In the following days, the unimaginable war between Marine Headquarters and the Alliance of Three Yonko led by Elior finally shook the entire world. Unprecedented waves overturned the era itself. The Red-Haired Pirates were completely annihilated. Marine Headquarters was defeated and forced to surrender.
Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, Akainu, Ryokugyu, Black Viper and Tokikake, along with numerous Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, were all dead in battle. Some could not even leave intact corpses. For example, Akainu: it was said that only a single human head remained. Beyond shock and fear, people could not even imagine how brutal this war had been. So many of the Marines' top combat forces were wiped out in one battle.
Moreover, rumors spread that Elior personally caused or directly participated in the deaths of most of these top-tier fighters. Once again, the terror of the Fourth Yonko, Elior, sent fear coursing through countless hearts. After this war, whispers quietly spread throughout the Great Pirate Age: talk of the Pirate King resurfaced. The era of the Four Yonko was over. Only three Yonko remained. Yet it was rumored that Kaido and Big Mom had once again submitted to Elior.
So was this the era of the Three Yonko? No. This era of great pirates had become Elior's era alone. Elior, who ruled Paradise, sent shockwaves throughout the entire New World. Even though the Marines had been utterly crushed, and pirate crews and underground forces were no longer restrained by Marine authority, none of them dared to act recklessly.
Elior had said one thing: "During this period, anyone who dares to stir trouble in the New World will be beheaded."
Naturally, there were pirates arrogant enough to believe they could escape judgment. They thought the seas were vast and the ruler was far away. Without the Marines' deterrence, they grew even more reckless. But less than half a day later, those pirates were captured and brutally executed on a certain island. The news spread instantly. The entire New World was shaken. From that point on, the chaos was forcibly suppressed.
In a certain beast's lair in the first half of the Grand Line, Luffy, who had been training there, suddenly raised his head and let out a grief-stricken howl. After learning of the deaths of his father Dragon, his grandfather, and Shanks, how could he possibly accept it? It felt as if his heart and mind were about to explode.
"Grandpa… Shanks… Father!"
Luffy screamed as tears streamed endlessly down his face. Who could possibly understand such pain? At his age, Luffy was forced to endure unbearable grief.
"Elior! I'll kill you! You bastard! I'll kill you!"
Luffy had nearly lost all reason. On the other side, Rayleigh did not stop him, nor did he step forward to console him. Luffy needed to vent his grief; otherwise, he might collapse again, just like before. The shadows left by Ace and Sabo's deaths had already forced Luffy to grow, strengthening his mental resilience.
Even so, how could Rayleigh not feel grief? How could he not feel rage? Shanks he had watched grow up had died so tragically. Only heads were left. Rayleigh had learned the truth first and had broken down in tears. His hatred toward Elior had reached its peak. Yet at the same time, Rayleigh knew that Elior was terrifying beyond reason. No matter how hard Luffy trained now, he could never surpass Elior.
What Rayleigh didn't know was that Elior had already sent people to find them. The purpose was simple: to reduce them to ashes. This included the Straw Hat Pirates and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. Elior had always eliminated future threats. Though none of them could truly threaten him, there were simply too many flies, and flies were annoying.
What Elior truly had to face were the Celestial Dragons. Soon, Rayleigh and the others would be found. At that point, they would be killed directly. There was no need for Elior to act personally; sending subordinates to retrieve their heads would suffice.
On the other side, Elior had already returned to Paradise. Three additional women were now present in his residence: Ain, Hina, and Tashigi. All three were imprisoned in Elior's dungeon. Their hatred toward him was immeasurable. Elior didn't care; he was never a good person.
Hina said coldly, "Even if you take my body, you will never control my heart, mind, or soul."
Elior responded by issuing an absolute command. Before Ain and Tashigi's shocked eyes, Hina knelt to the ground and called him Master. Later, Elior lifted the absolute command. Hina trembled violently. Elior enjoyed watching resistance. As for Ain, she was the strongest, but that didn't matter. Elior had many women and no interest in emotional attachment. What awaited them was far beyond imagination.
Elior ignored them, as he had more important matters to deal with. After returning to Paradise, Elior considered the ownership of two Devil Fruits: the Wither-Wither Fruit and the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha. Wither-Wither Fruit was ultimately given to Reiju. She was moved to tears. She never expected Elior to give her such a precious power.
In battle, Reiju relied heavily on her Raid Suit. Though her own strength was already impressive, the suit was an external force. Thus, Elior gave her the Wither-Wither Fruit, the power to control plant life. It was a power that symbolized the vitality and rebirth of all things. It was an inherently terrifying ability. They said there were no useless Devil Fruits, only useless users, yet some Devil Fruits were undeniably born to stand at the very top.
As for the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, who should Elior give it to? That question remained unanswered.