At the very moment Eden and his group were silently taking over Enies Lobby, the entire world was in an uproar over the news that they had defeated Marine Admiral Kuzan and that Eden had been named the fifth Sea Emperor.
On a certain unnamed island.
"Shanks, did you see this?"
"This kid with a 1.8 billion bounty, and this kid with a 2 billion bounty, and these, these... they're all my comrades!"
After receiving today's newspaper from the news coo, Gildarts was so happy he started dancing with joy, introducing the outstanding youngsters of his guild to Shanks, who was beside him.
"1.8 billion Berries and 2 billion Berries? Not bad at all!"
Shanks glanced at the bounty posters Gildarts handed him. He looked at the beaming smiles of the young people in the paper, and his gaze sharpened slightly...
He seemed to be looking forward to what kind of changes these young people would bring to the world when they all arrived in the New World.
"To actually defeat that Kuzan? Truly remarkable!" Benn Beckman said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, stunned by the achievements of Eden's group amidst the swirling smoke.
As far as he knew, the number of people in the world who could face and defeat a Marine Admiral head-on could be counted on one hand! Without exception, those people were either legends of the sea or Sea Emperors.
Therefore, Eden's title of 'Fifth Emperor' was absolutely legitimate.
"The young ones have already started to make their move."
"I can hardly wait any longer..."
"Luffy, hurry up and come! I'm waiting for you in the New World."
Shanks looked up at the sky, his eyes burning with anticipation.
Since that kid Luffy had, by a twist of fate, eaten the 'Gomu Gomu' fruit, some responsibilities would now fall to him to bear. He just hoped Luffy could grow up quickly.
Whitebeard's Territory.
Covered in bandages from head to toe and hooked up to numerous IV drips just like Whitebeard, was a man Marco had described as: "Old man, I really don't know how you've managed to live this long!"
The strongest guild master in the history of Fiore Kingdom's strongest guild, Fairy Tail, the legendary Makarov Dreyar, shed tears of excitement after seeing the newspaper. He shouted, "My children, I'm so glad you're all okay."
"Newgate, did you see this?"
"These are the youngsters I was telling you about..."
"What do you think?! Our kids are just as good as yours, right?"
As Makarov spoke, he brought the newspaper over to Newgate's side, a wide grin on his face as he showed off his guild members.
"You're too close, Makarov."
The man known as the 'World's Strongest Man,' the uncrowned king of the New World, a man who once stood on equal footing with the 'Pirate King' Gol D. Roger...
'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing Makarov's words. It wasn't for any other reason than the old man was standing too close; he wasn't used to it.
In truth, in terms of strength, Makarov wasn't that powerful, at least not strong enough to be his opponent. In fact, Newgate believed that many of the 'kids' on his ship had ways to defeat Makarov... for example, 'Phoenix' Marco, who could outlast the old man, or the indestructible 'Diamond' Jozu.
But in terms of spirit?
This man, Makarov, didn't seem to possess the world-conquering Haki of Roger or Rocks.
But the first time Newgate saw Makarov, he knew instantly that this man was a kindred spirit. In fact, Makarov understood him even better than Gol D. Roger did...
This was because the first thing this eighty-something-year-old man said, while dragging his battered body before him, was not about his own safety, but: "Please, save my children!"
Then, Makarov passed out from the severity of his injuries.
That single sentence had shaken Newgate to his core...
In that moment, Newgate truly noticed the countless scars on this not-so-tall man's body.
Without a doubt, just like his own! These were all wounds sustained to protect his family. They were wounds full of honor.
Because of this, after Makarov woke up, Newgate agreed to use his power to help Makarov find his children scattered across the world and became sworn brothers with him.
But right now, Newgate was getting annoyed.
Because this irritating fellow was constantly showing off how outstanding his children were right in front of him. Didn't he know that a traitor had just appeared among his, Newgate's, family?
"Hmph!"
"That's enough out of you, Makarov..." Newgate said with a cold snort, turning his head away.
"You're jealous," Makarov said with a grin, sitting beside Newgate.
"Of course not."
"My children are outstanding too."
"Marco, Jozu, Ace, Vista..."
As Newgate spoke, he listed the names of the exceptional children on his ship.
To be fair, the quality of the Whitebeard Pirates' members was absurd. If Teach hadn't betrayed them and Oden hadn't left, a complete Whitebeard crew could have fielded seven or eight members at the level of a Calamity or a Sweet Commander. Once Ace fully matured, the Whitebeard Pirates would have become a terrifying force with multiple top-tier fighters.
"The two old men are competing again."
Beside Newgate and Makarov, Marco and the others watched the scene helplessly. Ever since Makarov had come aboard, Newgate and Makarov had constantly been competing and bickering with each other.
Of course, Marco and the others were happy to see it. They also hoped their old man would have someone to talk to regularly.
"BOOM!!"
Just then, a clap of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky...
"Who's there?!"
Newgate, who had been chatting idly with Makarov, narrowed his eyes and roared at the sky.
"BOOM!!"
