Some time ago, before Kaido had arrived at Marineford and the battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines had just begun, Arceus’s Genesis had already arrived near the Tarai Current.
Apart from the three Gates of Justice—Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marineford—the Marine’s Tarai Current had always been in an unguarded state.
It was impossible to build fences and domes around the entire sea; even the Celestial Dragons wouldn’t invest in such a thing, and there was absolutely no need for it.
Normal pirates wouldn’t dare approach this sea current. The power of nature was insurmountable. If an ordinary wind-powered sailing ship or paddle steamer got caught in the whirlpool’s currents, there would be no chance of escape.
There were generally only two outcomes for being trapped in this sea current: drifting endlessly or surrendering directly to the Marines, skipping the escort process entirely.
It wasn’t that no one could break through this kind of sea current; there were always a few exceptional individuals with the ability to resist it. But even those people wouldn’t voluntarily head into the Marines’ heartland.
To this day, no pirate has been able to take on the entire Marine force single-handedly. Whether it was Aloof Red, the Golden Lion, or even Rocks from back then, none of them ultimately succeeded.
Arceus’s Genesis could be said to have broken that precedent.
“Lord Arceus! We’ve entered the Marine’s Tarai Current. Where should we head next?”
Thanks to the propulsion provided by the Tarai Current, a Marine battleship could cut its travel time in half. The current’s speed was such that even with Genesis’s power, it couldn’t break free. Once caught in the sea current, the ship could only drift along with it.
“Hard to port—head straight for the center.”
“But if we do that, the ship might capsize…”
“Just do as you’re told. You don’t need to worry about anything else. Lord Arceus, he’s new to Genesis. He’s not used to everything yet—please don’t mind him.”
Logic didn’t apply on this ship. Across the vast seas, Genesis itself was a miracle. From Sky Island to the underworld, there wasn’t a single place this ship hadn’t reached.
Relying on Arceus’s own power, this ship was no longer an ordinary pirate vessel. As for why Arceus still chose to travel by ship—part of it was due to maritime tradition, and part of it was because without a suitable mode of transport, something just felt lacking.
Genesis might not be the best, but it was the one he was most comfortable with.
“It’s fine. Turn the helm.”
“Yes, sir!”
The helmsman rolled up his sleeves. Based on his past experience, trying to forcibly turn the rudder in a whirlpool like this would require tremendous force—he might not even be able to manage it alone.
But when he twisted the helm, he found it surprisingly effortless. At this moment, Genesis was already enveloped in a faint azure glow. Rather than calling it a ship, it was more fitting to say it was the ocean itself.
The turbulent sea current automatically parted when it encountered Genesis, allowing the ship to sail smoothly and unhindered toward the center.
……
Around the same time that Kaido arrived at Marineford, Genesis also gradually approached the central region of the whirlpool. Beneath the dark, deep sea surface, Arceus sensed the aura of his plate.
“To think it’s actually in a place like this… what a surprise.”
This world was vast. Even the territories beyond hadn’t been fully explored, so there was no reason to venture into the Marines’ heartland. It was only after receiving information from the Millennial Dragons’ tribe that Arceus came to this place.
Then Arceus’s eyes were dyed a shade of deep blue. The blue glow that had originally only enveloped Genesis began to spread outward into the entire ocean. The rapid sea current came to an abrupt halt, and a thunderous sound echoed across the sea surface.
The Tarai Current had once been like a speeding train. Under the influence of natural forces, this train had been rushing endlessly along a fixed track. But today, a pair of hands from beyond the heavens had slammed down on the locomotive.
When the front of the train is forcibly stopped by an external force, the cars behind it don’t escape unscathed. Instead, a series of chain reactions is triggered—and the Tarai Current was no exception.
At the center, the situation was still manageable, only some winds and waves were stirred up. But the closer to the outer edges, the greater the impact of Arceus’s abrupt halt of the sea current. Seawater surged upward, and colossal waves hundreds of meters high crashed outward in all directions.
Yet all of this had nothing to do with Genesis. For those aboard the ship, aside from Arceus, there was only one sensation—cold.
……
“Wh-why is it so cold? Pay-tan, lend me one of your jackets!”
“Don’t move around, Sister… I think my hands are frozen stiff…”
The two of them were among the stronger individuals on the ship aside from Arceus, and even they were feeling the chill—let alone everyone else.
This was the result of an increased number of plates. The return of the plates didn’t simply boost Arceus’s power additively—it was a terrifying multiplier effect.
In the past, when plates returned, they only brought slight changes to his aura. But with the return of the fifteenth plate, Arceus’s power had once again undergone a qualitative transformation.
Just the aura leaking from the plate alone was enough to cause severe discomfort among the surrounding pirates.
And the source of this intense cold was, of course, the Icicle Plate. Following the Fairy and Dragon, Ice—one of the Dragon-Type’s three nemeses—had also successfully returned.
“L-Lord Arceus, please withdraw your power… we can’t handle it…”
“The little one has been asleep in the ocean for too long. It’s just a bit excited right now.”
Under Arceus’s control, the cold air gradually receded back into the plate, allowing the pirates on board to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Boom! Boom!
Just then, several splashes erupted across the sea surface, and the sound of explosions reached the ears of the pirates aboard Genesis. Looking up, they saw it was a warship from Enies Lobby.
According to Marine intelligence, Impel Down had just experienced the most serious prison break in history. Personnel from Impel Down were still handling the aftermath, and the Marines at Marineford were engaged in battle with Whitebeard.
Only the Marines from Enies Lobby remained in an idle state, which was why they had entered the Tarai Current, searching for traces of escaped pirates.
But Genesis had led them to a misunderstanding, and they immediately opened fire.
“Lord Arceus, allow me to handle this. I could use a bit of exercise.”
The Marines and pirates were enemies by nature, and opening fire was a signal of declaring war. Page One immediately volunteered for battle.
“No need. Change course—we’re going to Marineford to see how Kaido is doing.”
“Eh? Lord Arceus, you’re just gonna let those Marines go? They literally fired on us!”
Ulti scratched her head. If they didn’t respond at all after the other side had already opened fire, it really wouldn’t be a normal reaction.
“There’s simply no need for you to deal with it. I’ve got something entirely new I’d like to try. Isn’t that right, Regice?”
The Icicle Plate, which had just returned into his body, was released once more—but this time, not a hint of cold escaped.
Unlike the time with Darkrai, the Icicle Plate’s power didn’t radiate outward; it acted as a core.
With it at the center, cold air gradually formed into ice, and a sharp-edged ice giant appeared on Genesis’s deck.
You can read ahead upto 75 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.
Become a Patron!