Chapter 101: The Portal Network and the Commander's Return

Riding beneath a massive, emerald-winged bird was certainly a step up from a standard pirate galleon. The Titan’s Glory soared high above the clouds of the New World. The Sky-roc, a colossal avian construct manifested through one of my specialized Jade Clones, was physically carrying us. Its massive, jade-feathered talons were locked firmly into the heavy steel anchor points forged directly into our Adam wood mainmast, attachments we had designed specifically for aerial transport.

The air up here was thin and freezing. Since the Titan’s Glory was ultimately just a traditional ship, albeit a magnificent one crafted from the strongest wood in the world with better sealing to keep the elements out in the ship, there was no magical warding to keep the elements out while standing on the outer deck. We all had to rely on heavy winter coats, scarves, and hot coffee to fight off the biting chill.

Ace was sitting on the railing, wrapped in a thick jacket, his boots dangling over the edge as he stared down at the sprawling, endless ocean thousands of feet below. He shook his head, pulling his orange hat down tight to keep the wind from stealing it.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how you guys travel,” Ace laughed, turning back to face the deck. “So, where exactly is this giant bird taking us? We’ve been flying for a while now.”

I was sitting at the patio table on the lawn, nursing my steaming cup of black coffee. “Next stop is Zunesha,” I answered casually.

Ace blinked. “Zunesha? You mean Zou? The phantom island?”

“That’s the one,” I nodded.

Law, who was leaning against the mainmast nearby with his thick coat collar popped up, raised an eyebrow. Standing next to him was Bepo, the polar bear Mink and Law’s navigator, who suddenly perked up. His ears twitched in absolute disbelief.

“Captain Victor… are we really going to Zou?!” Bepo gasped, his paws flying to his cheeks. “I haven’t been back home since I was a little cub! I’m sorry!” he immediately bowed, apologizing out of sheer nervous habit.

“No need to apologize, Bepo. You’re long overdue for a homecoming,” I smiled. I looked back at Ace. “There are a few reasons we’re making a pit stop. I want to establish formal diplomatic ties with the Mink leaders, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi. Plus, I just really want to see the legendary thousand-year-old elephant in person. But the primary reason we’re heading there is to establish a Portal Point.”

“A what point?” Ace asked, scratching his head. He looked completely lost.

Robin walked over to the table, carrying a book and her own cup of tea. She smiled her serene, knowing smile.

“A Portal Point, Ace,” Robin explained smoothly, taking a seat. “During our previous exploits, our Captain acquired a highly advanced, prototype piece of technology known as a Portal Gun. It operates on principles of spatial manipulation.”

Robin gestured to the empty air with her teacup to illustrate. “By firing the device at a specific location, we can leave behind an invisible spatial anchor. Once two anchors are established, the gun can tear a wormhole through space, linking the two points instantly. It completely bypasses the geographic limitations of the Grand Line.”

Ace’s jaw practically unhinged. “Wait… you have a gun that lets you teleport across the ocean?!”

“Precisely,” I nodded.

“Okay, that’s insane,” Ace admitted, throwing his hands up. “But how does going to a giant elephant help us meet Sabo, Jasmine, and Koala? Are they on Zou?”

“No, they aren’t,” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee. “Sabo is currently buried in paperwork at the Revolutionary Headquarters in the Grand Line. Jasmine and Koala were recently deployed to Toroa, an island all the way out in the West Blue. They’re stationed there as high-level backup for the Revolutionary’s western front.”

Ace frowned, doing the math in his head. “West Blue?! Victor, that’s across the Calm Belt and the Red Line! It would take us weeks, maybe months to sail there and then back to HQ!”

“It would,” I agreed. “If we were sailing. By the way, has anyone noticed someone missing from the ship today?”

The crew paused, looking around the deck.

Baby 5, who was currently polishing a stack of cannonballs, raised her hand. “Oh! Gammamon isn’t here! I just assumed he was still in a meat coma sleeping on Whitebeard’s ship. Should I turn my legs into jetpacks and go get him?!”

“No need, Baby 5,” I chuckled. “Gammamon isn’t sleeping. He left the party early last night on a solo, high-speed flight.”

I leaned forward, laying out the plan. “Gammamon is on a very important delivery. He took the Portal Gun with him. Right now, he’s flying directly to Zunesha to shoot the first anchor into the elephant’s back. From there, he’s going to fly straight across the Calm Belt into the West Blue until he reaches Toroa.”

Ace’s eyes went wide as the realization hit him. “So… once he reaches the girls…”

“Exactly,” I smirked. “He’ll register Toroa with the second anchor and immediately open a portal directly back to Zunesha. Jasmine and Koala can step right through from the West Blue to the New World in a single second. No sailing required. After that, we all group up on the elephant and head straight to Sabo together.”

Right on cue, like it was waiting for me to stop talking, the encrypted golden Den Den Mushi on my wrist began to ring. Buru buru buru…

I tapped the receiver. “Talk to me.”

“Victor!” Gammamon’s cheerful, wind-swept voice chimed from the snail. “I found the big elephant! He is REALLY big! I set up the portal anchor right on him!”

“Perfect work, partner,” I grinned, treating my oldest friend with the absolute respect he deserved. “Knew I could count on you. What’s your current heading?”