The moment the king of these seas became enraged, the entire sky and sea seemed to tremble.
And just as Newgate's voice fell, Laxus, Mirajane, and Aramaki landed on the deck.
Following them were Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates' traitor, 'Blackbeard' Marshall D. Teach, both tied up in Aramaki's vines...
Yes, because Laxus, Mirajane, and Aramaki could all fly, they had decided it would be best to just fly over directly, saving time and effort.
Alright, the main reason was that Laxus gets seasick, and he couldn't take it anymore.
"Ace?!"
"Teach, you bastard, you have the nerve to come back?"
"Are they enemies?"
As the group landed on the deck, the members of the Whitebeard crew immediately prepared for battle.
"Wait a minute, it's a misunderstanding."
"These people are my friends..."
Hearing this, Ace immediately untangled himself from the vines and stepped between the groups to explain.
Then, Ace went before his father, 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, knelt on one knee, and declared loudly, "Father, I have not failed my mission! The traitor of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marshall D. Teach of the Second Division, has been captured."
"Hmph~"
Teach watched the scene with a cold sneer, saying nothing more.
"It's good that you're back."
Newgate looked at Ace, who was so close, his eyes filled with affection. He reached out his large hand, gently stroked Ace's head, and nodded firmly.
"Master."
At that moment, Mirajane had already rushed into Makarov's arms, tears streaming from her eyes as she spoke emotionally.
"Silly child."
Makarov gently patted Mirajane's head and said softly, "It's been hard on you all this time."
"Gramps."
Not far away, Laxus watched the touching scene, his nose tingling, but for some reason, he didn't dare to approach, only watching from a distance.
"You idiot! Get over here..."
Makarov had naturally noticed Laxus. He beckoned to his clumsy grandson, signaling him to come over.
"Gramps..."
Before Laxus could finish his sentence, Makarov's fist had already landed on his head. "You really make me worry... you damn grandson," he said angrily.
"..."
Laxus didn't finish the rest of his sentence. But he knew that his grandfather still cared for him, that he had never given up on him.
"You must be Master Makarov, right?"
"I'm a new member of our Fairy Tail guild..."
"My name is Aramaki, I'm thirty-nine years old, and I'm the little brother of Big Bro Laxus, Big Sis Mirajane, and Big Bro Eden."
During this touching moment, Aramaki sidled up to Makarov and introduced himself.
"A thirty-nine-year-old little brother?"
Makarov was a bit stunned by this, finding the green-haired man before him exceptionally strange.
Well, it wasn't as if their Fairy Tail guild didn't have members even stranger than this man.
"Master."
"Although Uncle Aramaki is a bit weird, his strength is undeniable," Mirajane spoke up, introducing Aramaki to Makarov.
"Mm, even if you didn't tell me, I can feel it. What immense life force is this?! It's almost on par with Precht Gaebolg, or even... surpasses him."
Makarov was shocked by the vast life force within Aramaki. He had only ever seen such terrifying life force in Warrod Sequen, one of the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgar. (Before Makarov and the others crossed over, the Ten Wizard Saints were still playing in the mud somewhere.)
Without a doubt, the man before him, like Warrod Sequen, was a plant-based mage. Oh, right, in this world, they were called Devil Fruit users.
On the other side.
"Teach, you know you've done wrong, don't you?" 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate asked coldly, looking at his rebellious son, Teach, who was tied up.
"Zehahahaha..."
"Since I did wrong and got caught, I have nothing more to say."
"But, old man, I'd like to ask you, are you really so fair and just in everything you do?"
"Your ship is so big, you have so many sons, do you really know every single one?"
"And can you treat every son the same way you treat Commander Marco and Commander Ace?"
"Old man, you can't do it! You'll never be able to do it..."
Teach stared fiercely at Newgate with his savage eyes, laughing loudly, "Zehahahaha! Father, even in death, I will forever be your nightmare."
"Shut up, Teach!"
Marco couldn't take it anymore. He rushed forward and clamped a hand over Teach's mouth. The other commanders, also enraged, charged forward recklessly.
"Zehahahaha..."
Teach continued to laugh. He knew he had struck a nerve with his old man. His final task was complete. Now, he could die without regrets.
Honestly, if he hadn't encountered the Dark-Dark Fruit, he really would have been prepared to stay with the Whitebeard Pirates for the rest of his life as Edward Newgate's son.
What a pity that he found it.
And what a pity that after finding it, he was captured and brought back.
But he didn't regret it.
No matter what, 'Blackbeard' Marshall D. Teach absolutely deserved to be called a man of ambition.
"Zehahahaha..."
"A man's dream will never die!"
Amidst Teach's wild laughter, his life seemed to be reaching its end.
Newgate tacitly approved of all this.
As for Makarov and the others on the side, they didn't say much. This was a family matter, and it wasn't their place as outsiders to interfere or judge.
Meanwhile.
Wano Country.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
"Fifth Emperor? So what?"
"Isn't it just because he beat that ice kid, Kuzan?"
