The latest newspaper featured a series of explosive headlines, covering several major world-shaking events.
Among them, the third most prominent article focused on the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Following the Summit War, only two members of the Warlords remained: the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock and the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
With such a severe void in the system, the Warlord program had become virtually defunct.
However, for certain high-ranking officers in Marine Headquarters who had always opposed the Warlord system, this presented a golden opportunity to push for its abolition.
Many senior officers immediately submitted a joint petition to dismantle the Warlords.
Among these officers was none other than the newly appointed Admiral, Fujitora.
Yet, the World Government paid no heed to the demands of Marine Headquarters' top brass, including the admirals leading the movement.
Instead, in order to maintain the balance of power, the World Government ordered the Marines to swiftly identify suitable replacements for the vacant Warlord positions.
Under strict orders from above, Marine Headquarters had no choice but to comply. They scoured intelligence databases and screened candidates to find new Warlords who met the criteria.
In less than five days, three infamous pirates had accepted the invitation and filled the vacant seats.
These three were: Edward Weevil, the self-proclaimed son of Whitebeard; Don Chinjao, the legendary leader of the Happo Navy; and Cavendish, the rising star known as the White Horse.
"Three replacements in one go, huh..."
Maude read the article about the new Warlords, his gaze lingering on Cavendish's photo as he muttered in confusion, "I never expected that guy, Little Cav, to accept the World Government's invitation... Could it be just to make headlines?"
...
On a distant island, inside a bustling café.
Cavendish, dressed in an immaculate white ensemble, sat elegantly on a sofa, flashing a radiant smile.
In front of him was a crowd of eager journalists and flashing cameras.
"Becoming a Warlord was absolutely the right choice!"
His eyes gleamed with emotion, nearly bringing him to tears.
How long had it been since he last enjoyed this kind of adoration?
When was the last time he graced the front page of the news?
Though his face remained calm and poised, internally, Cavendish was screaming with joy.
"Prince Cavendish, what was your main motivation for accepting the position of Warlord?"
A charming female reporter, notebook in hand, gazed at him with admiration.
Cavendish turned to her, and as he did, the young woman's lightly blushed face grew even redder.
"My dear lady, are you asking when I will hold a fan meeting?"
"???"
Several question marks seemed to appear above the reporter's head.
Unfazed by her confusion, Cavendish gently flicked his golden bangs aside and spoke with a serious expression: "Since you're so eager, I suppose I can reluctantly share some exclusive insider information."
"Cavendish-san, we're actually more interested in—"
"Ah-CHOO!"
Just as the reporters tried to steer the conversation back on track, Cavendish suddenly sneezed several times in succession.
Droplets of saliva sprayed onto the faces of every reporter in front of him.
For a moment, the cameras stopped flashing.
Staring at the reporters now covered in his spit, Cavendish's expression stiffened.
W-Why did I suddenly start sneezing like crazy?!
Tilting his head slightly, he found himself questioning reality.
...
Back on a faraway island.
"Or perhaps... he just wants to use his newfound authority to host fan meetings in various allied nations?"
Maude studied Cavendish's picture in the newspaper, speculating about his motives for accepting the Warlord title.
At the bar's entrance.
Law sighed, rubbing his temples. "That really does sound like something that narcissist would do."
Resting his cursed blade, Kikoku, on the ground, he continued, "Still, the Marines worked fast. Finding three pirates willing to take the Warlord position in such a short time is impressive."
"Yeah."
Maude nodded calmly. "I honestly thought the Warlord system would be abolished after the Summit War."
"Maude, compared to another issue, the Warlords are the least of our concerns..."
Law's gaze turned serious as he pointed to another article in Maude's newspaper. "I expected killing Doflamingo would provoke Kaido, but I never imagined he would outright declare war on you."
Right below the Warlord article was the headline announcing that the Beast Pirates' captain, Kaido, had formally declared war on Maude.
This was getting interesting.
Just days ago, Maude had declared war on Big Mom.
Now, only a few days later, Kaido had declared war on him in return.
There was even a chance that Kaido would launch his signature Expedition campaign.
