Chapter 144: The Moby Dick!
New World. The Moby Dick.
The sea was calm, the waves gently lapping against the massive hull of the legendary whale-shaped ship. The scent of ozone and salt hung heavy in the air. On the deck, the nurses of the Whitebeard Pirates were changing the IV drips for the strongest man in the world, their movements gentle and practiced.
Usually, this was a time of relaxation. Division Commanders would be drinking, laughing, or polishing their weapons. But today, the tranquility was shattered.
"Pops!!!"
A shout tore through the peaceful morning air.
Marco the Phoenix, usually the picture of lazy composure with his half-lidded eyes, was sprinting across the deck. He held a crumpled newspaper in his hand, his knuckles white from gripping it too tightly. His expression was more tense than anyone had seen in years.
"Something big has happened! It's an emergency!"
Marco skidded to a halt in front of the massive throne where Edward Newgate sat.
"Kaido... he lost!"
The words hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
"What?!"
"Kaido lost?"
"Stop joking, Marco! That monster?"
The Division Commanders, who had been busy on deck, instantly stopped their tasks.
Vista of the Flower Sword froze, his mustache twitching. Jozu of the Diamond dropped a crate of supplies with a heavy thud. Thatch, the head chef, walked out of the kitchen wiping his hands, his smile vanishing.
They instantly gathered around, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
These were the prominent figures of the New World. They had clashed with the Beasts Pirates countless times over the decades. They knew the terror of "Beasts" Kaido better than anyone.
That monster was known as the "Immortal Body." He was the "Strongest Creature in a One-on-One." He had jumped from Sky Islands just to see if it would kill him. He had been captured and executed dozens of times, breaking the blades and chains every single time.
And he lost?
"Who defeated him?" Jozu asked, his voice rumbling like grinding stones. "Did the Marines finally grow a spine? Did Sengoku and Garp mobilize all three Admirals?"
"Or did Big Mom betray him?" Vista speculated, his hand resting on his sword hilt. "Did Shanks make a move?"
Marco swallowed, his throat dry. He looked up at his father, speaking with difficulty.
"None of that... Pops, listen to me."
Marco unfolded the newspaper, revealing the terrifying image of the Wood Golem smashing the Azure Dragon.
"He was defeated by an officer... just a subordinate... of the Suzaku Pirates. In a one-on-one, direct confrontation!"
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire scene fell silent.
The silence was heavier than the sea itself. A chill rose from the depths of everyone's hearts, bypassing their Haki defenses.
Just an officer... could defeat Kaido?
"A subordinate?" Thatch whispered, looking pale. "Then what about their Captain, Suzaku? If his underling can toss a Yonko around like a ragdoll, what kind of monster is the Captain?"
"And what terrifying level has the overall strength of the Suzaku Pirates reached?" Blamenco asked, sweating. "Are they stronger than the Rocks Pirates?"
"If... their next target is us..."
Someone, no one knew who, whispered the worry that was silently screaming in everyone's hearts. The Whitebeard Pirates were strong, but they were aging. Their King was sick.
"Gurararararara...!"
Just in this oppressive atmosphere, a sound erupted that shook the very timbers of the ship.
It was Edward Newgate's iconic, bold, and hearty laughter. It rang out like thunder, instantly dispelling the gloom.
"Gurarararara! You brats worry too much!"
Whitebeard snatched the newspaper from Marco's hand with a massive hand covered in tubes and needles. He glanced at the shocking picture of Hashirama standing atop the golem. He saw the defeat of his old rival.
He snorted disdainfully.
"That brat Kaido... he had it coming! Being arrogant on the seas will eventually get you sunk, even if you are a dragon!"
He threw the newspaper onto the deck. His gaze, sharp as an eagle's despite his age and illness, swept over the tense, worried expressions on each of his "sons'" faces.
His massive body leaned slightly forward. The bisento at his side rattled. He spoke in a deep voice, imbued with an unparalleled Haki and warmth that wrapped around his crew like a protective blanket.
"What's with all the tension! My sons!"
"Do you think I am dead?!"
He slammed his fist onto the armrest of his throne.
"I, your old man... am still alive!"
"With me here, no one on this vast sea can touch a single hair on my people! Not Suzaku! Not the Marines! Not God himself!"
These words seemed to possess infinite magic. They were the absolute truth of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Pops!"
"Oh oh oh oh oh...!"
The worry on the Division Commanders' faces vanished instantly, replaced by immense fervor and emotion. Tears welled up in some of the younger pirates' eyes.
"That's right! We still have Pops!"
"We are the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Who cares about Suzaku or Kaido! If they want to touch our family, they'll have to step over our corpses first!"
"For Pops...!"
The morale of the crew soared to the heavens.
Watching his excited comrades cheering and waving their weapons, Marshall D. Teach stood in a corner of the crowd.
He wore a simple, honest smile, clapping his hands and loudly echoing their sentiments. "Zehahaha! Pops is the strongest!"
But deep in his eyes, hidden by the shadows, a light entirely different from the others flickered.
It was the light of extreme envy, jealousy, and bottomless ambition.
His gaze was fixed on the newspaper lying on the deck. He stared at the two lines of bounty amounts beneath the photos of Madara and Hashirama.
"2.5 billion... 2.9 billion... A first bounty actually reaching this level...?"
Teach's heart pounded furiously against his ribs. His hands clenched into fists behind his back.
"Zehahahahaha... How is this possible!" he thought, his mind racing. "I have spent decades on this ship! I have hidden my claws! I have acted the fool! All for the Yami Yami no Mi!"
"Are these guys also like me? Were they biding their time in some dark corner of the world?"
