A certain island in the New World.
"Boss, you've got to see this." In a clearing within a dense forest, the rotund Lucky Roux held a massive piece of meat in one hand and handed the latest report to Shanks with the other, his face beaming with excitement.
Red-Haired Shanks took the report calmly, but in the next second, his composure shattered. His pupils constricted violently, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Blackbeard... Teach... is dead?"
"Yeah, the bastard's dead. Ace did it." Lucky Roux tore a huge chunk of meat off the bone and chewed with gusto.
"Ace..." As Shanks murmured the name, the members of the Red-Haired Pirates all stopped what they were doing.
Blackbeard was dead?
While they weren't entirely clear on the history between their captain and that man, they knew the scar on Shanks's face had been left by Blackbeard. They had seen how Shanks prioritized Blackbeard's movements, treating him with more caution than even the other Emperors. Clearly, Blackbeard's strength was not to be trifled with.
Yet now, a man who kept their captain on high alert had been killed just like that?
"Boss, this can't be fake, can it?" To be honest, the crew had their doubts. However, seeing Shanks staring at the paper without blinking, they didn't dare interrupt.
After a long moment, Shanks slowly handed the paper to Benn Beckman. "What do you think?"
After reading it, Beckman looked up. "It's likely the truth."
Shanks burst into a laugh and slapped his thigh. "I think so too. What on earth did Ace go through these past two years? His strength must have reached the absolute pinnacle of this world."
Every time he thought of Ace, he couldn't help but see a shadow of his former captain, Roger. The two weren't just similar in personality—they were cut from the same cloth when it came to their actions.
A breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves of the ancient trees. The Red-Haired Pirates fell into a brief silence until...
"Hahaha... Ahahahaha!" Shanks finally couldn't hold it back anymore. He laughed uproariously and shouted, "Throw a banquet!"
Navy Headquarters.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Akainu sat in the highest seat of the Navy, staring with a grim expression at Ace's latest wanted poster. Beside him sat Admiral Kizaru, who was engaged in his usual routine of clipping his fingernails.
"2.5 billion Berries... So, he's truly matured, has he? Portgas D. Ace..."
Despite his focused clipping, Kizaru's attention was entirely on the poster. Otherwise, remembering that specific bounty amount would have been no small feat.
Akainu, however, remained silent, his face as dark as a thundercloud. It had only been a few days since Doflamingo's arrest and the Admiral's public apology, and now another massive incident had occurred!
However, for the Navy, this might actually be a good thing. Blackbeard was dead, and Ace was now a member of the Four Emperors. The balance hadn't necessarily shifted in favor of chaos; the seat had simply changed owners. Generally, the Navy would celebrate the destruction of such a massive pirate force.
But Akainu felt no such satisfaction.
He had taken this position with the absolute determination to end the Great Pirate Era. Yet the waves of this era were only growing more turbulent. To think the Navy could flatten these seas now felt like a pipe dream. A sense of frustration washed over him, but he remained firm in his conviction that justice would prevail. He would not allow pirates to run rampant under his watch!
"The Emperors! The Legendary Brothers! Enjoy your arrogance while it lasts!"
"Garp, Fire Fist Ace has truly grown up..." In a quiet room, a white-haired Sengoku sat across from Garp.
"Yeah. I didn't expect him to reach this level in just two years. Crunch, crunch... mmm... crunch..." Garp reclined lazily in his chair, stuffing rice crackers into his mouth.
Internally, he was deeply shaken. Two years ago, Ace was merely a promising young man—influential, yes, but only a Division Commander. Now, he possessed the power to sway the global landscape. The rumors even stated he had become the Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. Jumping to the rank of a Yonko was an astronomical leap.
Is this the extent of your talent, Ace?
"And your grandson, too," Sengoku added. Having retired to the second line, his tone was much more casual. "The Straw Hat kid is also making quite a name for himself. It's as if this era was custom-made for those brothers..." Sengoku sighed softly. "Tell me, Garp... wouldn't it have been wonderful if you could have brought all four of them into the Navy?"
Garp, mid-bite, suddenly froze. A rare look of desolation crossed his face.
"Hahaha, I'm only joking," Sengoku added quickly. He knew those words touched a raw nerve. If it were possible, Garp would have done it long ago. Clearly, it was never his choice to make.
"Come, come. Try this premium tea I just brewed. I've been saving it."
The two old legends returned to their banter. Having once been the main pillars of the Navy on the front lines, all they wanted now was to share a laugh. The changing of the eras was not something human strength could control. Even Garp couldn't bend the brothers' dreams to his will; perhaps it was that very obsession with their dreams that fueled their terrifying growth.
In the brothers' childhood home, Foosha Village.
The villagers had gathered at Makino's bar, drinking and laughing with abandon. The Mayor put on a face of disappointment, but his heart was swelling with pride.
Elsewhere, Dadan and her mountain bandits stared at the wanted posters and reports for Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and Drake, completely mesmerized. Their mouths hung open in joy.
"Ace is an Emperor! And Luffy, Sabo, and Drake are all safe... Those brats are terrible, making us worry for two years. I knew they were fine... sniff... Waaaah!"
"Boss, are you crying?"
"Shut up! I'm not crying!"
"Hehehe..." The lackeys snickered among themselves.
"Now we're the family of a Yonko! Hahahaha!"
"Right! Little Ace is truly something else."
While the news of the New World's newest Emperor spread across the globe, Vale D. Drake and Kenshin, piloting the Magic Protector, had already arrived at the borders of Big Mom's territory, Totto Land.