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The Winter Island battle ended in defeat, and the whole world was discussing how Vice Admiral Black Arm Zephyr, the "Unkilling" Marine, was defeated by Kaido.
Some maliciously exaggerated Kaido's strength.
Others scoffed at it, believing Black Arm Zephyr was all talk and no substance.
But when news of the Oren Kingdom nobles' tragic purge spread across the seas weeks later, the world was shocked.
People gained a new understanding of Kaido's brutality and ruthlessness.
Kaido and Wald also received new bounties.
Kaido, bounty of 1,111,000,000 Berries.
World Destroyer, Wald, bounty of 300,000,000 Berries.
Gairam, bounty of 60,000,000 Berries.
Nachen, bounty of 58,000,000 Berries.
Sebastian, bounty of 30,000,000 Berries.
On the Grand Line, Silver Axe, dressed in heavy knight's armor, sat portly on the mast of the deck, on the stairs leading to the second floor of the warship.
His physique was extremely robust, like a small mountain, with two heavy axes placed beside him.
Three or four slender, charming women sat on his lap.
Each wore a transparent gauze skirt, their snowy white peaks vaguely visible, and their round, long legs wantonly teased Silver Axe's nerves, making the lust in his eyes hard to suppress.
"Captain, new intel!"
Seeing the major news in the report, Silver Axe's face suddenly darkened, and he sneered, "So the little brat from back then has also made a name for himself?"
"Shiki, Newgate, John, Kaido, Linlin!"
"Each and every one of them is throwing the whole world into chaos! They show no regard for their old friends' reputations!"
The First Mate, Grim Reaper, wore a spiked mask, his large bald head very noticeable: "Captain, what's our next target?"
Silver Axe looked up, the shadow of his helmet covering his forehead, and said in a chilling tone, "Where's the nearest Marine base?!"
Grand Line, a certain sea area.
The Moby Dick.
Recently, Whitebeard had taken in another adopted son, Vista, a youth with a tender face but firm, resolute eyes, and a rather fierce appearance.
Whitebeard watched Marco and Vista sparring on the deck, laughing heartily.
Whitebeard was an orphan, born on a very poor island, and forming a family was his lifelong wish.
Whitey Bay, wearing a wide sun hat, sat beside Whitebeard and handed him a newspaper: "Pops, it's news about Kaido."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed: "Is it that little brat?"
A look of reminiscence flashed in Whitebeard's eyes; it was he who, at Rocks's request, went to invite Kaido back then.
At that time, Kaido was just a fifteen-year-old boy, yet his physique was extremely tall, and his face showed no trace of the immaturity and innocence a boy should have.
He was full of wariness and burning fighting spirit towards Whitebeard.
It seemed that from the very beginning, Kaido knew what his goal was.
Before and after the God Valley Incident, Kaido had already grown to a level almost comparable to theirs.
Twenty-two years old, and he defeated Zephyr, who was as famous as Garp and Sengoku.
Terrifying potential.
Whitey Bay, holding a slender lady's cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring: "The Peace Research Institute has recently applied for a large number of patents, and Stussy is mixed in with this group of people, I wonder what conspiracy she's brewing."
Whitebeard's gaze was profound as he looked out at the distant ocean, lost in thought.
Ten thousand meters high, clouds surged, and a golden-red glow dyed the sea of clouds.
Several warships flew across the sky, their two rows of oars flapping and rippling, mast ropes taut, and gears grinding.
The warships, enveloped in swirling clouds, traversed the golden sea of clouds.
"Kekekeke! That little brat is truly audacious. I knew he was no ordinary person during the God Valley battle, and he actually defeated Zephyr!"
Shiki, wearing a golden kimono and wooden clogs, sat with a woman on each arm, looking at his subordinates below.
The Flying Pirates.
After the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates, they were the most powerful pirate crew.
Because of their elusive nature, difficulty in tracking, and constant creation of terror, they were listed by the Marine as the most dangerous pirate crew.
Shiki gained new power from the God Valley Incident, and he planned to use this power to establish a vast force surpassing the Rocks Pirates, to dominate the entire world!
"Have you found Roger's whereabouts?"
Shiki looked at his intelligence officer, Jambon.
Jambon had a long face, was thin, dark-skinned, wore a black suit, had meticulously combed hair, and white gloves on his hands.
"According to the Marine's Transponder Snail interception the other day, the Roger Pirates appeared on Old Man's Island not long ago."
A dangerous glint flashed in Shiki's eyes: "Keep monitoring, predict Roger's route. Since our parting at God Valley, that guy has become the Marine's primary target. If I can recruit him, taking over the entire world will be a piece of cake."
...Grand Line, Elrosa Island.
Late night.
A group of flickering torches moved through the forest, a team of people armed with sticks and scythes, seemingly searching for something.
"Found her?"
"No sign. Could she have escaped to the village again?"
"Grandma Misong, who took her in, has already been killed by us. Where else could she go in the village?"
These were commoners with patched clothes and sallow, emaciated faces.
Their eyes were sunken, their gaze dull and mesmerized, with a hint of madness.
They were local villagers of Elrosa, living in poverty due to the island's scarce resources, unable to pay the Heavenly Tribute, and thus unable to receive the World Government's protection.
Fortunately, the villagers looked after each other, working together to clear land and farm, barely managing to be self-sufficient.
However, this year they suffered a major disaster; most of the village's fields and crops were devoured by locusts, and satiating their hunger became a huge problem for them.
It was then that someone discovered Grandma Misong, who lived on the mountain behind the village, had saved a Mink Tribe girl who had drifted ashore.
A Mink Tribe girl, if sold to human traffickers, could fetch at least 700,000 Berries!
700,000 Berries would be enough for them to buy tens of thousands of pounds of rice, allowing them to get through a difficult period.
They tried to persuade Grandma Misong to hand over the girl, but the stubborn Grandma Misong refused, vowing to protect the girl even if it meant death.
So they had no choice but to fulfill Grandma Misong's wish and send the old lady on her way.
"Keep looking. The only boat connecting Elrosa Island to the outside world is under our control. She can't possibly escape to the outside."
The leading man said grimly, "Also, inform the villagers that anyone who dares to hide the girl will be directly executed by fire without explanation."
There wasn't much food left in the village now, so he believed no one would do such a foolish thing.
As they dispersed and went deeper into the forest to search, the nearby bushes moved, revealing a pair of furry ears.
The girl hid behind the bushes, her golden eyes scanning the surroundings to see if it was safe.
Only after realizing no one was around did the girl dare to sob softly.
Her name was Lola, a tiger-shaped Mink Tribe member, nine years old this year.
She and her parents were sold together to the Leviathan Kingdom to participate in the arena's bloody fights, becoming playthings for nobles to vent their violence.
Before their deaths, her parents bit through the collar and chains that bound her, covering her escape from the Leviathan Kingdom.
She hid in an empty wine barrel on a cargo ship, carrying her parents' hope to survive.
If all went well, she should have started a new life on the next island.
However... "Grandma..."
Lola sobbed sadly. She secretly crawled out from the bushes and, through the dense foliage, vaguely saw the high-hanging full moon.
Lola pulled down her tattered hood to cover her forehead, tightened her clothes, and stumbled towards the mountain behind the village.