"Beep... beep..."

  Ihe Marine Headquarters at Marineford, in the Fleet Admiral's office, a new, white-shelled secure Den Den Mushi suddenly opes eyes, calliedly.

  "Moshi moshi, this is Fleet Admiral Hammons William!"

  Hammons William's expression tightened as he immediately grabbed the receiver to ahe call.

  "Hammons William, what the hell are you doing as the Fleet Admiral?" The voice of an elderly man with a long white beard echoed through the Den Den Mushi, furious. "The World Nobles were attacked right at the Navy's doorstep, and you had no idea?"

  "What!?"

  William's face ged drastically, his shock evident. "The Celestial Dragons were attacked?"

  "I deeply apologize, Five Elders, this is my ht..." Sweat formed on his forehead as he stood up, his mind rag. He didn't o hear the man's he voice—it beloo one of the Five Elders, the supreme rulers of the Wover. Even as Fleet Admiral, he knew how easily they could repce him.

  "Earlier today, five Celestial Dragohe Holy Land to attend an au on the Sabaody Archipego!" Another voice took over the call, equally filled with anger. "Just moments ago, Harlock's life card turo ashes!"

  "The other Celestial Dragons and their guards have all lost tact, and no one reach them!"

  "Our intelligen Sabaody has firmed it—someoacked the au house and targeted the Celestial Dragons!"

  "What!? A Celestial Dragon was killed!?"

  William's mind reeled. If a life card had buro ashes, it meant someone was dead. Offending a Celestial Dragon was already a grave crime, ohat warrahe deployment of an Admiral. But for oo be killed? That was an unimaginable disaster.

  His face turned pale with fury and disbelief. Who would dare it such a brazen act?

  "The bloodline of the gods is sacred and invioble!" The Elders' anger alpable as they tinued, "Anyone who dares harm a Celestial Dragon faces certaih!"

  "Send an Admiral immediately! Mobilize the fleet and surround the Sabaody Archipego! The criminals must not escape!"

  They left no room for William to speak, coldly deg, "Or you fet about being Fleet Admiral!"

  "Yes, I uand. I'll make the arras immediately—" William's voice was tight, uue as he promised to take a.

  After hanging up the phone, his face darkened further than ever before. "Damn it, why now of all times..."

  He had every reason to be enraged. Just as the Fallen Angel El unched an atta the G-5 fortress in the New World, he had dispatched Admiral Ironcw Hark. Hark should have been close to reag Mariejois by now, but with this new crisis, the Celestial Dragons took priority.

  The situation with El would have to be postponed for now.

  "Someone—!"

  "Fleet Admiral William!"

  A lieutenant rushed into the room, awaiting orders.

  "Recall Admiral Hark immediately and tell him that the situation is urgent. His current mission is celed!" William aernly. "I'll send personnel from the nearby Navy bases to iigate G-5. Hark must head to Sabaody at once!"

  "Tell Admiral Hark to capture the criminal who killed Harlod safely rescue the other abducted Celestial Dragons!"

  "What—!?" The lieutenant stood frozen, shocked by the news. The idea that a World Noble had been killed was inceivable.

  "Gather five Vice Admirals and mobilize over ten thousand Marines!" William tinued. "Send out ten top-css battleships and twenty medium and rge warships to pletely surround the Sabaody Archipego. No ships are to leave or enter. Admiral Hark will and the entire fleet!"

  The lieutenant broke into a cold sweat, swallowing nervously. Over thirty warships, led by an Admiral—it was a force far exceeding the usual Buster Call. The only difference was that they hadn't yet issued orders for the plete destru of the Sabaody Archipego.

  "What are you waiting for?" William's voice thundered as he noticed the lieutenant still standing there, stunned. "Move!"

  "Y-Yes, sir!"

  While William scrambled to mahe crisis, he had no idea that while he was recalling Admiral Hark from the Holy Land, another crisis had already desded on the New World.

  At the G-1 base, the gateway to Mariejois from the New World, a massive dark shadow was desding from the sky.

  The base was immediately thrown into chaos as Marines caught sight of the enormous creature in the sky. It was a giant, winged serpent, adorned with golden horns, scales gleaming like metal, and two massive wings, one green and one bck. It rapidly desded towards the G-1 fortress.

  "Enemy attack—!"

  Sirens bred throughout the base.

  A chilling voice echoed over the base, sending shockwaves through the minds of the Marines below. "Life or death?"

  A wave of paralyzing fear swept through the Marines as they stared at the terrifying serpent in the sky.

  "Dammit… what's happening to me?"

  "I 't move… I feel like my soul is being ripped out!"

  "No, I don't want to die!"

  Screams filled the air as, one by ohe Marines' souls were torn from their bodies, drawn towards the giant serpent. The bodies of the fallen y scattered across the base, eyes wide open in terror, life snuffed out.

  "It's goier than expected," El said with satisfa as he watched the souls gather. In his form as a massive winged serpent, enhanced by Lily's Pile-Pile Fruit and Gerd's Soul-Soul Fruit abilities, he felt invincible.

  He had expected stronger resista found only a few Marines whose strength pared to the now-deceased G-5 base ander, Bolter. None were a match for him.

  "Looks like we have enough souls to build the flying fortress," said Gerd's voi El's mind. "But we still need more for the rge Homie army."

  Just then, a furious voice rang out from the base.

  "Damned Fallen Angel El, what have you done!?"

  From within one of the base's massive buildings, a powerful figure charged out—Rear Admiral Wright, the ander of G-1. His fist, darkened with Haki, shot towards the massive serpent.

  "Boom!"

  "Useless!" El's cold, mog voice followed the blow. Wright's punch had nded squarely on the serpent's head, but it hadn't even scratched the surface.

  "You think that's going to hurt me?" El asked icily.

  Before Wright could retreat, El's body crackled with a terrifying surge of electricity, enveloping the rear admiral.

  "AAAAHHHH!" Wright screamed as the lightning tore through him, leaving nothing but a charred body on the ground.

  Bleam