"Ah… there's no mistake about it. That's him… Captain Rocks."
The faint whisper from Whitebeard—Edward Newgate, the strongest man in the world—fell heavy across the chaos.
And as his voice faded,
the entire battlefield fell deathly silent once more.
Then, in the very next heartbeat—
"Wha—!?!"
"P-Pops! What did you just say?"
"Father… did you just call that man—your Captain?"
"Captain?! You've got to be joking!"
"Dad… you… you actually…"
Every member of the Whitebeard Pirates froze where they stood, eyes wide, voices trembling.
"What the hell… what's even happening right now?"
"Whitebeard—the great Whitebeard—just called that man…"
"Not only Big Mom and Kaido of the Beasts, but now even Whitebeard himself?!"
"This can't be real—it's like something out of a dream!"
"Whitebeard… Kaido… Big Mom… three of the Four Emperors…"
"Even the strongest man in the world…!"
"This has to be fake! There's no way!"
Shock rippled through the ranks of the Marines.
"Hey, Hina," muttered Commodore Smoker, realization dawning across his face, "that man—could he be the one you mentioned before?"
The long-legged Lieutenant Peacock turned sharply toward her superior, remembering an earlier conversation.
Back when they were analyzing the overwhelming power behind Fairy Tail, Hina had made a comparison—to a name buried deep in forbidden history.
The name of that crew… was once whispered as the most fearsome to ever sail the seas.
And that name was—
"The Rocks Pirates."
"Ah!" Hina gasped, her eyes widening as she drew a sharp breath. "That's right. I've never seen him in person, but judging from everything—the power, the presence—that man is the Overlord of the Seas from thirty-six years ago—Rocks D. Xebec!"
Sabaody Islands — Live Broadcast Plaza
The words struck like thunder.
In an instant, the uproar of reporters and spectators erupted again—
louder, wilder, and more chaotic than before.
"Hey, did you hear that just now?!"
"I did—I definitely heard it!"
"Whitebeard—that Whitebeard!"
"The Four Emperors' Whitebeard, Edward Newgate!"
"The same man once hailed as the strongest under heaven—stronger even than Fairy Tail's Guild Master, Sugisawa Yuuto!"
"Whitebeard—the very symbol of this era—just called that man his Captain!"
"What the hell is even happening?!"
"You've got to be kidding me! That means, counting Whitebeard, there are now three of the Four Emperors who once served under the same man!"
"Three of the rulers of the sea, all calling one man their captain? That's terrifying beyond imagination!"
The square exploded into shouting, disbelief, and hysteria.
No one could process what they were witnessing.
"This war's becoming more and more surreal," muttered Capone Bege, captain of the Fire Tank Pirates. "I honestly can't tell if I'm still awake or dreaming anymore."
"Maybe… maybe this is all a dream," said Haiming Skulachman Apudao, trembling as he spoke. "Maybe we're still trapped in an illusion—one cast by Fairy Tail's power!"
"Yes… that must be it!" agreed Urouge, the Sky Monk, nodding fervently. "There's no way the dead can come back to life! This has to be an illusion!"
"And the idea that three of the Four Emperors would call someone 'Captain'? That kind of monster can't exist in this world!"
Hawkins, the Magician, shook his head, his expression pale.
"Wait—hang on," said Killer, eyes widening suddenly. "There might not just be three Four Emperors!"
"Golden Lion Shiki…" murmured Kid, realization dawning as he clenched his fists. "He's about to—!"
"Could it be…" said Trafalgar Law, his voice low, eyes narrowing as a shocking possibility took shape in his mind.
And then—
Under the glare of the world's spotlight, the massive live broadcast screen flickered—
revealing Golden Lion Shiki himself, his wild golden hair and devilish grin unmistakable.
"Jiehahahaha!"
That mad, unrestrained laughter echoed through the air.
"Captain Rocks… it's been a long time!"