"The Four Emperors Alliance? And he went alone? That's suicide!"
Marco and the others turned pale in an instant.
They had been preoccupied with Whitebeard's funeral and never imagined that such a monumental event would unfold in just a few days.
Shanks nodded silently, handing over the intelligence in his hand. "That guy… as arrogant as ever. Last time, he won by exploiting a loophole and managed to defeat Kaido."
"But this time, Kaido won't give him another chance."
"Two Emperors joining forces—and he's going alone to rescue someone? If that's not suicide, what is?"
He turned to Ace. "That day, he boarded the ship with me to convince Whitebeard to summon you back. He did you a favor. For my sake, let go of your grudge. I don't think Whitebeard would want to see this either."
Shanks had always respected Whitebeard's crew.
If Ace were to die in this war, following Whitebeard, the Whitebeard Pirates would lose their soul. Shanks would have no choice but to try and recruit the remnants to strengthen his own crew.
But Luoyu's presence had thrown everything into chaos—like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
Now, with this rare opportunity to mediate, Shanks wasn't about to let it slip away.
This was his final line.
"No, Shanks. I'm afraid we can't give you that favor," Marco cut in firmly.
"It's true Luoyu delivered the final blow to Pops—but that was something Pops had decided long ago. It was part of their agreement."
"He knew only his death could bring closure and preserve the Whitebeard Pirates."
"If anyone's to blame for his death, it's us—his useless sons."
"If anything, we owe Luoyu a debt."
"Now that Kaido and Big Mom have allied, and Blackbeard is lurking among them, we can't just sit back while Luoyu walks into death alone."
"Even without Pops, we must repay that debt. We'll bring Blackbeard back. Ace, am I wrong?"
Ace nodded silently.
The other division commanders followed suit.
Shanks was stunned.
He had no idea there was such a pact between Luoyu and Whitebeard.
He had planned to use this moment to gain favor and influence.
But in the end, the joke was on him.
The Whitebeard Pirates' debt couldn't be leveraged.
Everything was spiraling far from what he had envisioned.
It felt like punching cotton—no resistance, no impact.
Still, seeing Marco and the others ready to move, Shanks' expression darkened slightly.
"Ace, Marco… if you're really going to repay that debt, then I'll go with you."
"I understand what happens when the lips are gone—the teeth grow cold."
"I won't let Kaido and Big Mom's alliance dominate unchecked. If something happens to Luoyu, I believe they'll at least give me enough face to spare him."
Marco and the others hadn't expected Shanks to step in like this.
But realistically, the current Whitebeard Pirates alone might not even make a ripple in Totto Land.
Whether Shanks' presence would help was uncertain.
But it was better than nothing.
With Marco and Shanks reaching an agreement, an unlikely alliance was temporarily formed.
The Le Roux and Moby Dick, anchored off Sphinx Island, raised anchor and set sail for Totto Land.
If word of this got out, it would shake the seas once more.
All Four Emperors, stirred by one man.
In this era, perhaps only Luoyu could claim such a feat.
Meanwhile, at the sea gate of the Kingdom of Dressrosa…
A barrage of cannonfire rained from the sky, blanketing a kilometer-wide stretch of ocean. The shells pounded the merchant ships fleeing at full sail below.
BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the sea, waves surging high as ships capsized.
Royal guards were thrown overboard—only a few managed to stay standing.
"King Riku, please return to the cabin! If you fall into Big Mom's hands, Dressrosa will be doomed!"
Ariston, wielding a spiked iron ball, pleaded urgently.
Months ago, a newly appointed Marine Admiral had stormed Dressrosa to conscript Doflamingo into the war, triggering a cataclysmic battle.
The Donquixote Family was crushed, and the kingdom's dark secrets were exposed.
Sugar, hidden deep beneath the coliseum, was gravely injured by the shockwaves, breaking the curse of her Devil Fruit.
King Riku was rescued from captivity, and the memories of Kyros, Rebecca, and others returned in full.
They had hoped that with the Donquixote Family gone, Dressrosa could return to peace.
But then Totto Land expanded its territory by 500 nautical miles—swallowing Dressrosa whole.
Faced with this sudden crisis, Viola had urged them to seek help from the World Government.
But before any reply came, Big Mom's pirates launched their assault, aiming to seize the kingdom.
As pirate flags surged in from behind, fluttering in the wind, everyone's faces turned pale.
"Hand me over," King Riku said, gripping the mast. "If I serve as bait, you might have a chance to escape."
"No, Father! We already gave you up once. We won't do it again—not unless we're dead!" Viola shouted.
She had endured years of bitterness under the Donquixote Family.
To go through that again would be worse than death.
"Don't worry, Father. I've already sent a distress signal to Marine HQ. I believe they'll come. We just have to hold on until then!" Viola said urgently.
Beside her, Rebecca had already donned her battle armor. She gripped her sword tightly and said:
"Grandfather, don't worry. We can still fight. We'll hold out until the Navy arrives."
"This time, it's my turn to protect you!"
With a cry, Rebecca leapt forward, sword raised to strike down the incoming shells.
But just as she moved, a mocking, familiar voice rang out beside her:
"Heh… Princess, it's been a while. But I forgot to tell you—this place is now a Marine graveyard."