At first, people thought the Twelve Zodiacs were nothing more than another wave on the sea. Just like the powerful figures who had emerged in every era before them, they were simply part of the times. They might change a few things wherever their influence reached, but that was all.
As the Twelve Zodiacs' reputation continued to grow, and the impact of their actions on the seas became greater and greater, people began to believe they might become the next great threat of the coming era.
Once the age of the Four Emperors came to an end, perhaps they would rise to take their place as a new force on the level of the Emperors.
But now, the Twelve Zodiac had proven with their actions that there was no need to wait for "the future." Or rather, their era had already arrived without anyone realizing it.
The news of what the world was now calling the Battle of Totto Land spread to every corner of the globe in an astonishingly short time.
[An Emperor Falls, One of the Pillars of the New World Has Collapsed!]
[Big Mom May Not Truly Be Dead? Reports Claim Star Lord Possesses the Power to Control Souls!]
[New World in Chaos? Pirates Launch Raids Across Totto Land!]
[Pirate Patriarch Wang Zhi Believed to Have Fallen on Cake Island!]
[New Bounties Issued! Hitsuji and Inu Join the Twelve Zodiac!]
[Shinryu's Bounty Updated, Former Warlord Gecko Moria Confirmed Killed by Him!]
[Government Experts Analyze the Aftermath of the Battle of Totto Land!]
From major newspapers to local news, even gossip papers that usually survived on celebrity rumors alone, everyone rushed out special editions. The most absurd part was that every publication focused on something different.
And honestly, whether it was Dreamland's master Hitsuji, the newly revealed Inu, the fall of a former Warlord, or the recently uncovered Pirate Patriarch Wang Zhi, any one of those stories alone would have been enough to dominate the front page of an entire issue.
Yet now, all of these earth-shaking events were crammed into the very same newspaper as though they were ordinary news.
Across the world, demand for newspapers reached an unprecedented level. Because this time, everything was different.
Stealing the Heavenly Tribute, destroying Sabaody, and breaking through the Red Line had all been world-shaking events, but at their core, they were simply displays of strength from a rising power. This time was different.
The Four Emperors were symbols of the age. They ruled the New World. They were Emperors of the Sea, forces so immense that, in the eyes of the world, even the World Government and Marine Headquarters could do nothing to stop them. They were one of the world's great powers, the pillars of the era.
But now, before the eyes of the entire world, the Phantom Dream Legion, the Six Constellations, and the unfathomable Star Lord had used war itself to destroy the rule of one of the Four Emperors. They weren't merely showing off their strength; they were tearing apart the very foundation of the old era.
Just as the world's most influential newspaper, the 'World Economy Newspaper', boldly declared in its special edition:
['The Sea Has Entered a New Age, An Age of the Stars?']
As expected, "Big News" Morgans certainly knew how to make big news. Unlike almost every other newspaper, the 'World Economy Newspaper' didn't fill its pages with lengthy reports or endless analysis. Instead, Morgans had somehow purchased the complete recording from the live broadcast Den Den Mushi used during the Battle of Totto Land.
Rumor had it he paid an outrageous price to get it, and the final result was more than worth it.
The opening pages faithfully reproduced sweeping images of Totto Land as captured by the live broadcast. Dreamland floated above Cake Island, while Dreamland's creatures battled across the skies and the lands of the entire archipelago.
Every type of creature in the Phantom Dream Legion had its own featured photograph, and each image was enlarged, carefully labeled, and accompanied by detailed notes.
Morgans had even invited legendary-creature scholars from countries around the world to analyze what these Phantom Beasts actually were and what kinds of powers they possessed.
Then came the second section of the paper, a continuous series of battle scenes from Cake Island. The destruction caused by the battle between Big Mom and the Twelve Zodiac was overwhelming.
Shattered clouds, roaring thunder, a land torn apart, and flames raging in every direction, every image had been captured and arranged at exactly the right moment, each one more breathtaking than the last.
