"Ma… Mama?"
Katakuri waited for a long time with no response, finally breaking the silence with a strange query.
"…Say, Katakuri."
Big Mom finally snapped out of it, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Isn't it a waste for such an excellent fellow to be a Marine? Why don't we find a way to get him here, to become a part of the Charlotte Family?"
"That's a good idea, Mama."
Katakuri pondered for a moment, nodding slightly. "Are you planning to tie him down with a marriage alliance, like you did when finding husbands for Big Sister and Second Sister? This guy is a swordsman; perhaps Amande would be interested in him…"
As he spoke, Katakuri suddenly felt something was off. Looking at Big Mom, who was still staring intently at the photo, his heart sank, and he asked in astonishment: ""W–Wait… Don't tell me… you mean…"
...
North Blue, A Certain Underground Exchange
Blood stained the ground everywhere, corpses lay scattered. In the center of the empty seats, Doflamingo sat idly on a sofa, legs crossed.
"Doffy, cleanup's done. We're good to go."
The tall, slender man in sunglasses approached him, speaking in a low voice. "Also, Diamante just gave me a newspaper. The front page is quite interesting; I hope you'll take a look."
"Hmm?"
Doflamingo nonchalantly took the newspaper. After a quick glance, his eyes instantly narrowed. "William, a Warlord of the Sea, actually killed by a Marine? And the one who killed him, Natsuya Nao…"
"He's even a year younger than me?" He took off his sunglasses, revealing intrigued eyes. "Fufufufufufu, seems like the Marines have another incredible guy among them!"
"Just a few months ago, the Marines were still proclaiming the Warlords of the Sea would be their most reliable allies, and then not long after, they directly killed one. And he's even a descendant of the noble-blooded World Nobles. They really dared to make a move."
Trebol next to him leaned his head closer, almost splattering snot on Doffy's face. "Nah, Doffy! What did I say before? This alliance isn't reliable at all. Maybe your plan needs a slight change, nah? How about we continue developing in the North Blue, nah? And then later, we'll just go straight to the New World and let the Warlords of the Sea go to hell, how about that, nah! Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!"
"My long-term plans won't be easily changed."
Doflamingo subtly shifted his butt sideways, saying calmly: "There are still plenty of open seats among the Warlords. Within ten years, I'll claim one. Once I have that title, everything gets easier. And with that position, the Marines won't dare cross me again."
"But even William…"
"William?" Doflamingo gave a cold smirk, a mocking curve on his lips. "What is he? Can he compare to me?"
Prince of two kingdoms? Insignificant. Descendant of the World Nobles? That's from eight hundred years ago, who cares about that.
He, Donquixote Doflamingo, was born in Mariejois, a genuine World Noble!
...
Grand Line, Mock Town
This infamous den of lawlessness, known for its thriving underground trade, was a gold sinkhole for pirates in the surrounding waters.
When the news coos delivered the morning papers, it caused an immediate stir here, setting off a tidal wave of chatter.
Across streets, alleys, taverns, and inns…
Discussions and murmurs could be heard everywhere.
"Hey, heard the news? That Warlord of the Sea William, with royal blood, was taken down by a Marine!"
"Old news! Natsuya Nao, right? I already had dealings with him back when I was in the East Blue!"
A burly pirate, easily three meters tall, let out a burp and said smugly: "That kid was only sixteen back then, and he chased our entire crew of dozens of men around! Our captain got chopped down by him too! Good thing I was smart enough to jump into the sea and escape!"
"By your tone, why do you sound so proud?"
"What do you mean, 'why'? Even a Warlord of the Sea isn't his match, and I fought him! What's wrong with being a little proud?" The burly pirate puffed out his chest and glared. "Stop your whining! Got a problem with it? Go fight him yourself!"
"Ha, I wouldn't dare… that kind of monster is surely destined to become a Marine Admiral in the future, right?"
In the corner of a tavern.
Listening to the surrounding clamor, a young swordsman in a wine-red shirt silently stood up to pay his bill, pulled down the brim of his black hat, and pushed open the swinging doors to exit.
"A Two-Sword Style sword master from the Marines, Nao, huh."
He looked up at the dim, starry night sky outside, narrowing his sharp, hawk-like eyes. "I wonder if I'll have a chance to cross blades with a strong opponent like that before the end of the year…"
Three months ago, he officially set sail, embarking on his solitary journey.
