With Kaido gone—
The remnants of the Beasts Pirates completely lost any chance of breaking through. The hundreds of pirates left, under the lead of a few key high-ranking officers, made their final desperate stand.
But it was like drops of water falling into the sea—unable to stir up the slightest ripple.
Their deaths were miserable, and only a handful survived. After all, they were facing Akainu.
The commander of G1 Branch clearly, much like Nao, had no habit of hauling off large groups of prisoners to Impel Down.
Nao himself did not join the slaughter. After days of bitter battle, he rested for a short while on the warship, replenishing his strength with food and water.
He politely refused the medical staff's request to bandage and dress his wounds, instead telling them to prioritize treating the ordinary soldiers scattered across the battlefield.
Only after Akainu had finished mopping up at the harbor did he return to the Poneglyphs with Kuzan and the others.
After several days and nights of war, Hall Island was nearly destroyed. The cliffs were shattered beyond recognition, yet the three Poneglyphs that had fallen into the valley still stood perfectly intact.
The World Government's agents had all been rescued.
Their leader—Shumi, the one who had made the original distress call—was weak and exhausted, but still forced himself to stand with his team, bowing respectfully before Nao.
For the proud CP-0 to bow was no small matter.
This was not only out of gratitude for saving their lives, but also Nao's overwhelming display of strength, which had completely conquered even these direct agents of the Celestial Dragons.
That much was obvious.
From the looks of awe and fear the CP-0 members cast at him as he passed, the message was clear.
...
"All of this began with these three stones."
Nao, Akainu, and Aokiji stood side by side in the wind, gazing up at the towering Poneglyphs. Aokiji rubbed his sore shoulder and sighed:
"But thanks to these things, three of the Emperors of the Sea got dragged in and paid a heavy price."
The Whitebeard Pirates lost three whole divisions—nearly one-fifth of their core strength—completely wiped out.
The Big Mom Pirates suffered more than a thousand casualties, a terrible loss.
And the Beasts Pirates—no need to say more. Kaido had swallowed his pride, spent a year licking his wounds, painstakingly rebuilding his power to its peak. Yet after this one battle, he was thrown right back to where he'd been a year ago overnight.
For the Marine, this war could be considered their greatest victory since the G1 Branch Battle a year ago.
With one side declining and the other rising, Headquarters' hold over the New World would only continue to strengthen.
"It's just a pity we couldn't keep any of the top officers."
Aokiji shook his head regretfully.
The two Calamities carried off by Kaido were one thing. But Marco, Katakuri, and the others Nao had defeated on the mountaintop had all vanished without a trace during the days-long chaos.
There was no helping it.
The Marine had already shackled those unconscious fighters with seastone cuffs, preparing to bring them aboard. But Kaido's sudden descent from the sky, like a stick stirring a pot, rewrote their fate entirely.
In that sense—
Kaido could be called their savior.
Still, the Marine did not come away empty-handed. They had netted some hefty "big fish" after all.
For example—
Aokiji instinctively turned his head toward the distant harbor. There, Momonga and Onigumo were leading men as they painstakingly shattered several ice spheres, shackling the frozen bodies inside one by one and escorting them onto the warships…
...
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1504, early May.
The battle over the Poneglyphs, watched by countless powers, finally came to an end with the Marine's ultimate victory.
Under the personal supervision of Morgans, the World Economy News Paper rushed to print a special report overnight. The details were described in great depth, accompanied by a wealth of rare photographs captured on the battlefield.
The headline photos stretched across the front page, two in total.
On the left: thunder rolling in the sky, Nao and Kaido clashing midair—two dragons, one azure and one blue, roaring as they collided. A moment frozen in time, utterly breathtaking.
The bold, enlarged headline above it read:
"Living Up to Expectations, Fighting Kaido of the Beasts to a Draw! Marine Headquarters' Strongest of the New Generation—Natsuya Nao!"
