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To the Red Hair Pirates, Uta was more than just a crewmate.
She was everyone's daughter.
So when they saw her face in the newspaper, the memories came flooding back.
That final farewell.
No one had ever truly gotten over it.
But why?
Wasn't she supposed to be on Elegia? Had Gordon taken her off the island? Or had she been threatened?
They didn't know.
Shanks sat down, his expression hardening as he passed the paper to his crew. "I don't know what's going on—"
"But we're not ignoring this."
A dangerous glint entered his eyes.
Anyone who dared to use Uta as a pawn would have to answer to the Red Hair Pirates. He would cut them down himself.
"But the World Government and the Marines won't just let us waltz back into Paradise," Yasopp said, polishing his rifle.
The Red Hair Pirates were now one of the Four Emperors of the New World. They were no longer the nobodies they'd been in the East Blue.
Their every move was watched.
Any action, any disappearance, would send shockwaves through the world.
To return to Paradise now... it was possible all three Marine Admirals would be deployed to stop them.
And compared to the long-established Kaido, Edward Newgate, and Charlotte Linlin, the Red Hair Pirates were the newcomers.
Were they weaker?
There were plenty of pirates on the sea who thought so, who were just waiting for a chance to take them down and claim their place.
Shanks stood and faced the sea, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon of Paradise.
"This time..." he said, "I'll go alone."
"What?"
"Captain!?"
"Are you sure?"
His crew looked at him, worried.
Shanks just grinned. "You all just keep sailing as usual. As long as I don't make an appearance in Paradise, there won't be any problem. Hey, what's with those looks? I'm one of the Four Emperors of the New World, you know. Besides the Admirals, who in Paradise can stop me? I hear Aokiji and Akainu have already headed to the South Blue to hunt down that 'Tyrant,' Kuma, for killing a king. That just leaves Kizaru to hold down the fort. I doubt they have the spare manpower to worry about me."
Benn Beckman nodded slowly. "It is good timing."
"Then it's settled," Shanks declared. "Snake, get a boat ready."
——————————————
Gol D. Roger...
To hide the existence of the "D," the World Government had altered his name.
The only man in history to conquer the Grand Line and become the King of the Pirates.
Enough time had passed since his death for a newborn to grow into an adult.
This was the Great Pirate Era—a century of adventure on the high seas, all centered around the "One Piece."
Among the countless pirates, a select few reigned over the "New World" as Emperors of the Sea. They were known as the "Yonko."
To counter their growing power, the World Government had established the "Three Great Powers": Marine Headquarters in Marineford, and the "Seven Warlords of the Sea," privateers granted a license to plunder.
This created a delicate balance.
If that balance were to be broken, the fragile peace of the world would shatter with it.
The stronger each power became, the more they vied for supremacy, and the more dangerous the future grew.
Power and domination. Alliances and betrayals.
A swirling vortex of ambition and unease.
This era was blazing with an unknown light.
And one thing never ceases—the dreams of men.
——————————————
The whale-headed prow of a massive ship cut through the waves, sailing serenely on the churning sea.
"Gurararararara..."
In the captain's quarters, the master of the ship, Whitebeard, leaned back in his chair, a joyous laugh booming from his chest.
He was looking at the news.
The Spade Pirates, Portgas D. Ace, had refused the World Government's invitation to become a Warlord. Due to a series of events, Ace had only received the invitation a few days ago, after entering the New World.
Prior to that, he had burned Whitebeard's flag on Fish-Man Island...
And he had gotten their attention.
On the high seas, a flag is a symbol of status and power. To burn a flag is a provocation.
It is a declaration of war.
The Spade Pirates had declared war on one of the Four Emperors, the Whitebeard Pirates.
"So, a brave little upstart has made his way to Paradise," Whitebeard rumbled, his eyes fixed on the strangely familiar face in the newspaper.
And the middle initial.
"D."
Whitebeard stroked his magnificent mustache, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "How long have these guys been at sea? A few months? What's the rush?"
Thatch entered, carrying a tray of food and medicine. Under his watchful eye, Whitebeard reluctantly swallowed the pills.
"Oh, right. I think Jinbe is about to head out," Thatch said, clapping his hand as if he'd just remembered.
"What? He's already gone?"
"Not yet... but he said not to see him off."
"What nonsense is that!" Whitebeard stood up, his towering frame filling the room with an overwhelming presence.
This was the man who had once vied for supremacy with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Though he was now in his seventies, as one of the Four Emperors, his power was undiminished, his territory in the New World vast.
His flag was the mark of Whitebeard.
To invade a land flying that flag was to declare war on a force of tens of thousands—the sixteen division commanders and their crews, and the dozens of allied pirate crews under his command.
Edward Newgate.
The World's Strongest Man.
His power could shake the very earth, roil the seas, and obliterate an island in the blink of an eye.
Newgate stepped out onto the deck.
The cool night air brushed against his skin.
In the black of the open sea, only the stars, the moon, and the Log Pose guide a ship's way.
"Hey, Jinbe!"
"Pops..."
A man who had been gazing out over the rail, as if about to dive into the sea, turned at the sound of his voice.
He stood three meters tall. The "Knight of the Sea," Jinbe, was a whale shark Fish-Man.
The Fish-Man race could breathe freely in the sea, and their physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans. They were not, however, a completely different species; they could have children with humans.
Whitebeard smiled at Jinbe. "You're being too formal. Let me see you off."
Jinbe, looking somewhat intimidated, walked over and stood before Whitebeard, looking up at him.
"It's just that Marineford has issued a summons..."
"Sengoku?"
"Yes..."
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