When he heard the voice, Silvers Rayleigh turned his head and looked toward the street.
A young man was slowly walking toward him.
It was naturally Rolan.
Behind Rolan stood two other figures.
One had red hair, a scar across his left eye, and an empty sleeve fluttering gently in the wind where his left arm used to be.
The other was a towering giant, standing more than six meters tall, with a magnificent white mustache shaped like a crescent moon.
Rayleigh immediately recognized them.
They were Shanks and Edward Newgate.
The moment Rayleigh entered the sea territory surrounding Peach Garden, Rolan had already sensed his presence.
So he personally came to meet him.
When Whitebeard and Shanks heard that Rayleigh had arrived, they naturally followed Rolan to greet the legendary Dark King.
Rayleigh laughed loudly.
"Hahaha, Rolan boy, I'm here to keep my promise."
When Rolan visited the Sabaody Archipelago, Rayleigh had promised him something.
If Rolan managed to rescue Ace, Rayleigh would personally assist him in the future.
After watching the live broadcast of the Battle of Marineford, Rayleigh already knew that Rolan had succeeded in rescuing Portgas D. Ace.
A promise was a promise.
Rayleigh had no intention of breaking his word.
There was also another reason he had come, though that was something he did not intend to mention.
At that moment, Shanks grinned and called out.
"Vice Captain, long time no see."
Rayleigh turned to him, curiosity appearing on his face.
"Shanks, it's been a while. Why are you here?"
It made sense for Whitebeard to be in Peach Garden.
After all, the Whitebeard Pirates and Rolan's forces had fought on the same side during the Marineford war.
Ace was the Second Division Commander of Whitebeard's crew and also Rolan's disciple.
Returning together to celebrate the victory was perfectly natural.
But Shanks was different.
As one of the Four Emperors, he should technically be one of Rolan's rivals.
Rayleigh had never expected him to appear in Peach Garden so casually.
Even more surprising was how relaxed he looked around Rolan.
Shanks staggered forward with a wide grin.
"Hahaha, listen, Rolan's sake is really good."
"Hic."
His cheeks were slightly red from alcohol.
His steps were light and unsteady, as if he might fall over at any moment.
Rayleigh sighed and reached out to support him.
Shanks immediately waved him off.
"No need to hold me. I'm not drunk."
Rayleigh's forehead twitched slightly.
Everyone on the sea knew the rumors.
Shanks was famous for two things.
His strength, and his parties.
The moment he found any excuse, he would start a banquet.
If his left foot stepped out of the cabin first, it was worth celebrating.
If the sun was shining, it was worth celebrating.
Sometimes he did not even need a reason.
A single shout of "Let's party!" was enough to begin a massive feast.
In other words, the Emperor Shanks was either partying or heading toward one.
Rayleigh suspected the celebration banquet in Peach Garden had simply attracted Shanks like a magnet.
Whitebeard suddenly laughed loudly.
"Gurarararara! Rayleigh, it's been many years since we last met."
Rayleigh turned toward him.
"Whitebeard… it must have been decades. Yet you still look as strong as ever."
His voice carried genuine nostalgia.
The Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had fought many battles on the seas.
They were rivals, but also friends.
After fierce battles, they often shared drinks and feasts together.
Because of that, they had developed deep respect for each other.
However, after the execution of Gol D. Roger, the two sides rarely met again.
Nearly twenty years had passed.
Rayleigh carefully observed Whitebeard.
He could not hide his surprise.
Whitebeard had once been covered in injuries and illness.
Yet now his presence felt even stronger than before.
There was not a single visible injury.
Rayleigh had heard rumors circulating in the underground world.
The Ion Tempest pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had formed an alliance.
And Rolan possessed a mysterious pill capable of restoring vitality.
It seemed likely that Whitebeard had taken it.
That explained why his performance during the Marineford war had resembled the power of his prime.
Far above the New World, a brilliant golden pirate ship flew through the sky at incredible speed.
Several figures stood on the deck.
One of them laughed wildly.
"Yehahaha! That old woman Charlotte Linlin actually tried to ambush us after we left Peach Garden. Let her witness the glory of thunder."
The speaker was Enel.
A calm voice replied.
"Enel, don't underestimate your opponent."
"If Rolan is correct, Charlotte Linlin's Soru Soru no Mi has already awakened. Combined with her powerful Haki, her strength must have increased considerably."
The one speaking was Kuro.
Enel scoffed impatiently.
"You're always so cautious, Kuro. Who cares how strong she is? We are members of Ion Tempest now, the true rulers of the sea. Anyone who provokes us should be ready to die."
The ship they were standing on was the Breaking Sky Two.
Rolan possessed six ships in total.
The main vessel was the Breaking Sky, while the other five were auxiliary ships numbered one through five.
Normally they remained docked at the port of Lungan, ready for the use of Rolan's subordinates.
After the celebration banquet ended, Rolan had already begun moving against the remaining Emperors.
He assigned the task of dealing with the Big Mom Pirates to Kuro and the others.
Even though Charlotte Linlin had awakened her Devil Fruit, the lineup heading toward Totto Land was overwhelming.
Kuro.
Issho.
Enel.
Trafalgar D. Water Law.
And Crocodile.
Kuro and Issho alone possessed strength capable of rivaling an Emperor.
Law's Devil Fruit had already awakened.
Both Enel and Crocodile had reached power comparable to Marine Admirals.
Against such a lineup, even Big Mom would struggle.
The power of Ion Tempest had already surpassed any single Emperor crew.
In fact, even half of their forces would be enough to crush a Yonko crew without suffering serious losses.
Rolan's decision to eliminate Big Mom and Kaido quickly had a clear purpose.
Before the mysterious Seed was fully developed, he needed to stabilize the New World.
Only by unifying the entire sea could Peach Garden become an unshakable fortress.
Then, when the time came to wage war against the World Government, they would have nothing holding them back.
Issho spoke calmly from the side.
"Hehehe, Mr. Enel, Mr. Kuro is correct. Charlotte Linlin is still one of the Four Emperors. Even a starving camel is larger than a horse. We cannot lower our guard."
Law rubbed his forehead.
"It's a starving camel is bigger than a horse, Mr. Issho."
Issho scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh, is that the correct way to say it? Thank you, Mr. Law."
Enel, already impatient to fight, pushed the ship forward at incredible speed.
To avoid accidentally overshooting Totto Land, he kept the ship flying at an altitude of about two thousand meters.
From that height, they could easily spot the surrounding seas.
The wind howled past their ears as the golden ship tore through the sky.
Suddenly a voice sounded from the bow.
"We're approaching Totto Land's waters."
It was Crocodile.
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