"Celestial Dragons."
Morganus's smile instantly froze.
The next moment—
A sharp, panicked gasp came through the receiver, followed by the sound of a chair clattering to the ground and a door creaking shut.
"Hello?"
After a long silence, Shano raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, that… hello, hello, Mr. Shano, can you hear me?"
Zzzii—
"The signal isn't good, I can't hear you… hello? Hello? Mr. Shano, are you still there…? Strange…"
Click.
The line went dead.
Shano glanced at the microphone, chuckled, and set it back down. His expression stayed calm, as though none of this surprised him. Leaning back with his legs crossed, he continued waiting patiently.
World Economic News Agency
Morganus was drenched in cold sweat, pacing frantically around his office with his hands behind his back.
What was this man thinking? Asking about the Celestial Dragons' whereabouts, even saying he planned to deal with them? How could a mere mortal dare harbor such insane thoughts about "gods"?
A lunatic.
A complete madman.
And yet—
"The Sea Emperor's Revenge on the Celestial Dragons?"
If such a headline ever made the front page… Morganus trembled at the very thought. It could even break the sales record set by Roger's execution!
But… was it worth the risk?
Morganus's face shifted from pale to resolute. His eyes drifted to the top shelf, where an old quill rested—a gift from his mentor when he was just a rookie journalist.
He stared at it for a long moment. Slowly, a grin crept across his face.
Hey! What are you hesitating for?
Even if it meant being complicit in "the killing of gods," so what? A true journalist, a pure businessman, never fears a big story!
So what if the newly crowned Sea Emperor was a lunatic? He himself was one too! Hadn't he risked his life diving into Mondor's book world last time, lying unconscious for six days before being saved?
He shared that same arrogance the Celestial Dragons had—only now, it was directed back at them.
Morganus laughed, opened a cabinet, and pulled out two rarely used Den Den Mushi.
One was large. The other, smaller, was snow-white, as if dusted in flour.
The two were connected by a special tube, ensuring absolute protection from eavesdropping. After carefully checking everything several times, Morganus inhaled deeply and dialed again.
Buru buru~
The Den Den Mushi rang.
"Oh?" Shano set down his orange soda, gazing out at the harbor view. "Faster than expected."
He picked up.
A hoarse, elderly voice came through.
"This line is encrypted at the highest level. Sir, please don't ask who I am, and I won't answer anything about my identity."
"However, I can give you the information you seek."
"Most of those 'adults' rarely leave their mountain manor. But… there are exceptions. A few young ones have become fond of traveling in recent years."
Shano narrowed his eyes but said nothing, simply listening.
"Two prefer heading north to see the snowy lands. It's far, but perhaps of interest?"
"The rest often wander into certain forests—there's always something there they like."
"As for timing, their travels follow a pattern. The next one should be in about forty days…"
Shano tilted his head toward the horizon through the porthole, eyes dim.
Forty days—around a month and a half.
Still some time…
But that was perfect.
The Seven Wisteria Islands, especially the ones abandoned by Whitebeard and Kaido, had only just fallen under his control. He still needed time to consolidate them.
And his new powers—the Sun Fist, Spiritual Summoning, and Land Reclamation Technique—all required thorough practice until he could wield them with mastery.
Yes. Rest and prepare.
A storm always brews in the calm before it.
A smile tugged at Shano's lips.
Sabaody Archipelago
The Sabaody Archipelago isn't truly an island. Like the Four Seas, freed from Grand Line's magnetic currents, it cycles through four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter.
March passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was mid-April, the turn from spring to summer.
Gurgle… pop!
Resin bubbles constantly formed, floated, and burst. Sunlight streamed through the mangrove canopy as the weather warmed.
"Hey, you guys, look there! What's that?"
At the docks, an old ship-coater sprawled beneath a tree with his shirt open to the breeze. He suddenly sat up, eyes wide, pointing to sea.
Several fellow workers followed his gaze.
A whirlpool was forming offshore, spreading wide—
Splash!
A pale yellow submarine burst from the water like a breaching whale, sending waves rolling.
"Is that… a pirate ship?"
The old coater squinted at the grinning skull emblem, scratching his head. "It can move on its own? Think it still needs coating?"
Who knew…
The workers glanced at one another.
Pssh— Steam hissed as the hatch opened. A tall young man stepped onto the wet deck, one hand on the brim of his spotted hat, the other resting on his sword.
"Captain, so this is the end of the first half? The Sabaody Archipelago? It's huge!"
Bepo padded after him, ears twitching curiously.
