Roger and Rayleigh's doubts were obvious, but Lin Xuan had no intention of explaining anything to them just yet.
"You'll find out soon enough," he said simply.
With that, he picked up a drink and walked off, already thinking about inviting Whitebeard, Shanks, and the others to visit the Dragon Ball world.
Whitebeard clashing with the strongest fighters of the Dragon Ball world? That sounded like fun.
Still, it all depended on whether they were willing. After all, he couldn't resurrect living people from other worlds with the Reanimation technique—he could only seal them and bring them over.
Roger and Rayleigh stayed where they were. One kept brooding over whether he'd just been tricked, while the other mulled over Lin Xuan's words: what did it mean to "hold the tournament in another world"?
Hold it?
After a long silence, Roger suddenly slapped his hands together, as if struck by inspiration. "Don't tell me Lin Xuan means this martial arts tournament will be held in the underworld!"
Rayleigh's mouth twitched. He wanted nothing more than to walk over and kick his captain. This bastard had already duped him and was still scaring him like this!
But then he remembered Roger was already dead. Even if he kicked him, it wouldn't make a difference.
…
While Lin Xuan and the others held a grand victory feast at Marineford—and while he spoke with Whitebeard about a possible trip to the Dragon Ball world—the impact of this war was spreading across the globe at lightning speed.
Those who had watched the live broadcast were only part of the world's population. Afterward, they were left in heated discussions. Everything had happened so quickly, and the battlefield had been so chaotic, that they'd barely had time to react. Now they finally had a moment to process what they'd seen.
Those who hadn't watched the broadcast soon heard the news by word of mouth, and they too were stunned.
Of course, the events were so unbelievable that many didn't believe them at first. Some even wondered if the people telling them these stories had gone mad.
After all, whether it was Pirate King Roger's mysterious resurrection, the World Government's crushing defeat, the Navy's loss of its headquarters, or the Five Elders themselves being beaten—each of these alone was shocking enough. But all of them happening at once? Impossible!
Yet, as doubts spread, newspapers began to circulate across the world, reporting the war in detail.
And this time, it wasn't just one paper—it was every major news outlet.
In the past, even when the World Government suffered humiliation, most media outlets didn't dare publish anything for fear of retribution.
Take the Sabaody Archipelago incident: many outlets had gotten the news but didn't dare to print it.
But this time, after seeing the war themselves and watching the World Government's helplessness before the Ninja Guild, the press wasn't about to pass up the hottest story in the world.
To them, the once untouchable World Government no longer seemed so powerful, and it had its own problems now. How could they let such a golden opportunity for fame and fortune slip by?
Thus, news reports exploded like wildfire. Journalists, high on adrenaline, churned out some of the most sensational articles of their careers.
The angles varied, but the core facts were the same—enough to make the world believe.
And so, the people of every nation had no choice but to accept the truth.
The world was shaken.
"My God, I can't believe this really happened!"
"The World Government lost again. Unbelievable!"
"Unreal—so the Five Elders are actually the World Government's strongest forces!"
"But even the Five Elders lost to the Ninja Guild!"
"Where did this terrifying Ninja Guild come from?!"
"This is going to throw the whole world into chaos!"
As common folk reeled in shock, fear, and speculation, the great powers were equally shaken.
They'd already seen the live broadcast of the war, but even so, their reactions were no less intense than the masses now hearing the details.
On Onigashima, the Beasts Pirates…
"How in the world did Roger come back to life?" Jack the Drought asked, utterly baffled.
"Hmph. Come back to life? I think maybe he never died at all," King sneered.
"No. Look at how he fought—just like those people from the Ninja Guild. They couldn't be killed either. Something's not right," Queen muttered around his cigar.
They debated for a long time but reached no conclusion. Finally, they looked up—and were stunned to see Kaido acting out of character. He wasn't drinking. Instead, he stared at a newspaper photo of Roger and Whitebeard, lost in thought.
The Three Calamities exchanged bewildered glances, as did the pirates below.
At the same time, on Whole Cake Island, the Big Mom Pirates were also in an uproar.
"The Ninja Guild has stirred up one hell of a mess this time."
"They've clashed with the World Government again and again. What's their goal?"
"I heard they've had contact with the Revolutionary Army. Could they also be aiming to overthrow the World Government?"
While others speculated, Katakuri spoke gravely: "Whatever they're planning, we need to find their weakness fast. If they become our enemy, we'll be at a serious disadvantage."
Then he turned to look at Linlin—only to be startled. Their mother wasn't devouring sweets like usual. Instead, she stared at a newspaper, muttering under her breath.
Katakuri strained his ears and faintly heard her repeating a single name—
Captain Rocks.
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T/N:
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