In a tavern on Sabaody Archipelago.
"Have you heard? That Vilest Man in History is back again!" A rough male voice echoed in the tavern, drawing everyone's attention.
"Is there anyone in this sea who doesn't know about this?" As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately responded.
Indeed, as this person said, the entire sea was buzzing about this matter.
Since the last Sabaody Archipelago incident, Hui's fame in this place had reached its absolute peak. Even the slightest bit of information about him was a hot topic of discussion.
This fervor hadn't diminished even after Hui disappeared for a year and a half. And when he reappeared, Sabaody Archipelago went into a frenzy.
"I wonder what decision Marine Headquarters will make, a great war, or surrender?" Someone spoke, full of curiosity.
"This is Marines we're talking about! If they really compromise and bow their heads, what face will the Marines have left in this sea? But if they go to war, who in this world can be God's opponent?
"Although the Marines are not completely just, with them around, there are still fewer conflicts in this world. If the Marines are annihilated by this 'God,' this sea will fall into it's darkest era." Someone sighed, a worried look on their face.
As he said, although the Marines were not absolutely just, in this sea, they were relatively righteous.
At the very least, in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Marines, people were rarely harassed by pirates and could live in peace.
"It's as if we live content lifes with the Marines around. Don't forget those Celestial Dragons, they never treat us as human beings.
"Living on this archipelago, we could be killed by a Celestial Dragon at any time." Someone spoke with indignation.
One of his relatives had died at the hands of a Celestial Dragon. So he had no good feelings towards the Marines, an organization that protected the Celestial Dragons.
"Who cares? No matter the outcome of this matter, what does it have to do with us? We'll still eat and drink as usual." Some people had an indifferent attitude, believing that this matter had nothing to do with them.
These people were mostly pirates; they considered themselves free and believed that this war would not affect them in the slightest.
Indeed, even if a war broke out between the two sides, this war really had nothing to do with ordinary pirates.
However...
After this war was over, it would have a lot to do with them.
Marine Headquarters was already a scene of bustling activity. Whether they fought this war or not, with Hui approaching, they could only quickly gather all their forces.
Because facing such a powerful enemy, the slightest carelessness on the part of the Marines would lead to irreversible consequences. Only by gathering powerful forces could the Marines feel a little more secure.
However... Sengoku felt no sense of security at all.
If he could, he really didn't want to go to war with that man. The last time he personally experienced that man's terror, it instilled a fear of this 'God' within Sengoku.
But unfortunately, this matter was not something he could change with his will; all the future developments rested in Hui's hands. All he could do was prepare fully, think of all the possibilities, and come up with countermeasures.
To this end, Sengoku even actively requested help from the World Government, mobilizing all the forces he could to ensure the best possible response.
He, the Fleet Admiral; Garp and Z; the three Admiral candidates, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino; numerous Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals from Headquarters; the World Government's Cipher Pol... almost all of the Marines' most elite fighting forces had been assembled by him.
"Hopefully... this war won't happen." In his office, Sengoku, surrounded by so much power, murmured to himself, lacking any confidence in his heart.
The sea near Marine Headquarters became eerily calm.
As Hui drew closer, both pirates and ordinary people felt a terrifying pressure.
It was like the moment before a violent storm, the sky darkened, dark clouds covered the sky, not a single ray of sunlight could be seen, as if there was no hope in sight. Under this sky, living beings would tremble involuntarily.
Time passed, dark clouds had covered the entire world, the sea was about to set off monstrous waves, and terrifying whirlpools appeared on the sea surface, seemingly about to engulf the entire world.
That day, the sky was very clear. As far as the eye could see, it was all azure.
Marineford, at the harbor;
Sengoku stood at the forefront, followed by Garp and Z.
Then came three more individuals.
From left to right, they were Kizaru, Kuzan, and Sakazuki.
This was the Marines' publicly known supreme fighting force, the nightmare of countless pirates, and celestial figures renowned throughout the seas.
They personally guarded the port, like several great mountains, like three prisons, suppressing countless powerful pirates on the sea, and also suppressing the timidity and fear in the hearts of the Marines at Headquarters, allowing them to calm down and await the imminent arrival of whatever was to come.
"Is 'God' really coming? Are we going to war with him?" A young Marine was anxious at this moment; he was both expectant and worried.
"That guy could defeat Fleet Admiral Kong in an instant. If we really go to war with him..." A veteran beside him spoke, his tone hesitant, then continued, "Don't rush to the front. If it's really not possible, then run." The veteran said this to the young Marine, and it seemed as if he was also saying it to himself.
If a war broke out, many, many people would die.
The veteran understood that although the Marines were a behemoth and their opponent was only one person, that one person was enough to deal with their entire navy.
If a war really broke out, people would definitely die.
But he didn't want himself or the people he cared about to be among the dead.
"He's here!!!" A Marine shouted loudly, his voice trembling slightly as he looked at the figure that suddenly appeared in the sky.
He was here! The God!
Some Marines trembled. There was clearly only one person in the sky, but the aura emanating from that person was enough to shock everyone below.
Under this terrifying aura, the Marines began to become slightly restless, the panic in their hearts slowly emerging, and some rookie Marines even began to tremble.
Let alone the Marines directly facing this terrifying aura, even those watching from afar were shocked by it, and everyone fell silent.
"Silence!" A loud shout rang out, the voice powerful yet exceptionally calm, without the slightest tremor, giving people a sense of reassurance.
With this shout, the Marines actually calmed down a bit, suppressing the fear in their hearts, and looked at the person in the sky.
Hui stood in the air, looked at the many familiar and unfamiliar faces below, and spoke with an expressionless face.
"It's robbery time. Hand over the Devil Fruits, and I'll spare your lives."
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