Whitebeard's weathered face was blooming like a chrysanthemum.
Ace, that brat… so he really had that kind of romantic history?
He'd really underestimated the kid.
Now that was interesting.
On the plaza of Ryugu Castle, the Whitebeard Pirates were celebrating Lucian's victory in the only way they knew how.
Lucian—who had single-handedly trampled two Emperors of the Sea beneath his feet.
What they didn't know—
While they were still reveling, the news of Lucian singlehandedly overwhelming the joint force of two Yonko was spreading at an astonishing speed, sweeping through every corner of the sea.
Caw—caw—
Countless News Coos took flight from the headquarters of the World Economic News, each carrying a satchel.
They surged like a black tide, spreading across the world.
Bustling cities.
Remote islands.
Marine strongholds.
Pirate havens.
Newspapers fluttered down from the sky.
Everywhere, people looked up and caught the paper from the center of the world.
And then—
The world fell silent.
On a city street, a woman who had just finished shopping stared at the front page.
Her basket clattered to the ground.
Apples rolled everywhere.
She didn't move.
Just clutched her mouth, her eyes bulging in disbelief.
In a tavern, a braggart bounty hunter who'd been boasting of his adventures suddenly stood up.
His drink spilled, rum soaking the newspaper.
He didn't care.
He just stared at the headline, jaw slack enough to fit a fist inside.
A choking sound came from his throat—as if an invisible hand had grabbed it.
Aboard a pirate ship, the captain snatched the paper.
The moment he read it, his arrogant grin froze.
Then it twisted slowly into fear.
He trembled, crushed the paper into a ball, unfolded it again—
Crunched it again—unfolded it again.
In the end, he collapsed onto the deck.
"It's fake… it has to be fake… there's no way…"
The front page carried two photos.
One was a wide aerial shot of Totto Land.
The fairytale-like Cake Island at the center—now marked by two massive, indescribably deep craters.
Smooth as mirrors.
Bottomless.
The sheer sense of annihilation made every viewer's heart tighten with dread.
The second photo was even more suffocating.
Floating above the craters, a young figure.
His back to the camera, dressed simply in black shirt and pants—golden particles still drifting around him like glittering rain.
He was just one man.
But his achievement was more terrifying than the twin craters combined.
And beneath the photo, a headline that shocked the world:
"Era's End! Temporal King Lucian Crushes the Two-Emperor Alliance Alone!"
A single line.
The Yonko.
Emperors who had ruled the seas for decades.
Kaido of the Beasts—strongest creature on land, sea, and air.
Charlotte Linlin—born destroyer, queen of souls and storms.
Together, their alliance could make the World Government tremble.
But now—
The paper reported it as undeniable fact:
They were defeated.
By one man.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
And then—
A tidal wave of global uproar.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, the air was so heavy it could be wrung into water.
"Pfft!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Buddha, sprayed crushed senbei crumbs all over a massive strategic map.
His usually stern face contorted into something bizarre.
His glasses slipped, his goat beard was stained with snack bits.
He was stunned.
But it didn't last.
Once the shock faded, his expression turned… oddly calm.
As if—
He had already expected this outcome.
"A terrifying guy… even Kaido and Charlotte Linlin couldn't stop him?"
"Then who in the world can?"
Lucian's power…
It shattered Sengoku's understanding of combat strength.
This wasn't human.
And in sharp contrast to his flustered state—
The man on the sofa remained silent.
Marine Hero—Monkey D. Garp.
He wasn't snacking.
Wasn't laughing.
Since picking up the newspaper, he hadn't said a single word.
Those normally careless eyes… had become unfathomably deep.
Shock.
Gravitas.
And a hint of… a confusion even he didn't recognize… stirred beneath them.
He stared at Lucian's back in the photo.
'This era…
has really gone out of control.'
Holy Land, Mariejois.
Pangaea Castle, Room of Authority.
The atmosphere here was a hundred times heavier than at Marineford.
The air was like a block of lead.
Seated in silence were the Five Elders, the highest authority in the World Government.
A newspaper sat on the table between them.
"That bastard!!!"
"Kaido and Linlin—useless trash! Even together, they ended up like that! What a disgrace!"
"The problem isn't how useless they are—
It's that brat Lucian! His growth rate has completely escaped our control!"
"Even during the Marineford war, we couldn't beat him when he was with Nika.
Now? I doubt even Nika is needed anymore—he alone could overpower us!"
The blonde Elder's voice was laced with cold fury.
"If we let him continue unchecked, his threat will become unimaginable!"
The Elder with the map-shaped scar on his forehead finally spoke—his voice hoarse and ice cold.
"This man… is becoming more and more terrifying."
His eyes swept across the others—cloudy but filled with undisguised killing intent.
"We can't wait any longer. Before he shakes this world's foundations—
He must be eliminated."
"But how?"
"Even all five of us plus Steel Bone Kong can't stop him!"
The room plunged into silence again.
A long pause.
Then the Elder of Venus's seat showed a glint of resolution.
"When that he awakens, report this immediately."
"Then, we launch a full-scale hunt for that man."
He paused, then spoke each word like a hammer blow:
"Just like we did… to Rocks."
"Rocks."
At that name—
All five Elders' faces darkened with dread and grim resolve.
That was the name they—and the entire World Government—most feared to recall.
Somewhere else…
Revolutionary Army Headquarters.
Winds howled.
Monkey D. Dragon stood at the cliff's edge, his coat whipping in the storm.
His face bore shock—
But more than that, a gravity unlike anything before.
And just a trace of something hard to detect…
A smile.
Back at Ryugu Castle's plaza, the wild celebration neared its end.
Marco walked quickly over to Lucian and Whitebeard, holding a piece of intelligence.
His expression was grave.
"Lucian. Pops."
He lowered his voice.
"The Marines… have made a major move."
"Oh?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
Global upheaval always brings aftershocks.
Marco spoke solemnly:
"After we rescued Ace, Fleet Admiral Sengoku announced his resignation."
"He then recommended Aokiji Kuzan as his successor."
"But the World Government strongly pushed for Akainu Sakazuki."
"For the position of Fleet Admiral, a massive divide has erupted within the Marines."
"And strangely enough, Aokiji—who's always been indifferent to power—
Isn't backing down this time."
"So…
To settle it, Akainu and Aokiji have agreed to a duel to the death—seven days from now—
At Punk Hazard."
The winner becomes the next Fleet Admiral.
The news made even Whitebeard—mid-drink—pause.
A power struggle within the Marines… resolved through combat?
Lucian, on the other hand, looked intrigued.
Akainu… Aokiji… Punk Hazard…
That was going to be one hell of a show.
He turned to Whitebeard, smirking playfully:
"Pops, since we're not busy…
Wanna go watch something fun?"
"Hmm?"
Whitebeard looked over.
Lucian's grin widened, his voice lowering as his eyes glinted mischievously.
He added slowly:
"Besides…
I still need to finish analyzing that last 25%."