Chapter 1: Off The Map
Unknown Sea
A group of pirates of minor insignificance, a group that managed to get to the New World by sheer cunning and luck, had accidentally wandered "off the map" and ended up in what seemed to be darkness. Then, sparkles of golden light flashed as it dawned on them that the sea had turned golden in color- nay, it was made of gold.
"This place seems like a dream!" said a swab of the crew.
"Dream or not! I'll become the conqueror of these seas! People obtain great power here I bet! Let's start taking some of this!," said the captain.
"Seems very suspicious. We don't know where we are, let alone what this is. Exercising caution would be-," argued the vice-captain.
For some reason, he suspected the sea of golden hue had a dark secret because things so pleasant were too good to be true.
The other crew ignored them, but began to notice that their ship was becoming golden...and it was spreading to them. One member got in contact with the golden hue and was paralyzed like a statue as their color palette became completely gold. The texture and shine made it clear.
"What kind of Devil Fruit be doing this?" asked one of the crew.
"It's the sea itself! It's doing this!" realized the vice-captain.
"So we either abandon ship or sink with it now that it's like this?! " another crewmate asked.
"We can't let all this gold go to waste!" exclaimed the captain, his eyes glinting with greed as he tried to touch the gold-infused hull.
Suddenly, a huge winged shadow loomed over the ship and they turned around just in time to see talons reach out to get it.
As the vaguely avian-like creature flew with its now golden prize, onlookers on ships immune to the golden sea viewed the sight with mild annoyance. Occasionally, someone from that place would end up here, but they always suffered the same fate.
"To survive on these seas, you need the right tenacity, wits, and adaptability!" remarked one of the shadowed fighters.
"Any fool who doesn't get it deserves to die! They're from a sea ruled by THAT guy?" asked another.
"No wonder why they were cursed and then became Roc food. They've wandered in by chance to escape that hellhole or more likely to find fame in getting a prize," remarked a different member.
"A world of order that is kept as it is- while changing details to save face- is just egotism. Regardless of era, those unfit for power abuse it. And new challengers will always topple them to become new rulers with their heirs either becoming corrupt or being toppled by the corrupt." remarked the apparent boss in a turban.
"Doesn't have anything to with us right? Say, you're being oddly fixated on that sea. Do you believe that story about the dawning liberator of freedom is gonna fix things?" asked one of the subordinates.
"If one hadn't shown up when things went to shit back when they rose to power, then it's not likely they're ever gonna exist," remarked one of the bigger members.
The leader seemed quiet.
"Captain? What's up?" asked one of the more feminine members.
"The winds are changing.," the leader remarked.
"Do you think it's gonna be different from the usual schmucks?" asked the feminine member.
"Who can say?" asked the leader as his turban briefly turned into a straw hat before it turned back to normal.
He then looked at the sky and saw that avian burst through the clouds, which piqued his interest.
"That's never happened since that time...," he remarked.
Mary Geoise- HQ of the World Government
In an entirely different part of the world, five individuals sat in an ornate room in an elegant palace in an artificial forest on the top of the red-rock continent that divided the conventional world.
It for all intents and purposes, was isolated from the weird places such as the golden sea-lands.
"Another ship has wandered into THAT place despite our attempts to prevent it.," remarked a thickset, elderly man with a full white mustache and beard. He possessed white dreadlocks which he wore a flat black hat over. He had a scar on the left side of his face, stretching diagonally over his eye. Like two of his fellow Elders, his outfit consisted of a black suit over a dark purple tie and a white collared shirt, as well as black pants. He carried a walking cane.
St. Jaygarcia Saturn- Godhead of Science and Defense.
"It's of no concern. They were one of the countless upstarts that wander in by accident and die just as quickly there.," remarked a tan-skinned man of lean build and incredible stature, being the second tallest of the group. He has blond hair that is kept in a short taper cut while linking to a chin curtain beard and mustache. Among the Elders, he stands out as the youngest-looking, with barely any facial wrinkles visible. For attire, he dons a plain suit jacket and pants of dark maroon color, paired with a white, buttoned-up, tieless dress shirt that has a wingtip collar low enough to expose a scar above his chest, which reaches from his lower cervical area down toward his right armpit.
St. Shepherd Ju Peter- Godhead of Agriculture.
