Twisting white lightning left faint, fleeting traces across the skies of the East Blue.
Edward Teach didn't activate his [Observation Haki]. Instead, he channeled the power of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit], sending out imperceptible electromagnetic waves like radar signals to scan the surrounding environment.
Soon, Edward Teach's "radar" detected an island. He immediately accelerated, streaking toward it like thunder.
It was an ordinary small island, not particularly large, with no signs of human activity.
Edward Teach couldn't care less about such details. In a flash, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and descended onto the island.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Edward Teach relaxed completely, flopping backward onto the soft sand.
"I'm exhausted..."
The pliable clay served as a cushion as the [Edward Teach Construct] gradually dissipated, revealing Storm inside.
Storm lay sprawled on his back across the clay cushion, utterly spent.
This was his first time engaging in a battle that lasted several days straight.
Even with the [Devil Ring] allowing him to use Devil Fruit powers without cost, the act of fighting itself—along with employing [Haki]—drained his stamina relentlessly.
Especially when facing opponents of the Five Elders' and Admiral's caliber.
Storm had to maintain absolute focus without a moment's lapse.
Otherwise...
Not only would he fail to harm them, but they might seize an opening to finish him in one decisive strike...
Storm had battled both Marcus Mars and Kizaru for days on end.
His [Armament Haki] and [Observation Haki] were nearly depleted, his physical reserves almost completely spent.
Had he not withdrawn when he did, the tides of battle might have taken an unspeakably disastrous turn...
This wasn't retreat. This was a tactical withdrawal.
That said...
The relentless combat of recent days had honed Storm's [Haki] considerably.
He'd now mastered the "internal destruction" technique of [Armament Haki].
As for [Observation Haki]...
Storm summoned his [Grand Prize Trophy].
During those frenzied days of combat, he'd lost count of how many times he'd struck the "Giant Strange Bird"—Marcus Mars himself.
Yet whether through headshots or piercing heart strikes, nothing could truly "kill" Marcus Mars or even incapacitate him.
Storm failed to claim a Five Elder's [Grand Prize Trophy].
As for Kizaru...
Storm found him even more problematic.
The [Rumble-Rumble Fruit] granted extreme speed.
The [Glint-Glint Fruit] matched it effortlessly.
Over those days, Storm had only seized a few fleeting opportunities to land minor blows on Kizaru.
His most significant strike was likely the "Current-Laced Heavy Smash" delivered as a parting gift.
Storm heard it clearly—
Kizaru's ribs definitely cracked.
Whether one or two...
That part was harder to discern.
Still...
While he hadn't secured a [Grand Prize Trophy] from either a Five Elder or an Admiral...
Storm hadn't come away completely empty-handed either.
[Observation Haki: ★★★★★★★]（Seven Stars）
After several days of combat.
Storm's [Observation Haki] had successfully advanced by a small tier.
Originally at "six and a half stars," it had now reached the "seven-star" level.
From this point onward.
All five of Storm's core attributes—[Strength], [Speed], [Endurance], [Armament Haki/Observation Haki]—had achieved the perfect seven-star rating!
Only one remained unawakened: [Conqueror's Haki]...
Storm glanced at the still-dormant [Conqueror's Haki].
To say he didn't care would be a lie.
But the awakening of [Conqueror's Haki] required the right moment—it couldn't be forced.
Storm still remembered the last time he had impersonated Whitebeard III, Edward Teach, boasting (scratch that)—declaring his ambitions to Ivankov, the Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, in the New Transvestite Paradise of Impel Down.
Back then, he had briefly erupted with an unforgettable aura...
Unfortunately, apart from that one instance.
Storm had never again managed to recapture that explosive sensation of [Conqueror's Haki].
He coveted [Conqueror's Haki] as well, but these things had to happen naturally...
Storm lay quietly on the beach of this uninhabited island, resting for a short while before finally standing up.
"This time, the one fighting the Five Elders was Whitebeard III, Edward Teach..."
"Based on my previous experience interacting with Saint Nusjuro, since this battle took place on the cliffs of the Red Line with no witnesses..."
"The World Government probably won't make a big deal out of this... right?"