In other words, Maude's crew—who had only just entered the New World—was now facing the wrath of not one, but two Emperors of the Sea.
"Doesn't matter."
Maude remained unbothered.
Facing down two Yonko with such composure, Law found himself at a loss for words.
"Let's go get a drink."
Maude casually tossed the newspaper to Law and pushed open the tavern door.
...
Inside the tavern.
Despite being the only customers at the bar, the atmosphere was anything but dull.
"Boss! Sit here!"
Upon seeing Maude enter, Urouge jumped up and enthusiastically waved him over.
Jim, however, was even more direct. He strode over with large steps, clearly intending to pull Maude straight to his seat.
"I let my guard down!"
Urouge stared blankly at Jim's actions, regretting that he had been a step too slow.
Just then, a white ghost passed through Jim's body.
"Thud!"
Jim, who had been reaching out to grab Maude, suddenly collapsed onto all fours in despair. "I am but a mere speck of dust in this world..."
"Horo-horo-horo..."
Perona giggled behind her hand, floating over to Maude with a drink in hand.
"Here."
Maude took the cup and habitually thanked her.
Perona, seizing the opportunity, quickly added, "There's an empty seat next to me."
"Alright."
Maude chuckled and walked towards the seat she indicated.
Perona gleefully waved her hands, ignoring the sharp glares from Bailey as she followed Maude.
As he reached the seat, Maude placed his drink on the table and slowly sat down.
Almost simultaneously, Lafitte, appearing as if from nowhere, leisurely took the seat beside Maude.
Perona's seat.
Perona froze, staring blankly at Lafitte, who had nonchalantly claimed her spot.
She wanted to protest, but she didn't dare, so she could only look helplessly at Philo, seated on Maude's other side.
Meanwhile, Philo, wearing her crow mask, was tapping the table rhythmically with the beak of her mask, muttering at an absurdly fast pace.
Perona sighed, realizing Philo was still mourning the loss of her plant collection from Fish-Man Island, which had been swept away by a massive tornado days ago.
Defeated, she abandoned the idea of reclaiming her seat.
"Damn you, Lafitte!"
Perona pouted angrily at the indifferent Lafitte.
Across the table, Urouge marveled at Lafitte's silent takeover.
Meanwhile, Hawkins quietly placed one tarot card after another onto his straw effigy, his sharp gaze secretly observing his crewmates' antics.
"Scales."
Holding up a tarot card imprinted with an intricate symbol, Hawkins spoke in a detached tone: "The probability of the captain sitting beside me is zero. The probability of him sitting next to Lafitte is also zero. Quite fair."
Hearing Hawkins mutter to himself, Urouge tilted his head, his surprised expression practically saying: You can divine something like that?
At the entrance of the tavern.
Law cradled Kikoku in his arms, silently watching the absurd spectacle of his crewmates vying for the seat next to Maude.
"Idiots."
Clicking his tongue, Law settled into a chair with empty seats on both sides.
"Room."
Without a sound, his spatial domain expanded, instantly encompassing the entire tavern.
Shambles!
Whoosh!
Maude, along with his cup, vanished from his seat beside Lafitte.
In the next instant, he reappeared in the chair next to Law.
"?"
Maude turned to see Law lowering his hand, a question mark practically floating above his head.
The others froze for a moment before simultaneously shifting their gazes toward Law.
Unfazed by their stares, Law calmly lifted his cup and took a slow sip.
Perona reacted the fastest. With all the speed she could muster, she plopped herself into the other vacant seat beside Maude, a deeply satisfied smile spreading across her face.
"..."
Lafitte silently watched as Maude was snatched away, then quietly extended a finger, tapping rhythmically against the table. Thud, thud, thud…
Nearby.
Brook, holding a steaming cup of tea, glanced at Philo, who was pecking the table repeatedly with her raven mask, then at Lafitte, who was drumming his fingers in a steady beat. His ears were filled with a chorus of thud, thud, peck, peck…
"Yohohoho, my scalp is tingling! Although I don't have a scalp!"
Brook decisively stood up and moved away from the two "thudding monsters."
