Deep within the New World, the great nation of Wano Country had finally regained its long-lost vibrancy.
Massive transport ships sailed all the way from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise to arrive at the ports. They carried a heavy cargo of fallen Celestial Dragons and captured Marine prisoners.
These defeated captives were sent in large batches to the harsh labor camps. They were placed in the exact same slave quarries that had once held the innocent citizens of Wano Country.
After those important matters were finally settled, the entirety of the Beasts Pirates gathered together in Wano Country. This massive gathering was a truly rare and historic occurrence for the legendary pirate crew.
Under the bright and shining sunlight, one could look down from the sky and see the famous Flower Capital. This magnificent city, the traditional capital of Wano Country, was now completely occupied by dense, endless crowds of pirates.
The traditional houses and shops that once stood there had been entirely destroyed. Except for the towering Shogun's Residence in the center, the entire Flower Capital had been completely leveled. It had become a flat, unobstructed expanse of land.
This vast, open island now accommodated over one hundred thousand members of the Beasts Pirates. In addition to this massive army, some crew members were purposely left behind to guard other islands, as well as the newly conquered Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
At this very moment, every single person in the massive crowd had their gaze fixed securely on a giant, live-streamed visual screen.
They waited patiently until the image on the screen suddenly began to change. As it flickered to life, everyone's eyes grew wide with pure, unhidden excitement.
From the direction of the Flower Capital's port, a dense crowd appeared on the wide, paved road that connected directly to the Shogun's Residence.
Every single person walking down this path radiated a highly terrifying aura. They all displayed strange, animalistic features on their bodies, a clear sign of their unnatural power. Wielding various dangerous weapons, their eyes were fervent, ferocious, and deeply excited.
Their numbers totaled exactly three thousand strong warriors.
The ordinary, lower-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates watched these people with hearts full of deep envy. This was because these three thousand warriors were the famous Artificial Devil Fruit Gifters Corps. They were a core military branch directly affiliated with the Beasts Pirates.
Within the harsh rules of the Beasts Pirates, anyone who successfully ate an Artificial Devil Fruit could become part of this elite Gifters Corps. They proudly served as the lowest-ranking cadres of the entire pirate crew.
However, each person in this group held a terrifying bounty of at least 20,000,000 Berries on the open sea.
One must never underestimate their status just because they were the lowest rank of the officers. Being a cadre of any level was more than enough to secure a highly respected position within the massive structure of the Beasts Pirates.
Furthermore, each of these three thousand Gifters actively commanded a small squad of nearly a hundred ordinary pirates. If any of these Gifters were to sail out alone, their small squad would easily possess enough military strength to completely dominate any of the Four Seas.
Marching closely behind these fierce Gifters came the mid-level cadres of the Beasts Pirates. Their total numbers were relatively small, amounting to fewer than eight hundred individuals.
But the dangerous aura that each of them exuded was several times stronger than that of the Gifters walking ahead of them. This immense power gap existed because they were all top-tier elites, carefully selected from among the three thousand Gifters.
Within the ranks of the Beasts Pirates, raw strength was the one and only path to promotion. To rise from a Gifter and be promoted to the rank of Shinuchi, capable of proudly commanding a pirate ship, one had to meet two very strict conditions.
First, they had to fully master at least two styles of the Marine's Rokushiki martial arts. Second, they had to successfully master one type of two-color Haki.
These were extremely stringent and difficult conditions to meet for any normal pirate. One must clearly know that even within the World Government's elite secret intelligence organization, Cipher Pol, only the top elites at the CP9 level could achieve such incredible physical abilities.
However, these eight hundred Shinuchi had successfully managed to do exactly that.
Firstly, they themselves were already hardened elites gathered from various dangerous parts of this sea. Most of them had originally joined the pirate crew by fighting their way through the brutal coliseums of the Beasts Pirates, so their inherent strength was already extraordinary.
This raw power was then coupled with the massive enhancement of their physical strength provided by their Artificial Devil Fruits.
It could easily be said that if these powerful Shinuchi ever appeared in Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line, each of them would be considered a great pirate. They would command a fearsome bounty of no less than 50,000,000 Berries. Some of the more outstanding ones among them could easily earn bounties well exceeding 100,000,000 Berries.
Therefore, it was not only the ordinary Beasts Pirates who looked at these Shinuchi with fervent eyes. Even the proud Gifters looked at their superiors with eyes completely full of deep longing and respect.
Soon, both the Gifters and the Shinuchi assimilated perfectly into their respective, highly organized teams. And the very next to appear were terrifying beings that inspired genuine fear and deep awe in absolutely everyone present.
Walking down the wide paved road, the mighty Captains slowly approached. They possessed fierce, suffocating auras that clearly exuded a strict warning to approach at your own risk.
There were only fourteen of them in total. Their numbers were even scarcer and more exclusive than the eight hundred Shinuchi.
Because of this, these fourteen individuals were considered the absolute elites among the Beasts Pirates' elites. They were high-ranking cadres who stood incredibly close to the very top of the Beasts Pirates' entire power structure.