On the right: an almost lifelike ice sculpture—within the frozen layers, the body of the Straw Hat youth stiff and numb, his eyes dull and unfocused as he stared toward the camera. In the background, several Marines, cigarettes in their mouths, were laughing and chatting casually.
The slightly smaller sub-headline read:
"—Red-Haired Shanks, Who Defeated Multiple Warlords of the Sea in Succession, Captured Alive! Headquarters Vice Admiral Kuzan Repels Two Calamities, His Power Not to Be Underestimated."
Soon after—
The news coos, wings beating, set off one after another, spreading the fresh ink-stained papers to every corner of the world.
News of such weight—
Caused the World Economic News' papers to once again sell out in a frenzy, setting a new sales record not seen in over a year.
From small taverns in remote villages of the Four Seas, to pirate ships sailing the New World, everywhere people were talking about this with excitement and fervor.
And so—
After nearly a year of silence and low profile, the name Natsuya Nao once again boomed like thunder, echoing across the entire world!
...
North Blue, a certain island port.
In the icy wind, the bloodstains on the dock had dried quickly, soon to be covered over entirely by falling snow.
"Have the bodies all been disposed of, Lao G?"
A tall, thin figure draped in a flamingo-feather coat walked through the snow, hands in his pockets, not even glancing back as he addressed the subordinate behind him.
"All cleaned up, Young Master."
The strange old man grinned, nodding. "One hundred and twenty corpses, all buried in one place. Arranged by height, nice and tidy."
"Impressive."
Doflamingo snapped his fingers.
Beside him, top executive Trebol let out a cold laugh:
"Those bounty hunters, usually picking on weaklings with bounties of a few million is one thing, but they actually dared to mess with our Donquixote Family. They really don't know their place."
"Just small fry, don't worry about it... Since it's all settled, let's head back to the hotel first."
Doflamingo said lightly:
"Once this blizzard passes, it's about time we set sail again. We've been stuck here nearly a month repairing the ship. Staying in a little backwater like this really is dull."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The voices of his subordinates rang out together in the cold wind.
But just then, a figure in a black shirt suddenly rushed out from the street ahead. He looked around quickly, then spotting the group, hurried toward them at a brisk pace.
"Vergo?"
Trebol eyed the lean, wiry man with suspicion.
"Weren't you told to go reserve us a meal at the hotel? Why'd you come running back so soon… Hey! You bastard, did you sneak a bite ahead of time? You've still got ramen dumpling stuck to your face!"
He shouted angrily, but Vergo ignored him. Without a word, he wiped the crumbs from his cheek, pulled a newspaper silently from his coat, and handed it to Doflamingo. His deep voice rumbled:
"The people at the hotel were passing this around like crazy. I thought you'd want to see it immediately, Doffy."
"Oh?"
Doflamingo's interest was piqued by Vergo's serious tone. He unfolded the paper, and after only a glance, one eyebrow arched. His finger hooked the edge of his tinted glasses, lowering them slightly as surprise flashed across his face.
"Him again…? He actually fought Kaido of the Beasts for five whole days and nights, and it ended in a draw?"
The surrounding officers gasped, quickly crowding closer to read over his shoulder. When they finished the front-page article, a collective sharp intake of breath followed, their eyes darting uncertainly among each other.
Kaido of the Beasts?
That was a legendary emperor of the seas, ruling over the latter half of the Grand Line like a king…
Someone they couldn't even imagine challenging—yet after days of brutal battle, even he couldn't finish off that Nao, and in the end was forced into a bitter retreat?
One by one, their gazes shifted toward Doflamingo.
If memory served—
That Marine Vice Admiral was barely in his twenties, even a year younger than their own Young Master. It was precisely for that reason that Doffy had paid him so much attention, feeling a sting of rivalry, unwilling to let someone else so completely dominate the spotlight.
But now, the gap between them hadn't narrowed at all. It had only widened.
In fact, the difference was one of leagues entirely. Even after years of growth, the Donquixote Family's dominion over North Blue was immense, able to stir up storms with a flick of the wrist.
But in front of a monster like that—
All their achievements looked no more than a child's game of house.
