"Dad! That guy is declaring war on us!"
"This bastard dared to do something so outrageous on Fish-Man Island!"
"What do they think of the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
"Let's go teach him a lesson!"
The crew of the Whitebeard Pirates, who had just read the newspaper, were furious.
Several shouted angrily at Whitebeard, who sat at the head of the deck.
Bandaged from head to toe, Whitebeard tossed the newspaper aside, his face dark.
"Listen to me!" he bellowed.
"The Whitebeard Pirates will remember this grudge!"
"New hatred and old—it will all be repaid in full to the Kamui Pirates!"
"But now is not the time. Without my order, no one is to act rashly!"
Hearing their captain's command, the crew fell silent.
But some among them didn't understand and still wanted to apply for permission to seek revenge against the Kamui Pirates.
Whitebeard ignored these hot-headed fools.
After the war at Marineford, they had successfully rescued Ace—but the cost had been devastating.
Even First Division Commander Marco had lost his life in that battle.
What they needed now was time to recover and regroup, not to launch another reckless attack.
And besides—the Kamui Pirates were not weak.
Thinking about that only deepened Whitebeard's fury.
An overwhelming burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, causing the entire crew to sense his burning rage.
He stared far out to sea, toward the direction of Fish-Man Island.
Meanwhile, on a remote island in the New World…
"Kronos... this man came out of nowhere and gives off a dangerous aura."
"He caused a stir at the Summit War, declared the fifth emperor, and his bounty is already 3.355 billion..."
"Now he's taken over Whitebeard's turf. Is this a declaration of war?"
The Red-Haired Pirates were resting on this island.
They had also seen the newspaper and were discussing the matter of Kronos.
Sitting before the bonfire, Shanks, the red-haired captain, held the newspaper in one hand, reading in silence.
His brow furrowed deeply as he stared at the report.
"Is this guy trying to break the balance of the world? What is he after…?"
Shanks let out a sigh.
He didn't know what would happen next, but one thing was certain:
He had made up his mind.
"Alright, everyone—we're setting sail. I have a place I need to be."
What Kronos and his crew had done on Fish-Man Island had spread across the globe thanks to the News Coo.
Now, it wasn't just Whitebeard or Shanks—the entire world was watching closely.
The event was no small matter. It could very well shift the global power balance.
As the enforcer of "justice" in this world, even the Marines were closely watching the situation.
"Kronos!! Can't that guy stay quiet for a single day?!"
Inside Marine Headquarters, Akainu—his body wrapped in bandages—slammed the newspaper on the desk.
Right where he slammed it was the headline detailing the actions of Kronos and his crew.
Following Sengoku's retirement, the position of Fleet Admiral had become vacant.
Kizaru had no interest in the role, and Aokiji was currently away on assignment.
That left only Sakazuki (Akainu)—who, though injured, was still able to serve as acting Fleet Admiral.
From the side, Sengoku, munching on rice crackers, spoke calmly.
"Sakazuki, after what happened at Marineford, we should know—"
"The Kamui Pirates are not the kind of people who can be reasoned with."
"Nothing they do should surprise us."
"Now it's up to you. You're the Fleet Admiral."
Akainu scowled at him.
"You're retired. Go rest. We don't need you here."
Sengoku, unfazed, popped another cracker into his mouth.
"Even if you're frustrated, don't take it out on me."
"But what Kronos did on Fish-Man Island isn't really a Marine issue."
"It's a feud between the Kamui Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates. Fish-Man Island isn't under our control."
"We don't need to get involved unnecessarily."
"I know!" Akainu snapped.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do!"
A few days passed after the purge of the Fish-Men.
Fish-Man Island had officially become Kamui Pirates' territory.
With nothing more to do there, and their supplies restocked, Kronos decided it was time to move on.
The ship was re-coated, and the Kamui Pirates departed.
Inside Ryugu Castle, Neptune and his sons finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The monsters were gone.
They had lived in fear during Kronos' stay.
After all, the strength of Kronos and his crew was not something they could ever hope to match.
It didn't take long for the Kamui Pirates to rise out of the deep sea—back into the sunlight.
"Ahhh, it feels so good to be in real sunlight again!"
"Yeah, I was getting sick of the bottom of the ocean!"
Assac, Vians, and the others stood on the deck, basking in the sun, enjoying the warmth.
Bang (Bang-gu), recently summoned to the ship by Kronos, stepped out of the cabin.
Looking at Assac, Vians, and the others, he squinted slightly, stroking his beard.
"These young ones seem pretty fit... good candidates to learn boxing."
"Should I train them?"
He walked over quietly to the group and finally spoke.
"Hey, you kids want to learn boxing from me?"
"This old man's 'Flowing Water, Crushing Rock Fist' is pretty strong!"
Assac, Vians, and the others, unaware of Bang's presence, jumped in surprise when they suddenly heard his voice from behind.
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