They consisted of the thirteen Captains of the fearsome Oni Squad, alongside the Grand Priest of the elite God's Guard.
If the previous Shinuchi and Gifters were powerful beings that ordinary pirates could realistically aspire to become one day, then these fourteen individuals were completely different. They were monstrous beings that current ordinary pirates absolutely dared not even dream of challenging.
Their strength was truly far too great. That level of power was no longer something that could be cheaply compensated for by just eating one Artificial Devil Fruit.
To become one of these fourteen supreme Captains, a complete mastery of both two-color Haki and Rokushiki was absolutely mandatory. In addition to those strict requirements, each person also had to possess their own unique, deadly combat specialty.
These fourteen individuals were the ones who were truly responsible for getting the most important things done within the Beasts Pirates.
It could be said that each of these fourteen monsters, if they went out to sea alone, possessed the overwhelming strength needed to earn a massive bounty of at least 500,000,000 Berries. Let alone completely dominating Paradise, they would easily carve out a highly respected place for themselves even in the brutal waters of the New World.
As these fourteen powerful individuals finally merged into the dense, endless crowd of pirates, a formidable aura began to completely envelop the entire Flower Capital. Although the absolute strongest leaders had not even appeared yet, a powerful sense of physical oppression already weighed down heavily on everyone's hearts like a great mountain.
With crisp, rhythmic footsteps, eight terrifying figures suddenly emerged from the direction of the port. Their mere appearance made everyone's hearts feel as if they were being violently squeezed by an invisible hand.
These were the true top cadres of the Beasts Pirates. They were the legendary Tobi Roppo, alongside the newly appointed ministers of Wano Country.
These were the exact same unyielding monsters who, in the historic battle at Marineford, fought directly against the so-called highest fighting power of the Marines, the Admirals. And they had done so without falling behind in the slightest.
Walking alongside them was Vinsmoke Judge, the infamous leader from the Vinsmoke Family. Next to him was Caesar, the brilliant but mad scientist and a former key member of MADS.
If the previously mentioned Gifters and Shinuchi were considered the foundational copper of the Beasts Pirates, then the elite Oni Squad and the God's Guard were undoubtedly the silver. Consequently, the mighty Tobi Roppo, Judge, and Caesar were the shining gold of the Beasts Pirates.
So, the crowd silently wondered, what could possibly stand above the gold, silver, and copper?
At this highly tense moment, after reaching the grand entrance of the Shogun's Residence, the six powerful members of the Tobi Roppo did not return to their designated team. Instead, they merely stood there in place, looking up at the Shogun's Residence with fervent, completely excited eyes.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Earth-shattering, rhythmic drum sounds suddenly rang out across the destroyed capital. On the huge, elevated viewing platform that was perfectly visible to absolutely everyone, six imposing figures finally appeared.
Seeing these legendary figures step forward, everyone in the massive crowd desperately swallowed their saliva, struggling to suppress the overwhelming excitement bursting in their hearts.
Standing proudly from left to right, they were the true calamities of the sea. Plague Queen of the Beasts Pirates. Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates. Lightning Disaster Enel of the Beasts Pirates. Perospero of the BIGMOM Pirates. Katakuri of the BIGMOM Pirates. And finally, Captain Doflamingo of the Donquixote Family.
Feeling the heavy, worshipping gaze of so many thousands of people below them, a massive surge of pride completely erupted from the hearts of these six infamous pirates.
However, they didn't say much at all, because they all knew the absolute truth. They knew perfectly well that the true protagonists of this grand event were not them.
As the six powerful pirates respectfully parted down the middle, the true protagonists of the new era finally began to make their grand entrance.
First to step forward was the loyal Vice Captain of the Beasts Pirates. He was also known as a former Vice Admiral, the current Prime Minister of Wano Country, and the last surviving descendant of the legendary Lunarian race. He was the Flame Disaster, King of the Beasts Pirates.
Boom!
A massive burst of wild cheers erupted from the crowd below, and King's feared name echoed loudly across the sky of Wano Country.
Then came the terrifying Captain of the BIGMOM Pirates. She was one of the legendary Four Emperors of the New World, a Yonko, and a true born destroyer: Charlotte Linlin.
Boom!!!
Another massive, continuous series of sky-shattering cheers shook the very ground of the capital.
Then, without any orders given, absolutely everyone in the massive crowd consciously fell completely silent. They held their breath, patiently waiting for the highly anticipated appearance of that final, ultimate figure.
Boom!!!!!
Under everyone's completely awestruck gaze, the most powerful creature in the world slowly emerged from the dark shadows. This was the very man who had completely defeated the forces of the World Government and the Marines.
He was the man who had single-handedly ushered in a brand new era for the world. He had surpassed the legacy of Roger, and he had finally become the legendary man that all pirates on this endless sea truly aspired to be.
Kaido of the Beasts slowly emerged from the shadows.
"Lord Kaido!!!"
Earth-shattering cheers echoed across the sea at this moment...