The agonized screams echoed again across the ice, worse than before, chilling to the bone. The air filled with the stench of burnt flesh and the harsh tang of smoke — it was as if a savage who had returned from the darkest corners of earth had risen.
Blackbeard's body shivered violently as the black air around him dissipated in an instant. He crawled out from the frozen ground and glared at Kaito on the ship with fury twisting his features. He spat out through gritted teeth, his voice low and trembling with rage, "Cold… earth."
"Exactly," Kaito replied, his voice calm and unhurried, a warm, unsettling smile playing on his lips. "This is my goodbye gift. I hope our paths cross again in the New World." The smile's softness unsettled Blackbeard, making him look lecherous and wary.
Then Kaito turned toward Sengoku and the others distant but watching. "Sengoku will see you again. And when we meet next time, perhaps that will be the start of war."
He raised a hand lazily. At his signal, the monstrous silhouette that had loomed before them dissolved into a dark blot, vanishing from view as though swallowed by the sea.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed, shock and awe mingling across his features. "Kaito… how much strength is this man hiding?" he muttered.
He stepped forward to the center, standing proud and loud enough for every Marine to hear. "The war is over!"
Despite the tension and the unspoken fear in the air, Marines moved. The battle was concluded — but this was no victory. Marines had been crushed.
Ace had been rescued; the CP organization annihilated; Whitebeard still alive; the Marines' reputation in ruins. The seas would descend into even greater chaos. This would demand answers from the Five Elders, especially now that the CP organization lay in ashes.
Sengoku's departure signaled the complete end of the Summit War. Everything had changed — and that change was because of Kaito. Ace had lived. Whitebeard survived. Blackbeard lost everything.
The original trajectory of the sea had been disrupted in a massive shift, one that seemed far more promising than destruction.
---
The next day, the world reeled under the shock of what had happened. News spread like wildfire — through newspapers, homing pigeons, and word of mouth in every town and port.
Across every island and every village, people spoke of it.
Chief among the tales was the image of Whitebeard standing over Akainu — a sight that shattered belief and sent shivers across the seas.
The second was the miraculous rescue of Fire-Fist Ace by Kaito, and how Kaito single-handedly obliterated the entire CP organization.
People realized anew the strength of Whitebeard — though old, he remained terrifyingly powerful, enough to resist the combined might of the Marines' admirals and marshals.
But beyond him, there was Kaito.
Kaito had not only toppled one of the Four Emperors, the Beasts Pirates — a force long considered the ceiling for ordinary pirates — but had done so right as he emerged into the pirate world.
That single fact shook the underworld to its core.
Kaito, with a five-billion Berry bounty, inspired awe — no one dared question whether he deserved it. If anything, it felt barely enough.
In the days that followed, the uproar from the Summit War did not fade. It intensified.
Marine scrambled for control, trying to suppress the panic sweeping through the seas. The blow to their reputation was enormous.
What had been a humiliation needed to be buried—but the tidal wave of new pirate crews rising made that impossible.
Every day, more young men from remote villages set sail, inspired by Kaito's audacity. The seas erupted in a wave of piracy.
For the Marines, the number of cases skyrocketed.
Inside Marine headquarters, Sengoku stared at the growing list of arrests and new pirate threats with mounting fatigue.
He knew that if he had killed Kaito, he might also have had to execute Ace. Looking back, regret gnawed at him.
Beside him, Staff Officer Tsuru sipped her tea quietly, aware of Sengoku's inner turmoil. She understood the pain of regret—but also the impossibility of reversing what had happened.
"Sengoku," she murmured softly, "a message from Impel Down just arrived. The prison is almost full of inmates."
Sengoku's face twisted in disbelief. "What? Impel Down on the verge of closing? That prison was built for over one hundred thousand people!"
Tsuru explained with frustration, "The sea is full of new pirates since the Summit War. The Marines can no longer lock them down properly."
"The first and second wards are full," she continued. "Their strength doesn't allow them to be sent to lower levels. Magellan just reported this directly."
Sengoku's jaw clenched. "Then start locking them up in branch stations first," he ordered, voice heavy.
Tsuru nodded, "Yes. But it's only a temporary fix."
Sengoku's eyes darkened. "We'll think of something later."
Tsuru leaned back, quietly raising her teacup. "Any news on Kaito?" she asked casually.
"He and his crew have been staying in Wano since leaving Marine headquarters," Sengoku replied. "After defeating the Red-Haired Pirates, they haven't shown up anywhere else."
"Keep a close eye on them," Tsuru said, her voice clipped. "I have a feeling he's going to stir up more chaos."
Sengoku exhaled quietly. "I feel it too. After two years, I'll clean up everything in the Marine — and maybe find one of the three Akainu to succeed. Then I'll step down."
Tsuru nodded slowly, placing her cup on the table.
---
In the grand hall of the world government, five elder men gathered. These were the most powerful figures in the seas — the top leaders. Known collectively as the Five Elders.
"Have the new batch of CP operatives been deployed?" asked one man, his sword resting against his shoulder, his tone cold.
"Soon," replied another, an old man with a scar across his face and a heavy beard, "but it will be at least another year before they are fully active."
A third elder slammed a fist lightly on the table. "One year? That bastard Kaito deserves death." His voice turned grim and merciless.
The sword-wielding elder raised a finger, calm but cold. "Now is not the time for vengeance. We must reestablish the CP Organization quickly."
He turned slowly to glance at the others. "He's just one man. There will be a chance to deal with him later."
The bearded elder sighed. "Are you sure? Lowering standards means weakening the entire CP Organization's combat strength."
The blond elder nodded sharply. "We just need to survive this crisis. Then we'll return to old ways."
One by one, the others murmured their agreement.
"Seconded."
"Second."
"Second."
The blond elder stood up. "Then it is decided."
---