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On the shattered remnants of Ruluka Island, everything had been obliterated. The only thing that remained unchanged was the Rainbow Mist swirling by the cliff's edge, retaining its eternal air of mystery.
Not a single soul was left on the island. What was once a vibrant land had been reduced to ruins. The Marines had already departed, their hearts heavy with grief.
They carried with them the crushing news of Commander-in-Chief Kong and Admiral Kizaru's deaths in battle, as well as the revelation that the Thunder Emperor, Arthur, had been blasted into the Rainbow Mist—the spark that would ignite the struggle for supremacy in the New World.
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Marine Headquarters, Marineford!
Across the vast plaza, tens of thousands of Marines stood in tight, disciplined formations. Their heads were bowed, their expressions somber, and their hands were raised in a final salute.
Led by the highest-ranking officers of the Headquarters and the power brokers of the World Government, Marineford held a grand memorial service to deliver eulogies for the two legendary figures who had fallen at the hands of the Thunder Emperor.
Far from hiding this tragedy from the seas, the Navy deliberately notified every influential news agency. The objective was self-evident—
To broadcast to the world that the Thunder Emperor, Arthur, had perished under the siege of the Navy's highest combat forces.
The mourning lasted three whole days. The overcast sky above headquarters seemed to weep for the fallen Kong and Kizaru...
Whether their grief was genuine or feigned, all the invited news agencies respectfully endured the three-day vigil, offering their most "sincere" tears.
But the moment the memorial service concluded, the intel gathered from the interviews was immediately spun into earth-shattering headlines!
Three days later, the oceans boiled over.
News of Arthur's "death" spread across the globe like wildfire...
[SHOCKING: Thunder Emperor Arthur Drags Commander-in-Chief Kong and Admiral Kizaru to Their Deaths on Ruluka Island...]
[Pirates Silenced, Marines Weeping! The End of a Monster!]
[The Thunder Emperor is Dead? What is the Fate of the Thunder God Pirates?]
The entire world lost its voice. Countless people found the news impossible to believe.
Thunder Emperor Arthur—the ruler of the Thunder God Seas in the New World, one of the strongest men in the world. Some had even begun calling this era the "Age of the Thunder Emperor"!
A man like that, dead by a Marine siege?
No one believed it easily. Even the simplest fools were skeptical, taking the news with a grain of salt.
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Thunder God Sea, Punk Hazard!
Die-hard loyalists dedicated to Arthur rushed back from all directions, gathering here to await confirmation of the earth-shattering news.
Led by Shiryu of the Rain, Dr. Vegapunk, and Jessica, the gathering included the leader of the Happo Navy, Don Chinjao; "Corrupt King" Avalo Pizarro; "Crescent Moon Hunter" Catarina Devon; "San Juan Wolf" the Colossal Battleship; "Heavy Drinker" Vasco Shot; and Foxy the Silver Fox. They had all abandoned their border posts to return together.
The atmosphere was suffocating. They clutched the newspapers in their hands, their grips so tight they nearly tore the pages to shreds.
"A man as great as the Captain cannot be killed by anyone!" Shiryu's face was cold, his faith in Arthur stronger than anyone else's.
"Jessica, you know the Captain's movements, don't you??"
"Arthur... he really did go to Ruluka Island!" Jessica looked panicked, her eyes filled with worry.
"Calm down!" Vegapunk scanned the room with the cool demeanor of a sage. He pulled out a white piece of paper.
"Arthur's Vivre Card isn't burning. That means his life isn't in danger. The World Government is deliberately using this fake news to deceive the world. They likely want to throw the Thunder God Pirates into chaos..."
"However," Vegapunk continued, his tone serious, "Arthur must be trapped somewhere he can't currently escape. This place has even stopped the Vivre Card's movement!"
The Vivre Card resting in his palm remained perfectly still. Vegapunk didn't voice his deeper theory—once a Vivre Card is made, it will always move toward its owner, regardless of distance. If it wasn't moving, it meant Arthur was likely trapped in a "dimensional void" or a space separated from reality.
"If the Captain is trapped, then we go save him! What are we waiting for? Meow!" Avalo Pizarro paced anxiously, while Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, San Juan Wolf, and the others voiced their agreement.
"Yeah! If we rescue the Captain, this rumor will be shattered!"
"Shiryu, Vegapunk, the Captain trusts you two. You give the orders!"
"No!" Vegapunk shot the idea down immediately. having been imprisoned by the World Government for years, he had researched many of the world's anomalies. There was no way he didn't know about the Rainbow Mist of Ruluka Island.
"The place where Arthur is trapped... external force is useless. We cannot break him out. He has to find his own way out!"
"We listen to Vegapunk," Shiryu said after a moment of thought, agreeing with the scientist. "This news will make certain pirate crews target us immediately. If this drags on, the Thunder God Sea will face unprecedented attacks. We must unite to hold the line!"
"Hmph. As for the traitors who didn't show up... we'll clean house when the Captain returns!"
For such a critical meeting, the Vice Captain, "Redfield" Patrick Redfield; "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World; "Big News" Morgans; and the recently joined Bill of the Silver Pirate Alliance were all absent.
They had been notified, yet they refused to come. Their wolfish ambition was plain as day. They were likely unable to hold back any longer and were preparing to seize power.
"I can handle World, but... Redfield is too troublesome," Shiryu said with a heavy heart, his expression grim.
Even the giant warriors of the New Giant Warrior Pirates couldn't take down Redfield; they could only defend themselves. That old obstinate man from Elbaf... without long-term communication, it was impossible for him to truly join the Thunder God Pirates heart and soul.
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The Core Island of the Beast Pirates.
Kaido, rarely not in a frenzy, was leaning silently against a mountain, drinking sullenly.
Since returning from the Thunder God Sea half a month ago, he hadn't spoken a single word.
Just then, a massive ship carrying the Beast Army docked at the island. An intelligence officer rushed off the ship in a panic.
"Boss Kaido... Big news!!"
"Don't bother me. Piss off!" Kaido's face was ugly, showing clear signs of impending rage.
"Boss Kaido! The Thunder Emperor... he was killed by the World Government!!" the intelligence officer shouted desperately, waving the newspaper.
"What did you say?" Kaido froze. He grabbed the newspaper and read it intently.
A few minutes later, unable to suppress the fury in his heart, he let out a violent roar.
"The Thunder Emperor was killed by those World Government pieces of trash? What kind of joke are you playing on me?? How could a man like that die??"
He touched the broken stump of the horn on his head, descending into madness.
The Thunder Emperor was a terrifying man—the only existence on the sea that had made Kaido feel the fear of death. There was no way he could die so easily.
Similar roars echoed across the world. Some chose to watch and wait, some clapped their hands in joy, and others silently lay in wait for their opportunity.
The Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Supernovas of the new era preparing to march into the New World to challenge the overlords, and those in the Four Blues dreaming of becoming pirates... the numbers were endless!
Reactions across the seas varied, but one thing was certain:
A war that would engulf the entire New World was coming!
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