The smile on Whitebeard's face froze instantly.
The hand holding his sake bowl suddenly trembled, amber liquid spilling over and soaking his chest, but he didn't even notice.
The next moment, Whitebeard snatched the newspaper from Marco's hands in a flash. As his eyes swept across the front page, his expression turned grave.
{"Day of the Fall of the Gods! Half of Mary Geoise Reduced to Ashes! The Blood of the Celestial Dragons Flows Like a River! The Most Evil Criminal in History, Griffin D. Wade, Has Appeared!"}
The article was accompanied by two photos
One showing the former glory of Mary Geoise, shining and magnificent;
The other showing its current state, ruins and rubble as far as the eye could see.
{Special Breaking Report!}
{Last night, was destined to be remembered in history, the Holy Land Mary Geoise, symbol of the world's highest power, suffered an unprecedented and catastrophic attack!}
{More than half of its structures were utterly destroyed. The descendants of the so-called Creator, the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, have taken heavy casualties. Although the exact number is still being confirmed, reliable sources claim the death toll far surpasses even that of the God Valley Incident years ago.}
{Who could it be? Who dares to commit such an unforgivable act? Who possesses such terrifying power?}
{Early this morning, the World Government issued an emergency bounty notice, naming the man responsible, Griffin D. Wade, and officially declaring him "The Most Evil Criminal in History."}
{His ruthlessness, power, and clarity of purpose rival those of the Pirate King, Roger!}
{Roger's death marked the dawn of a new era. But Wade's "Night of the Fall of the Gods" serves as the grand opening ceremony of that very age.}
{How will this change the balance of the seas? How will the World Government respond to this unprecedented threat? How will the Navy hunt down this "Enemy of the Gods"?}
{The World Economic News Agency will continue to provide first-hand coverage of all developments!}
After reading the report, Whitebeard's gaze lingered on the bounty poster of Wade.
Though their faces were entirely different, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring at the shadow of Rocks D. Xebec.
They were simply too alike.
Back then, Rocks became infamous for storming into Mary Geoise and killing a Marine admiral.
But this kid named Wade had gone even further, he had destroyed half of Mary Geoise on his debut.
It was almost certain that Wade would become, just like Rocks back then, the greatest threat to the World Government, perhaps even more dangerous.
Suddenly, Whitebeard's gaze shifted toward the corner of the deck, where Marshall D. Teach sat silently, a serious expression on his face. Whitebeard's thoughts drifted far away.
Marco sighed at the sight.
"This guy's insane… He really went alone to attack Mary Geoise, and actually got away! You ever seen him before, Pops?"
Whitebeard took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Never. But he's without a doubt… the most terrifying rookie I've ever seen."
....
Wano, Flower Capital.
Four years ago, the shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki had been framed by Kurozumi Orochi, who then seized power with Kaido's help.
Everything had been going smoothly, until a year ago, Kozuki Oden returned.
Oden's confrontation with Orochi quickly escalated, but Kaido intervened, taking countless hostages to force Oden into submission.
In a shocking twist, Oden agreed to Orochi's humiliating condition: he would dance naked once a week to spare the lives of 100 hostages, until Orochi finished his ship and left the country five years later.
Now, in the second year of his dance, the people had begun calling him "The Foolish Lord."
On the castle tower, Kaido and Orochi were drinking together, watching Oden's shameful dance.
"Hah! What an idiot," Kaido sneered. "Does he really think we'll ever leave?"
Orochi let out his disgusting laugh. "Kuhuhuhu~ True enough! But it works out, doesn't it? If he were stubborn, he'd only make more trouble for us. Now, let's drink! With Oden dancing, the sake tastes even better!"
Just then, King, approached Kaido and handed him a newspaper.
Kaido glanced at King, took the paper, and unfolded it casually, only to spit out his drink the next instant.
"Worororo, If it weren't for the name, I'd think it was Captain Rocks himself! What a reckless bastard… though what a shame..."
Whole Cake Island, Totto Land.
"Mama mamama~ What a strong man..."
The once-beautiful and seductive Charlotte Linlin stared at Wade's bounty poster, a fiery glint in her eyes, and an urge in her heart.
Her brain was already overridden by hormones and ambition.
She was utterly convinced: if she and Wade had a child, that child would surely surpass even Katakuri in strength.
...
East Blue, Foosha Village – Party's Bar.
"Pffft!!"
A drunk spat his beer all over the newspaper. "Fifty billion?! Attacked the Holy Land?! Killed Celestial Dragons?! Hey, don't you guys think this 'Wade' looks kinda like… Wayne?"
The entire tavern exploded in an uproar.
Gasps, shouts, and fearful murmurs filled the air, almost blowing the roof off.
After all, not long ago, a sibling pair had moved into the village. The brother's name was Wayne, he looked exactly like the man in the photo, and he'd vanished for days.
"Don't tell me… it's him?"
"Probably just a coincidence! The world's huge, you're bound to find people who look alike!"
South Blue, a seaside tavern.
"My god! The Holy Land's been destroyed?!"
An old fisherman trembled as he pointed to the newspaper photo of Mary Geoise in ruins. His cloudy eyes widened in horror.
"Those so-called 'gods'… they can die too?"
Beside him, a red-haired youth stared at Wade's bounty poster, his eyes gleaming with wild admiration.
"Enemy of the Gods... Incredible. Makes me wanna be a pirate myself."
"Hah! Eustass, not in this lifetime, kid. But who knows, maybe your son will be one someday."
...
West Blue, Ohara – the Island of Archaeology.
A six-year-old girl named Nico Robin, living with her uncle after being left by her mother, quietly listened as the adults gossiped around her.
She secretly used her Hana Hana no Mi powers to pick up a discarded newspaper and whispered as she read the headline:
"'The Most Evil Criminal in History, Griffin D. Wade'..."
"So... the Celestial Dragons aren't really creators after all... They bleed too... and they die."
...
Mary Geoise – the Room of Flowers.
"Imu-sama, that's everything that happened..."
After hearing the Five Elders' report, Imu silently recalled another madman from years past, the one who had barged into this very garden. Rocks.
He had said something similar back then.
Imu's voice echoed coldly through the chamber:
"I understand. Find him, at all costs. Erase him from this world."