Naval Headquarters, Marineford.
As the ruler of the seas, the Marines naturally couldn't ignore the breaking news sweeping across the world.
"The Four Emperors… The Beasts Pirates have been defeated? Three days ago…? This—this kind of thing is simply too exaggerated!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku murmured in disbelief, shaking his head in utter shock.
"It is outrageous," came the calm voice of Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Marine's chief strategist, through the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk. "But if it's Fairy Tail, I can't dismiss it. When it comes to them, even the impossible sounds… reasonable."
Sengoku frowned deeply.
"We don't yet know the details of what happened inside Wano, but even by our estimates, the Beasts Pirates numbered in the tens of thousands. Add to that Wano's samurai forces—how in the world could Fairy Tail have pulled this off?"
His disbelief only grew heavier.
"If they'd allied with the Whitebeard Pirates, I could understand it. But Fairy Tail alone…? A dozen people at most? You're telling me that handful could crush one of the Four Emperors' armies?"
"You still underestimate them," Tsuru replied. Her tone was calm but grave. "Fairy Tail isn't just strong—they've reached a level beyond anything this world has seen. Their high-end combat power surpasses that of any Emperor crew."
She began to count, her voice echoing faintly through the receiver.
"Sugisawa Yuuto—the guild master who defeated Kaido in single combat. Erza, the Titania. Mirajane, the She-Devil. Wendy, the sky witch of unfathomable power…"
She paused briefly.
"And remember—this wasn't even the full Fairy Tail roster. Three of their top members are still abroad with Gion. Urutia, who wields power rumored to reverse time itself… and Ulu, whose Ice-Devil Magic rivals Admiral Aokiji's…"
Sengoku inhaled sharply. The sound of his breath hissed through clenched teeth.
"If that's true," he muttered, "then even if two of the Emperor crews joined forces, they still wouldn't stand a chance…"
At that moment—
"Marshal Sengoku! Urgent news from the New World!"
Commodore Brannew, green-haired and breathless, burst into the office clutching a stack of reports.
"What now?" Sengoku asked, already weary.
"Report! We've just received confirmation that Pirate Island Hive has been completely destroyed—sunk by an unknown individual!"
"What did you say?!" Sengoku shot to his feet, eyes wide. "Pirate Island Hive?!"
Everyone knew that name. It was the most lawless haven in the New World—an upgraded version of Mock Town or Hachinosu, where criminals and pirates of all ranks gathered.
At its peak thirty-six years ago, Hive Island was the heart of Rocks D. Xebec's reign of terror, before the fateful battle of God Valley ended his empire at the hands of Garp and Roger. Since then, it had declined, yet never truly died. No matter how many times Marines purged it, it always reformed—a nest of unending lawlessness.
"If I recall," Tsuru said quietly, "the Hive is under Ochoku's control now. And lately, hundreds of bounty hunters and pirates had gathered there—drawn by the massive underground bounty placed on Fairy Tail."
She hesitated.
"Sengoku, this is just my theory—but I suspect the mysterious figure who destroyed Pirate Island might also be from Fairy Tail. No one else could possibly wield that kind of power."
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
"Don't say such terrifying things so casually, Tsuru…"
He turned toward the photograph Brannew had handed him—a single snapshot showing the ruins of Hive Island and a lone man standing amidst the wreckage.
Kildas Clive.
Sengoku's expression darkened. If even this man was part of Fairy Tail…
Then how monstrous was that guild, truly?
"Two Emperor crews wouldn't stand a chance," he muttered. "Even three might not be enough…"
Holy Land, Mariejois.
Pangaea Castle — The Chamber of the Five Elders.
"Unbelievable," snarled the scarred Elder. "Before we even caught wind of it, the war between Fairy Tail and the Beasts Pirates was already over!"
"Fairy Tail…" murmured the blond Elder with the sword. "They've once again defied every expectation. Who could have imagined a single guild toppling one of the Four Emperors?"
"Even now, I can hardly believe it," said the Elder in white robes. "Kaido—the strongest creature alive—defeated so easily?"
"And yet, facts don't lie," said the bald Elder with a scar. "Kaido's fall has already been confirmed across the New World."
The white-bearded Elder spoke at last, his voice low and calculating.
"Real or fake, it doesn't matter. What does matter is maintaining control. The Marines are our dogs—and Fairy Tail will never be allowed to stand as our equal."
After the Enies Lobby incident, after Thriller Bark, the Sabaody Archipelago, and Dressrosa—through every storm they'd caused—Fairy Tail's bounties had never changed.
It wasn't by accident.
The Marines wanted to preserve a delicate truce.
The World Government wanted to suppress the panic.
To make Fairy Tail seem less of a threat—
—to keep the pirates of the New World from cowering before them instead of fighting among themselves.
But now… that illusion was shattered.
The Five Elders exchanged dark glances.
"If we keep hiding the truth, Marineford itself may end up kneeling beside Fairy Tail," said the Elder with the scar.
"Then it's settled," the white-bearded Elder said. "Recalculate their bounties. Every last one of them. The world deserves to know the monsters we've been tolerating."
Orders rippled through every branch of the World Government that night.
By dawn, the presses of the World Economic News thundered into motion.
And as the sun rose over the seas—
The Fall of Kaido and the new bounties of Fairy Tail blazed across headlines worldwide.
Fairy Tail Guild Master — "Emperor of the Four Seas" Sugisawa Yuuto
Bounty: [Undisclosed — Classified Beyond Yonko Level]
The world trembled once more.