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A few days after the great battle ended, flocks of News Coos flew tirelessly across the seas, delivering a story that would shake the world.
The Marines had stormed through the New World, the Pirate Alliance was utterly crushed, and for the first time since the Pirate King's death, new rulers had risen upon the seas.
The World Economic Journal proclaimed them the Three Emperors!
—Totto Land, Whole Cake Island—
"Mamamamama! The Three Emperors, you say? I'm the one who will be Pirate King!"
For once, Big Mom wasn't eating. A newspaper was clutched in her massive hand, her face twisted between joy and rage.
"Mama," Perospero began nervously, trembling as he read the tallied reports, "in addition to the deaths of our younger siblings Saint-Marc, Tablet, High-fat, and Moscato… Mont-d'Or and Smoothie were gravely injured, and we lost a large number of combat Homies."
"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!" Big Mom roared.
She had spent decades giving birth to child after child, many of them blessed with monstrous potential—only for them to die before they could fully mature.
At her side, Katakuri's face darkened. He was already seething from the deaths of his siblings, and Big Mom's cruel dismissal only deepened the wound.
He had watched Saint-Marc die, caught in the crossfire of his mother's attacks.
"Mamamama! Such boldness from the Marines!" Big Mom hissed. "What about the losses of Whitebeard and Kaido's crew?"
"According to intelligence," Perospero answered carefully, "the Beasts Pirates were hit the least, since only Kaido himself fought. The Whitebeard Pirates suffered heavy casualties—several allied crews were wiped out—though their main force remains largely intact."
"And also," he added cautiously, "among the Pirate Alliance that attacked Totto Land, Klaus and Rackham were captured. Yermak was killed outright by the Marines. Only Francis escaped…"
Big Mom's fury exploded like a storm, her aura radiating demonic wrath. "Mamamama! I want that man's head!"
"Mama," Perospero said softly, "Francis has already joined Kaido of the Beasts. He's now one of the All-Stars… the Calamity called 'Drought.'"
"Kaido? That wretched beast… has he forgotten the debt he owes me from long ago?"
—Aboard the Moby Dick—
"Pops, it seems the Marines' true goal was never us. It was a staged performance from the start," Marco said coolly, leaning against the railing with his usual half-lidded eyes.
"They split the battlefield in two. Their real target was the Pirate Alliance, and they used the opportunity to strike at us, the Beasts Pirates, and Big Mom's crew."
"Gurararara! That hag Linlin must be fuming right now. After all, she was the Pirate Alliance's target!" Whitebeard's booming laughter echoed across the ship.
Though he and Big Mom had once sailed under the same flag, their relationship was far from friendly.
He knew full well that if the Marines had brought him down, Big Mom would have wasted no time in carving up his territory.
She had coveted Fish-Man Island, his protectorate, for years.
"But this works out for us, doesn't it?" Marco added. "The seas are in the balance, the World Government always wanted. The Marines probably won't move against us again anytime soon."
"And besides, Pops—you're now officially recognised by the world as an Emperor of the Sea!"
"Gurararara! Being called an Emperor means nothing to me. What matters is all of you!" Whitebeard raised a massive cup brimming with sake and downed it in one swallow.
—Wano Country, Onigashima—
"Lord Kaido, today's paper has arrived. Morgans from the World Economic Journal even came personally to see you, but you were… too drunk to meet him," King reported, still clad in his tight black leather.
"An Emperor of the Sea, eh? Hahahaha! But my ambition doesn't end there!" Kaido snatched the paper, skimmed it, then burst into drunken laughter mixed with tears.
"Now… what's the situation with those samurai who followed Oden?"
"Most have been captured and sent to Udon to mine Sea-Prism Stone. But regarding Young Master Yamato…"
"Yamato? What's that foolish brat done now?!" Just hearing the name gave Kaido a pounding headache.
As his son—no, his daughter—he could tolerate much. But her constant raving about becoming Kozuki Oden and driving out her father infuriated him.
After witnessing Oden's execution at the age of eight, Yamato had become obsessed with him, and it only grew worse after finding his travel log.
If she had been talentless, Kaido could have dismissed her easily. But she had awakened Conqueror's Haki at eight years old and had recently eaten a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit by accident.
Kaido knew well how terrifying such fruits were. His original plan had been to make his child the Shogun of Wano. Now, all Yamato thought about was ousting him, the so-called invader.
"Young Master Yamato tried to escape again while you were away. The Tobiroppo caught her and locked her in Onigashima's prison."
"That damn fool! Leave her there to reflect. And replace her cuffs with a stronger pair of Sea-Prism Stone restraints."
"Yes, my lord!"
—North Blue, Donquixote Family Headquarters—
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Three Emperors of the Sea, eh? The seas are getting more and more entertaining…"
A man in a flamboyant pink feather coat and sunglasses lounged on a deck chair, stretching out a bronze-colored hand to the sun as if crushing its light in his palm.
"Don't you agree, Rosinante, my dear brother? Fuffuffuffuffu!"
He turned to the clown-faced man beside him, his expression brimming with arrogance and ambition.
....
October, Year 1508 of the Sea Circle Calendar. Whitebeard Pirates' Territory, Ron Island.