After a moment's thought, Storm stopped dwelling on the minor issue.
Even if the World Government decided to put out a bounty for "Edward Teach" because of this incident, what did that have to do with him, the "White Dragon"?
"Enough thinking—time to eat!"
Storm patted his stomach and activated his [Clay-Clay Fruit] ability, molding a Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
"Now, where exactly am I?"
...
Just as Storm was gallivanting across the East Blue in search of a decent restaurant.
Meanwhile, on the Red Line, in Mary Geoise, within the Chamber of Authority.
Saint Marcus Mars, with his long white goatee, slowly entered the Chamber of Authority, accompanied by a visibly miserable-looking Kizaru.
Why does a severely injured patient like me have to attend a Five Elders meeting?
Kizaru gingerly touched his ribs, feeling a sharp, prickling pain.
Whitebeard's words echoed faintly in his ears—
"Kizaru... do you bleed?"
'This is work-related! Absolutely work-related!'
Kizaru took a deep breath, forcing himself to shift his focus away from his broken ribs.
'I need a vacation! And it better be paid!'
Inside the Chamber of Authority.
All four of the Five Elders were present.
Another figure stood before their table.
The Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Sengoku the Buddha.
Kizaru stood beside Sengoku, eyes downcast, face expressionless, like an utterly emotionless tool.
"Mars, you're back. To think you were bested by some brat..."
Saint Nusjuro had just begun to speak when he caught sight of Sengoku and reluctantly spared Mars some dignity.
"Hmph!"
"Have you identified that so-called 'Whitebeard' impostor?"
Saint Marcus Mars settled into the exclusive sofa of the Five Elders, exhaling deeply before posing the question that currently weighed most heavily on his mind.
"I've already shared his name with you in advance...
"Edward Teach!"
During Storm's initial confrontation with Saint Marcus Mars, he had once revealed his "name" in a self-proclamation.
After that, he had said nothing more.
Yet this name had been firmly etched into Saint Marcus Mars' memory.
Later, when Kizaru arrived in time to divert much of Storm's attention, Saint Marcus Mars relayed the name "Edward Teach" to the other four Elders through telepathic communication.
Over the past few days,
the other four Elders had not gone to support Saint Marcus Mars.
His battle with Kizaru and that "Whitebeard" had taken place on a sheer cliff face thousands of meters high.
Whether it was Marine Headquarters, the CP agencies, or even the other Elders, intervening in a battle at such an altitude was nearly impossible.
Moreover, Whitebeard was a "Lightning Man" who had consumed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Sending forces recklessly would pose no real threat to the enemy.
Instead, it might only endanger their own side...
Especially Saint Marcus Mars.
After all, "Whitebeard" was a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, and Kizaru wielded the Glint-Glint Fruit.
External forces could hardly affect "speedsters" of this caliber.
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But Saint Marcus Mars, transformed into the Itsumade, was different...
For example,
if Mary Geoise were to unleash a concentrated artillery barrage on this area,
"Whitebeard" and Kizaru would remain entirely unaffected—not only were they speedsters, but they were also Logia-type users.
Saint Marcus Mars, however, would not be so fortunate.
In the eyes of the other four Elders, sending reinforcements would only be sabotaging their own ally.
So they simply refrained from dispatching anyone...
Besides,
with one Elder and one Marine Admiral, this lineup was already comparable to a Buster Call.
Could they really fail to subdue a younger version of "Whitebeard"?
Yet, against all expectations, they truly hadn't succeeded...
Ahem.
Still, over the past few days, the other Elders hadn't been idle.
For instance, they had ordered the collection of all available intelligence regarding "Whitebeard."
"Speak, Sengoku."
Saint Nusjuro turned his cold gaze toward the statue-like figure of Sengoku the Buddha and spoke indifferently.
"What information has the Marines uncovered?"
"Based on 'Whitebeard's' appearance and the name 'Edward Teach,'"
Sengoku seemed to awaken all at once, reporting in a measured tone.
"The Marine intelligence division has analyzed two potentially useful leads.
"The first: roughly three years ago, a young pirate also claiming to be 'Whitebeard' attacked Marine Headquarters' elite recruit training camp."
"I've heard of this incident."
