Shakky, once a great pirate, though now retired with Rayleigh on Sabaody Archipelago, still had top-tier intelligence-gathering abilities.
When she revealed the news of Kaido's downfall, several "guests" entered the bar.
Upon seeing the cloaked figures, Shakky froze for a moment, then happily greeted Red-Hair:
"Little Shanks, you're here!"
She quickly swallowed her drink in a hurry.
Everyone inside was shocked by Shakky's words.
Especially Rayleigh, who found it strange—there hadn't been a large-scale conflict involving the Marines in a long time, so why had they suddenly made a move against Kaido?
Whitebeard and Red-Hair were also confused. They had been hiding out in Sabaody to find Rayleigh and had not received the news immediately.
"Shakky, what's going on?"
Red-Hair asked in a deep voice.
Shakky didn't hesitate—unlike a timid girl, she revealed it directly.
After hearing her explanation, Marco exclaimed, "It's that new Reckless Maniac admiral again!"
"This new admiral is becoming more and more troublesome," Benn Beckman muttered gravely.
At that moment, Rayleigh finally understood why the two Yonko—Whitebeard and Red-Hair—had joined forces yet still felt uneasy enough to invite him out of retirement.
This new admiral was far more brazen than he had imagined.
If Roger were alive, he probably would have enjoyed seeing this.
Rayleigh suddenly remembered another Marine announcement—that the Reckless Maniac admiral had once defeated Whitebeard.
With interest, he asked, "Whitebeard, tell me—this new Marine brat, the Reckless Maniac… what do you think of him?"
At the mention of Good's name, both Whitebeard and Red-Hair showed a rare hint of caution on their faces.
...
Outside world!
Though the Marine Headquarters was stationed nearby, as the only entrance to the New World, pirates still risked landing on Sabaody Archipelago.
It looked safe on the surface, but undercurrents ran deep.
In one tavern, the Supernovas—Law, Hawkins, Kid, Killer, and others—had all gathered, as if drawn together by fate.
They too had seen the Marine announcement and learned of Kaido's downfall, leaving them shaken.
After all, to pirates, the Four Emperors stood at the very peak of the seas, rivaled only by the Pirate King himself.
"This new admiral is something else," Bonney said as she stuffed food into her mouth.
Hawkins spoke up: "Is the Navy planning to fully move against pirates…?"
If the Marines truly began cleansing the seas, it would be an extreme threat to these Supernovas, each with bounties over 100 million.
Hawkins shuffled his divination cards and said calmly:
"Another Emperor has fallen! One after another… who will be next?"
"The next one—could it be me who takes Kaido's place as a Yonko?"
Bonney, still eating messily, smirked and mumbled something, but with her mouth full, no one could understand her words.
Kid scowled in disgust. "Gluttonous pig lives up to her name."
He ignored her and turned back to Hawkins.
"You? Don't make me laugh. I've heard the reports—this new admiral even defeated Whitebeard. That much is true. He's battle-hungry and ruthless."
"With someone like that around, no one will stay untouched. Without overwhelming strength, you think you can take Kaido's place as a Yonko?"
...
News of Kaido's defeat spread across the world, continuing to ferment. Even after several days, the topic was still on everyone's lips.
Nearly six days later, Good and the others finally returned to Marineford from Dressrosa.
Once again, the port was crowded with Marines.
But this time was different. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and the other two admirals all stood waiting at the harbor, along with many high-ranking officers.
Compared to last time, the order was strict and disciplined.
The soldiers formed neat ranks, while Sengoku and the senior staff stood at the front to welcome them.
Behind them stood the Shichibukai: Mihawk, Hancock, Moria, Blackbeard… even Bartholomew Kuma had answered the summons and returned to Marineford.
The main reason Sengoku had come personally was because Kaido himself was being transported aboard the ship.
Soon, from the deck, the first to step down was none other than Good.
The instant he appeared, the plaza erupted into cheers, igniting like wildfire.
"Congratulations, Admiral Reckless Maniac, on your triumphant return!"
"Congratulations, Admiral Reckless Maniac, for capturing Kaido of the Beasts!"
"Our admiral is invincible!"
"The admiral is the symbol of the Marines—our hero!!!"
On deck, Good grinned and laughed loudly, waving to the soldiers as he descended the steps.
Beside him, Momousagi showed no reaction, as though long accustomed to this.
Behind them followed Akainu, Tokikake, and several other vice admirals.
Tokikake listened to the thunderous cheers around him, then glanced at Momousagi walking beside Good—the "goddess" in his heart—and felt a wave of bitter loneliness.
"If only that were me…"
He stopped himself from finishing the thought. If it were him, perhaps Momousagi would finally look his way.
One nearby vice admiral, familiar with Tokikake, sneered quietly:
"Wake up, Tokikake. You may be a talented Marine, but compared to the Reckless Maniac, you're worlds apart."
"That admiral single-handedly fought Kaido and the Calamities. None of us could ever do that."
Tokikake felt his heart shatter at those words.
Did that mean he would never catch Momousagi's eye in his lifetime?
The cheers around him felt like mockery.
Meanwhile, in the rear, the Shichibukai all focused their attention on Good.
Moria turned to Blackbeard and asked, "That's him? The Reckless Maniac admiral?"
Blackbeard nodded with a grin. "That's right."
The others studied Good even more closely.
Moria couldn't help but blurt out, "That… that monster!?"
(End of Chapter)
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