Across the seas, the exploits of the Arlong Pirates were spreading like wildfire—viral and unstoppable.
This time, Souta Kiryuu's actions were even more insane than anything Kaidō of the Beasts had ever done.
Enies Lobby, untouched for eight hundred years, had been obliterated. The Celestial Dragons, self-proclaimed nobles of the world, were slaughtered in succession. The Marines' headquarters had been brazenly attacked, and even the Warlords of the Sea were casually crushed.
These feats shook the entire world. For a moment, the name of the Arlong Pirates eclipsed even the infamous Four Emperors.
With Souta Kiryuu and Bartholomew Kuma carrying massive new bounties, countless strong men realized it was only a matter of time before the crew grew into a force rivaling the Yonko themselves.
Recognizing the crew's strength and madness, the Vinsmoke Family of the North Blue and the Golden Emperor of the New World both made it their highest priority to supply Souta Kiryuu with rare materials.
This ally had become a partner they dared not neglect.
Gran Tesoro
"This man is utterly insane. Then I'll help this raging dragon grow as much as I can. The more Celestial Dragons you kill, the happier I'll be!"
Gild Tesoro burst into manic laughter aboard the Gran Tesoro, downing gulps of red wine before shattering the bottle in his hand.
"Tanaka! Pack up every Devil Fruit user in our prison and prepare all the supplies in the warehouse. And bring me five hundred billion Berries!" Tesoro shouted at the gilded wall.
On the Gran Tesoro, countless gamblers had lost everything—including pirate captains who once wielded Devil Fruit powers. Their crews, their treasures, even their freedom had all become Tesoro's property. Normally, these prisoners were reserved for bloody executions staged as entertainment for the rich and powerful.
But now Souta Kiryuu needed resources and Devil Fruit users. So Tesoro would send everything to him—so that dragon could become the scourge of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
"Yes, Boss!"
From the wall emerged a large-headed middle-aged man: Tanaka, Tesoro's butler and a user of the Clank-Clank Fruit.
When he left, Tesoro slumped onto his leather sofa. Closing his eyes, his fists clenched as a trembling memory resurfaced.
"Stella... I'll never forget that Celestial Dragon who killed you. One day, he will die by my hands!"
He remembered the auction house at Sabaody, where Stella had been violently dragged away by a Celestial Dragon. Tesoro had tried to save her, only to be beaten and enslaved in Mariejois. There, he'd seen Stella again—battered, broken—and within two years, she was dead.
The sneering face of that Celestial Dragon haunted him still. Veins bulged on his forehead as rage consumed him.
The death of the woman he loved, and seven years as a slave—he would never forget.
Souta Kiryuu... I'll wait for you to grow into a force that makes the World Government tremble. When that time comes, I won't hesitate to stand with you.
Unable to fight back directly, Tesoro placed his hopes in another—at least someone who could make his dream of vengeance possible.
After brooding, Tesoro pulled out a dossier of information Souta had requested.
"The blind gambler, Isshō... a man with the Teleportation Fruit... one with the Strength Fruit..."
These were the intelligence notes from his last den den mushi call with Souta Kiryuu. Handing them over to his lucky secretary, Baccarat, he set her to work.
After Souta killed two Celestial Dragons, Tesoro decided to bet everything on him. Unlike Kaidō's reckless madness, Souta showed cunning, closer to Doflamingo's level of scheming. Someone Tesoro could actually work with.
So the Golden Emperor would go all in. He would push every chip he had onto Souta Kiryuu's side.
Marine Headquarters – Marineford
The atmosphere inside the Fleet Admiral's office was tense. Even Akainu Sakazuki had rushed back from the New World, while Garp was dragged from vacation in the East Blue.
The Marine fortress had already been repaired—flags restored, walls rebuilt—but the humiliation of the Arlong Pirates' assault still festered.
"The destructive power shown by the Arlong Pirates exceeded all expectations," said Vice Admiral Tsuru grimly, spreading photos across the table. "Especially Souta Kiryuu and Enel. Their attacks have reached island-erasing levels."
The purple-red storm clouds, lightning, and that massive black thunderball left even the veteran officers shaken.
"That black thunderball... that was Enel's?" Garp asked, incredulous. The destructive power rivaled a natural disaster—and it came from a man with a mere 500 million bounty?
"Yes," Tsuru confirmed heavily. "The World Government suppressed his initial bounty. But based solely on that destructive capability, Enel deserves at least a billion. He's more dangerous than Jack the Drought."
"Which means," Akainu growled, "they now have three top-level combatants."
Souta Kiryuu, Kuma, and Enel—all exceeding the strength of most Vice Admirals. Only the three Admirals, Garp, or Sengoku himself could realistically face them.
"From now on, unless an Admiral is leading the charge, do not engage them directly," Sengoku ordered. His own disastrous campaign at Enies Lobby had shown how dangerous they truly were.
Fortunately, analysis suggested that Souta and Enel's island-destroying attacks required long buildup times. They weren't techniques that could be unleashed instantly. Otherwise, the world itself would fall under their shadow.
"The Five Elders have already decreed," said Chief Inspector Tokikake, placing a stamped document on the desk, "that the God's Knights will fully take over the task of hunting the Arlong Pirates. The Marines and CP organizations are to cooperate fully."
His expression was sour—he and Sengoku had just returned from Mariejois, where the Elders and Celestial Dragons had showered them with fury and insults.
On hearing this, Admiral Kizaru quietly exhaled in relief. Souta Kiryuu's brand of chaos was no longer his problem. He preferred the predictable balance of the Yonko. Even Kaidō was less troublesome than this dragon tearing the seas apart.