It's time, with ability, to fulfill her wish.
...
Night.
As dusk descended, the sight of the island dropping from the sky that morning, like the arrival of the end of the world, gradually faded away.
The residents remained anxious, but gradually returned to their normal activities, and Cake Island gradually regained its usual tranquility.
On the top floor rooftop plaza that has been restored to its original state, BIGMOM personally hosted another banquet.
It was a celebration for the successful and unharmed end of the tea party, and also as a farewell for those leaving the island, the Endgame Pirates and others.
Shano and Kaido did not attend.
A few kilometers away.
The crescent moon illuminated the figures of the two by the seaside.
"Hey, Shano!"
Kaido sat cross-legged on a rock, untied the wine gourd at his waist, instinctively wanted to toss it over, but suddenly remembered something and retracted his hand.
He poured himself a drink, stared at the distant dark horizon, exhaling two streams of white smoke through his nose, and said sullenly:
"What are your plans next?"
Shano leaned against a nearby tree trunk, arms crossed, and sneered at the words: "What? You still haven't given up, want me to be your deputy?"
"Humph!"
Kaido spread his arms wide and laughed heartily, "If that were possible, I'd be willing to do whatever you want, but I'm not an idiot! This fight showed me one thing: someone like you will never submit to others!"
"Good that you know."
Shano also gazed at the distant horizon, "We're not heading in the same direction. As for future plans? Simple, continue sailing, grow stronger, expand my forces, and then..."
"Do what you wanted to do when you were young but don't dare to do now."
Kaido's pupils slightly shrank.
"Oh? You even know that, seems you understand me better than I thought!"
Feigning indifference, he snorted coldly, "Truly arrogant, hey! Who do you think you are? Another Joyboy?!"
"Joyboy and all that, you liked to call yourself that when you were young, I have no interest, but I'm still young, younger than your daughter, don't compare me to you."
Shano grinned, glanced at him, and pointed at his heart, "Once someone has ambitions, they have to try."
"..."
Kaido was silent for a moment, letting out a long breath.
"I really want to bring you down, but as you say, just thinking of your age makes me feel unqualified, after all, when I was a teenager, I was often hungry and even went to the Navy's prison to scrape a meal!"
Putting away his wine gourd, he stood up and laughed loudly:
"This time, I helped you out, you saved me once, so we're even. Next time we meet, it might be an all-out war between the Hundred Beasts and the Endgame. On the battlefield, I'll show no mercy!"
"Same."
Shano responded coolly.
As a fighting rock like Kaido, engaging with him was a satisfying clash, resonating well with him.
But as the backing of Kurozumi Orochi and the real controller behind Wano Country...
This guy is the kind of standard boss that must be defeated.
Oden was a mess when it came to governance, and Kaido was even worse, not even achieving sustainable exploitation.
Not to mention comparing to the carefully run Ten Thousand Nations by BIGMOM.
Looking at the entire New World, among other Sea Emperors and Great Pirates holding their own territories, no one is less reliable than him.
Once the overall strength of his comrades becomes stronger, between his Endgame pirates and Kaido's Hundred Beasts Pirates...
Sooner or later, there will be a direct battle!
"Then I should get going too!"
Kaido suddenly stomped on the rock, his massive body expanded and transformed, soon turning into the sky-covering azure dragon.
"As for you, keep growing stronger, Shano!"
Fully dragonized, Kaido spiraled upward, looked down at Shano by the shore with eyes glittering with a fervent battle spirit:
"I'll be waiting for you on Ghost Island! Right now, you may not be able to deal with me, but when the time comes, don't disappoint me!"
As the sea wind suddenly picked up, Kaido let out a thunderous dragon roar that scattered clouds within a few miles.
He gave Shano a deep look, twisted his dragon body, and charged towards the horizon wrapped in mist.
Under the moonlight, the azure dragon's figure grew smaller, finally becoming a blue star on the horizon, while distant echoes of laughter drifted on the wind.
"Humph-humph-humph-humph."
————
Cake Castle top.
Smiling as she clinked glasses with Bonney, BIGMOM seemed to sense something and sharply turned her head towards the sky's edge.
"Kaido just left..."
She snorted coldly, "Rather have a secret drink with that kid than face a farewell with me?"
They all left.
Her gaze swept around, apart from the few from Endgame Pirates, the long tables were empty, cold and desolate.
The tea party guests had long dispersed, even the children of the Charlotte family were busy elsewhere.
The vast open plaza appeared particularly empty at this moment.
Ah, life is like this, always gathering and scattering, separating and meeting.
Just like she still couldn't understand why the nun and childhood companions suddenly left her like her parents...
Now.
Everyone she could call companions had gone, Du·Feld left, Stussy left, Umit also left...
Wait...
BIGMOM pinched her chin, pondering deeply, among these people, why does she always feel like she's missing someone?
Eh, who was it?
————
Chronology of One Piece 1517, late January.
Two major events occurred in the New World, almost consecutively.
First.
The captain of the Endgame Pirates, Shano, battled fiercely with Hundred Beasts Kaido at BIGMOM's tea party, a grueling fight lasting five days and nights, ending in a draw from exhaustion!
Second.
The legendary Great Pirate of the earlier era, Golden Lion Shiki, emerged after seventeen years, making a high-profile comeback by directly attacking Cake Island.
These two events, due to their overlap in location, timing, and the involvement of prominent figures.
Were combined for convenience in newspaper coverage and spread.
As the news broke...
The public was in an uproar, the world shook!
From the Four Seas to the Grand Line, everywhere many pondered over these matters, with feelings of excitement, fear, anxiety, or pride...
There was also a little episode.
For some reason, the World Economic News Agency, being the media monopoly giant, reacted slower than usual this time.
Various local newspapers already drove the hype.
Only several days later did the World Economic News Agency, like waking from sleep, hurriedly follow up.
However, good food is not afraid of being late; a giant is ultimately a giant.
Where their channel came from, isn't known, but a large amount of firsthand material and photos were published in the newspaper.
Including the tea party's prelude, Shano and Kaido's intense battle, the scene capturing strong visual impact, and close-up shots of the confrontation among the three Sea Emperors...
Everything was comprehensive and detailed, quickly causing the World Economic News Agency's sales to skyrocket, setting a new record from the beginning of the year to date!
Yes, three Sea Emperors.
Besides the established Kaido and Charlotte Lingling, Shano first officially stood alongside the two Four Emperors, viewed as the new Sea Emperor!
Even this title received tacit acknowledgment from the World Government.
Not infinitely close, not nearly equal, not just hype and fanning the flames, but genuine, recognized as a Sea Emperor!!!
As a result, too.
Shano's Bounty Order, stuck before a major threshold, finally broke through to a new level.
"World's No.1 Sword Master" Shano, his latest bounty now...
It's thirty-two billion seven hundred sixty million Belly!
Dead or alive!