In the New World, in an unfamiliar sea, a huge whale-shaped pirate ship sailed peacefully. On the deck, pirates were gathered in twos and threes, chatting and fooling around.
Whitebeard's massive body was slouched on a long bench to the side. He watched his 'sons' with a smile on his face. He casually picked up the wine jug next to him, shook it, and found it empty. Just as he was about to call for another, Marco's urgent shout came from the stern.
"Oyaji! Oyaji~"
"Something incredible has happened! Take a look!"
"Calm down, Marco. The sky isn't falling."
Watching Marco's panicked state, Whitebeard was a bit helpless. 'This son of mine is usually so calm. What's wrong with him today?'
"Oyaji, look! It really is a huge event!"
Seeing his old man's unhurried manner, a frantic Marco handed over the newspaper.
Whitebeard, who had been nonchalant, had a look of utter astonishment after reading the newspaper for a moment.
"Kaido was actually defeated? And by that kid who just went to sea not long ago? This kid is quite capable."
Having clashed with Kaido many times, he was well aware of Kaido's terror. How powerful must the kid who defeated him be? When he read that Leno had clashed with two Great Pirate crews in a row, Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, then returned to a look of indifference. What did that have to do with him? As long as they didn't provoke the Whitebeard Pirates, it was fine.
"Oyaji, keep reading. About this kid's other identity."
Marco hurriedly reminded him, seeing Whitebeard get lost in memories.
"Oh? Another identity?" He continued reading, and the surprise in his eyes grew.
"Unbelievable. So he was the other guy who stormed Mary Geoise back then. What a bold kid."
Seeing that Whitebeard still hadn't realized, Marco quickly shared the news he had received.
"And there's something even more explosive! According to various signs, this kid has the abilities of two Devil Fruits!"
"Oh? Two fruit abilities? Is such a thing possible?"
"It's true, Oyaji! This Leno first had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, and then he also had a Mythical Zoan ability," Marco immediately answered Whitebeard's doubt. This matter was simply too mind-boggling. It was common knowledge that a person could only eat one Devil Fruit. If you ate a second one, you would explode from the power of the fruits. But Leno had broken this common sense.
Whitebeard now also remembered that he had hoped to take him in as his son not long ago.
"What a magical kid, to do something so earth-shattering. I'd really like to meet him."
"Oyaji, this Leno has clashed with both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. Should we..."
"Forget it, Marco. Don't do anything unnecessary. Just let fate take its course."
Seeing through his son's thoughts, Whitebeard quickly stopped him. Although he wasn't afraid, he wouldn't provoke a powerful stranger for no reason. Moreover, his health had been declining in recent years, and Whitebeard was gradually feeling his age. He didn't want to stir up more trouble.
Not far away, a glint flashed in the eyes of Teach, who had been listening to their conversation.
'So there's someone else who can consume multiple Devil Fruits. How surprising. When will my ambition ever be realized!' He, Teach, had been hiding in the Whitebeard Pirates for decades, just waiting for an opportunity. But how long would he have to wait? However, he wouldn't give up. That person had once told him that a great opportunity would one day find him.
As his thoughts raced, Teach maintained a simple and honest smile on his face and snatched the cherry pie from Thatch's hand, stuffing it into his mouth.
"Hey, Teach, you bastard! Why'd you snatch my food?"
"Don't be so stingy, Thatch. You know I love cherry pie the most. And you were eating it right in front of me. Weren't you just tempting me?" Teach joked and laughed with the good-natured Thatch, showing no sign of anything unusual. The Whitebeard Pirates were, as always, full of laughter and cheer.
New World, an unfamiliar sea, on an uninhabited island, the temporary base of the Red-Haired Pirates.
The executives had gathered in the camp to discuss their next plans. The captain, Shanks, was chugging a bowl of sake, looking to be in high spirits. The recent fight with Kaido signified that they had established a firm foothold in the New World. Some people were already calling them the 'Four Emperors,' which meant they had achieved their goal ahead of schedule.
Just then, a few subordinates ran in frantically, clutching a newspaper, their expressions a mix of shock and panic. Seeing them out of breath, Lucky Roux tossed them a cup of sake. After catching their breath, they began to speak one after another.
"Boss, big news! Kaido has been defeated!"
"Also, Boss, the Thunder God has appeared!"
...
Listening to them report one after another, Shanks got a headache and shouted.
"Calm down. One at a time."
"Yes, Boss. It's like this. Today's new newspaper reported that the adventurer Leno defeated Kaido and became a new Emperor of the Sea."
"Here's the newspaper. Please take a look, Boss!"
Shanks, with drunken, hazy eyes, took the newspaper and began to read. A second later, he cried out in surprise.
"That bastard! He actually became an Emperor before me!"
"Incredible. This adventurer who only went to sea a short while ago has made a name for himself in the New World so quickly," Benn Beckman also looked at the newspaper, his face full of amazement. 'It's too fast. How long has he been at sea? And most importantly...' Reading the content below, Benn Beckman's brows furrowed.
"One person eating two Devil Fruits... that's just too incredible!"
"What?"
Hearing Benn Beckman's words, Shanks sobered up instantly and looked at him in a hurry.
"What's going on? How is it two Devil Fruits?"
"I'm telling you, Shanks, didn't you notice? This adventurer Leno has always appeared in his Mythical Zoan dragon form before. Now that his 'Thunder God' alias has been suddenly exposed, isn't it obvious enough?"
Benn Beckman looked helplessly at Shanks, whose face was flushed from drinking, and continued.
"You have to know, the Thunder God is a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user. Now that it's confirmed they are the same person, that means Leno has eaten two Devil Fruits."
"I know. I'm just finding it a little hard to believe," Shanks said, trying to save face, ignoring Benn Beckman's speechless gaze, his own expression shocked.
"Two Devil Fruits... I can't imagine what that would be like."
"We have Kaido to thank for this. Otherwise, the world still wouldn't know that someone can eat two Devil Fruits."
Benn Beckman said, feeling a bit wistful as he thought of Kaido's defeat. The battle from a few days ago was still fresh in his mind. 'Even someone as powerful as Kaido was defeated.'
"Just how powerful is this dual-fruit-wielding adventurer, Leno?"