During that time, he defeated many swordsmen, and his swordsmanship continuously improved. He had now reached the level of a true swordmaster.
Perhaps it was time to seek out some reputable, famous Swordmasters, like Natsuya Nao, to further improve his swordsmanship through sparring and battle.
...
New World, G-1 Branch
Akainu, who had just been transferred here to serve as the Commander, picked up the newspaper on his desk and began reading it while sipping tea.
"Hmm?" After scanning the front page, his brow furrowed, and the knuckle of his right index finger unconsciously tapped the tabletop. "So, something like this happened last night, huh…"
A Warlord of the Sea with noble blood, actually defeated and killed on the spot by a mere rookie trainee from Headquarters?
Interesting.
Marine Headquarters must have received the news through internal channels even faster. They must be in an uproar by now, right?Akainu's gaze moved down, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the resolute, handsome young face in the photo.
What an outstanding young man. He inexplicably recalled his own self from ten years ago. Still, he's not ruthless enough. If it were him, he could definitely do better, keeping William's death a secret from the outside world and completely disassociating himself from it…
"What a pity."
His brow furrowed, and he muttered softly.
Now that the newspapers had spread across the world, there was no way to suppress this matter. He estimated that soon, the World Government, pressured by the two royal families, would bypass Marine Headquarters and send Nao to a military tribunal…
...
East Blue
Marine Base 16
New recruits, having just finished training, walked in twos and threes towards the mess hall, conversing in low whispers along the way.
"Strange, why is Mr. Natsuya in such a good mood today? I clearly failed this afternoon's training, but instead of telling me to go do extra drills like usual, he gently encouraged me for a long time, making me feel all uncomfortable…"
"Me too! I haven't heard him yell at me all day. It's really unsettling."
"I know a little something. Apparently, his son, who he sent to Headquarters, just defeated a Warlord of the Sea and made quite a name for himself. The newspapers are full of news about that guy."
"Warlord of the Sea? What's that?"
"I think it's a pirate title? Not sure…"
These whispers reached the ears of a pink-haired girl in a white uniform, causing her to purse her lips and smile, her face filled with an unconcealable pride.
That's my childhood friend!
But…
Remembering the letter she sent over two months ago, which still hadn't received a reply, the girl couldn't help but feel a little worried, even slightly annoyed—
Why was it so coincidental? Just when she sent the letter, Nao left Marineford to intern at a branch base…
That guy.
When will he finally return to Headquarters and send her a reply?!
...
South Blue
On a Marine warship that had just returned from a mission and was preparing to head back to Headquarters.
"This is huge news!"
Rear Admiral Chaton, clutching the freshly bought newspaper, couldn't help but widen his eyes. "A Warlord of the Sea… William, was actually defeated by a rookie trainee interned at G-2 Branch from Headquarters?!"
This is too crazy… Just a mere rookie? Could it be that Mr. Zephyr has trained another incredible monster?Wait.
After carefully examining the photo, Chaton was instantly stunned, falling into deep thought—why did this kid look so familiar?
He racked his brain, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall. Just as he was about to give up, the newspaper in his hand was suddenly snatched from behind.
"Hey! Who—" Chaton was furious, but then he turned his head and instantly sobered up, stammering, "G-… Gion, why are you up so early today?"
He received no reply, because Momousagi, in front of him, was intently Browse the report in her hands.
She seemed to have just come out of a bath; her beautiful face was rosy and fair, her long black hair tied into a bun, still carrying a faint mist of water. As she looked at the newspaper, her expression was subtly complex, constantly changing.
First, there was a hint of pleasant surprise, a smile playing on her lips, then she fell into thought, followed by a slight furrow of her delicate brows, and a deep look of worry and concern in her eyes…
Finally.
As if making some kind of decision, she took a deep breath, sharply turned around, and walked into the ship's cabin.
"Gion?"
Chaton, who had been somewhat entranced and dazed by what he saw, instantly snapped back to reality and cried out, "Where are you going? At least leave the newspaper! I just started reading it…"
Her back didn't stop. She vanished into the cabin entrance in a blink. He could only sit back down with a bitter face, his mind confused and bewildered.
It's been so long since he'd seen Gion so flustered. What in the world happened this time?