“Flying over the Calm Belt right now! No Sea Kings can catch me! Heading to Toroa to get Jasmine and Koala! See you soon!”

“Stay sharp, Gamma. Give me a shout when the portal is open,” I said, cutting the connection. I looked up at Ace, who was staring at the snail in absolute awe. “See? Logistics win wars, Ace.”

[Marine HQ]

Far away from the bright skies of the New World, deep in a heavily reinforced, subterranean sector of Marineford, the atmosphere was suffocatingly grim.

The massive training yard, built from solid sea-prism stone and reinforced steel, was completely decimated. Craters littered the floor. The heavy iron training dummies had been entirely pulverized, sliced into unrecognizable ribbons of scrap metal.

Standing in the center of the destruction, breathing heavily, was Aliester.

He wiped a streak of sweat and blood from his cheek. His eyes were cold, calculating, and entirely devoid of mercy. He unclasped his grip, letting his custom, high-tech helmet power down with a sharp hiss. The lethal combination of his martial prowess and his Devil Fruit had reached a terrifying new plateau.

Standing safely behind a reinforced glass observation window was a mysterious figure dressed in a pristine white suit and a blank mask, an elite operative of CP0.

The heavy steel door hissed open, and the white-suited agent walked into the ruined yard, clapping his hands in a slow, mocking rhythm.

“Very impressive,” the agent noted, his voice heavily synthesized through the mask. “Your six-month suspension is officially over, Aliester. Your previous rank and authority have been fully reinstated. It seems your forced sabbatical gave you the time you needed to master your weapon and your Devil Fruit. Your output has grown exponentially.”

Aliester didn’t smile. He grabbed a towel from a bench and roughly wiped his face. “Cut the corporate talk. What’s the board saying?”

“They are furious,” the agent replied simply. “Victor Costa and his Verdant Abyss destroyed the SMILE factory, humiliated the Joker, and fractured the underworld. He is a Warlord operating completely outside of the Government’s leash.”

“He’s a rabid dog,” Aliester spat, his grip tightening on the towel.

“So, what is your next move?” the agent asked, tilting his head. “Will you go after him?”

Aliester paused. He looked at the deep, devastating scars he had carved into the sea-prism walls. His jaw clenched. He desperately, violently wanted to hunt Victor down. He wanted to rip the Warlord’s heart out for the humiliation he had suffered.

But Aliester was a pragmatist. He was also cold and logical when required.

“No,” Aliester answered, his voice tight with suppressed rage. “Not yet. I saw the morning papers. If Costa managed to completely dismantle Doflamingo’s Awakening Devil Fruit, without losing a single crew member, his Haki has become stronger again. If I engage him now, it’s a coin toss. I need to be stronger. Much stronger.”

The CP0 agent hummed. “A wise, if cowardly, assessment. Perhaps a direct assault isn’t the answer. We could launch a smear campaign. Discredit his Warlord status. Ruin his reputation and turn the public against him.”

Aliester barked a harsh, bitter laugh. “His reputation? Are you an idiot?”

Aliester turned to face the agent, his eyes burning with absolute certainty. “Victor Costa might be the last person on the face of this earth who gives a damn about his reputation. He’s an asshole who treats laws like a suggestion box. You can’t contain that asshole. You can’t put him in a box, and you can’t shame him. All you can do is try to distract him until you are ready to take his head.”

The agent stared at him for a moment before reaching into his white coat. He pulled out a sealed, black envelope stamped with the Marine insignia.

“Very well,” the agent said, handing the envelope to Aliester. “Your new deployment orders. You are being sent back to the surface as a Marine Commander. You ship out tonight.”

Aliester tore the envelope open. He read the deployment location, a dark, dangerous smirk finally crossing his face.

“The Sabaody Archipelago,” Aliester read aloud. “Right at the throat of the New World. Perfect.”

[Victor’s POV]

Back in the bright, comfortable lounge of the Titan’s Glory, the war in the shadows felt a million miles away.

“That’s illegal,” Gwen complained, crossing her arms and glaring at the board game on the table.

“It’s not illegal,” I countered, moving my piece. “It’s called strategy, Gwen. You can’t just put hotels on Boardwalk and expect me not to monopolize the railroads.”

Gwen groaned, her symbiote flowing over her shoulder to form a tiny, frustrated face that mirrored her own expression. “You’re a pirate! You shouldn’t be good at real estate!”

Before I could defend my capitalist board game tactics, a specific, high-frequency ringtone echoed through the lounge.

It wasn’t my standard comms. It was the heavily encrypted, secure Den Den Mushi sitting on the bar, the one strictly reserved for our top-tier underworld contacts.

I set my dice down and walked over to the bar, picking up the receiver.

“Victor speaking.”

“Long time no see, Warlord,” a smooth, smoky voice drifted from the speaker. The snail took on the appearance of a woman with a bob cut, holding a cigarette.

“Shakky,” I smiled, instantly recognizing the legendary intelligence broker of the Sabaody Archipelago. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Tell me Rayleigh isn’t gambling himself away again.”

“Rayleigh is fine,” Shakky chuckled, though her tone quickly shifted to something much more serious. “I’m calling because the winds are shifting here on the Archipelago, Victor. And knowing you, I have some amazing, highly urgent news that you’re going to want to hear immediately.”