"It's been written off as mere rumors. More importantly, that Sabo and Wapol managed to spy on us and get away with their lives. Damnit, we're losing our edge of just observing events without doing anything. The reprimanding was irritating.," complained a tall man of advanced age, with a pale-grayish complexion and neither head nor facial hair, compared to the others who have beards and/or mustaches. He has a wrinkled face, a hook nose, and thin eyebrows, and wears round, metal-frame glasses resembling the Windsor style. Clothing-wise, being the only Elder not to wear a suit, he instead dons a white, loose-fitting keikogi held closed by a golden obi, but open enough to expose his chest and abdominals, and for footwear has beige geta sandals. His personal katana is always held in his hand instead of fastened to his obi.
St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro- Godhead of Finance.
"It hardly matters with the "scolding". It's not like anyone in this era can truly kill us.," remarked Peter.
"Lulusia was targetted and survivors managed to pull through via the revolutionaries. Sabo's survival and Dragon's prior knowledge means they have a leg up on us. But, that ace in the hole will deal with them shortly. And be done with a member of that accursed race.," remarked Saturn.
"You mean that man?," asked Nusjuro.
"He's not the only one to worry about. Garp's grandson and Dragon's son- his only remaining official son, Monkey D. Luffy has achieved the power of what the people of THAT kingdom called Nika. It managed to slip under our noses due to how interchangeable it seemed from other Devil Fruits that extended one's body and the last one to truly push its powers to its limits more than a mere moment was THAT man during the time of Noland.," noted a very tall and thin, elderly man- the tallest of the group- with long white hair, including a mustache and goatee which reach down to his upper chest. He wears a navy blue suit over a black tie and a white buttoned shirt, as well as navy blue pants.
St. Marcus Mars- Godhead of Environment.
"All that can wait. We've gotten word that Dr. "Vegapunk" has been doing research into THAT century. He may be an asset but his loyalties have been questionable as of late. We have reserves to continue his work. Before he spells it out to the entire world, he must be dealt with.," spoke a bald elderly obese man who has a very large white mustache as well as birthmark spots on his forehead and right cheek. He wears a black suit over a black tie and a white buttoned shirt, as well as black pants.
St. Topman Warcury- Godhead of Justice.
"Normally, we'd just send an assassin and be done with it, but damnit, that brainy whelp installed a command chip that requires direct commands within a certain range. And since we're ranked above him, so I'll be going ahead since I'm the most familiar with the matter. Kizaru will also come due to his familiarity.," Saturn remarked.
"A bit too familiar. He might try and jeopardize us as much as he'd help us due to how attached he became to that individual. His Justice is Unclear after all.," remarked Nusjuro.
"Don't talk of the possibility of another Admiral going turncoat on us. We can't require it in this situation.," Topman.
"We have our ace. The good doctor has grown beyond normal conventions and not all aspects of himself are aligned with his interests.," remarked Nusjuro.
"What did you promise THEM?" asked Mars.
"Nothing that we can just deny as we discard them like the others. We already have an individual superior to that man to continue their work.," the bald samurai remarked.
"How underhanded, Nusjuro. No, B-," Warcury said before getting news- not via Transponder Snail, but a voice in their head. A familiar voice.
"The next Joyboy is going to Egghead. I can sense it. Red-Hair will be too busy to intervene and say we're going against the deal," said a distorted, vaguely feminine voice.
Realizing the implications, Saturn nodded.
"We'll get out Mother Flame first- then we'll use what we used on Lulusia on Egghead to deal with this situation like two birds with one stone.," he said.
"And it'll be dealt with before the other 14 catch suspicion.," the voice remarked.
"And it'll be as you wish, Great Imu.," said Saturn telepathically.
Egghead Island Vicinity
The Straw-Hat Pirates coming off their victory over Kaido and by extension, Big Mom, former Emperors- the top Pirates of the New World, with their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, the new Emperor, arrived at a snowy region.
The situation became odd as the clouds warped in an odd manner they briefly morphed into a curtain of the same color as the sky opened to reveal a sight that began a domino effect that would spell a drastic change to their journey.
"A huge bird! And it's got a gold ship!," shouted the long-nosed Usopp as a massive avian came out from the curtain.
Next Chapter: OLD WORLD
Author Notes: I will try and incorporate elements of Oda's updated manga as much as I can, but this is going to be my own take of how the final saga is going to go down.