Marineford Naval Headquarters buzzed with military precision. Warships filed into Crescent Moon Bay's port, their hulls cutting through the water in crisp formation. Officers disembarked onto the pier, weapons at the ready, assembling into organized ranks. Further inland, Marines worked tirelessly—raising defensive fortifications, setting artillery positions, transforming the base into an impenetrable fortress.
The Marine had mobilized its full might to counter the impending assault from three of the Four Emperors' pirate crews. Every available General had been summoned to Marineford, bolstered by an additional 100,000 officers recruited from across the globe. Every combatant ranked Ensign or higher now stood ready for the coming battle.
Those below Ensign rank, however, were conspicuously absent. Only soldiers with exceptional combat prowess had been deemed worthy to participate. The reason was simple: those unable to withstand Haoshoku's aura would be nothing more than liabilities, destined to fall without purpose on the battlefield.
Sephiroth strode through the Navy Headquarters' broad corridors, exchanging polite nods with familiar faces. The previous night, he'd repaid Gion and her companions for their scheming with a lesson that left them pleading for respite. The memory brought a faint smirk to his lips.
Gion led him to the Marshal's Office, her steps purposeful. She knocked sharply on the door—thump, thump, thump—and a gruff voice barked, "Enter!" Inside, Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kong stood before a large blackboard plastered with maps of Marineford and intel on the Four Emperors' crews. Documents in hand, they were deep in discussion about the war set to erupt in three days.
"Long time no see," Sephiroth greeted, his voice calm but carrying an edge.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Commander-in-Chief Kong, Sister Tsuru," Gion announced with a bright smile, "I've successfully convinced Sephiroth to return to the Marine!"
Sengoku stroked his goatee, relief washing over his features. "Is that so? I didn't expect you'd agree to come back, Sephiroth. And to choose the Marine over the Shichibukai... It seems you still have the heart of a soldier."
"The Shichibukai?" Sephiroth froze. Gion hadn't mentioned that option. He turned sharply to her, his gaze questioning. She averted her eyes, her expression guilty.
"Is there something you forgot to tell me?" he asked, his tone laced with displeasure.
Gion huffed, crossing her arms. "If you dare back out now, I'll drag Tina and Domino to the bar tonight to drink with handsome men."
Sephiroth stared at her, utterly speechless.
If given the choice between returning as a Marine Vice Admiral or joining as a Shichibukai, he'd have chosen the latter without hesitation. The Shichibukai wielded far greater authority, their influence often tailored to the individual. Negotiating special terms would have been child's play.
However, since things had come to this, Sephiroth didn't want to dwell on the issue any further. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku," he said, his voice measured, "I promised Gion I'd return to the Marine and participate in this war. But whether I'll put in any real effort... that's another matter. Frankly, I'm not satisfied with the reward you're offering."
Gion mentioned you're planning to assign me to a unit called 'Blades,' a mixed group of Marines and non-Marines. These are people who've submitted their resignations to the Marines. The Marines won't take responsibility for their actions, and they can be dismissed at any time. Let's be honest—this is basically the Marines' version of 'temporary labor.'
If something goes wrong, the Marines won't shoulder any responsibility or provide support, and these individuals can be fired on a whim. In other words, I could help you fight a war today and get kicked out tomorrow! It's the same deal with the Shichibukai—they might have a bit more authority, but the Marines can still remove them at any time with any fabricated excuse..."
Sengoku raised his hand, adjusting his glasses calmly. "If that's the case, what do you want?" When he sent Gion to persuade Sephiroth, he'd already prepared for the possibility of exorbitant demands. After all, Sephiroth was a master on par with the Four Emperors, the current World's Greatest Swordsman. Sengoku wouldn't believe for a second that someone like him would help the Marines out of the goodness of his heart.
"I want to personally cut off Byrnndi World's head," Sephiroth said with a wicked grin. Sengoku's expression shifted instantly, surprise flickering across his face. To confirm his suspicions, he cautiously asked, "The person you're referring to—could it be Byrnndi World, known as the World Destroyer?"
"That's right. Him." "Why?" Sengoku frowned. "That's none of your concern. I have my reasons. You just need to tell me whether you agree or not."
Kong, standing beside Sengoku, stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Why do you want to kill him? Did you have some past grudge against him?" Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer, was a notorious pirate from thirty years ago. He wielded the power of the Amplify-Amplify Fruit, which allowed him to multiply the speed or volume of objects he touched by up to a hundred times. The Marines had gone to great lengths to capture him, eventually imprisoning him in Impel Down.
To prevent his death and the regeneration of his Devil Fruit, they froze him, keeping him in a perpetual state of suspended animation.
Logically, Sephiroth should have had no connection to Byrnndi World. But given Sephiroth's ability to traverse different timelines, it wasn't entirely impossible that he'd crossed paths with the pirate and developed some animosity. After all, Byrnndi World had used his Devil Fruit to wreak havoc—destroying, killing, and burning everything in his path. It wouldn't be surprising if he'd inadvertently provoked Sephiroth at some point.
Still, Sephiroth simply smiled at Kong's question, offering no explanation. Everyone in the room was a master of Observation Haki. If he lied, they'd see right through it. So he chose silence, refusing to give them any clues that might lead to uncovering his true motives.
The truth was, Sephiroth coveted Byrnndi World's Amplify-Amplify Fruit. As his strength had reached the level of the Four Emperors, flashy Devil Fruit abilities no longer provided significant boosts to his raw power. But the Amplify-Amplify Fruit was different. Beyond its potential for experimental verification, it offered a way to enhance his combat speed and expand his attack range.
According to the Marine files Sephiroth had reviewed, the Amplify-Amplify Fruit could amplify the user's strength a hundredfold. However, such a feat would consume a hundred times the stamina and increase the user's weight and height by the same factor. It was a risky but potentially game-changing ability—one Sephiroth was determined to claim for himself.
A hundredfold amplification might sound impressive, but it's not always an advantage. Against a top-tier master with agile speed, the user becomes little more than a sitting duck, vulnerable to relentless attacks. Amplifying speed alone? That's useful, but only up to a point. If the user stays within their nerve reaction limit, their combat power skyrockets.
But push it too far—fifty times, even a hundred—and things spiral out of control. Once speed surpasses the user's reaction limit, they're practically helpless. Against Observation Haki masters who can predict the future, amplified speed becomes meaningless. All that's left is exhaustion.
Take Byrnndi World, for example. If he'd truly mastered his hundredfold speed amplification, would he have been knocked down after punching Luffy in Gear Second? Luffy wouldn't have stood a chance—he'd have been dead before he could even react. That's the fatal flaw of over-amplification.
In the Marshal's Office, Sengoku studied Sephiroth in silence, weighing the options. Finally, he spoke. "Alright, I'll agree to your request." His tone was firm, but his eyes narrowed with caution. "But you'll only kill Byrnndi World in Impel Down. You're not to bring him out. And after this, you'll give everything in the war three days from now. Fail, and I'll turn on you myself."
Sengoku knew the risks. If Sephiroth killed Byrnndi World, the Amplify-Amplify Fruit would reappear in the world. In the wrong hands, it could birth another World Destroyer. But if the Marines lost this war, chaos would consume the world. The latter outcome was far worse. Reluctantly, Sengoku chose the lesser evil.
"No problem," Sephiroth replied coolly, his expression unreadable.
After all, it's time to put an end to the grudge between me and Kaido. Sephiroth gave a slight nod, his mind already racing with plans.