Chapter 93: Reigning Supreme in the New World!
[New World - The Moby Dick]
The sea was calm, but the air on the deck of the massive whale-shaped ship was thick with tension.
"Gurarararara...!"
Edward Newgate, the Strongest Man in the World, sat on his massive throne, hooked up to medical IVs. He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh that shook the rigging.
"Did that old geezer Garp really have a day when he was defeated so badly it needed to be reported globally? My, my. The years are catching up to him!"
He looked at the newspaper Marco had handed him. His eyes, sharp as ever, scanned the photos of the new generation.
"What interesting youngsters!" Whitebeard grinned, grabbing a massive sake bowl the size of a bathtub. He took a deep drink, ignoring the protests of the leopard-print-clad nurses.
"Pops, this is no joke," Marco the Phoenix sighed, his half-lidded eyes scanning the report. "Three Admiral-level powerhouses... plus a Giant division. This force can no longer be underestimated. They aren't just rookies; they're a mobile calamity."
"What is there to fear!" Whitebeard's voice boomed, silencing the crew.
He slammed the bowl down.
"This sea has been quiet for far too long! It's stagnant! It's time for some fellows to appear who can shake the world! Just like that bastard Roger back in the day!"
Whitebeard looked at the photo of Suzaku—a young man with eyes full of ambition.
"Gurararara... Let them come! Let me see just how capable this so-called 'Fifth Emperor' really is! If he has the guts, maybe I'll make him my son!"
[New World - Totto Land - Whole Cake Island]
The atmosphere here was far more manic.
"MAMAMAMA! This is wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin) sat at a table laden with sweets, drool dripping from her mouth. Her eyes gleamed with a terrifying greed as she stared at the wanted posters.
"Look at this, Perospero! Three guys with bounties over 1.5 billion! And look at their races!"
She pointed a sticky finger at the photos.
"That woman with black wings (Albedo)... is she a Lunarian? Or a Succubus? And the pale man (Ulquiorra)... is he a Mink? Or something new entirely?"
Her collection fever was burning.
"And the Giants! I hate Giants, but having them under my thumb would be sweet revenge!"
"If only... if only I could marry my daughters to them... No!"
Big Mom slammed her fist into a sentient cake, spraying frosting everywhere.
"I should marry my daughter to that Captain named Suzaku! If he joins the family, wouldn't the entire Suzaku Pirates then become mine? Mamamama!"
She was already fantasizing about a grand tea party. A wedding cake made of blood and gold.
"Send the invitations! Find them! I want them in my collection!"
[New World - Wano Country - Onigashima]
"WORORORO...!"
In the skull dome, Kaido of the Beasts sat drinking from a gourd. He snatched the newspaper, his massive eyes fixed on the photos of Suzaku, Ulquiorra, and Albedo.
"Mythical Zoan Type! Are they all rare Mythical Zoan Type users?"
Excitedly, he smashed a nearby boulder with his fist, pulverizing it instantly.
"Such a good thing exists? Even that guy Garp suffered defeat at their hands? Finally! A real fight!"
He suddenly stood up, lifting his spiked club, Hassaikai. The sheer pressure of his movement cracked the floor.
"Minions! Go find them for me! They are finally reaching the New World!"
Kaido's eyes glowed with a drunken battle lust.
"Find these 'Suzaku Pirates' for me! I don't care what 'Emperor' they are. Forces this powerful are only qualified to join my Beasts Pirates!"
"Worororo... I will meet them myself! I'll break their spirits and make them my soldiers!"
[The World Economy News Paper]
At the center of this world-sweeping storm, fresh newspapers were being distributed by thousands of News Coos. They quietly recounted the source of the panic.
The front page headlines featured, in unprecedentedly large space, the faces that were making the world tremble.
[THE SUZAKU PIRATES - "EXTREME EVIL FORCE"]
Captain: "Vermillion Bird" Suzaku Yareon
Bounty: 1,800,000,000 (1.8 Billion) Berries
Executive: "Wing of Disaster" Ulquiorra Cifer
Bounty: 1,720,000,000 (1.72 Billion) Berries
Executive: "Blackwing Demon" Albedo
Bounty: 1,550,000,000 (1.55 Billion) Berries
Executive: "Flying Maid" Rem
Bounty: 500,000,000 Berries
Executive: "Lightning Maid" Ram
Bounty: 100,000,000 Berries
Executive: "Cat Burglar" Nami
Bounty: 90,000,000 Berries
[Affiliated Pirate Crew: Giant Warrior Pirates]
"Blue Ogre" Dorry - Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Berries
"Red Ogre" Brogy - Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Berries
Crew members Kashi and Oimo - Bounty: 200,000,000 Berries each
At the end of the newspaper was the conclusion written by Morgans with impassioned strokes:
"The order of the old era is collapsing; the structure of the Yonko standing side-by-side is a thing of the past. Open your eyes and see clearly, world! This young overlord is rising rapidly from the Grand Line! The birth of the Fifth Emperor is now inevitable!"
[New World - The Sea Surface]
The seas of the New World never abide by logic.
