When Whitebeard heard Hashirama's words, he laughed heartily: "Gurararara! I never imagined there were so many strong fighters on the sea that I've never heard of! It's truly exhilarating!"
Senju Hashirama drank his sake with excitement; even though his reanimated state prevented him from truly tasting the alcohol, he greatly enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
The crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates sat around them, their laughter and chatter never ceasing, as if the earth-shattering battle from moments ago had never happened.
The two men drank and chatted, quickly becoming close friends who spoke openly about everything. Whitebeard also learned from Hashirama why he had initially attacked the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Gurarara! So those brats below actually laid hands on you and tried to steal your chips? They were asking for death!" Whitebeard couldn't help but roar with laughter after hearing Hashirama's account.
Hashirama waved his hand nonchalantly.
From a distance, Marco overheard their conversation and his expression turned cold.
He turned to a crew member beside him and said quietly, "Look into which fleet was responsible for attacking Senju Hashirama. Once you find them, kick them out of the Whitebeard Pirates immediately."
The crew member nodded and quickly left the deck.
Although the overall order of the Whitebeard Pirates was stable, the pirate ships of its many subordinate fleets still frequently engaged in killing, looting, and pillaging. They had finally picked a fight with someone they couldn't handle, and now they had to pay the price.
On the deck, the laughter of Whitebeard and Hashirama continued to echo in the sea breeze.
Their cups clinked repeatedly, the rich aroma of sake spreading all around.
At Marine Headquarters, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat behind his large desk with a deep frown.
"That Senju Hashirama… is that strong…" Sengoku muttered to himself, a hint of resignation in his voice.
He had initially thought Senju Hashirama was merely an audacious madman, but he never expected his strength to rival Whitebeard's.
With such a powerful figure suddenly emerging, the situation at sea had become even more complicated.
"What a real pain…" Sengoku rubbed his temples, feeling a wave of helplessness.
He looked up toward the window; out in the distance, several warships were slowly sailing into port.
Meanwhile, in another office at Marine Headquarters, Roy sat leisurely on a sofa, holding a cup of hot tea with a faint smile on his lips.
He glanced at the newspaper on the table, a knowing chuckle in his heart.
"Senju Hashirama's strength is truly formidable. With his help, my forces have gained a significant boost."
Roy muttered to himself, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.
However, Roy did not let his guard down because of this. He knew that while his own strength was great, it was not yet enough to run rampant across this world.
By his estimation, he was probably only about half a tier stronger than Senju Hashirama.
If he wanted to achieve his ambitions, he would need to become even more powerful.
"Looks like I need to pick up the pace." Roy put down his teacup. Inside the chat group, many messages were flashing.
[Thank you for the ability, Mr. Roy.] – This was a message from Zhao Kongcheng in the Slay the Gods world.
By now, Zhao Kongcheng had begun to master the power of Haki, which had qualitatively elevated his strength.
Seeing this message, Roy smiled. This was an investment; he was very interested in the various laws of the Slay the Gods world.
But he had no intention of going to that world just yet.
That world was far too dangerous; even he did not dare to tread there lightly.
However, through his exchanges with Zhao Kongcheng, he had already obtained quite a bit of useful information.
Just then, a new message appeared in the chat group.
[Mr. Roy, would you be interested in our world?] – It was Historia Reiss, the queen of the world of the Titans.
Roy raised an eyebrow, a glint of interest in his eyes.
He opened the message and read it carefully.
On the other side, inside the royal palace of Paradis Island in the world of the Titans, Historia Reiss stood quietly by the window.
Her expression was calm, even carrying a trace of cold indifference, as if everything before her eyes had nothing to do with her.
The nobles on the island continued their power struggles, and the high-ranking officials remained embroiled in their schemes, as if the outside world had nothing to do with them.
They were lost in their own daydreams, fantasizing about staying forever within the island, enjoying a false sense of peace.
Yet, Historia knew better than anyone that the outside world was already watching with predatory intent; the military forces of Marley and other nations could launch an attack at any moment, determined to utterly destroy Paradis Island.
"How laughable…" Historia muttered to herself, a trace of sarcasm in her voice.
She had once tried to change all of this, tried to save her own life by bearing a child, tried to resist fate through her own efforts.
But reality had left her utterly exhausted.
Eren Yeager had now fallen completely into paranoia. His plan for the Rumbling was about to begin, countless Titans were poised to rampage, and the entire world trembled under his wrath.
Historia knew that Eren could no longer listen to reason. All he saw was destruction, was revenge.
"Since the whole world has gone mad, let it be completely destroyed." A flash of resolve crossed Historia's eyes.
She accessed the chat group within her consciousness and typed a message.
[Mr. Roy, I will unconditionally offer up this entire world. I offer up myself.]
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but her eyes held a touch of madness.
Since the nobles and high-ranking officials on the island, and the enemies outside it, were all beyond saving, she would rather entrust this world to a far more powerful being to rule.
At least that way, this world might have a chance to survive.
After sending the message, Historia waited quietly.
There was no hesitation in her heart; instead, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
She loved this world, but she was tired of everything.
Tired of the endless conflicts, tired of the hypocritical faces, tired of the unchangeable fate.
Soon, a reply from Roy came back through the chat group.
[Oh? An entire world? Now that's intriguing.]
Historia looked at the words in her consciousness, and the smile on her lips deepened. She quickly replied:
[Mr. Roy, with your power, you could naturally rule this wretched world. This world has already descended into madness; Eren's Rumbling has begun, and countless Titans are running rampant. I need your power to stop all of this.]
She paused for a moment, then added:
[I am willing to offer everything, including myself. As long as you can save this world, I am willing to become your pawn.]
After sending the message, Historia leaned back against her chair and let out a long sigh.
A look of relief flashed in her eyes, as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Since everyone has gone mad, let this world be completely changed."
She muttered to herself, her voice filled with resolute determination.