Saint Nusjuro's expression remained icy. As the World Government's Financial War God, he oversaw the funding for the Marines and other military branches.
"That Zephyr actually failed to handle some unknown rookie—"
At this point, Saint Nusjuro suddenly realized something and glanced at Saint Marcus Mars beside him.
Three years ago, when Zephyr faced Whitebeard Jr., the outcome had indeed been disastrous.
An entire recruit training camp was nearly wiped out.
Zephyr himself even lost an arm.
But what about Saint Marcus Mars?
If not for the Five Elders' own unique abilities,
Saint Marcus Mars would have had his head smashed by "Whitebeard III" days ago.
The Five Elders weren't even as capable as the Navy Admirals!
Ahem.
Saint Nusjuro cleared his throat lightly and swiftly moved past the topic.
"Sengoku, continue."
"That pirate who calls himself 'Whitebeard' also possesses the strength of Whitebeard in his prime, though his appearance differs somewhat—like an... obese version of Whitebeard."
"Additionally, that 'Whitebeard' back then didn't have the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, so it's unclear if he's the same as the current 'Whitebeard.'"
After a moment of consideration, Sengoku provided a more precise description.
"Ever since that attack, the Navy has been trying to track down that Whitebeard's movements, but he vanished without a trace. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn't find him."
"That's because the Navy isn't working hard enough!"
Saint Nusjuro said coldly.
"Aside from this Whitebeard, are there any other leads?"
"The Intelligence Division dug through the classified archives for a long time and found the name of an organization—MADS."
Sengoku spoke calmly.
"Decades ago, the MADS organization was rumored to be working on creating 'artificial Devil Fruit users.'"
"I suspect... this Whitebeard may very well be connected to the MADS organization from back then."
After listening to Sengoku's intelligence analysis, the Five Elders exchanged silent thoughts among themselves.
'That Whitebeard who attacked the Navy's recruit training ship is highly suspicious!'
'The MADS organization is unlikely. Vegapunk is in our hands, and the rest of those so-called scientists… are nothing but mediocre fools.'
'Have the CP agencies take action! The Navy is truly disappointing!'
'This Whitebeard who ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is far too dangerous. Try to recruit him if possible!'
'First the White Dragon, now Whitebeard… One monstrous rookie after another keeps appearing. What a headache!'
Once their mental exchange concluded, it was the Financial War God, Saint Nusjuro, who spoke.
"The Navy is not to interfere with matters regarding the MADS organization!"
"Your only task is to notify every Navy base—from the Grand Line to the four seas—and have all personnel keep an eye out for anyone resembling 'Whitebeard.' Do not overlook a single suspicious individual."
"A man like Whitebeard cannot stay hidden for long."
"Understood."
Sengoku nodded, then hesitated before adding,
"Actually, the Intelligence Division proposed another possibility."
"Could this 'Whitebeard' truly be… the son of that Whitebeard?"
That Whitebeard, of course, referred to the real Whitebeard—the strongest man in the world, Edward Newgate!
Logically, this should have been the first theory presented.
But Sengoku still found the idea far too absurd.
Because he had never heard of Whitebeard having any intimate relationships with women...
Although Whitebeard had a whole crew of "sons," not a single one was his biological child...
"Whitebeard's son?"
The Five Elders exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and doubt.
"This... shouldn't be possible, right?
"Very well!
"Release partial information about this incident at the fastest possible speed.
"Then set a bounty for this 'Whitebeard'!
"We must ensure the Whitebeard Pirates see the wanted poster of this younger version of Whitebeard!"
Sengoku accepted the order and withdrew.
Under the command of the Five Elders, the entire World Government began operating like a tightly wound machine, swiftly springing into action.
Freshly printed, specially designed wanted posters.
Through the World Government's exclusive channels, they were directly delivered to every corner of the world.
The New World, Paradise, the Four Seas...
Every affiliated and non-affiliated nation, every organization connected to the World Government—all received an exceptionally unique single-person bounty notice.
[Whitebeard Jr. · Edward Teach]
[PHOTO.JPG]
[Bounty: 1,999,000,000 Belly]
[Status: DEAD OR ALIVE]
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