"Have you heard? The East Sea-"
"Look at the news!"
"Golden Lion..."
At Baratie, Chef Zeff was flipping through a newspaper from the World Economic News Paper.
Normally, he wasn't the type to pay much attention to this kind of thing.
But during this period, guests coming to Baratie were talking about the 'island falling' incident that happened in the East Blue not long ago.
According to reports, over a dozen islands of varying sizes had suddenly plummeted from the sky into that sea.
Some of the smaller islands were about the size of Cocoyasi Village, while the larger ones even surpassed the legendary Water 7.
Thankfully, no ships had been passing through at the time, otherwise, it would have been a complete disaster.
But who was responsible for this?
Not only was Zeff curious, but many pirates who hailed from the East Blue, some of whom had already ventured into the New World, were also wondering.
After all, nobody wanted their hometown to be wiped out by a random catastrophe one day.
In the newspaper, a bold, enlarged text, accompanied by a slightly blurry photo, took up over 60% of the front page:
[ISLAND FALL! THE CULPRIT: [FLYING PIRATE] SHIKI THE GOLDEN LION!!]
Below, smaller text detailed Shiki's abilities and some of his past 'notorious deeds'.
Among them, the most famous were his 'death battle with the Pirate King' and his 'escape from Impel Down'.
It was clear that Morgans had zero respect for the Marines' reputation.
[SHIKI CONFIRMED KILLED!]
Next to this headline was a photo that barely captured the silhouette of a figure.
The man was shirtless, revealing a muscular physique, with long blond hair tied into a ponytail.
Something seemed to be hanging at his waist, but the photo was too unclear to make out.
It was a mystery how Morgans' reporters had even managed to snap this shot.
Though the article described the killer as 'a mysterious, unidentified figure', Zeff recognized the man in the photo instantly.
After all, it's the same Uzumaki Naruto who had come to his restaurant not long ago and eaten like a beast.
Logically, Morgans should have known Naruto's identity.
But for some reason, he had neither published a clear front-facing image nor mentioned Naruto's name.
As a result, most discussions revolved around how terrifying Shiki's island-moving powers were and who could have possibly killed him.
Some guessed it was the Marines, while others speculated it was a pirate.
A few even suggested the Revolutionary Army.
Of course, the one who gets the most votes is probably a bounty hunter.
These were just the discussions stirred up by the newspaper in the first half of the Grand Line.
Meanwhile, in the New World… Whole Cake Island.
"Mamamamama! That brat never fails to surprise!"
Inside a massive castle built from sweets, one of the Four Emperors, [Big Mom] Charlotte Linlin, laughed heartily while stuffing her face with a cream cake brought by her children.
Shiki the Golden Lion had once been her fellow crewmate on the [Rocks Pirates], making them old acquaintances.
She didn't expect that this guy would fall into the hands of that little brat.
"Mama, it's Uzumaki Naruto, perorin~"
Next to her, Perospero, the strategist of the Big Mom Pirates, licked his candy cane as he read the newspaper.
Last time, all of them had been suppressed by Naruto alone, and even Big Mom herself had only managed to fight him to a standstill.
Therefore, it was safe to say that most of the Big Mom's children didn't have the best impression of Naruto.
Even though they had later thrown a 'harmonious' banquet together, that didn't mean they had truly reconciled.
Of course, Katakuri was an exception.
Among Big Mom's children, he was probably the most favorable toward Naruto.
It's purely out of admiration for the strong and recognition of Naruto's character.
So now, he silently stared at the blurred figure in the newspaper, the corners of his mouth curling slightly beneath his scarf.
'Truly worthy of you, Uzumaki Naruto.'
"Speaking of which, we should send that boy an invitation to the next Tea Party."
Suddenly, Big Mom set down her cake and said to the children beside her.
"Huh? Mama, you're inviting him?"
Perospero seemed puzzled by her decision.
"Smoothie, what do you think of that boy?"
Big Mom suddenly turned to the silver-haired, long-legged woman who had been silent until now.
That was one of her daughters, Charlotte Smoothie, the only female among the [Sweet Commanders] and a [Shibo Shibo no Mi] user with a bounty exceeding 900 million Berries.
The moment those words left Big Mom's mouth, everyone understood her intentions.
She was considering an alliance through marriage.
"I will obey your will, Mama."
Smoothie, who had a naturally cold personality, replied calmly.
She didn't personally agree with Big Mom's 'marriage alliance' plans, and in her view, expanding Totto Land's influence through political marriages was far less reliable than pure strength.
But she would never openly defy her mother's orders.
Looking at the blurry figure in the newspaper, Smoothie just picked up the 'freshly squeezed juice' beside her and started drinking it with a cold look.
…
Meanwhile, in the Calm Belt-
Amazon Lily, also known as the Island of Women.
As the name suggests, this is an island inhabited solely by women.
The ruler of the island is Boa Hancock, a great pirate known as the Pirate Empress and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea recognized by the World Government.
With beauty so devastating that most men fell in love at first sight and a figure that could make even the strongest warriors falter, she also possessed the terrifying power to protect this island of warriors.
She is, without a doubt, one of the most formidable figures on the sea.
But at this moment, this fearsome Pirate Empress was throwing a tantrum, trying to storm out of her palace.
Her younger sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold, clung to her legs, desperately holding her back.
"Let go of me! I must find that man and demand an explanation!"
"Sister, calm down!"
"That news is already days old, and we can't even be sure it's really him!"
Hearing this, Hancock slammed the newspaper with Naruto's blurred photo onto the floor and pointed at it dramatically.
"How could I ever mistake this figure?! Can you two not recognize him either?"
Upon hearing this, the two sisters averted their eyes guiltily, unable to bring themselves to lie.
How could they not recognize this figure?
Fifteen years ago, it was this very man who had saved them from hell itself.
"I must find him!"
"That big liar!"
"He promised to take me with him!"
Hancock, whose legs were held by her sister, couldn't really attack them, so she could only stand there helplessly and furiously.
Watching this scene, the former Amazon Lily's Empress, Gloriosa simply shook her head and sighed.
…
The news of Naruto defeating Shiki was spreading across the seas at an astonishing speed.
Unfortunately, the new generation of pirates are not very familiar with either Shiki or Naruto.
Perhaps some people can still remember the legends of Shiki, but if they only see a blurred silhouette of Naruto's back, not many people can recognize him.
Those who can recognize Naruto's identity at a glance are either the powerhouses in the New World or people who have had contact with him before.
In a room, a blonde woman in a pure white dress chuckled softly before picking up a tube of lipstick.
Then, with a light stroke, she circled the figure in the photograph.