Rob Lucci's cold, analytical gaze followed the impossible creatures as they soared through the sky.
Nine massive dragons.
His mind immediately went to Kaido, but then he dismissed the thought.
Kaido was in the New World; this was Paradise.
And these dragons were all in different colors.
Kaku, standing beside him, also sensed the profound shift in the world's balance, his eyes filled with a sharp vigilance.
They exchanged a brief, knowing glance.
This was intelligence of the highest order, something that had to be reported to their superiors immediately.
Seated atop the lead dragon's head, Ron swept his gaze over the panicked city of Water 7 below, his eyes briefly registering the figures of Iceberg and the hidden CP9 agents.
He paid them no mind.
In his assessment, without an awakened Devil Fruit, Rob Lucci's power was merely decent.
His focus was on the endless expanse of the blue sea ahead, the salty breeze a welcome, tranquil sensation.
"Jozu, can you see where Pops went?" Ace asked anxiously, craning his neck and scanning the vast, empty sky.
"He's way too fast!"
Jozu chuckled, and his eyes instantly transformed into a pair of flawless, diamond lenses.
He scanned the horizon like a living pair of super-telescopes, but after a moment, he shook his massive head.
"Can't see him. He's already gone."
"Relax," Marco laughed. "Pops will take a break when he gets tired. He's not foolish enough to run himself into the ground."
******
In the hallowed, silent Chamber of Power in Mary Geoise, a series of frantic reports were coming in.
"What? You're saying Kaido's forces appeared in Paradise?! Since when?!" an Elder demanded into a Den Den Mushi.
"...A super tsunami? Get to the point! ...Understood. Keep a close watch. That can only be the Whitebeard Pirates."
After the call ended, a heavy, oppressive silence filled the grand hall.
Elder Saturn finally spoke, his voice a slow, deliberate confirmation of the impossible news.
"The reports are verified. Nine dragons were seen flying over Water 7. It must be the Whitebeard Pirates."
Mars nodded slightly, his long fingers steepled before him.
"It seems that without our knowledge, a fierce battle did indeed take place between Whitebeard and Kaido. And judging by this development, Kaido suffered a catastrophic loss."
"Indeed," Saturn added, his voice cold. "And now Kaido, unwilling to accept defeat, has declared war with a bounty of three hundred billion Belly. The situation has escalated beyond our predictions."
"The Whitebeard Pirates' strength has grown too rapidly," Saturn continued, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
"If left unchecked, the balance of this sea will be disrupted. We cannot stand idly by."
"Akainu is already en route to Wano," Warcury stated.
"If his theory is correct and we can eliminate two of the Yonko in one fell swoop, it would be an excellent outcome for us."
"It's time to contact the Warlords," another suggested.
Saturn firmly shook his head. "No. This is merely a conflict between two Emperors. The Marines only need to position themselves to reap the benefits. Given Kaido's temperament, he will never allow Whitebeard to escape his grasp a second time. Let them bleed each other dry."
******
Across the seas, "Big News" Morgans was having the busiest day of his life, his presses running hot as he sent a frenzy of sensational headlines across the globe.
Headline 1: 'WHITEBEARD PIRATES GAIN NINE DRAGONS—THEIR POWER SKYROCKETS AGAIN!'
Headline 2: 'ACROSS THE RED LINE FOR BATTLE—THE DUEL OF TWO EMPERORS BEGINS!'
Headline 3: 'THE MARINES WON'T MISS THIS CHANCE—TRUE MADNESS IS COMING TO THE SEAS!'
As the nine dragons soared over a small, peaceful island, Marco, who was riding on Squard's back, suddenly felt his personal Den Den Mushi vibrate.
He quickly answered it, his expression first lighting up with a familiar joy before turning completely grave.
After listening intently, he nodded and hung up.
"Ron!" he shouted, urging his dragon to fly alongside the crimson one.
The two beasts leveled out, flying side-by-side at an incredible speed, like twin bolts of lightning.
"Ron, that was the old man! He wants us to go to the Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Sabaody Archipelago?" Ron repeated, surprised.
"The captain is resting there?"
It made no sense.
Why would Whitebeard, in the midst of a brewing war with Kaido, suddenly detour to the last stop before the New World?
"He said he ran into someone from the Big Mom Pirates," Marco explained, his own voice tight with a confused urgency.
"He just told us to hurry over."
"Alright then," Ron said firmly, his mind already racing through the possibilities.
"To Sabaody it is. Let's go!"
With deafening roars that shook the very clouds, the nine dragons banked, their colossal forms streaking across the sky like lightning.
Soon, the iconic, colossal mangrove trees of the Sabaody Archipelago came into view.
Their arrival caused a wave of panic and stunned curiosity among the island's residents below, who could only stare up in disbelief at the impossible sight.
In the perpetual twilight of Grove 3, a lawless zone where slave traders and criminals thrived, the stench of crime and despair permeated the air.
Here, far from the light of justice and the watchful eyes of the Marines, was the perfect hiding place for a criminals meeting.
Under a crudely built awning, Charlotte Perospero, Big Mom's eldest son, tried to maintain his composure.
The overwhelming aura emanating from the legendary figure before him was like a physical weight, a suffocating presence that made the air thick and hard to breathe.
"Brat from Linlin's crew," Whitebeard's voice was a deep, powerful rumble, each word vibrating in Perospero's chest.
"If I find out you've deceived me, the consequences will be beyond what you can bear."
The threat was unmistakable, sending an involuntary shiver down Perospero's spine.
Yet, he forced a wide, sycophantic grin while licking his lips.
"Hohohoho, Whitebeard-sama, please believe in Mama's sincerity. It is absolutely genuine."
"How did you know I would be here?" Whitebeard pressed, his eyes narrowing.
"With all due respect," Perospero explained hastily, "The entire sea is abuzz with talk of your impending battle with Kaido. We learned of your visit to Paradise and sent an invitation for a banquet on Fish-Man Island. Considering you might be too busy, we decided to come here on the off chance of meeting you. To our delight, we've been fortunate enough to encounter you!"
He laughed cheerfully, but inwardly, he was terrified.
The rumors of an old, frail Whitebeard were a damnable lie.
The man before him was a titan, radiating a terrifying vitality.
Just moments ago, when he had first approached, a sudden bolt of lightning had struck him from a clear sky.
If not for his unique candy armor, that single attack might have been his end.
The rumors were true.
Whitebeard was a Three-Fruit user.
As his mind reeled, the sky suddenly echoed with a series of deafening dragon roars.
"Pops! We're here!"
"Woo-hoo~ Finally made it!" another voice cheered.
"I'm exhausted!" a third complained. "Next time, we gotta get a cushion—my butt's practically split in eight!"
"Shut it! No cushions on my back!"
A group of figures landed with ground-shaking thuds, the nine dragons transforming back into the commanders and allied captains of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The moment they noticed Perospero and his men standing opposite their captain, the lighthearted banter died.
The air thickened with the scent of gunpowder, their hands drifting towards their weapons as a new, hostile tension settled over the grove.
"Gurararara! You brats are too slow," Whitebeard laughed, his demeanor instantly shifting from a cold, intimidating Emperor to a warm, affectionate father.
Ron noticed the change and stepped forward.
"Captain, you seem to be in high spirits," he said, before his gaze shifted to the tense, awkward figures of the Big Mom Pirates.
His brow furrowed in confusion.
"But what's going on here? Why are they here?"