At the docks of Whole Cake Island, Ortoren once again boarded Katakuri's absurdly styled ship, the Sweet Donut.
"The entire New World—no, maybe the entire world—is in upheaval after the outcome of the Battle of Edd War. It's bound to shift the balance of power across the seas. Mama's at the front lines now, and she won't be coming back anytime soon. So if you still want to talk to her about joining the Marines, you'll have to do it in person," Katakuri said as he ordered his men to raise the sails.
Ortoren nodded. "That's exactly why I'm going with you."
After a short pause, he asked, "So, with the way things are now... are we launching a war against Shiki's territory to seize his assets?"
"Partly. This is a golden opportunity. Shiki controlled the most expansive and prosperous territory in the New World, but now his power's taken a massive hit. I heard he was seriously injured in that storm—nearly died—and many of his top officers are either dead or missing. That fleet of his that ruled the seas? Nearly wiped out. Now's the best time to strike!" Katakuri replied, his tone laced with excitement.
Then, taking a breath, his eyes narrowed coldly.
"On top of that, Mama's planning to go after Ochoku."
"Huh?" Ortoren blinked in surprise. "Didn't you say Ochoku was an ally of the Big Mom Pirates?"
If Ortoren remembered correctly, Charlotte Linlin had headed to the front lines to meet up with Ochoku and take on Shiki together.
"Calling him an ally is a stretch. At best, we were partners forced to cooperate under Shiki's threat. We've clashed plenty even before this," Katakuri said, shaking his head.
Pirates rarely have true allies. The Big Mom Pirates had never formally signed any so-called "pirate alliance" agreements.
Ortoren understood what he meant. When Shiki was at his peak, no one could take him on alone. So naturally, others banded together to resist his pressure.
But now? Forget pressure—Shiki was lucky just to not get stomped himself.
So those so-called "partners" didn't mean much anymore. Ochoku just happened to be nearby. And Charlotte Linlin wanted to cut down on competition for Shiki's spoils. So she chose to strike first and push Ochoku out of the race.
Ortoren couldn't help but sigh at the thought. The pirate world really was brutal—ruthless, treacherous, and dripping with betrayal at every turn.
"But still... Ochoku's been a renowned pirate for years. He was on the Rocks crew too. You don't think he's prepared for this?" Ortoren muttered.
"Maybe so, but word is Mama's planning to team up with Kaidou," Katakuri added.
"Kaidou?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow. "She trusts him more than Ochoku?"
"For Mama, yes. Compared to Ochoku, Silver Axe, or Captain John, she trusts Kaidou more. Back when they were all on the same ship, he was the one closest to her," Katakuri explained.
Back during their time on Rocks' ship, Charlotte Linlin had looked after Kaidou like a younger brother. She even grabbed the Mythical Zoan Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, during the God Valley incident—and later, after the Rocks Pirates disbanded, gifted it to Kaidou without hesitation.
According to some of the gossip Ortoren had read in Rocks' book, he had reason to believe Kaidou might've secretly had feelings for Charlotte Linlin.
Physically, the two matched well. They were close in age, and they had a solid bond—not to mention they were equally powerful.
But clearly, while Kaidou may have been interested, Charlotte Linlin didn't reciprocate. She was a woman set on ruling the seas. From the way she had always sought out weaker husbands, it was clear: she needed absolute control in a relationship.
Kaidou might've been a perfect match in many ways—but he was too strong, too proud to submit. And that made it impossible for the two to be together.
But putting all that aside, Kaidou was indeed one of the few in the New World's circle of ambitious powerhouses who could build a foundation of trust with Charlotte Linlin and work with her on a deep level.
"So this time, she's planning to team up with Kaidou and carve up Shiki's piece of the pie?" Ortoren asked.
"Yeah. I haven't spoken to Mama directly, but based on everything I've learned about her over the years, that's probably exactly what she's planning. And honestly, it's the most beneficial move for both of them," Katakuri replied.
Ortoren fell silent, deep in thought. It suddenly hit him—this incident might be one of the key turning points that laid the groundwork for the future Yonkō era.
All of them had once stood on Rocks' ship, so why was it that twenty years later, Silver Axe, Ochoku, and the rest didn't become Yonkō? Why did even someone as infamous as Captain John—the so-called "Treasure Captain"—end up dead?
Before the Battle of Edd War, they were all on roughly the same level. All of them were being suppressed by Shiki. So how did their paths diverge so drastically?
It was likely that this was the very moment the gap between them began to open.
Shiki had been badly wounded, while Charlotte Linlin and Kaidou joined forces and seized the lion's share of the spoils from the chaos, rapidly expanding their power. By comparison, Ochoku and Silver Axe probably didn't get much—maybe even lost strength.
In the end, Ochoku never rose to become a Yonkō and just lingered around Hachinosu, only to be taken out by Teach more than twenty years later.
Silver Axe likely met a similar fate.
After this, Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin were almost certainly the biggest winners.
...
It was clear that the ripple effects of the Edd War were massive.
At Marine Headquarters in Marineford, Admiral Zephyr had just returned two days prior from a mission.
Now, he sat in the Fleet Admiral's office, discussing the situation with Fleet Admiral Kong.
"Sengoku and the others still arrived too late..." Kong said with a sigh.
Even though they'd set out a few days in advance, no one expected the Battle of Edd War to end so quickly—it caught everyone off guard.
The whole thing was over in less than half a day.
Previously, based on the Roger Pirates' known combat strength, the Marines had predicted that even if they lost to Shiki's grand fleet, it would take at least ten to twenty days of brutal fighting before Roger and his crew could be taken down.
They were all top-tier fighters, all still in their prime. Who among them hadn't endured long, grueling battles?
The Navy's hope had been to arrive at the last moment, when both sides were exhausted, and wipe them all out in one decisive strike—Roger's crew and the Flying Pirates alike.
But that was just a dream. Reality didn't give them the chance.
Zephyr sipped his hot tea and chuckled.
"Maybe it's for the best. With a storm of that magnitude, even with our superior warships, we would've taken heavy losses…"
"You're not wrong. That bastard Shiki really had rotten luck," Kong said, lighting a cigarette. "But for us, that might actually be a good thing. With him gone, there's no one left in the New World who can keep the rest of the pirates in check. What comes next will probably be a savage free-for-all between them…"
"Don't forget about Whitebeard," Zephyr added after a moment. "He has the qualifications. And the strength."
"Whitebeard's definitely powerful," Kong nodded. "But he doesn't have the same ambition as Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, or Kaidou. That makes all the difference."
The Whitebeard Pirates were undeniably strong. Since leaving the Rocks crew, Newgate had spent years building his "family," adopting a vast number of sons—many of them formidable fighters. In terms of raw power, he was on par with Shiki.
But unlike Shiki, the Navy didn't view Newgate as a ticking time bomb.
That's because, over the years, they'd come to understand one thing—Whitebeard wasn't the type to try and conquer the world by force.
So long as you didn't provoke the Whitebeard Pirates, they wouldn't stir up any earth-shattering chaos.
Not like Shiki—who was always itching for a fight, threatening to flatten Marine Headquarters, raze Mary Geoise, slaughter the Celestial Dragons, and drag the Five Elders out to walk them on a leash.