Rayleigh's mouth hung slightly open.
His lips moved a few times before he finally forced out the words with difficulty.
"This… This is a little hard to believe…"
His voice was so faint it was almost like a breeze brushing across leaves, nearly drowned out by the noise around him.
His fingers tightened unconsciously, as if they had slipped beyond his control.
The once-smooth edge of the newspaper crumpled beneath his grip, carrying the turmoil surging through his heart.
His thoughts ran wild like an unbridled horse, dragging him back to that stormy era forty years ago.
Back then, the sky had been as blue as sapphire, and the sea had glittered beneath the sun.
The young Linlin, who had only just begun making a name for herself, had stood before the powerful Roger Pirates with burning, crazed light in her eyes, fearlessly shouting that she would become the Pirate King.
Her unruly nature had been like a flame that refused to die, blazing freely and arrogantly.
How could a woman like that ever be willing to quietly submit beneath someone else?
A trace of doubt and contemplation flashed through Rayleigh's eyes as countless thoughts circled in his mind.
Unless…
Something special had happened.
At that moment, his pupils abruptly contracted, as if he had been struck by a sudden shock.
The news from a few days ago about Kaido's submission flashed before his eyes. Two once-unrivaled Emperors had lowered their proud heads one after another.
There was no way this could be explained as mere coincidence.
Some unseen force seemed to press down on Rayleigh.
His brows drew together tightly.
After a moment of thought, his expression slowly shifted, as though he could see through the thin sheet of newspaper and clearly make out the young figure standing behind Linlin.
Ron.
The former vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates had now become the ruler of the Eternal Divine Kingdom, and he had completely brought three Emperor crews under his banner.
Before this, not even Rocks had managed such a thing.
That figure seemed calm, yet it gave off a chilling presence, as if hiding endless secrets and power.
"Overwhelming strength… or conditions they couldn't refuse?"
Rayleigh murmured under his breath, his voice filled with deep confusion and unease.
When he bent down to pick up the shattered pipe from the ground, he was startled to realize that his fingers were trembling slightly.
It was the honest reflection of the fear and shock buried deep in his heart.
Not far from the newspaper stand, Shakky had appeared at some point and was standing there quietly.
The cigarette in her hand had already burned down to the end. A long column of ash trembled in the breeze, ready to fall at any moment.
Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions, both shocked and worried.
"Even that crazy old hag…"
For once, Shakky's voice carried a tremor. Every word seemed squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Rayleigh, do you understand? The wave of the new era is far more violent than we imagined."
Her gaze remained fixed on Rayleigh, as though she wanted to find an answer on his face.
Rayleigh slowly raised his head.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
He shook his head helplessly, then carefully put the broken remains of his pipe into his pocket, as if he were gathering up the pieces of his own unsettled heart.
"We'll take things one step at a time. Under a wave this fierce, no one can stay untouched. The true era of endings has already arrived."
Rayleigh's voice was low and firm, though it carried an unmistakable loneliness.
He knew that the era that had belonged to them was about to pass, and a new age full of unknowns and challenges was striding toward them.
...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office.
At that moment, the atmosphere inside the room was as oppressive as the calm before a storm, heavy enough to make breathing difficult.
Sengoku sat behind his broad desk, steadily holding an exquisite porcelain teacup in his hand.
Delicate patterns had been painted across its surface, making it a symbol of status and refined taste.
Yet in that instant, without warning, the seemingly sturdy porcelain cup suddenly let out a sharp crack and burst apart.
Scalding black tea splashed from the shattered cup like a surging torrent, spilling directly across his flawless white Fleet Admiral's coat.
The once-pure cloak was immediately stained with a glaring patch of reddish-brown.
But Sengoku seemed completely unaware of the heat or the mess.
His eyes were like two burning torches, fixed firmly on the image projected by the Visual Transponder Snail in front of him.
In his gaze was a shock and worry beyond words.
In Totto Land, thirty-four islands dotted the sea like scattered stars.
From the dreamlike Candy Island to the biscuit-scented Biscuit Island, each island had its own unique and iconic dessert buildings.
Normally, those structures looked like castles from a fairy-tale world.
But now, all of them were shrouded in an eerie atmosphere.
Under the bright sunlight, the emblem of the Eternal Divine Kingdom shone across every building with a cold, dazzling light.
Among the many islands, the most eye-catching was the main castle on Whole Cake Island.
Once, Big Mom's pirate flag had flown high there, declaring her dominance over these waters.
But now, that flag was slowly being lowered.
Replacing it was the red-star banner of the Eternal Divine Kingdom, snapping sharply in the biting sea wind.
Its constant fluttering sounded like a declaration to the entire world that a new ruling order had arrived.
Every movement of the flag was like a blade, cutting into the hearts of Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Crash—
A crisp, panicked sound broke the suffocating silence in the room.
The documents in Tsuru's arms had slipped and scattered across the floor.
The pages flew out like startled white doves, spreading all over the room.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, who always maintained an elegant and composed bearing, could no longer fully hide the turmoil in her heart.
Her well-kept, slender fingers clenched tightly around the latest report.
Her knuckles had turned bluish-white from the force, as though frozen by ice and snow.
"Three Emperor crews…"
Sengoku's voice was low and hoarse, squeezed out from between his teeth with difficulty.
Every word carried a crushing weight, heavy enough to make breathing hard.
"Kaido, Whitebeard, and now even Big Mom… have joined the Eternal Divine Kingdom."
Outside the window, the sunlight that had once seemed soft and warm suddenly became unbearably glaring, like a sharp sword shining straight onto Sengoku's face.
Under that harsh light, Sengoku's face seemed to age greatly in an instant, as if ten years had been added to him all at once.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down along the deep wrinkles on his face until they dripped onto his faintly trembling beard.