Year 1520 of the Sea Calendar – The Reverie at Marijoa
The World Conference, known as the Reverie, had officially begun.
Fifty kings from across the globe, the Celestial Dragons, and key figures from the Navy and the World Government had all assembled in the Holy Land of Marijoa.
Inside the grand chamber, leaders fiercely debated one topic —
"Who is the most dangerous person in the world right now?"
But just as the discussions grew heated, chaos struck.
A Marine guard suddenly burst into the room, his face pale with panic.
"Emergency! Red-Haired Shanks's pirate fleet is approaching from the east!"
Gasps echoed through the chamber.
Red-Haired Shanks? At the Reverie?
Was he making a move? Was it war?
Before anyone could fully react, another guard came running in, even more frantic.
"Report! The Whitebeard Pirates have been spotted to the north!"
"BIG MOM's fleet is approaching from the west!"
"The Beasts Pirates — Kaido's forces — are closing in from the south!"
One after another, urgent reports poured in.
The conference room, once tense with politics, now boiled over with raw fear and disbelief.
All Four Emperors of the New World were converging on Marijoa — at the same time.
"Oh dear... How frightening," said Admiral Kizaru lazily, though his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "Are these pirates planning to start a war right here?"
Beside him, Admiral Akainu scowled, his arms crossed and magma simmering beneath his skin.
"Good. If they've come this far, we'll crush them all in one blow."
But before anyone could move, a strange, mechanical voice echoed across the conference hall:
["—Beginning live broadcast of the great pirates' infamous pasts!"]
Suddenly, the air shimmered, and a massive holographic screen appeared in the center of the hall, hovering above the ornate table.
Dozens of kings and even the admirals stared in stunned silence.
What was this?
A Devil Fruit ability?
An enemy attack?
Had the Holy Land already been infiltrated?
Panic stirred beneath the surface. The Reverie was the most secure political gathering in the world. Nothing like this should be possible — not here, not now.
And yet, across the globe — from the East Blue to the West Blue, from the North to the South, the Grand Line and even the ships of the Four Emperors — the same screen appeared.
Villages, islands, pirate ships, and Navy outposts alike all watched in confusion.
The screen flickered. Then, the image sharpened:
{A rowdy tavern appeared.
Inside, a familiar red-haired pirate — Shanks — was slumped on the floor, beer dripping down his face.
Someone had just smashed a bottle over his head.
"Tch... That's a pirate? What a weakling!"
A sneering voice rang out, followed by laughter.
The attacker's face was obscured, but their presence was overpowering. Their foot pressed down on the head of a furious young boy trying to fight back.
"Teach him what pirates are really like," the boy snapped.
"He's not as tough as he pretends to be!"
Shanks, however, didn't retaliate. He simply smiled and wiped the beer from his face.}
The entire conference room fell silent.
That's Red-Haired Shanks.
One of the most feared pirates in the world.
Who dared to hit him? And in front of a crowd?
"Someone go get Vice Admiral Garp!" barked Admiral Aokiji, now serious.
If something this strange was happening under their noses — during the Reverie, no less — the only one with the intuition to understand it might be the Hero of the Marines himself.
The screen froze.
The mechanical voice returned.
[QUESTION:] Who hit Red-Haired Shanks with a beer bottle?
[You have 10 minutes to answer.
If no one answers, a random individual will be punished.
Correct answers will be rewarded: Navy Rokushiki techniques, Devil Fruits, Poneglyph fragments, and more.
Wrong answers may result in punishment: strength loss or erasure.]
A chill swept through the room.
This wasn't a game.
Even the Celestial Dragons shifted nervously. The kings glanced at each other in disbelief. Shanks had been a major force even before he became a Yonko — who had the strength, or the guts, to humiliate him like that?
—
Atop the towering walls of Marijoa, Vice Admiral Garp stood with arms crossed. His cape fluttered in the wind.
He too had sensed something was off.
The fleets of the Four Emperors approaching at once — this wasn't coincidence.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" a Marine ran up. "Something's happening inside the Reverie chamber! Admiral Aokiji requests your presence!"
"Hmph... figured as much," Garp muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Let's move."
—
Meanwhile, aboard the Red Force, Shanks's own ship...
"Whoa! Captain, isn't that you getting your head bashed in?"
Lucky Roux cackled, chomping on a drumstick.
Even Yasopp couldn't hide a grin.
"That's gotta be from years ago... who dug this up?"
Even Ben Beckman, the ever-calm first mate, gave a rare chuckle.
Shanks, red in the face, scratched his head awkwardly.
"C'mon, don't make a big deal out of it..."
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling.
This wasn't just someone leaking an old memory.
This was deliberate.
And someone had gone to great lengths to show it to the whole world.
The day before, Shanks had received a strange letter.
A warning.
It claimed that at the exact moment of the Reverie, the Navy would reveal the truth behind the Poneglyphs.
Now, the fleets of the Emperors were all on the move.
And the world was watching.