Ten thousand meters beneath the sea lay Fish-Man Island.
Evading the Marine surveillance across the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates had silently arrived.
Fish-Man Island was Whitebeard's territory—protected under his banner.
King Neptune was an old friend of both Whitebeard and the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
After arriving, Whitebeard met with Neptune and learned that Jinbe, unwilling to fight against him, had been imprisoned in the great prison, Impel Down.
Whitebeard sighed deeply.
"Jinbe is my son too. If possible… I'll bring him back as well."
Yet even as he said it, he knew it was unlikely.
In this all-out war against the Marines, Whitebeard had already prepared himself for death.
The Senzu Beans Marco had brought back had healed much of his external and internal injuries.
But his chronic heart disease remained.
He could feel it—
His time was near.
Rather than cling to life, he would rather fall in battle.
Still—
There was selfishness behind his decision to wage this war.
Though he claimed he would rescue any son facing execution—
Fire Fist Ace held a special place in his heart.
Whitebeard had long intended to raise Ace to the throne of Pirate King.
Marco, the division commanders, and the forty-three allied captains all knew it.
Thus—
Though they followed Whitebeard willingly to attack Marine Headquarters—
Some captains, especially those less close to Ace, harbored quiet resentment.
They felt Whitebeard was risking their lives for one man.
The most obvious example—
Squard, the Great Vortex Spider.
Seeds of discord had already been sown.
In truth—
Whitebeard was old.
His strength remained immense, but his awareness of his sons' hearts had dulled.
Neptune spoke solemnly. "Jinbe made his choice."
Whitebeard fell silent for a moment before saying quietly,
"Neptune… after this war, for the sake of Fish-Man Island's future, if another Emperor offers protection… consider accepting it."
Neptune froze.
What did that mean?
Did Whitebeard foresee defeat?
Was he telling Fish-Man Island to prepare for a future without him?
His expression dimmed.
Roger.
Whitebeard.
Were there any pirates left willing to protect Fish-Man Island as they had?
Fish-Man Island was technically allied with the World Government.
But the Government never protected them.
The Celestial Dragons enslaved merfolk.
And pirates ravaged their shores daily.
With no choice—
They had sought shelter under an Emperor's flag.
Fortunately, Roger and Whitebeard had been benevolent.
But Roger was gone.
And Whitebeard seemed to sense his own end.
What future awaited them?
If Luo Xing had heard Neptune's worries, he might have declared boldly—
"For Princess Shirahoshi's sake, anyone who harms Fish-Man Island becomes an enemy of the Fifth Emperor and the Beasts Pirates."
But that was a tale for another time.
After meeting Neptune, Whitebeard ordered all ships coated.
He would ascend from beneath the sea—
And strike Marineford from below.
It was a brilliant strategy.
It would give Sengoku a shock.
But—
Strategy could not overcome overwhelming disparity in raw power.
…
Meanwhile—
In Wano Country.
"The Strongest Creature" Kaido roared with excitement, kanabo raised high.
"Men! We're taking that old Whitebeard's territory!"
He was exhilarated.
Since his days aboard Rocks' ship, Whitebeard had been the man he most wanted to defeat.
In his youth, he had clashed with Whitebeard—and lost.
After gaining the title of Strongest Creature in Wano, they had never fought again.
Whitebeard was called the Strongest Man.
Kaido—
The Strongest Creature.
He had always found that irritating.
Wasn't a creature superior to a man?
No matter.
If he could not defeat Whitebeard directly—
He would seize his lands instead.
At Wano's port, over ten thousand Beasts Pirates roared his name.
Kaido's grin widened.
Though only ten thousand strong—
Three thousand were Gifters.
Each had consumed SMILE fruits and enhanced with Monster Cells—
Possessing combat strength rivaling pirates worth over 100 million Berries.
An army of this caliber was unprecedented.
Only the Marines and World Government could match such numbers.
Kaido laughed heartily, glancing at Queen and Jack beside him.
"This is all thanks to my son-in-law, Luo Xing!"
Without the Monster Cells, the Gravity Training Chambers, and those miraculous inventions—
The Beasts Pirates would never have grown this powerful.
He raised his kanabo.
"Set sail!"
Ten thousand savage pirates surged forward toward Whitebeard's territory.
…
At Whole Cake Island—
Big Mom mobilized more than twenty thousand subordinates.
Only Katakuri remained behind to guard Totto Land.
The other Sweet Commanders and her strongest children followed her into war.
She still remembered the "giantification" serum Luo Xing had provided.
Instead of a perfect solution—
It turned recipients into mindless muscle-brained giants.
One had even smashed Cake Island in the chaos.
She had paid hundreds of billions of Berries for that humiliation.
But there was little she could do to Luo Xing.
Frustration burned within her.
Thus—
She aimed to recover her losses by claiming Whitebeard's territory.
…
In the domain of the Red-Haired Pirates—
Shanks had originally planned to head to Marineford to rescue Ace.
Not to wage war—
But to mediate.
With the world's strongest Conqueror's Haki and his mysterious standing, his words carried weight.
Even the Five Elders respected him.
But when news arrived that Kaido and Big Mom were moving against Whitebeard's lands—
Shanks changed course.
Benn Beckman exhaled smoke slowly.
"If it were only Kaido or Big Mom, we could stop them."
"But two Emperors allied… this will be difficult."
Shanks knew that well.
He frowned deeply.
It felt—
As though unseen hands were orchestrating everything.
Making each path harder.
For some reason, he recalled Mihawk's description of Luo Xing.
Unfathomable.
Could it be him?
No.
Impossible.
How could that man know Shanks intended to safeguard Whitebeard's territory?
Could he truly foresee the future?
Shanks shook his head at the absurd thought.
"We'll handle it as it comes."
The great figures of the era moved.
The Marines stood ready at Marineford.
The Four Emperors mobilized across the New World.
And Luo Xing—
The one weaving it all together—
Had already stepped silently through the Anywhere Door—
Arriving at the depths of Impel Down.
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