Time flew by. Five years might pass in the blink of an eye for some, but for others, it could be an endless torment.
A great many things happened in those five years, no shortage of them events that shook the world.
The first was in the year after Roger's execution: Douglas Bullet, a former member of the Roger Pirates and the man known as the "Heir of the Devil," rampaged through the New World before finally being arrested by Marine Headquarters and thrown into Impel Down.
The second came two years after Roger's execution: Marine Headquarters issued a Buster Call on Ohara, and an eight-year-old girl called Nico Robin, dubbed the "Devil Child," was given a bounty of 77 million berries.
But in those five years, Shirakawa hadn't exactly been keeping quiet either. He traveled back and forth between Water 7 and Weatheria.
His trips to Water 7 weren't just to help Tom sort out his troubles—he also wanted to train William's strength. If William had been left to figure things out on his own, his progress over those five years would have been painfully limited.
Mole had also made tremendous strides in those five years. As the ship's navigator, he didn't need overwhelming combat power—just enough to protect himself. That was the goal Shirakawa had set for him.
Fortunately, Mole hadn't let Shirakawa down. In those five years, Mole had successfully mastered both Armament Haki and Observation Haki. With his current strength, dominating the first half of the Grand Line should be no problem at all.
Even in the New World, dealing with ordinary enemies was more than manageable for him.
During those five years, Shirakawa had also picked up a new title: the "White Demon." That was because, throughout those five years, Shirakawa had always worn a mask, and whenever he encountered brutal, merciless pirates, he would choose to step in and wipe them out.
If you thought that meant Shirakawa hadn't grown stronger, you'd be dead wrong. During that period, Shirakawa had also challenged a number of reclusive powerhouses, and every battle against such opponents had yielded him considerable insight.
It was fair to say that Shirakawa's strength had undergone a complete transformation compared to five years ago. If he faced Sengoku now, he would absolutely never end up as battered as he had last time.
Shirakawa had a feeling that if he faced Sengoku now, he could split the odds fifty-fifty.
And in those five years, it wasn't just the pirates who had been thrown into turmoil—Marine Headquarters had undergone massive changes as well.
After the Ohara Buster Call, Kong had stepped down from the position of Fleet Admiral and been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the entire military.
Admiral Sengoku became the new Fleet Admiral, and the three vacated Admiral positions were filled by individuals who had long been selected for promotion.
They were Sakazuki, codename Akainu, user of the Logia-type Magma-Magma Fruit.
Aokiji, codename Kuzan, user of the Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit.
And Borsalino, codename Kizaru, user of the Logia-type Glint-Glint Fruit.
During this period, quite a few promising rear admirals were also promoted one after another to vice admiral, while a number of older vice admirals chose to retire.
As the saying goes, a new official starts with three fires. Once Sengoku took office, he immediately launched a devastating assault against the pirates of the sea. Each of the three Admirals led their own force, and any pirate they laid eyes on could not escape the fate of Impel Down.
This also gave the pirates a firsthand taste of this new generation of Marine Admirals' power.
Marine Headquarters had long since learned that Shirakawa was still alive. That news, of course, had come from Morgans' mouth—after all, as long as Morgans considered information valuable, everything he knew could be used as currency.
Even knowing Shirakawa was still alive, Marine Headquarters couldn't do a thing about him. The Silver Pirates had disbanded entirely, scattering across the world, and the Marines' informants had no information on any of them.
Shirakawa was even more so. Though he frequently appeared within the Marines' line of sight, he was as elusive as a ghost. By the time the Marines received word and arrived, all they ever found were the wreckage and remnants of pirates Shirakawa had already crushed.
One thing worth mentioning from those five years: the pirate ship Franky and Iceburg had been building for the giants was completed in just two years, so Shirakawa decided to let the two giants set sail ahead of schedule.
When Shirakawa delivered the ship to Little Garden, the two giants were overjoyed for a long while. Shirakawa also told them about the plan for them to set sail early, and both of them readily agreed.
After that, Shirakawa led the two of them charging into Enies Lobby, successfully rescuing and taking away two giant companions.
That act sent the White Demon's reputation shockwaves through the world once again. Not only were the bounties of those four giants raised, but even the White Demon himself received a bounty of three hundred million berries.
It could be said that Shirakawa alone now carried a total bounty of 1.3 billion berries.
Another thing worth mentioning: when the two of them set sail and left, they actually took the giant centipede from the island with them. When their relationship had gotten so good, no one could say.
Shirakawa also got to see Riddle, whom he hadn't seen in a long while. Two years without meeting, and Riddle had truly grown a great deal. If not for the familiar aura, Shirakawa might not have recognized him at all.
Because Riddle's transformation was simply too drastic. Originally, he was just a slightly burly young man who looked a bit older than his years, but now he looked like a middle-aged man, his entire body radiating a fierce, menacing presence.
He gave off a "don't mess with me" kind of vibe.
Though Shirakawa hadn't specifically tested just how much Riddle's strength had grown, he figured it wouldn't disappoint him.
Since Riddle had changed so much, Shirakawa honestly found himself even more eager to see the other members—especially the ones he'd designated as his main combat force.
Jorah, Eurystine, Salar, Kurokam, Abro—though Shirakawa could have used their Vivre Cards to pinpoint their exact locations, in the end he reined in his curiosity.
After all, the moment when all the surprises burst forth together was the most thrilling one of all.
After the two giants left, Riddle was left alone to survive on Little Garden. Shirakawa had even asked back then whether he wanted a companion to keep him company.
But Riddle refused, saying:
"Every living creature on this island has already become my friend."
Even so, Shirakawa was still quite worried—what if Riddle went three whole years without speaking to another person and then forgot how to talk?
Later, Shirakawa came up with an idea for Riddle. They were currently at the peak of the Great Pirate Era, with countless pirates setting sail every single day.
Every day, pirate crews from the four seas were bound to head for the Grand Line, and some were bound to take this particular route. So whenever strangers arrived, Shirakawa had Riddle go and greet them.
He would also test their character. If their conduct passed muster, they'd be allowed through. If not, they'd be eliminated—which doubled as a bit of training for Riddle.
Riddle agreed to Shirakawa's decision. Though he didn't understand why Shirakawa had him do this, he knew the captain must have his own reasons.
And in Riddle's heart, ever since that last battle, there was only one thought that remained: whatever the captain said was right.
Because that time, the captain had risked his life to let them escape, and that had left an indelible mark on all of their hearts.
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