Ron Island was a moderately sized landmass in the New World. From its tallest building flew a massive Jolly Roger adorned with a white crescent moustache, declaring it to be under Whitebeard's protection.
Inside a tavern, Kanos Atlas drained another mug of beer. At twenty years old, he had grown into a man fully matured in both body and mind. He was the only customer present.
It wasn't because the island was impoverished, but because Atlas made no effort to conceal his identity.
Clad in a crisp white suit with a Marine "Justice" coat draped across his shoulders, the single star on his epaulettes marked him as a Rear Admiral.
After the Great War in the New World, he had earned his promotion.
But this was Whitebeard's territory. And though the Emperor tolerated the locals, none dared to approach a Marine in their midst.
—Aboard the Moby Dick—
A weary Marco shuffled out of the cabin, his half-lidded eyes settling on Whitebeard. He raised his hands in frustration.
"Pops, that guy's back in our territory again. Why don't you let Jozu handle him this time?"
"Gurararara! Marco, Jozu's no match for him. You're tougher, so you should go," Whitebeard replied with a booming laugh.
He already knew who it was—that Marine brat who wouldn't stop picking fights. As an Emperor, Whitebeard wouldn't personally deal with Atlas, so he sent his Division Commanders instead.
But even a year ago, Atlas had already surpassed Marco. Only Marco's regenerative blue flames let him battle the kid to a stalemate.
The brat's growth rate was terrifying. Another monster, just like Garp…
—Back at the Tavern—
"Boss! The bill! Damn it, where's that pineapple-head already?" Atlas barked, glaring at the mountain of empty mugs stacked on his table.
Not a trace of drunkenness clouded his sharp eyes. He stood, shouted at the trembling tavern owner, and muttered impatiently to himself.
"Hey! Not a good habit to talk behind people's backs, you obnoxious Marine!" a voice rang from the entrance.
Atlas turned, spotting a man with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle, dressed in a purple jacket with the Whitebeard mark inked across his chest.
Marco leaned against the doorway, his face filled with irritation.
"Yo! Marco! About time you showed up. I was starting to think the Whitebeard Pirates had gone soft—nobody around to teach a Marine a lesson on their turf," Atlas sneered.
Marco yawned. "Why do you always have to stir up trouble? I heard you provoked Katakuri in Big Mom's territory not long ago, and Mama herself chased you back to a Marine base."
Atlas's face darkened instantly. "That hag has no honour! An Emperor of the Sea, personally chasing me down."
Truth was, Atlas had only "plundered" Totto Land a few… dozen… times, mainly to enjoy a "friendly" spar with Katakuri.
If he wanted to escape, no one could catch him. He'd even grasped the ability to glimpse the future, just like Luffy would someday.
But Big Mom was another matter. She'd hurled Zeus and Prometheus at him, forcing him to retreat battered but alive. His life force was like a cockroach's—impossible to crush.
Marco sighed. "Well, you did bring that on yourself."
Ever since the Great War, Atlas had become a nuisance across the New World, hopping between Whitebeard and Big Mom's territories until both Emperors had him blacklisted.
Yet his vitality and recovery were nearly on par with Marco's Mythical Zoan regeneration.
If Marco hadn't seen him swimming the seas with his own eyes, he would have sworn Atlas had eaten a Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
"Enough talk. I don't want to drag the islanders into this. Let's move," Atlas said bluntly, gesturing for Marco to lead the way. He strolled outside with casual confidence.
Once in the open air, Atlas stretched his back. A red glint flickered in his eyes as his senses surged outward. Observation Haki—fully unleashed!
Marco's expression sharpened. "That range of Observation Haki…!"
The Marine's perception enveloped Ron Island and continued to sweep outward into the endless sea without faltering. It was a monstrous display of sensory power.
"Found one!" Atlas grinned. With a burst of Moon Walk, he launched himself toward a distant point invisible to ordinary sight.
Marco followed reluctantly. When they landed on a deserted island, he couldn't calm his pounding heart. The distance they had travelled was insane.
"Marco, don't drift off," Atlas warned, catching his dazed expression.
"If you lose focus, this might be the last breath of fresh air you ever take."
Marco clicked his tongue. "Tch… you sure talk big for a Marine!" He forced his nerves under control. He knew just how merciless this man could be.
Despite his smirks and jokes, Atlas was a predator. If Marco lost, he'd either be slaughtered or dumped into Impel Down. His cruelty rivalled even Akainu's.
"Crane's Claw!"
Blue fire ignited as Marco spread his wings, shifting into his hybrid form. From high above, he dove like a meteor, unleashing a devastating kick at Atlas.
"To the left."
Atlas remained unnervingly calm, his Observation Haki tracking Marco's every movement.
He shifted just enough, letting the kick slice past harmlessly.
Future Sight.
Marco's pupils shrank. He flapped hard, forcing his body to stop mid-dive and retreat into the skies.
There was no mistaking it. As Whitebeard's First Division Commander, he had clashed with the Big Mom Pirates countless times. He knew that ability well.
Future sight—the power to see the next move before it happens. Atlas had begun dodging before Marco had even struck!
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