Time flies.
There was still one week until the public execution of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division Captain, Fire Fist Ace.
New World.
Red Force.
Red Hair Pirates.
"Boss! Boss! Another huge event just happened!"
Rockstar, a newcomer in the Red Force, stared wide-eyed, shock and disbelief written all over his face.
"What's going on?" Sniper Yasopp asked calmly.
"What could be bigger than the Marine–Whitebeard war in today's seas?" Navigator Bendik chimed in.
"Did Fairy Tail do something again?" Raziru, the little chubby crewmember, took a bite of his massive bone, anticipation sparkling in his eyes.
"No… no, not Fairy Tail this time. It's Big Mom and… and Kaido of the Beasts. Kaido, who disappeared for nearly half a year, has been confirmed in Big Mom's Ten Thousand Kingdoms. It seems he's formed a pirate alliance with Big Mom!" Rockstar blurted out.
"Nani?!"
"What did you just say?!"
"Big Mom and Kaido allied?!"
Shock rippled through the Red Force.
"Whitebeard and the Marines, Big Mom and Kaido… the chaos in the seas is unstoppable!"
Benn Beckman, vice-captain of the Red Force, said quietly, "Where is Fairy Tail right now? And what are they doing?"
Shanks, the Red-Haired Emperor, gazed toward the horizon.
"No matter what, we cannot stand idle."
Naval Headquarters, Marineford.
High-level Marine meeting.
"Marshal Sengoku, it has been confirmed that the former Four Emperors' Kaido of the Beasts appeared in Big Mom's Ten Thousand Kingdoms. The two sides have officially formed a pirate alliance!"
"Reporting, Marshal, the Red Hair Pirates have also begun action. All surveillance ships have been sunk. Red Hair himself is missing!"
"Sir, something's wrong. The ship we sent to track the Kildas Pirates encountered a strange incident. Now, the Kildas have disappeared!"
Bad news kept coming.
Marshal Sengoku froze.
After the Wano Kuni incident, Kaido and the main Beasts Pirates were defeated by Fairy Tail. Kaido lost his Four Emperors title and vanished.
Yet the Marines never let down their guard. Even without Wano, the Beasts Pirates had another stronghold above the seas and tens of thousands of men.
In just half a year, the Beasts Pirates had recovered to over 70% of their former strength.
Although the main cadres were defeated at Wano, as long as Kaido remained, the Beasts Pirates were still a major threat.
"Big Mom and Kaido allied? This is almost like the Rocks Pirates returning 36 years ago!" murmured Admiral candidate Momousagi Gion in disbelief.
"Gion! Don't say such terrifying things!" Admiral candidate Kake Kake shivered.
"Forget Big Mom and Kaido for a moment. I want to know… where did the Kildas ten gang come from?" Vice Admiral Huoshaoshan said solemnly.
"Kildas—the Smash King who destroyed Pirate Island's Hive single-handedly—is strong enough to rank among the Emperors. Then there's Rock Iron Jura, who followed him, and even the blind swordsman smiling in his wake…"
"Seriously… when did this sea become home to so many unknown monsters?!"
"No, no, the blind swordsman didn't just appear out of nowhere. He's been recorded before."
"By the way, what about Fairy Tail? We haven't heard anything yet."
The top Marine brass whispered among themselves, tension thick in the air.
"About Fairy Tail… Xiao He, any updates?" Marshal Sengoku asked Grand Admiral Crane.
"The request has been sent, but no response yet. I wanted to win them over to assist…"
Crane shook his head. "It's fine. We don't need them… for now."
Fairy Tail Resort.
Originally the Golden Lion's floating Sky Island, it had been transformed into a leisure retreat for the guild by Shiki himself. Once a base for breeding ferocious beasts, it now offered every form of entertainment and luxurious scenery.
Yet, no matter how beautiful, the place lacked its true heart: Sugisawa Yuuto. Naturally, fun was limited.
"Where did the president go?" Juvia murmured, pursing her lips.
"If the president left, it must be important," Erza said.
"But… when I saw him this morning, he seemed a little… distracted. Could he have caught a cold?" Vivi frowned.
"How is that possible? Someone like him catching a cold?" Perona waved her hands dismissively.
"Makes sense," Vivi nodded, turning to her best friend.
"Nami, do you know what's going on?"
"Me? No idea! Seriously, what's happening?" Nami said, whistling nervously.
Robin, Mira, Kalifa, Runti, Urrutia, Violet, and others all looked around in concern.
For the past three days, the sisters had taken turns executing tasks, determined to protect the guild and defeat the Big Boss.
Yuuto had not stopped for even a moment—24 hours a day, every task immediately followed by another.
Even during meals, little Hesi's feet fidgeted restlessly under the table.
"Miss Mira, the president really ran off… maybe we pushed him too hard," Nami whispered.
"Come on, that's the president. He told us to come here ourselves!" Mira replied firmly.
At that moment, Yamato screamed anxiously, running toward the group:
"Everyone! Something's wrong!"