just keep turning as usual."

Despite the large number of naval personnel present, Yann did not reprimand or warn Brook, but instead shouted.

"No matter how the world turns, justice will always stand firm in this ocean, Skeleton Emperor! I remind you once again, do not attempt any actions that provoke justice. I will be watching you closely, you dangerous individual."

"Hehehehe~"

In response, Brook merely gave a cryptic and sinister laugh before following Yann out of the warship. Behind Brook, there appeared to be a group of marines constantly gripping their weapons.