"Whoa! That polar bear talked!"
"So scary!"
The drunk ship-coaters' eyes bulged.
"S-sorry…" Bepo ducked his head, fiddling with the corner of his clothes.
"No need to apologize to anyone."
Law smacked him lightly, then glared at the workers. "Hey! If you laugh at my crewmates again, I'll cut you in half."
The coaters huddled, trembling.
One sharp-eyed elder squinted harder, recognition flashing.
"Hey! You—you're the one! Captain of the Heart Pirates, bounty 200 million berries… one of the eleven Supernovas!"
"Supernova?"
Law blinked, frowning. "Captain of the Heart Pirates and 200 million, yes. But what's this 'Supernova'?"
Xia Qi's Rip-Off Bar
"Little brat, you really don't know you're one of this year's Supernovas?"
Inside the bar, Xia Qi propped her chin on her hand, eyeing the algae-haired boy seated across from her with amusement.
"Bounty, 121 million berries… Roronoa Zoro, captain of the Er Ba Dao Pirates?"
"I told you I didn't know. Why would I lie, Auntie?"
Zoro sulked, downing his drink in one gulp. "Captain, cook, navigator, shipwright—all my responsibility alone. No time to read the papers!"
"Alone?"
Xia Qi raised her brows. "A swordsman who only knows how to fight, sailing Paradise alone all the way here?"
"…End of Paradise?"
Zoro blinked. Then, realizing, he slammed the table. "Wait! This is the end of Paradise?!"
"You're really too slow."
"How should I know! I just wanted to go to Water 7 for repairs, but I got lost. Next thing I knew, I was here!"
Lost? To end up here? Xia Qi's eye twitched.
Zoro rubbed his temples. "Damn… my ship's falling apart. How am I supposed to reach the New World now…"
"If it's repairs, there are shipyards here. Head east."
She puffed her cigarette, then warned, "But are you sure you want to go? The New World isn't Paradise. Even Supernovas with nine-digit bounties die like dogs if they're careless."
Zoro grinned, eyes blazing.
"Of course I'll go! I promised a girl I'd follow in Brother Shano's footsteps and fight for the title of greatest swordsman. No way I stop here!"
"Brother Shano…" Xia Qi's gaze sharpened. "You know him?"
"Yeah. We go way back. Known each other since I was a kid."
Nostalgia softened Zoro's face. "It's only been a year, but after everything… it feels like forever."
He stood, fishing coins from his pocket.
"Two glasses to quench my thirst. I didn't order anything else. Please settle the bill."
"No problem."
Xia Qi exhaled smoke, smiling slyly. "Two glasses of 70-year-old Romano Special. Total, fifty million berries."
"…"
Zoro froze, staring up in disbelief.
"How much?!"
"Fifty million."
She smirked. "Treasure from seventy years ago. A little pricey, don't you think?"
"You're kidding!"
Zoro slammed the counter. "That was ordinary wine! You grabbed it from under the bar!"
"Oh, I've been caught." Xia Qi feigned surprise, a mischievous glint in her eye. "But hey—you called me Auntie. Consider this emotional damages."
…Pure blackmail.
So this was why they called her Rip-Off Xia Qi!
Zoro grit his teeth, fingers twitching toward his sword.
Just as the tension peaked, the door banged open.
"Boss! Twenty orders of barbecue, quick! I haven't eaten in three days!"
A freckled young man in a cowboy hat stumbled in, tongue lolling, eyes gleaming with hunger. He slammed the counter, panting.
Both Zoro and Xia Qi turned to stare.
"Kid, this is a bar, not a restaurant," Xia Qi said flatly.
"Huh? Really?" He scratched his head. "But the diner next door's full. Some weirdo and his gang booked the whole place. Said you served food too…"
"Snacks, not barbecue."
She rubbed her temple, then peered at him more closely.
"Hey, aren't you… Ace? Portgas D. Ace? Bounty 330 million—the highest of this year's Supernovas?"
The resemblance to Roger in his youth was uncanny.
"Eh? You know me, Auntie?" Ace blinked.
"Three hundred thirty million?!" Zoro's jaw dropped.
The two locked eyes, sizing each other up.
"Tch. Another green-haired guy? No wonder I couldn't eat. Bad luck." Ace scoffed.
"Oi, freckle-face, that's rude."
Zoro's hand slid to his hilt, smirking. "When I can't pay a bill, I beat down a wanted man nearby and turn him in. Guess you'll be footing this one…"
But then he paused.
"…Wait. Did you just say again?"