New World
Whitebeard Pirates – Moby Dick
The Whitebeard Pirates had gathered in the main hall, deep in discussion about the future of their crew. Strategies, alliances, contingencies for the New World—every angle was being dissected. Yet the conversation was suddenly interrupted.
A news bird groaned under the weight of a mountain of newspapers, rolling toward the ship with a slow, ominous creak. Marco, ever vigilant, noticed immediately. Normally, a news bird never carried so many papers—something important must be happening.
Without hesitation, Marco shifted into his phoenix form, wings spreading wide as he rose to the level of the board. With a single, graceful motion, he plucked the entire stack—thousands of pages at once—and began descending toward the deck.
But as he skimmed the headlines mid-flight, his eyes widened in disbelief. For a heartbeat, he forgot to control himself… and plummeted straight onto the deck.
The crew froze. Even seasoned Whitebeard Pirates stared in astonishment at the first division commander, sprawled midair, utterly stunned.
Vista of the Flower Swords, the 5th division commander, became curious and snatched a stack of papers. Reading the first headlines, his own expression hardened in shock, and he sank into a chair.
Diamond Joe scoffed, shaking his head.
"You two have become big-time pirates… yet you act as if you've never seen the world before!"
Marco could only gape, wings fluttering as he slowly began reading. The crew leaned in, whispering, tense with curiosity.
Finally, the first article caught their eyes. The headline screamed across the page in enormous letters:
"New World Insanity: Whitebeard Plots, Ace Executes, Kaido Loses His Daughter!"
The crew froze again, mouths agape, eyes wide. The weight of the news was almost too much to comprehend.
Whitebeard himself seized the newspaper, feeling a chill run down his spine. But the next headline was even more shocking:
"Whitebeard Declares: My Sons Shall Claim the Most Beautiful Women in the World!"
Whitebeard blinked, hairs standing on end. Another page slipped open. Another title:
"Shattering the Seas: Whitebeard's Young Son Defies an Emperor to Steal Yamato!"
And the next:
"Whitebeard's Heir vs. Kaido: The Son Who Stole the Mythical Zoan Heiress!"
"Whitebeard Once Lost Shakuyaku to Rayleigh — Now His Son Ace Abducts Kaido's Daughter and Makes Him Proud!"
"Whitebeard Couldn't Win Shakuyaku, But Ace Snatched Kaido's Heiress and Restored the Family Honor!"
Each headline stacked upon the last, more outrageous than the one before, sending a sense of ominous awe through the hall. Whitebeard leaned back, gripping the table, trying to comprehend the audacity of his son.
The Whitebeard Pirates watched in stunned silence, sensing that the world itself had shifted in ways even they could hardly imagine.
---
Onigashima
Kaido sat alone in the grand hall, sake cup in hand, enjoying a rare moment of calm. The faint scent of alcohol mingled with the smoky air of the fortress. For once, the Emperor of the Beasts seemed content.
That peace was shattered when King entered, carrying a folded newspaper. Bowing slightly, he spoke:
"Kaido-sama… how… how about we kill that… that bastard Morgan?"
Kaido froze, brow furrowing. Then, a low, guttural laugh escaped him:
"Woorororororo… what did that bastard write again?"
King smiled bitterly and handed over the newspaper without a word. Kaido grabbed it and began reading, page by page, expression twisting with each headline.
At first, he chuckled softly, sipping sake. But as he read further, the amusement faded. His laughter became a growl, grip tightening. By the time he reached the world-shaking headlines—Ace's raid, Yamato's abduction, Whitebeard's triumphs—Kaido felt chills crawl down his spine.
The air thickened. Conqueror's Haki surged outward, rattling chandeliers, shaking floors, and sending tremors through the entire hall.
Roaring in fury, Kaido blew a jet of flame across the ceiling. His body stretched, scales gleaming, wings unfurling—dragon form. Eyes ablaze, he turned to King:
"I am going to kill that old bastard Whitebeard! How dare he defy me… and take my daughter?!"
King's lips curved in a bitter smile. Kaido might misunderstand, but his fury was absolute. King would never stop his captain, even if the world itself trembled beneath them.
---
Marineford
Across the seas, reactions were wildly different.
Vice-Admiral Garp laughed heartily, booming through Marineford:
"Bwa ha ha ha ha! That bastard Morgan… he really outdid himself! I would pay to see Whitebeard and that brat Kaido's faces as they read this!"
Sengoku smiled, but tension lingered in his eyes. Was this truly Whitebeard's plot… or mere coincidence? None could say for sure.
The rest of Marineford's officers reacted with shock, disbelief, or laughter—but all jaws dropped in unison when the bounties for Ace and Yamato were finally revealed. Even the coldest, most experienced Marines could feel it: the New World had just become far more dangerous.
Night fell, but the storm of headlines, rumors, and chaos had only just begun.
---
Whiskey Peak
Straw Hat Luffy and his crew had just defeated the Baroque Works agents. With foes neutralized, they agreed to help Vivi take down Crocodile.
Suddenly, a bird swooped down from the sky. Nami's eyes narrowed. She called it over, and after a few minutes of bargaining—and a handful of berries—she had the newspaper in her hands.
Flipping through the gossip, Nami smirked faintly. Villainous sons eloping with villainous daughters, audacious deeds, world-shaking rumors—it barely registered. Too far removed, too far away.
But then… her eyes widened. The bounties.
High-level pirate bounties rarely circulated in the East Blue. There was no reason for them to—but here they were. And the numbers… the numbers were staggering.
Luffy leaned over, catching sight of a photograph. Below it:
[
WANTED
Scourge Of Flame
Portgas D. Ace – 2,210,000,000 Berries
]
Nami gasped. Luffy's eyes lit up.
"Amazing… really amazing! He's totally ahead of me! I wonder how much meat I could buy with that much money!"
Sanji and Zoro froze. "Wait—do you… know him?"
Luffy grinned, scratching the back of his head.
"Well… he's my brother."
The crew blinked, stunned.
Turning the page, another photograph appeared:
[
WANTED
Oni Princess
Yamato- 1,310,000,000Berries
]
Shock, awe, and a strange mix of excitement ran through the Straw Hats. Smiles spread—not just at the jaw-dropping bounties, but at the promise of adventures yet to come.
Even in this moment, joy was tempered. It wasn't happiness alone—it was hunger for the unknown, thrill for the chaos and dangers waiting over the horizon.
Their journey was only beginning… and the world had already begun to shake.
---