"Where did they even come from? The East Blue? The West Blue?"
"Why did they suddenly make such a high-profile entrance onto this stage? And they have such power... Madara... Hashirama..."
"Did they obtain some incredible Devil Fruits? Or is it something else?"
Teach secretly glanced at the majestic Whitebeard on the throne. He looked at the tubes pumping life into the old legend.
The darkness in Teach's eyes flashed and disappeared.
"The era is changing too fast," he realized. "If Suzaku rises too quickly, my plans might be disrupted. I need that fruit... soon."
— — — —
Sabaody Archipelago.
Area 13. Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
The jazz music played softly in the background, mixing with the smell of expensive cigarettes and old wood.
Behind the bar, Shakky leaned back, holding a lady's cigarette in a long holder. She blew an elegant smoke ring into the dim light.
She casually tossed a newspaper onto the counter in front of an old man with glasses and white hair.
"Here, Rayleigh! Look at this."
Rayleigh was wiping a glass with a rag. He paused.
"Those interesting 'little guys' you mentioned last time... they have made big news again! Bigger than destroying Enies Lobby," Shakky said with a smirk.
"Oh?"
Silvers Rayleigh, the "Dark King," put down his glass. He picked up the newspaper.
A hint of genuine surprise flashed in his cloudy old eyes as he read the headline.
"Ho ho... truly remarkable."
He looked at the photo of Kaido falling into the crater. He expressed genuine admiration, something rare for a man who had conquered the Grand Line.
"That Kaido... the man who wouldn't die... actually got beaten down by a junior. And not even the Captain."
Rayleigh shook his head, smiling. "Where did that brat Suzaku find such powerful companions? Monsters don't usually group together so easily."
Shakky pointed to the bounty poster below with her cigarette holder.
"Compared to the fight, don't you find this part more interesting?"
She tapped the numbers.
"Madara: 2.9 Billion. Hashirama: 3 Billion. Suzaku: 1.5 Billion."
"The bounties of two officers combined are almost four times that of their Captain," Shakky noted. "The Marines are playing dirty. They want them to fight among themselves. Ego is a pirate's greatest weakness."
Rayleigh heard this and burst into a hearty "hahaha" laugh.
He picked up a bottle of rum from the bar, poured himself a drink, and downed it in one gulp.
"This is certainly a Marine tactic. Sengoku's style. It's too obvious, but effective against idiots."
He wiped the wine stain from the corner of his mouth. His eyes showed the wisdom and freedom of one who has seen through the world's affairs.
"However, tactics are useless against true comrades who share weal and woe. Roger had lower bounties than some enemies, but we followed him because he was Roger."
"It just depends on whether that brat Suzaku has the capacity—the 'King's Vessel'—to control these beasts!"
Rayleigh placed the empty glass on the bar. He looked out the window at the peaceful scene where bubbles floated up from the mangrove roots.
"No matter!"
He picked up another bottle of wine, saying leisurely:
"We are old folks who have been left behind by the times. Our era ended at Loguetown."
"Let the storm of the new era blow as it pleases! If Suzaku is the wind, let him blow down the World Government!"
Saying this, he raised his glass towards the East Blue.
It was as if he were paying a distant tribute to his old captain, asking him to watch the show from the other side.
— — —
New World. Dressrosa.
King's Plateau.
Inside the luxurious royal palace, sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. It shone on the pool, the golden statues, and the pink feather coat of the king.
Donquixote Doflamingo was lounging on a sofa in a lazy and arrogant posture. He propped his head with one hand, his long legs crossed on the table.
He listened to the routine reports from his officers, but his mind was on his business empire.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of red wine and his unsettling laughter.
"Fufufufu... So, the Marines have recently increased patrols of the underground routes? Tsuru is active again?"
"A bunch of useless lapdogs. They are only capable of making insignificant little moves."
His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the sofa.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
It was the composure of having everything under control. He was the "Joker," the broker of the underworld. He held the leash of the Yonko Kaido through the SMILE factory. He held the World Government through his celestial dragon heritage. He was the puppet master of this world.
"Let them patrol. As long as Kaido gets his fruits, my position is secure."
Until...
"Doffy! Doffy!"
The door slammed open.
The top executive Trebol, dripping with mucus and surrounded by flies, rushed in. He dragged his snot-filled body across the expensive carpet, leaning nervously over the sofa.
"Na, na, Doffy! Look quickly! This is bad! This is really bad!"
"What is it, Trebol? Did the factory explode?" Doflamingo asked, annoyed by the interruption.
"The New World... the sky has fallen!"
Trebol handed him the latest newspaper with shaking hands.
"Hmm?"
Doflamingo casually took the newspaper, his gaze sweeping over it indifferently behind his sunglasses.
"Fufufu... What could possibly be wrong! Is Whitebeard dead? Did Shanks lose an arm again?"
He looked at the headline.
His demonic laughter was cut off instantly. It was as if an invisible hand had clutched his throat and squeezed.
The entire palace instantly fell into a deathly silence. Even the flies around Trebol seemed to stop buzzing.
Doflamingo abruptly sat upright. The wine glass on the table rattled.
His sunglasses slipped half an inch down his nose, revealing eyes filled with unprecedented shock, fear, and disbelief!
His fingers, from excessive force, were almost crushing the fragile newspaper into dust. Veins popped on his forehead.
The headline of the newspaper.
That high-definition photo of the "Wooden Man Hammering the Divine Dragon."
It was like a heavy hammer, striking fiercely at his heart—and his wallet.
"What a joke!"
"Kai... Kaido... lost?"
Doflamingo's voice cracked.
[Akarin Note:
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