Ace, perched on the ship's bow and staring at the endless blue, went stock-still when he heard the news. In the next instant, he erupted in flames and shot forward to stand nose-to-nose with Buggy.
"Let me see that!"
He snatched the newspaper, his eyes rapidly devouring the printed words.
A beat of silence passed, then Ace threw his head back and let out a bellowing, carefree laugh.
"Hahaha! His Majesty is truly a force of nature! Utterly crushing the Marines and uniting the entire Grand Line!"
Enel drifted closer, his eyes crackling with quiet interest as he subtly scanned the paper over Ace's shoulder. Robin, her own curiosity piqued, walked up to join them, her gaze settling on the shocking headline.
"Ace, how are you still laughing? His Majesty wiped out the Marines. Who's going to raise your bounty now?" Buggy shouted, flustered.
"How are you supposed to become the King of the Pirates like that?"
A moment of shared realization swept through the crew. He had a point. Pirates relied on the World Government to inflate their bounties, feeding the pursuit of fame. Now that the Marine Headquarters was part of the Emperor's territory, how could any of them make progress?
"Buggy, becoming the King of the Pirates isn't what matters most to me anymore," Ace said, his smile softening as he looked out at the churning sea. "I just want to fulfill the dreams that person couldn't achieve and restore this world to its true state."
"What I truly seek is freedom and truth!"
His words, spoken with quiet intensity, were a mystery to Buggy and the others.
"Enel, set sail! We're heading for Big Mom's territory! We'll wait for His Majesty there!"
"Big Mom?" Buggy sputtered in surprise. "What in the world are you planning? That's one of the Four Emperors!"
"As servants of His Majesty, she's treated us well in the past. It's only natural we should send her a return gift," Ace replied, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Besides, Buggy, you just said His Majesty moves incredibly fast. If we don't pick up the pace, we won't even find a decent opponent!"
Hearing Ace's challenge, the crew instantly caught his meaning.
"But why her? That so-called Big Mom is no pushover!"
"Why? Because she's the closest," Ace chuckled, pointing a thumb ahead.
Not far in the distance lay the domain of the Big Mom Pirates, Whole Cake Island!
Five days later, the news went global, a thunderclap across the seas:
"The Spade Pirates have engaged Big Mom! High-ranking officials on Whole Cake Island have already been taken out!"
"This is unbelievable! Qin's Nation King sails toward Kaido's territory, and now the Spade Pirates, a rookie crew that only recently emerged, are daring to challenge one of the Four Emperors!"
"Even more shocking, the Spade Pirates are holding the advantage. Unfathomable!"
In the New World, pirates, civilians, and bounty hunters buzzed with non-stop discussion. The Spade Pirates, barely out of the nursery, already possessed unexpected strength, managing to deal serious blows to the established might of the Big Mom Pirates.
"I heard they have two Logia-type Devil Fruit users and a Superhuman-type with a red nose, their power is immense!"
"Their whole crew must be made of elites; otherwise, they couldn't have pulled off a move this audacious against Big Mom."
The crew of the Striker became the most talked-about name in the New World overnight.
Just three days after that, a second explosion of news rocked the New World to its core:
"Emperor Qin Ying Zheng has reached Kaido's territory!"
"Wano Country, Ying Zheng's flagship is approaching! This will be a battle that shatters the world's balance!"
"The army of Ying Zheng, fresh from devastating the Marines, now faces the Beasts of Kaido. Who will reign supreme?"
The New World was electric with anticipation, countless pirates gathering to witness the coming storm. In truth, Ying Zheng's record left little doubt about the outcome.
Kaido's savage nature, coupled with Ying Zheng's unstoppable aura, going wherever he pleases and conquering all in his path, meant anyone who stood against him was likely destined for ruin.
At that moment in Wano, the massive figure of Kaido tilted his head back, draining a gourd of sake. He let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens, then suddenly straightened, his colossal body taut with anticipation.
"You've come, have you? Finally, you've arrived!"
"I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"
"No matter your reason for finding me, I will fight you with everything I have!"
"You are a man I respect, Ying Zheng!"
"Let's have a proper fight!"
With a final roar, Kaido hurled his sake gourd to the ground, where it instantly shattered into dust. Bending his massive knees, his enormous frame smashed through the roof of the building and leaped out.
This urgent, desperate stance proved that Kaido could no longer contain the raging battle intent boiling inside him.
As he ran in great, earth-shaking strides toward the coast, the entire Beasts Pirates crew stationed in Wano, and the people of Wano itself, were gripped by terror.
"King Qin Ying Zheng's arrival has unleashed the captain's beastly fury!"
"They're about to clash!"
Cries of alarm echoed across the island, and in an instant, chaos reigned as everyone scrambled toward the port.
A mere fifteen minutes later, Qin's Nation Flagship was just a few hundred meters from Wano's harbor.
The arrival of the massive iron leviathan caused the Beasts Pirates crew to tense, every muscle rigid with fear.
"Just looking at this ship, you can feel the immense power this nation commands!"
"King Qin Ying Zheng truly lives up to his reputation!"
The dark steel shimmered with an intimidating metallic sheen. Sharp, menacing missiles bristled atop the ship, sending shivers down their spines, while the formidable cannons surrounding the hull made their hearts pound.
But that was not the worst of it. The solemn, imposing soldiers, along with the legendary figures standing at the ship's bow, made the Beasts Pirates shiver uncontrollably.
"Th-That's Destroyer World!"
"And that enormous warship, Sanjuan Wolf the Evil Wolf!"
"Corrupt King-Avalo Pizarro!"
"M-My god… that's Patrick Redfield!"
"All of them, once ruthless, terrifying Great Pirates and notorious villains, have now submitted to Qin's Nation!"
"W-What is going on? Has the world gone completely insane?"
"Insane… truly insane! He actually released these guys from Impel Down."
The Beasts Pirates trembled, witnessing these familiar faces aboard Qin's Nation Flagship; their hearts quaked with terror.
"Look… that… that looks like Magellan, the former deputy warden of Impel Down! He submitted too!"
"The Devil Fruit ability user, if he went all out, he would rival any Marine Admiral!"
"My god… just how powerful is Qin's Nation now?"
Trembling and terrified, witnessing so many legendary figures amassed in one place, the Beasts Pirates were paralyzed by fear.
At that moment, a young man wearing a black dragon robe, a sword at his waist, stepped forward as the crowd parted before him.
A faint smile touched his lips as he surveyed the scene. He spoke softly, his voice carrying clearly over the waves:
"I've heard that the New World has its Four Emperors. Last time, I had a brief meeting with Red-Haired Shanks."
He paused, the smile on his face curling into something sharper.
"However…"
"This time, I will see the Beasts Kaido for myself."
"Where is he?"
(End of Chapter)
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