"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
"The World Government is as fond of exaggeration as ever!"
The man known as the 'World's Strongest Creature,' who would surely win any one-on-one fight, who ruled the seas as a Sea Emperor alongside 'Whitebeard,' 'Red-Hair,' and 'Big Mom'—the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates, 'Kaido of the Hundred Beasts'—sat at the very top of the thousands-of-meters-high Onigashima, letting the falling snow land on him as he drank silently.
"Looks like everyone's working hard!"
"So manly!"
"I can't fall behind either..."
Beside Kaido, a muscular man over two meters tall—fitting the standard height of the pirate world—with long white hair, shed tears of excitement after seeing the newspaper in his hands.
The man's name was Elfman, also a mage of the Fairy Tail guild and a candidate for S-Class Mage...
Ever since crossing over to this world, he had landed directly on Onigashima, the headquarters of the Beasts Pirates. After demonstrating his abilities, he was immediately promoted by Kaido to the 'Tobi Roppo' (Flying Six) and was being personally taught (by being hit with a club) as if he were a successor.
On a side note, Elfman's strength was advancing by leaps and bounds under Kaido's tutelage.
Kaido: "Do you have any idea what the number one teacher in the pirate world is worth?!"
At the same time.
In Totto Land, the territory of one of the four Sea Emperors who rule the New World, 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin.
Whole Cake Island.
"My little darling~"
"In all my time in this world, I've never seen a race that can use such a special power like yours."
"But it doesn't matter at all. After we get married, we'll surely have many more little babies who can use that special power~"
"It's so exciting to think about~"
Charlotte Linlin, one of the 'Four Emperors,' was speaking to a handsome man with long green hair in a prison cell. He was covered in Sea-Prism Stone chains and personally guarded by Katakuri.
"Laxus... save me!"
Yes, the man locked up was none other than Freed Justine of the 'Thunder God Tribe.' He had the misfortune of landing on Whole Cake Island and catching Charlotte Linlin's eye.
Simply put, there was a happy occasion in his future.
Fortunately, Charlotte Linlin had decided to hold her wedding with Freed at next year's grand tea party, where she would announce to the world that she, Linlin, would be taking her forty-fourth husband. Such wonderful news.
The above is the recent situation of the Fairy Tail members who landed in the territories of the four Sea Emperors. All good news~
Freed: "Like hell it is!"
Meanwhile, at the World Government.
"Thud!"
Spandam's father, Spandine, had spent his entire family fortune and gambled away all the rewards he had earned for doing so much dirty work for the World Government...
He finally managed to get an audience with 'Fleet Admiral' Sengoku. He knelt in Sengoku's office, crying and begging, "Sengoku, you can't not save my son! He's my only son."
"You think I don't want to?"
"The Marines already have one Admiral injured because of this. Do we have to let another Admiral get hurt?!"
"The Sea Emperors of the New World are watching like tigers! If all the Admirals are injured, are you going to be the one to deal with Whitebeard and Kaido?"
Sengoku furiously berated Spandine, feeling that this incompetent fool who only ever made things worse was nothing but trouble.
Everyone knew that Nico Robin was wanted by the Five Elders, but now she was a member of an Emperor's crew. Could they just make a move on her? If it caused a large-scale war between an Emperor's crew and the Marines, who would take responsibility for that?!
Were you, Spandine, even worthy?
"Enies Lobby has been taken over, how scary~"
"Should I go and take a look myself, Fleet Admiral Sengoku~"
As Sengoku was agonizing, Borsalino, who had been sitting in the office drinking tea, seemed unable to sit still any longer. He stood up and asked Sengoku.
"Wait a little longer."
"Let's see what Eden's demands are first."
Hearing this, Sengoku shook his head firmly. To be honest, he didn't want to escalate this matter.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! We have a reply from Eden."
Just then, Brannew came into Sengoku's office and said frantically.
"Speak," Sengoku said, also curious about what Eden wanted.
"He said..."
"First thing!"
"Have the best shipwrights in Water 7 personally build them a ship, and the World Government will foot the bill."
"Second thing!"
"Let the CP9 agents come to Enies Lobby to rescue their man! If they don't, they'll take matters into their own hands and feed Spandam to a Sea King."
"And a third thing..."
As Brannew spoke, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
"There's a third thing?" Sengoku asked, frowning in confusion.
"The third thing has nothing to do with Eden!"
"It's that Vice Admiral Erza heard Eden was at Enies Lobby and immediately set out with her troops..." Brannew said helplessly.
"Puhahahaha..."
After Brannew finished speaking, Garp, who was drinking tea with Borsalino, burst out laughing. "That's my student for you, full of spirit!" he said happily.
"Get Erza back here!"
"And, just do as Eden wishes."
"We don't have the spare fighting power to deal with this bastard right now."
"Give him the ship! Tell him to get the hell to the New World! Immediately!"
Hearing this, Sengoku was so angry he nearly fainted on the spot. He couldn't be the Fleet Admiral anymore. Whoever wanted the job could have it.