One moment it was pitch black with thunder and rain, waves crashing like mountains. The next, the sky was cleared by an inexplicable breeze, and sunlight streamed through the clouds, dyeing the sea surface a bizarre, iridescent purple-gold.
Beneath the surface, currents surged violently.
A ferocious Sea King, hundreds of meters long and resembling a giant moray eel with tiger stripes, was chasing a panicked school of large tuna at astonishing speed.
Its lantern-like massive eyes flashed with greedy malice. Its huge maw opened, ready to swallow this hard-won lunch in one gulp.
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
Directly above the Sea King, two massive black shadows suddenly and without warning appeared in the calm sky.
It looked as if some behemoth was about to burst through the clouds from space.
RUMBLE...
Subsequently, the two huge shadows violently broke through the clouds, blocking the sunlight!
The Sea King was stunned by the massive objects descending from the sky. Its pursuit instantly froze. It looked up, confused. Ships? In the sky?
Before it could react, the air crackled.
"El Thor!"
An incredibly thick blue lightning bolt descended from the heavens. It wasn't natural lightning; it was directed, precise, and devastating.
ZZZZZT...!
The bolt struck precisely on top of the Sea King's head. The rampant current instantly pierced its colossal body, frying its brain and boiling the water around it.
Before it could even scream, the ferocious beast that dominated this sea region was scorched black. It rolled its eyes and lost consciousness, its massive body floating weakly on the surface like a drift log.
BOOM!!
Immediately after, two massive ships, comparable to small islands, slammed heavily onto the sea. They whipped up monstrous waves that would have capsized normal vessels.
But they didn't sink. They were instantly held up by an invisible force, stopping steadily above the churning sea.
These were the Suzaku Pirates' heavy cruiser "Pola" and the Giant Warrior Pirates' Elbaf Ship.
"Ram, it looks like you're using your 'Rumble-Rumble Fruit' quite well. You can tame a guy this big with a single strike."
Suzaku stood at the bow of the Pola, looking at the gigantic 'trophy' floating on the sea ahead. He praised her with a smile.
Next to him, a faint spark of electricity still lingered on Ram's small hand. She adjusted her maid headband, looking pleased but humble.
"It is a shallow use of ability, nothing worth mentioning," Ram said respectfully. "Of course, all of this power was granted to Ram by Lord Suzaku! Without you, I would just be a maid."
She bowed slightly, then her body dissolved into electrons.
Zap.
She vanished from the spot, appearing the next second directly above the Sea King's carcass.
"It's perfect! Let's use it to celebrate our arrival in the New World. Ram will go prepare the ingredients for the feast now!"
She began slicing the massive fish with blades of wind and lightning, preparing sushi for giants.
Suzaku smiled, then keenly caught another gentle and expectant gaze.
He turned around and saw Rem standing quietly by the helm. Her clear, large eyes were staring at him without blinking, her hands clasped behind her back.
It was she who had used the power of the [Float-Float Fruit] to control the two massive ships, flying them over the Red Line to reach the New World safely, bypassing the dangers of Fish-Man Island entirely.
Suzaku walked up to Rem. He reached out and ruffled her soft blue short hair.
"Rem also did a wonderful job," he said gently.
"Controlling two ships this immense simultaneously... and keeping them so stable during the descent. Your ability development is getting better and better. Shiki would be jealous."
Hearing Suzaku's praise, Rem's face instantly broke into a brilliant smile. Her eyes happily curved into crescent moons.
"As long as I can help Lord Suzaku, that is enough," she whispered, leaning into his hand. "Rem will continue to work hard! I want to be useful!"
The others on the ship were also excited by this first 'hunt' in the New World.
"GABABABABA!"
Dorry and Brogy on the adjacent ship erupted in earth-shattering laughter, cheering for tonight's roasted Sea King feast. They were already setting up a spit the size of a tree.
Just then, a piercing scream echoed from the crow's nest of the Pola.
"Wha... WHAT IS THIS!!"
Everyone was startled. They looked up, only to see Nami holding a newspaper she had just bought from a passing News Coo (who charged triple in the New World).
She looked completely petrified. Her eyes were filled with unbelievable shock, her hands shaking so hard the paper rattled.
"What is it, Nami?" Suzaku asked, though he had a suspicion.
Nami, as if jolted awake, scrambled down from the crow's nest. She practically fell onto the deck and spread the newspaper flat for everyone to see.
"Look! Quick, look!" she pointed at the paper, her voice trembling.
Everyone gathered around curiously.
They saw the headline.
[THE FIFTH EMPEROR IS BORN!]
"I... I..."
Nami pointed a shaking finger at her own wanted poster at the bottom of the list.
[Cat Burglar Nami]
[Bounty: 90,000,000 (90 Million) Berries]
"Ninety million Berries?!"
Nami's eyes were wide as copper bells. She didn't know if she should be happy about the prestige or terrified that bounty hunters would now target her.
"I'm worth almost a hundred million?! I didn't even fight!"
"That's the price of being on an Emperor's crew," Suzaku laughed. "Get used to it, Nami. The world is watching us now."
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