"Cocoyasi Village... Nami's hometown..."
"Even if those people aren't truly my parents, now that I have answers… I owe it to them to visit their homeland—at least once."
Whiteflame stood quietly at the ship's edge, gazing far into the horizon.
New World — A Rocky Island
CLANG!
A thunderous sword strike slammed into a massive figure, but the blade left nothing behind except a fading white scratch.
No blood. No injury.
The body, though of flesh and blood, was tougher than steel.
"You useless worms! What, didn't eat lunch today? Swing harder, damn it!"
Kaido of the Beasts roared with impatience.
"Yes, Boss Kaido!"
His subordinates cried out, raising their blades and hacking at him with all their strength—only to have their weapons shatter, bounce back, or snap outright. Some were even blasted off their feet from the sheer recoil.
What they were doing was no anomaly.
This was the daily training routine in the Beasts Pirates.
All crew members took turns slashing at Kaido, hoping to land a single wound. Whoever managed it wouldn't be punished—in fact, they'd be rewarded, maybe even promoted to an officer.
It was madness. But then again, Kaido was madness incarnate.
"Kaido-sama! A letter for you!"
One subordinate approached, holding a sealed folder in trembling hands.
"Hmph? A letter? From that brat Queen?"
Kaido waved off the others and grabbed the envelope.
After someone had sent him Jack's remains as a provocation, Kaido had been livid. To save face, he'd dispatched Queen the Plague, one of his top three "Calamities," to investigate and kill the culprit.
Yet after two months, nothing had come back.
The trail had gone cold.
And Kaido's rage had only grown.
"Huh? Just one piece of paper?"
He unfolded the letter.
Seconds later, his expression darkened.
And then—
RAGE.
His veins bulged as he crumpled the page in one hand.
"Who gave me this letter?!"
Kaido's roar shook the island.
The poor pirate who delivered it dropped to his knees, trembling.
"I-I don't know, Kaido-sama! It came through the channels—I was just following orders! I swear, I know nothing!"
BOOM!
Kaido's giant kanabo slammed into the ground, narrowly missing the man's head and creating a massive crater.
The messenger nearly wet himself.
Had that blow landed, he'd be paste.
"Go. Tell that damn woman Queen—the fool who killed Jack has been found!"
"Give her this letter. I want that bastard dragged before me!"
"I'll tear him apart with my own hands! Let him know what happens when someone dares provoke Kaido of the Beasts!"
Kaido bellowed toward the sky.
🍰 Meanwhile – Totto Land, Big Mom Pirates' Base
"Mama! We found the one who killed Cracker!"
Charlotte Perospero, Minister of Candy, handed over a letter to Big Mom.
"Found them?!"
Big Mom's bloodshot eyes gleamed with malice. Drool trickled from her jaw, hissing as it touched the ground—acidic saliva from her fury.
"Just tell me which bastard did it!"
"Whitebeard? Red-Haired? Kaido's dogs?! I don't care which of those fools it was. Anyone who dares use Cracker's bones to mock me... I'll erase them!"
In her mind, the culprit had to be connected to one of the other Four Emperors.
After all, Whitebeard, Shanks, Kaido—they wouldn't stoop to killing a junior pirate.
But their subordinates? That was another story.
They were the only ones strong enough—and foolish enough—to try.
"No, Mama. It wasn't any of them."
Perospero's smile was cold. "It was a newcomer. A pirate captain named Whiteflame. From the Nine Dragons Pirates."
"He's the one who killed Cracker—and sent this as a taunt."
"A new pirate crew?!"
"A filthy little upstart dares provoke ME?!"
"Has my name fallen so low that any mutt thinks they can piss on it?!"
Big Mom's voice thundered with fury.
"Don't underestimate him, Mama," Perospero said darkly.
"He didn't just kill Cracker. He's also the one who took down Jack the Drought."
"And based on the intel in this file, even that arrogant bastard Donquixote Doflamingo… was killed by him too."
"This rookie pirate… is far more dangerous than any we've ever seen."
"So what?!"
"He took my son's life. That alone is enough reason to skin him alive!"
"I'll bury him and every last one of his crew!"
Big Mom howled.
"I'll handle it, Mama," a deep, composed female voice spoke from the shadows.
The woman stepped forward, tall and imposing.
She wore a long coat, tall boots with intricate patterns, and a spiraling sword sheathed on her back. Her long silver hair flowed behind her.
Charlotte Smoothie, the 14th daughter of the Charlotte family.
A Sweet Commander, with a bounty of 932 million Berries.
Minister of Juice—and an absolute monster in battle.
"Smoothie," Big Mom said with cold satisfaction. "Then it's yours."
"Bring him back. I want to bathe in his blood—and offer it to Cracker's memory."
She scanned the room. "The rest of you—stop lounging around. I want everyone on this!"
"Find that bastard! The second you get him, drag him here!"
"Is that clear?!"
"Yes, Mama!"
⚓ Marineford — Marine Headquarters
"Sakazuki's always been brash, but you… You rarely volunteer for missions."
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku the Buddha raised an eyebrow at the man on the couch.
Dressed in a striped yellow suit, sunglasses on his face, cutting his nails without a care in the world, sat a man many called lazy, but all feared:
Borsalino. Admiral Kizaru.
He was one of the Navy's greatest powers.
A man who had joined the Marines already monstrously strong, labeled a "monster" from the start.
But unlike Akainu, who burned with ruthless zeal, Kizaru always appeared aloof, disinterested, almost detached from reality.
Until today.
"Why the sudden interest in tracking down this 'man-eating pirate'?" Sengoku asked.
Kizaru chuckled.
"No special reason, really."
"I'm just bored."
"And some of our colleagues keep whispering that I've done less as an Admiral than even some Vice-Admirals."
"If I stay too quiet, someone might try to censure me at the next command meeting."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes.
He immediately understood who Kizaru meant.
Akainu.
The two had never seen eye to eye—ever since they joined the Marines together.
And they still clashed to this day.
"I'll authorize it," Sengoku said after a pause. "But be careful."
"This Whiteflame… This 'man-eating monster' started with Doflamingo, but it hasn't stopped."
"Desoro… Jack… Cracker… Even a Celestial Dragon meant nothing to him."
"He's a newcomer, but from the moment he appeared, he's fought one monster after another—and never lost."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"If things turn south, forget your rank—just run."
Sengoku's voice was unusually grave.
Kizaru smiled lazily.
"Understood, Fleet Admiral."
"Old age makes you paranoid, huh? Scared of a little blood."
"And don't worry…"
"I've never lost a fight either."
He clicked his nail clipper shut.
And smiled.
If you Enjoyed Reading
Visit my p@treon for more chapters
Advance 80+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/Sagamaster789
If you really Enjoyed Reading. Give Power Stones and Reviews!