"Fufufufufu… this guy…"
Doflamingo wasn't bothered by his subordinates' shaken expressions. After reading through the report, he exhaled deeply and flicked the paper aside.
"His star just keeps shining brighter…"
"Doffy, hey, Doffy!"
Trebol shoved his face close, his dangling snot smearing right across Doffy's cheek.
"I told you before, didn't I? You've gotta change your plan! Staying cooped up in North Blue forever is a waste. It's time to set out on the Grand Line! Don't forget—you're a man born to be a king! Once you step onto a bigger stage, your power and fame will be no less dazzling than his!"
"…"
Doflamingo wiped away the mucus from his forehead, his eye twitching. He restrained the urge to kick Trebol square in the ass and instead spoke evenly:
"There's no need to press me, Trebol. My path was set from the beginning, and I won't change it on a whim."
"The Grand Line, yes, I'll go. The world stage, yes, I'll step onto it. But not yet."
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed.
"What I want is timing—the moment I appear, I'll seize the spotlight entirely. And that day… isn't far off, Trebol."
Just as he was about to continue, the transponder snail on him suddenly rang out with a purupurupuru.
"Hm?"
Doflamingo frowned, but quickly pulled it out and answered.
"Doffy."
From the receiver came the voice of another top executive, Diamante. At the moment he was stationed at the family's main base, managing one of their most important enterprises.
"Someone interesting showed up here today. Says he wants to meet you."
"Another one looking to join up?"
Doflamingo said lazily, almost disinterested.
"No need to bother me about that. I don't have time to meet just anyone… Handle it yourself, like always."
Ever since the Donquixote Family's name had spread, admirers were a dime a dozen. People eager to pledge themselves showed up daily without fail.
"He was very insistent. Said that as long as you heard his name, you'd definitely come in person to meet him."
"…Is that so?"
Doflamingo sounded unconcerned. "And what's his name?"
"Donquixote Rosinante."
Smack!
The next instant, everyone nearby was stunned to see their usually calm and composed Young Master's face twist in shock. His hand trembled so violently that he couldn't even hold onto the receiver—the Den Den Mushi slipped from his grip and fell into the snow…
——
At the foot of Reverse Mountain, Twin Cape.
Warm sunlight shimmered across the emerald waves. Crocus, clad in his trademark flowered shirt, lounged lazily on a deck chair, basking in the sun. Every so often, he tilted his head, glancing sidelong at the figure beside him.
Next to him sat Buggy, dripping wet, frantically toweling himself dry, looking thoroughly miserable.
His cloak and captain's hat were in tatters, his face was covered in scratches, and he looked like he had just narrowly escaped some calamity. Out on the sea behind him floated what remained of a rather large pirate ship—though to call it a "ship" now was generous.
Because only half of it was left.
It looked as though some massive beast had rammed into it: the mast had collapsed, the flag was shredded, and nearly half the starboard hull had been sheared clean off. The fact it hadn't sunk yet was already a miracle.
"Why… why is that damned whale still fooling around here after all these years!?"
After finally wiping the water from his neck, Buggy looked up at the wreck of his ship. His heart sank, and he nearly burst into tears.
Didn't this great Captain Buggy have it hard enough already!?
Back in Loguetown, after parting ways with Shanks, he had spent years painstakingly putting together his own crew.
Then, just two months ago, he had gritted his teeth, poured out every bit of wealth he had scraped together, and finally purchased this great ship. His heart had been burning with ambition as he set sail into the Grand Line, determined to seek out the legendary treasure of Captain John.
But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.
The moment they crossed Reverse Mountain—when the lighthouse was already in sight—their ship was suddenly rammed by Laboon, the whale that leapt out from beneath the sea.
In an instant, disaster struck. His sailors were all wiped out, the ship left in ruins.
As for him—if not for Crocus, the old ship's doctor from Roger's crew, who happened to be there to fish him out—he would've already drowned, just another soul lost to the sea.
Damn it… damn it… DAMN IT!!