"Quinn, hand me the newspaper."
Kaido rose from his seat, his towering form casting a long shadow as he approached Quinn.
Without hesitation, Quinn passed him the newspaper.
As Kaido scanned the headlines, his expression grew darker with each passing second.
"Jhin," Kaido said sharply, "prepare a ship. I'm heading to the nation of DeRosta!"
Though Kaido still couldn't understand what kind of ability Ayr possessed—one that could revive someone like Rocks D. Xebec, a man dead for over a decade—he knew this situation was far from normal.
He also had no idea why Ayr had chosen to bring back Rocks of all people.
But Kaido was no fool.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
The names listed in the paper confirmed his worst fears: John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe—all of whom had betrayed Rocks during the infamous God Valley Incident—had now been eliminated.
And Kaido, who also hadn't lifted a finger to save Rocks during that chaos, now feared he'd be next.
He knew just how monstrous Rocks had been. As a former crewmember, Kaido had witnessed that overwhelming strength firsthand. Rocks wasn't just a pirate—he was a force of nature, a storm of ambition and cruelty.
Now, it seemed Rocks had returned—and had likely formed an alliance with Ayr.
If the two appeared together at Kaido's doorstep, even he—with all his might—would be crushed.
Staying on Onigashima would only spell death.
So Kaido resolved to act—to show submission before the storm arrived.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he could survive by facing Rocks directly.
"Brother Kaido, if you go to DeRosta… you might not come back alive!" Quinn warned, visibly shaken.
He had once heard Kaido drunkenly recount parts of the God Valley battle.
He knew Kaido had betrayed Rocks just like the others.
And now he wanted to walk into the lion's den?
In Quinn's eyes, that was suicide.
"Why don't we just abandon Wano and relocate?" Jhin offered. "We can pull back our forces and hide until things cool down."
Though the Beasts Pirates were feared across the New World, even they couldn't afford to face both Rocks and Ayr.
These were two monsters from different eras—one ruled the past, the other dominated the present.
Now that they had united, there was no winning against them.
Better to abandon Wano, retreat to some uninhabited corner of the sea, and wait.
"No, Jhin. We can't hide." Kaido shook his head. "Ayr's influence spans the entire world. Even if we flee, they'll find us."
DeRosta may be Ayr's base, but his reach extended far beyond.
His pirate legions had infiltrated every sea.
There was nowhere to hide.
"But—!"
"Enough," Kaido interrupted coldly. "Prepare the ship. If Rocks seeks vengeance, let him take it from me alone."
Kaido flipped the newspaper and stared at the headline again, his resolve hardening.
If he dragged the whole Beasts Pirates into hiding, and they were discovered, they'd all be wiped out.
But if he went alone—maybe, just maybe—he could negotiate, or at least convince Rocks to spare the others.
Meanwhile, far across the New World…
In a distant sea, a colossal whale-shaped ship sailed peacefully—the Moby Dick.
It was the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Atop the deck, Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard, sat on his grand chair, drinking sake and laughing heartily with his crew.
Suddenly, several panting pirates rushed toward him, newspapers clutched in hand.
"Pops! Big news!"
"Oh?" Whitebeard chuckled. "That fool Roger got himself executed not long ago. What could top that?"
"What's in the paper?" asked Marco, standing nearby with his arms crossed.
"Ayr has resurrected Rocks!" one pirate blurted. "They've teamed up—and already killed John, Ochoku, Silver Axe, and Byrnndi Wald!"
"W-What?!" gasped Marco.
"Wait—what did you say?" Another pirate's voice cracked. "Those four were top-tier pirates in the New World. Did they all fall to Ayr and Rocks?!"
"Ayr's power is too much…" someone whispered. "But to bring back Rocks? Isn't that impossible?"
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
They had initially focused on the shocking deaths of John and the others.
But now, they were frozen in place.
Because someone had just said: Rocks.
"The newspaper must be wrong," Marco said, furrowing his brow. "Rocks has been dead for over a decade. Resurrection? That's not something anyone can do."
Joz nodded grimly. "Even with all the rumors about Ayr, resurrection is... absurd."
He still remembered the overwhelming aura of Ayr.
Once, during a diplomatic encounter with Ayr, Joz had offended him with a single misstep.
The response?
A Conqueror's Haki so fierce it nearly crushed Joz's soul.
Even now, he remembered that pressure.
It was beyond anything—even Whitebeard's might.
But to bring someone back from the dead? That went too far.
"Still…" one pirate said nervously, "the newspaper carries the Marine Headquarters insignia."
Whitebeard, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke:
"Bring it here."
The pirate handed the paper over.
Whitebeard examined the headline closely, then fell into deep thought.
"Well, Pops?" Marco asked after a long silence. "Do you believe it?"
"If this is true," Whitebeard muttered, "then the only way to confirm it… is to visit DeRosta ourselves."
He stared at the sea ahead, his face more serious than it had been in years.
Ayr's power might be immense—but if he truly possessed a forbidden technique capable of resurrection, it might resemble the Rinne Tensei spoken of in ancient texts—a mythical power from the Void Century, akin to the chakra arts of the Six Paths.
That power had been lost... or sealed away.
And now?
Now, it might have been awakened by Ayr.
"Little ones," Whitebeard shouted, rising to his feet, his voice echoing like thunder, "set sail—our destination is the country of DeRosta!"
The pirates saluted in unison, ready to move.
A storm was brewing—and Whitebeard would face it head-on.
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