CHAPTER 102: A NAME THAT ECHOES
"ADMIRAL WHITE DRAGON REPELS BEAST PIRATES! ALL-STAR EMBER DEFEATED, EMPEROR KAIDO FORCED TO WITHDRAW!"
The headline, splashed across the front page of the World Economic Journal the next morning, swept across the oceans like a storm. Morgans had outdone himself, featuring a dramatic, slightly blurred but unmistakable image: the tiny white figure of Satoru standing firm before the massive, retreating shadow of Kaido's dragon form in the clouds, with the devastated sea and sinking ships below.
This time, there were no snide remarks in taverns, no dismissive chuckles from veteran pirates. The picture was proof. The Navy wouldn't dare fabricate a story of this magnitude involving an Emperor. The narrative was cemented: Admiral "White Dragon" Monkey D. Satoru was not a prodigy in name only. He was a genuine, top-tier force who had faced two of Kaido's top commanders and seen the Emperor himself off.
In the pirate underworld, the message was received loud and clear. The stories of ambitious pirate crews vanishing near G-8 over the past year suddenly made terrible sense. They hadn't gotten lost or been sunk by bad weather. They had been erased by the White Dragon.
Back at the G-8 base, the atmosphere was one of electric pride. Marines walked a little taller, their uniforms seeming crisper. The newspaper was passed from hand to hand, each man and woman grinning as they saw their commander's title in bold print.
"Sir, you're world-famous now!" a young lieutenant exclaimed during the morning briefing, his eyes shining. "They're saying your deterrent power might even be greater than the other three Admirals!"
Satoru, leaning back in his command chair with his boots propped on the desk, waved a dismissive hand, but the smirk playing on his lips betrayed him. "Hah! It's all just flashy headlines and empty reputation. Don't pay it too much mind."
He spun in his chair to look out the window at the bustling, reinforced base below. "But… I'll admit, this should cut down on the annoying flies. We might actually get some peace and quiet for proper training now."
For the past year, G-8 had been the busiest—and most harassed—base in the New World. Weak, glory-seeking pirate crews saw the "child Admiral" as the ultimate stepping stone. Dealing with them had been more of a tedious chore than a challenge for his now-elite troops.
"With a true 'wall' standing in the New World," Commander Claire noted, polishing her glasses, "those small-time pirates will think twice before crossing into our patrol zones. They preferred chaos because the Navy presence here lacked a definitive, overwhelming leader. Now it has one."
The conversation inevitably turned to the other subject of the headline. "I wonder how Kaido is taking this news back on Onigashima?" Lieutenant Cullom mused, a sharp grin on her face. "Must be boiling. Even though the report spins it, he knows, and we know, he wasn't 'repelled' in a fight. He just came to collect his wounded All-Star."
Satoru's smirk turned into a confident, full-faced smile. "Let him stew. But next time our paths cross for real… I'm walking away the winner." The certainty in his voice wasn't arrogance; it was the calm assessment of someone who had measured his opponent and found himself capable.
Onigashima, Land of the Beasts Pirates.
The sky above the skull-shaped island was perpetually dark, thick with rolling, thunderous clouds that mirrored the mood of its ruler. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere blanketed the entire stronghold, silencing the usual raucous noise of the Gifters and Pleasures. The source sat on his bone throne, a massive sake gourd in hand, his expression a thunderhead.
Beast Kaido took a long, deep pull of liquor, the sound loud in the quiet hall. Below him, the three remaining Disasters stood in tense silence. Jack and Queen kept shooting uneasy glances at each other, their usual bravado absent. King, ever stoic, stood apart, but his posture was rigid. And before the throne, Ember knelt, his body heavily bandaged, head bowed.
The newspaper lay crumpled at Kaido's feet.
"I didn't expect…" Queen whispered, his voice uncharacteristically low, "...that Ember really was no match for him."
Jack grunted in agreement, his brow furrowed. "Kaido-sama was right. He warned us."
They both looked at Ember's battered state. As the leader of the Disasters, Queen might chafe under Ember's position, but he couldn't deny the man's raw power. If Ember could be taken apart so thoroughly, neither he nor Jack would have fared any better. The unspoken thought hung in the air: if Kaido hadn't personally intervened, G-8 would have been the grave of the Beast Pirates' second-in-command.
The sake gourd was set down with a heavy thud. Kaido's voice, dangerously calm, cut through the silence.
"Ember."
The wounded All-Star flinched. "Yes, Kaido-sama."
"Do you understand your mistake?" The question wasn't about losing; it was about disobedience.
"I do," Ember replied, his voice thick with shame and pain. "I acted on impulse. I disregarded your assessment and brought shame upon our crew. I am sorry."
Kaido stared at him for a long moment. Ember was his first follower, fiercely loyal. The punishment for such insubordination could be severe, but…
"I will let it pass this time," Kaido finally rumbled. The relief in the room was palpable, especially from Ember. "But if you act so foolishly again, you can spend the next few years reflecting in the mines. Understood?"
"Understood! Thank you, Kaido-sama!"
Kaido's blazing eyes then swept to Queen and Jack. "You two. Listen well. After facing him, Ember knows the nature of that Navy's power. From this day forward, you will strictly restrain your men. All of them." His gaze was like physical pressure. "I do not want another pointless conflict with that White Dragon. Avoid him if possible. He is… troublesome."
The word "troublesome" struck Jack and Queen like a lightning bolt. It wasn't a word they associated with their captain regarding an enemy. It carried a weight of reluctant respect and strategic annoyance they'd never heard before. A flicker of something akin to fear—not for themselves, but of the implications—passed between them.
"Yes, Lord Kaido!" they chorused immediately, snapping to attention. "We will control our subordinates. We will not provoke that Admiral."
From that moment, the name "White Dragon" was etched into their minds not just as a title, but as a territorial warning, a red line not to be crossed.
Whole Cake Island, Territory of Big Mom.
"Mamamama!" Charlotte Linlin's laughter shook the candy-coated chambers of her castle. She held the newspaper in her massive hand, crumbs from a wedding cake scattered around her. "That idiot Kaido! Getting sloppier in his old age! Can't even handle a single Navy brat?"
While she didn't believe the headline's grandiose claim of "repelling" Kaido, two facts were undeniable: Ember was soundly beaten, and Kaido had chosen not to escalate into an all-out battle right then and there. If a true Admiral-versus-Emperor clash had occurred, the shockwaves would have been felt all the way to Totto Land.
She shoved a whole tier of cake into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before turning her gaze to her most reliable son. "Katakuri! What do you make of this so-called 'White Dragon'?"
Charlotte Katakuri, standing impassively by the wall, didn't need his future sight to answer. He had been analyzing the reports since Satoru's promotion.
"Mother," he said, his voice deep and steady. "This Admiral's strength should not be underestimated. The fact that the World Government and Navy Headquarters broke precedent to promote someone so young to the highest rank is proof in itself. They do not take such risks lightly."
He crossed his arms. "It is likely his combat power is exceptional, potentially surpassing that of the other three Admirals in specific aspects. The Navy would not appoint a mere figurehead to a position that requires defending the entire New World front. He is the real thing."
Big Mom listened, her playful mockery fading into a more calculating expression. The New World's balance was delicate. A truly powerful, active Naval Admiral planted firmly in their waters was a new variable. One she would need to watch closely.
"Mamamama…" she chuckled again, but this time it was colder, more thoughtful. "A new monster in the garden, is it? How interesting."
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