"Ah, the passage of time..."
"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate sat in his captain's quarters, lifting a massive sake jug to his lips. After taking a deep draught, he gently placed the latest edition of the World Economy News on the table before him and sighed contemplatively.
Although the Marines and World Government had initially attempted to suppress the information, the fall of "Golden Lion" Shiki in the East Blue had ultimately been exposed by the World Economy News.
Laura Louise had played a pivotal role in this revelation. Upon returning to the Grand Line from the East Blue, she hadn't immediately published her story about William. She understood that while William's tale was certainly dramatic and his East Blue origins provided a novel angle, these elements alone weren't sufficient to secure the front page of a publication as prestigious as the World Economy News.
Louise, however, knew about the situation with Golden Lion Shiki and had made a calculated gamble—betting that William would emerge victorious. Her wager had paid off handsomely.
When her sources in the East Blue confirmed Shiki's defeat, Louise immediately submitted William's profile to her editor-in-chief, along with the explosive news that the legendary "Golden Lion" Shiki had descended upon the East Blue only to fall at the hands of a local upstart.
Who was Golden Lion Shiki?
He was a legendary pirate who once stood as an equal to "Pirate King" Roger and "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate. Among these titans, Roger—who had ushered in the Great Pirate Era—was the most universally recognized, a departed legend whose name resonated worldwide. Whitebeard, meanwhile, was hailed as the strongest man alive, a living legend who continued to dominate the present era.
Though Shiki had vanished from public view for many years, his infamous escape from Impel Down—the supposedly inescapable prison—had been widely reported, creating a global sensation that lingered in collective memory.
For such a towering figure to perish at the hands of an unknown individual from the East Blue was, as Donquixote Doflamingo had remarked, a colossal joke played on the world. Simultaneously, it was a story worthy of front-page coverage in any major newspaper.
Louise's editor-in-chief immediately approved her story, publishing it with comprehensive detail. At a time when most major powers had only caught wind of vague rumors and knew little about either the event or its participants, the World Economy News provided an exhaustive account of Shiki's arrival in the East Blue and the identity of the man who had defeated him.
Prior to this, even Marine Headquarters lacked detailed intelligence on William. Thanks to the World Economy News, William—previously renowned only within the East Blue—instantly became a household name across the globe.
The newspaper Whitebeard had just set down was this very issue, featuring the story of Shiki's demise.
The front page bore a bold, attention-grabbing headline that bordered on sensationalism: "A New Era is Upon Us!"
Below the headline were side-profile photographs of two men.
On the left was a figure with long hair cascading down to his waist, dressed in a loose-fitting kimono. His face was framed by an unkempt beard, and a cigar jutted from his mouth. His half-lidded eyes exuded arrogance and contempt, as if looking down on the man facing him in the opposing photograph. Most striking was the ship's wheel protruding from the top of his head.
This black-and-white image of "Golden Lion" Shiki resembled nothing so much as a funeral portrait.
On the right, facing Shiki, stood a young man with short, slicked-back golden hair, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. One hand rested confidently on the hilt of his downward-angled sword, radiating an aura of martial prowess. His expression was stern and focused, his gaze level as if locked in silent confrontation with Shiki.
This was, of course, William. Unlike Shiki's monochrome image, William's photograph appeared in vibrant color.
The stark contrast—one image in black-and-white, the other in full color—immediately drew the reader's eye, symbolically highlighting the central narrative.
Beneath each photograph, the newspaper listed the men's respective accomplishments and ages.
It was these ages that had prompted Whitebeard's reflective mood.
He wasn't merely struck by William's youth, but also by Shiki's advanced years. Without fully realizing it, their generation had grown old—over seventy years had passed them by.
Having navigated the seas for decades, Whitebeard understood all too well that for newcomers to rise to prominence, they inevitably had to step over the reputations of established veterans. The fame of rookies was built upon the downfall of legends.
Someday, the exploits of Whitebeard's generation—now passed down through oral tradition—would mark them as part of the "old guard." Whitebeard simply hadn't expected that day to arrive so swiftly.
He had never particularly liked Shiki, yet he couldn't suppress a twinge of melancholy. He recognized that Shiki hadn't merely lost to the young man named William—he had also fallen victim to the inexorable march of time. And Whitebeard himself, confronting the ravages of age, was equally powerless against this universal adversary.
A young nurse suddenly appeared, seemingly materializing from nowhere. She approached Whitebeard with hands planted firmly on her hips, craning her neck to look up at him. Though tall by ordinary standards, she appeared diminutive beside the giant of a man. Even with Whitebeard seated, she had to tilt her head back considerably to meet his gaze.
The nurse, completely undaunted by his reputation as "the world's strongest man," puffed out her cheeks in disapproval, eyes fixed on the sake jug in his massive hand.
"Captain, the doctor explicitly told you to reduce your alcohol consumption!" she scolded.
Whitebeard regarded her dismissively. "What would a child like you understand? For a pirate, fine sake is the universal remedy—a cure for all ailments."
"If you continue this way, your health will deteriorate further," the nurse warned, gesticulating dramatically as if her animated display might somehow intimidate the legendary pirate. "Then it won't just be about taking medicine—you'll need daily intravenous treatments!"
"Giving up sake, swallowing pills like they're food, dragging IV poles wherever I go, and clinging to life on a sickbed..." Whitebeard muttered before taking another defiant swig. "Living so cautiously, in constant fear, merely to extend my life a little longer—that's not a choice 'Whitebeard' would ever make."
...
In the end, the nurse failed to confiscate Whitebeard's sake jug. Though he seemed good-natured enough, not taking offense at her presumptuous tone, Whitebeard remained the world's strongest man. If he was determined not to do something, few in the world could force his hand—certainly not a mere nurse.
Frustrated, she gathered the trash from Whitebeard's table, including the newspaper that had sparked his philosophical musings, and stormed out of the room.
Her hasty exit nearly caused her to collide with a bulky figure in the corridor. She quickly stepped backward to avoid the impact.
"Is something wrong with Pops' health?" the man inquired in a deep voice, not moving an inch from his position.
The nurse frowned, tilting her head as she studied him. After several seconds, she finally retrieved a vague recollection of this unremarkable man who had reportedly been aboard the ship for years. "He's fine—still sneaking drinks despite orders. Ti... Ti..."
"Teach!" Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard, smiled good-naturedly, showing no irritation at her inability to recall his name. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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