The tavern was lively.
Outside, however, the harbor remained eerily quiet.
An old shipwright stepped onto the deck of the Underworld Ferry, his gaze falling on the jagged fracture of the main mast.
"Troublesome…"
He muttered to himself, contemplating how to restore the mast perfectly.
Ding-ling—
Just as the old man was racking his brain for solutions, a crisp bell chime echoed from the distant sea.
"Eh?"
The old man's keen ears twitched. Instinctively, he turned toward the direction of the sound.
On the sea, a tall man dressed like a vagabond rode a well-maintained bicycle across the water's surface.
Ahead of him, a school of flying fish, each the size of a calf, leaped from the ocean, soaring in graceful arcs before plunging back into the waves.
Seconds later, the cycle repeated—fish leaping out just before the bicycle, over and over again.
Perhaps frustrated by this, the man continuously rang the bell on his bicycle, as if trying to shoo them away.
...
On the Underworld Ferry's deck.
With a clatter, the pipe in the old shipwright's mouth slipped and fell onto the deck.
"Admiral Aokiji!? No… Former Admiral!"
Ding-ling, ding-ling—
The bicycle's bell rang ever closer.
Who else but Aokiji could leisurely pedal a bicycle across the seas of the New World?
Surrounded by the flying fish, Aokiji finally reached the wooden bridge at the harbor.
"Ahh… Finally found a place to rest."
Pressing down on the pedals, he effortlessly glided up an icy slope leading onto the dock.
After parking his bicycle to the side, Aokiji lifted his gaze to the Underworld Ferry, eyes flickering with recognition.
"This ship… I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
Scratching his messy hair, he struggled to recall his memories of the vessel.
With its sails and flag badly damaged and stored away, no insignia of the Maude Pirates was visible. And since Maude rarely paraded his ship in the open, Aokiji failed to recognize its origins.
"Well, first things first—food."
Unable to recall, Aokiji decisively gave up and turned his gaze toward the nearest tavern, where the sounds of lively toasts echoed from within.
"Hmm…"
Rubbing his chin, his eyes flickered with intrigue.
...
On the Underworld Ferry's railing.
"Former Admiral Aokiji… Now that you're no longer a Marine, I suppose you don't have a reason to 'hunt down' pirates anymore, do you?"
The old shipwright looked down at Aokiji from the railing.
Hearing the voice, Aokiji tilted his head back slightly. From behind his sunglasses, his gaze shifted toward the old man.
"Does one need a reason… to hunt pirates?"
"..."
The old man was momentarily speechless.
Ignoring him, Aokiji strolled toward the tavern. Midway, he patted his empty pockets, scratching his head in mild distress.
"Do me a favor."
He stopped and turned back to the old man.
"What favor?"
The old man instinctively asked.
"Lend me some money. I'll leave my bike with you as collateral."
"..."
After a brief silence, the old man sighed.
"You just want me to watch your bike, don't you?"
"Arara…"
...
Moments later.
Aokiji pushed open the tavern doors and stepped inside.
His arrival instantly silenced the previously rowdy atmosphere.
Clack.
The wooden door lightly hit the wall.
The moment the sound rang out, everyone—except Maude—instinctively prepared for combat.
"Aokiji…!!!"
Eyes filled with shock, the crowd stared at the former admiral as if he were a ghost.
Aokiji, too, was visibly surprised as his gaze swept over the Maude Pirates before settling on Maude himself, who was leisurely sipping his drink.
"Arara… Where did you all pop out from?"
"Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that?"
Placing his cup down, Maude calmly remarked, "Don't tell me you were just out for a stroll and happened to wander here by accident, Aokiji…"
"Arara, I got lost."
Aokiji approached the table.
His movements made Lafitte and the others tense up.
Had Maude not given the order to stand down, they likely would have attacked under sheer pressure.
"And another thing—call me Kuzan."
Under the watchful eyes of the crew, Aokiji casually sat down across from Maude.
"I hear… you've managed to provoke two of the Four Emperors at the same time, Maude…"
—————————
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parentheses ( )]
NOTE: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon!