"Dragon, you must have seen the news in the newspaper, right? The world is about to undergo an unprecedented and massive upheaval."
On a ship full of okamas who called themselves the "Newkama," Ivankov dialed the Revolutionary Army headquarters. He did have Dragon's personal number, but that would be too easy to eavesdrop on.
To prevent critical information from being eavesdropped on, he chose to dial the headquarters' Den Den Mushi, which was equipped with a White Den Den Mushi that has anti-eavesdropping capabilities.
"I saw it. Whitebeard's dying declaration is bound to drive more pirates into the seas, and that's also an opportunity for us to expand."
"No, Dragon, what happened during the Summit War goes far beyond that. Marines haven't made it public yet, but my people on the battlefield saw that Zephyr died."
"Zephyr… So he chose to end it this way."
During the war, Sengoku didn't immediately reveal Zephyr's death because Zephyr held a very special status within headquarters. The current three Admirals, more than ninety percent of the elite Vice Admirals, and countless officers and commanders were all his students.
If that news had been announced right away, even the ceasefire order might not have been enforceable.
"It's not just that, Dragon. Tell me, what exactly happened to Kuma over all these years?! That gentle Kuma, why did he end up like that?!"
"I'll explain it to you when you get back to headquarters. But that final attack in the war..."
"I don't know what that was either. But Dragon, you weren't on the battlefield, those two attacks were simply beyond what any human could withstand. If the World Government can use weapons like that frequently, then our revolution will be nothing but a joke."
"Let's think about it in the long run. At least now we're aware of its existence. Oh, right, I almost forgot. Congratulations on regaining your freedom."
"Speaking of that, Dragon, your son is really something else."
"Is that so?"
Hearing Ivankov mention Luffy, Dragon's usually expressionless face softened with a faint smile, but Ivankov always had a way of catching people off guard.
"Yeah! He's just as brave as you, but aside from that, he's nothing like you at all — not even a little bit! Mmmfufufu! Bet you didn't expect me to say that, huh? I bet you're totally shocked! Mmmfufufu!"
"Ivankov... you b*stard. Anyway, just hurry back. Everyone's been waiting for you for a long time."
At the same time, while Dragon was on the call with Ivankov, Sabo was also reading the information in the newspaper.
"Fire Fist Ace, Straw Hat Luffy… ASL"
Sabo felt a sharp pain in his head, but couldn't recall exactly what had happened. The fact that Ace wasn't dead yet meant the impact of the information wasn't strong enough. Sabo didn't fully recover the memories of the past.
Whole Cake Island.
Charlotte Linlin was in a very bad mood, because Perospero had brought her some bad news.
"Mama! It's all Queen's fault, he's clearly targeting us on purpose!"
"Mamamama~ Is that so?"
"Yes, Mama! That guy refused to sell to us on purpose. There was nothing I could do."
"But then why did Smoothie just complete a deal with them?"
"Y-You said... completed a deal...?"
Still not back on Whole Cake Island, Perospero's face was filled with despair. That b*stard Queen had set him up.
First, Queen rejected his deal. Then he made a deal with Perospero's younger siblings, planting the impression in Charlotte Linlin's mind that Perospero was incompetent.
"Mama! Let me explain, this is all that b*stard Queen's scheme!"
Hearing only the busy tone on the other end of the line, Perospero was devastated. He could already imagine what kind of scolding he'd get once he returned to Whole Cake Island. To be precise, as long as Charlotte Linlin didn't hit him, it would already be a blessing.
Back on Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin turned her attention to another matter.
"Katakuri, what's the status of our territory?"
"We managed to seize a portion of it, but we moved too late. Beasts Pirates took most of the territory. After that, we were blocked by Red Hair Shanks."
They were referring to the fight for Whitebeard's territory during the time of the Summit War. Beasts Pirates made the first move, and even had Olga sent her mirage army to fool and distract Shanks.
But things didn't go so smoothly for the Big Mom Pirates. They were politely "dissuaded" by Shanks who was passing by, and didn't accomplish much.
"Kaido... That little brat has really grown up."
[World's Strongest — Kaido of the Beasts]
The headline on the newspaper that Charlotte Linlin had thrown to the ground was striking. In the eyes of many, Kaido was now undoubtedly the strongest in the world.
Gran Tesoro.
This was the temporary headquarters of Beasts Fruits. To prevent unpredictable events following the Summit War, the core personnel who originally worked on the Red Line had already been relocated here.
Due to Arceus' strategic deterrence and the desire for the immortality drug, Beasts Fruits remains a legitimate business for now. However, Tesoro has refrained from setting foot on the Red Line in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Mr. Kaido really is strong, but Shanks isn't weak either. Kabu, look, Luffy and Hercules have made it into the newspaper too."
On a soft sofa, Uta flipped through the newspaper in front of her, but what she was paying attention to was entirely different from everyone else.
"War is just so awful. If only there were no war, and no pirates."
"Do you even hear yourself? Whether it's the people behind this place, or your adoptive father, they're all pirates, and not just any pirates, but great pirates at that."
"Doesn't matter. It's not like other people know what we're really thinking. Being an entertainer is an exhausting job. At our core, all we do is deceive others. Also, you're just a trainee! You haven't debuted yet, so show some respect to your seniors!"
Sitting next to Uta was Cavendish, who had already trained for a year and was preparing to debut. But the Summit War was just too much in the limelight. If he were to debut now, there would be no way to attract public attention, not even with help from seniors like Uta promoting him.
In today's seas, Cavendish wasn't even as popular as the mysterious medical department of Beasts Fruits.
Just thinking about that made Cavendish gnaw angrily on the newspaper in his hands.
"Damn it! I want that kind of fame too! Why does that Straw Hat kid get to hog all the spotlight in times like this?! It's not fair!"
"Hmph. Luffy is nothing like you. Keep working hard. Come on, Kabu, let's go play outside."
At Uta's signal, her Heracross picked her up and flew off outside, completely ignoring Cavendish, whose eyes were red with envy.
Caring about the future, calculating gains, being jealous of fame; people had all sorts of reactions to this war. But over on Onigashima, a group of people had already entered a state of frenzy.
Inside a monastery, footage of Arceus taking action had been recorded by someone from Genesis using a Rotom and sent to Misu. The appearance of the miracle had sent all of the believers into a state of madness.
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