Zephyr laughed and said, "Clean this up."
Soter gave a slight nod and swung his right arm forward.
The ground began to ripple like liquid, shifting and reforming beneath their feet. The craters, cracks, and rubble left behind by the earlier battle started to close up, melting seamlessly into the earth. Within moments, the field that had been devastated just minutes ago looked brand new, as though nothing had ever happened.
Zephyr looked over the smooth ground with a faint smile. "That old guy Shiki's ability is really useful. Three months from now, you'll lead the elite class for their field training. After that, you'll be free to leave."
Soter's eyes brightened with excitement. "Yes."
* * *
Grand Line. An unknown Island.
A bloodstained ship pulled up to the shore. From it stepped a short, well-dressed old woman wearing sunglasses. Behind her followed a hulking brute with thin legs, a broad torso, and a crescent mustache, his vacant eyes giving him a dull, childlike look.
The old woman was Buckingham Stussy, also known as Miss Buckin, who claimed to be Whitebeard's lover.
She stretched a little and said, "Come on, Weevil. I'll take you to get something tasty."
Weevil's dull face glowed with joy. "Ah! Okay, Mama! Tasty food!"
He repeated it again and again until a vein bulged on her forehead. She rapped his leg with her cane. "Enough! Once is plenty!"
Startled, he acted like a child who'd been scolded. "Sorry, Mama! I was wrong!"
The old woman nodded with approval. "Good boy."
The two of them then walked off, one big and one small, shrinking into the distance…
* * *
Inside a tavern.
Miss Buckin unfolded the latest newspaper. Her eyes gleamed. 'There's no mistake… it's him!'
The photo showed none other than Marco.
She slapped the paper onto the table and glared at Weevil, who sat before a mountain of empty dishes. "That's enough! Stop eating! We're running out of money!"
Weevil froze. "Eh…?"
But he still reluctantly set the plate in his hand down.
Miss Buckin chuckled. "Be patient. Once we reclaim your father's inheritance, you can eat all you want."
His eyes lit up. "Really? Then let's go get it now, Mama!"
"Not yet," she replied. "We don't have enough intel. Your father's inheritance is still being occupied by someone else."
Weevil slammed his hand on the table.
Bang!
The entire counter shattered under the blow.
"Who is it?! I'll kill him!!!" He yelled.
Everyone turned to stare.
Miss Buckin picked up the newspaper and shoved Marco's picture in front of Weevil's face, shouting loudly, "It's him! He stole your father's legacy, the legendary pirate Whitebeard's inheritance! And he abandoned you. Mama worked so hard to find you again. We absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"
She lifted her chin, as if bragging to those around her. But the patrons only looked at them like idiots before bursting into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! These two morons are also pirates?"
"Old lady, why don't you just go home and look after your grandkids? You're too old for this!"
"Still chasing dreams? Hahaha!"
"And what Whitebeard? Never heard of him!"
Miss Buckin's smile vanished. Her voice dropped cold. "Weevil… kill them."
He blinked, then lifted his massive naginata. "Okay, Mama!"
Though he looked simpleminded, his power exploded like a storm. No one could withstand even a single blow.
Within moments, the tavern was reduced to rubble, strewn with blood and broken wood.
Miss Buckin stood before the ruins, snorted coldly, and muttered, "Whitebeard… isn't a name you worms are worthy to insult."
Then her lips twisted into a cruel grin as she looked back at Marco's photo. "This guy is Newgate's only remaining son. Later, he even joined Roger's crew. That enormous fortune of Newgate's… it must be in his hands!"
She had once sailed with Whitebeard, and knew he often sent his collected treasures somewhere in secret during his spare time. He would sometimes gaze longingly in a certain direction, lost in thought.
As his final 'son,' Marco must have inherited everything. Which meant his location was the same as Newgate's hidden treasure.
"Let's go, my good boy!"
Covered in blood from the previous slaughter, Weevil responded dumbly, "Okay, Mama!"
* * *
Marine Headquarters, Marine Academy.
Inside the elite graduating class, everyone was absorbed in study, preparing for their final challenge.
Right then, a tall, lanky man in marine uniform burst in, flailing his arms. "Big news! The upcoming internship will be led by Senior Soter!"
All the people in the room were pleasantly surprised at the news. Having someone their own age in charge made things easier, and Soter was known for being kind. He never turned down anyone who came to him for advice.
A girl with natural blue hair, Ain, smiled brightly. "Really, Binz?"
The tall Binz grinned proudly. "Of course! I just ran into Instructor Zephyr. He told me himself. No doubt about it!"
The classroom exploded with excitement. "Hooray!!!"
Outside on the training grounds, Zephyr watched the brightly lit classroom and chuckled. "That brat's more popular than I ever was."
The roaring cheers couldn't be contained by the walls.
* * *
New World. Wano Country. Onigashima.
Boom!
A massive dragon plummeted from the sky and slammed into the ground, shaking the island.
Kaido reverted to human form, rubbing his head as he walked out of the crater.
King approached quietly, watching his captain's heavy expression. "Tough opponent, huh, Kaido-san?"
The battle on Bitter Island had already spread across the New World.
Kaido snorted. "Yeah… I didn't think that the brat from Roger's ship would grow this much. And the people around him are much stronger than Oden's samurai. I couldn't keep them down. The New World's about to get lively."
He grabbed the flask King handed him and gulped several mouthfuls. "Hah…"
After a brief silence, he burst out laughing. "Worororo! Let the chaos begin!"
King sighed. "You really mean that, huh…"
Kaido grinned wickedly. "That old hag's got the biggest territory. That sly bastard's got the largest network. If this kid stirs things up, the ones who'll lose the most are those two. Keep an eye on Red-Hair's movements. After all these years, it's time we made a move. Selling weapons to chase a dream is too slow, and that snake still controls half the market."
King answered, "Understood."
* * *
Grand Line. A desolate island near Drum Kingdom.
White snow filled the endless landscape, pure and untouched. It was so pristine that even stepping on it felt like committing a sin.
Whoosh!
Carlo's figure suddenly appeared before a towering mound of snow. But before his feet could even touch the ground, a massive black hand burst out from inside the snow and lunged straight toward him.
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