The New World—on Expedition Island, the eyes of the world turned in anticipation.
And for good reason.
A historic meeting was about to take place here.
Two forces that stood at the pinnacle of the world were preparing to unite:
Fairy Tail and the Whitebeard Pirates.
Together, they would set sail to challenge the might of the Four Emperors' Beasts Pirates—a battle that promised to shake the very seas themselves.
The Gathering of Legends
Along the coast of Expedition Island, five massive whale ships were lined up in formation.
The full force of the Whitebeard Pirates had gathered—every division captain and crew member present.
But they weren't the only ones.
All across the New World, captains and crews allied with Whitebeard had arrived one after another.
"Oden and Lady Toki were my friends," declared the Ice Witch Pei, her spirit burning with resolve. "How could I not be part of this revenge?"
"The fate of Oden and Lady Toki ties to my own," said Kamatao, the octopus fishman captain who had once tried to kidnap Toki thirty years ago. "I'll do my part this time."
"I didn't know Kozuki Oden," said Ranger Doma, stepping forward with his men, "but Ace is my brother-in-arms!"
"Ace is so kind," said Little Oars Jr., the towering ancient giant, thumping his chest proudly. "For Ace's sake, I'll do anything!"
"Father! We're joining too!"
"We'll kick that bastard Kaido's ass into the sea!"
"The Beasts Pirates have been asking for it for too long!"
"The rest of the captains are already on their way!"
Names famous throughout the New World filled the air—Squard the Whirl Spider, Thunder MacGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, and more.
All had come to Expedition Island to stand with their old man.
Whitebeard threw his head back and laughed.
"Gurararara! You idiots—I told you not to come!"
This time, he hadn't summoned his sons.
For one, few among them truly knew Kozuki Oden besides Pei and a handful of others.
And after all, Oden had died eighteen years ago. No one could blame them for having no duty of vengeance.
But even as he scolded them, a warm light flickered behind Whitebeard's eyes.
Because this—this loyalty—was what it meant to be family.
The King of News Arrives
"Wahahaha! What a sight to behold! The Whitebeard Pirates gathered in full—truly magnificent!"
A massive albatross descended through the sky, wings beating the sea breeze.
"Morgans!"
"That damned News King!"
"I remember you—didn't you make up some fake news about us ten years ago?!"
Several of Whitebeard's men immediately bristled, hands reaching for their swords.
"Hold it!" called Marco the Phoenix, stepping forward with calm authority. "Don't start trouble here."
For now, the entire island was under Whitebeard's control—no one was allowed in or out.
The only exception… was Morgans, King of the News.
Because everyone in the seas knew—Morgans wasn't just a journalist.
He was an affiliate of Fairy Tail, exclusively covering all major events involving the guild.
And the alliance between Fairy Tail and Whitebeard was as big as news could get.
"Gwahahaha, Captain Marco! We meet again!" Morgans said, bowing dramatically.
"Morgans, any idea when Sugisawa Yuuto and his people will arrive?" Marco asked.
"Well," Morgans chuckled, "heroes always make their entrance last. Just a bit longer, Captain Marco—just a bit longer!"
Marco merely nodded.
There was still time before all crews finished assembling.
Waiting for Fairy Tail
Days passed.
One day.
Two days.
Three.
By the fourth day, the entire Whitebeard Pirates fleet—thirty thousand strong—had assembled on Expedition Island.
And yet… Fairy Tail had not arrived.
"Are we being stood up?" one pirate grumbled.
"No way! Who'd dare stand up the old man?"
"Still… it's been days. Why hasn't Fairy Tail shown up yet?"
"They're strong, sure—but arrogance has limits!"
"They might be a Royal Guild, but we're the strongest damn family in the world!"
"Maybe Fairy Tail lost their nerve halfway and turned back! After all, they're up against one of the Four Emperors!"
"If that's true," another sneered, "I'll mock them till the end of my days!"
Grumbling spread among the crews, frustration simmering beneath their laughter.
And it wasn't just them.
Across the world, the same question echoed.
Where was Fairy Tail?
Although Expedition Island was locked down, every nearby island and sea was crammed with ships from news agencies, Marines, government scouts, Big Mom's pirates, and the dark underworld.
Every faction on the Grand Line was watching.
Another half day passed. The sun began to set.
"Morgans!" Marco called sharply. "Where the hell is Fairy Tail? Their ship shouldn't be this slow. Contact them—now!"
Morgans dabbed sweat from his brow. "I've been trying! No response. No signal from Fairy Tail at all!"
"Forget it," said Blackbeard, waving his hand dismissively. "We've been ghosted. They're not coming!"
"No!" said Izo, face set in determination. "Fairy Tail would never do that!"
"Besides," Marco added, "Ace and his brothers are still with them."
"Captain Ace never follows orders anyway," muttered Deuce, Ace's old first mate. "If only he'd kept a den den mushi, this would be so much easier…"
Just then—
Pururururu~ Pururururu~
"Father! Everyone!" cried a voice from the comms. "We're getting a signal—from Wanokuni!"
"Nani?!"
"What did you say?!"
"Wanokuni?! Could it be Kaido?"
"That bastard's panicking already? Trying to sue for peace?"
The Whitebeard Pirates stiffened in surprise.
Every intelligence ship nearby tuned in instantly.
The Call from Wano
The connection clicked.
"Moshi moshi! Can you hear me? This is Ace! It's Ace!"
"Ace! Wait—why didn't you use a private line?" came another voice—Sabo's.
"Oh? There's such a thing? Well, doesn't matter!" Ace laughed sheepishly.
"Wait, Ace—your signal's coming from Wanokuni?!" Deuce shouted. "Are you in Wano right now?!"
Deuce's voice was nearly drowned out by gasps across the deck.
Ace's tone turned bright.
"Yep! The signal's clear, huh? And yeah, I'm in Wanokuni right now!"
He paused, then declared loudly enough for the entire sea to hear—
"Three days ago, I followed Chairman Sugisawa Yuuto into Wano! And under his lead—Fairy Tail has defeated the Four Emperors' Beasts Pirates!!!"
The line went dead silent.
For a heartbeat, even the wind seemed to stop.
Then the world exploded.