The most breathtaking image of all was the final clash. Bathed in a rain of golden light falling from the sky, Big Mom, who had sacrificed nearly all of her remaining lifespan, collided head-on with the combined attack of three members of the Twelve Zodiac.
People across the world couldn't help but wonder: could the beings fighting in that battle still be called human?
Of course, the image that truly left the entire world speechless was the third and final one. Compared to the previous two, it was remarkably simple. There was no montage, just a single scene.
As the sun rose over the horizon, countless brilliant soul-stars surrounded a lone figure. Star Lord stood calmly amid the starlight, his hands clasped behind his back. Around him, Sister Carmel's shattered black soul drifted down like rain.
And surrounding him, the six members of the Twelve Zodiac who had led the Battle of Totto Land and shaken the entire era stood respectfully bowing toward him.
Just as his title proclaimed, he was the Master of the Stars.
No one could truly measure the impact that single image had on the world. According to incomplete statistics, the special edition of the 'World Economy Newspaper' had already broken every sales record in history, and its circulation was still climbing at an astonishing rate.
Meanwhile, sales of cups and tableware also unexpectedly soared. After all, all over the world, countless people had accidentally dropped and shattered their cups or bowls after seeing that newspaper and its final page.
Once this newspaper, destined to be remembered in the history of the seas, was published, the entire world began to change.
The most obvious reactions came from the World Government's affiliated nations, especially those kingdoms whose rulers had openly expressed hostility toward the Twelve Zodiac out of fear of Zishu's assassinations.
It was said that on the very day the paper was released, quite a few kings issued official proclamations claiming their previous remarks about the Twelve Zodiac had all been misunderstandings.
Even more rulers, those who had once sent armies after Zishu or coveted Dreamland itself, hurried overnight to Mary Geoise. As for the non-member nations that had been actively searching for traces of the Twelve Zodiac in hopes of making a fortune, they immediately gave up. Many criminal organizations and underworld nations suddenly became as well-behaved as Pacifistas.
Because they all understood one thing: if the Twelve Zodiac possessed the strength to completely crush Totto Land in a head-on war, and if they could march into the capital of one of the Four Emperors and kill Big Mom herself, then dealing with people like them would require nothing more than sending a single senior officer, perhaps accompanied by a portion of the Phantom Dream Legion. Even that would probably be overkill.
The more power someone held, the more they feared forces beyond their understanding. So everyone quickly learned to behave.
But they weren't the only ones. Pirates, the Marines, ordinary civilians, the Revolutionary Army, and the World Government, every major power on the seas began making its own moves.
Naturally, among all of them, the ones attracting the most attention were those who stood on the same level as Big Mom herself, the remaining Four Emperors.
---
'New World'
"Gurarararara... 'glug, glug'... Hah!"
Aboard the 'Moby Dick', Whitebeard drained his enormous cup of sake in one gulp.
'Thunk!'
He slammed the giant cup onto the deck, the weight making the surrounding planks tremble. "So... Linlin got herself killed."
"According to the reports, she really is dead. They even say her soul was taken away." Standing beside him, Thatch refilled Whitebeard's drink under Marco's unmistakable 'that's enough already' stare. "Star Lord's abilities are seriously bizarre."
He had already demonstrated the terrifying power to punch through the Red Line, and now he'd revealed the ability to manipulate souls. 'Just what kind of Devil Fruit does that guy have? How does it look even more ridiculous than Pops'?' Thatch muttered inwardly before his expression grew serious. "And the Twelve Zodiac really are monsters. There are only six of them so far, and every single one is an unbelievably powerful Devil Fruit user."
The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates wore equally solemn expressions. They had every confidence in their own strength. With Pops leading them, they firmly believed the Whitebeard Pirates were the strongest of the Four Emperor crews.
Even so, they fully acknowledged the might of the Big Mom Pirates. To invade Totto Land itself, the enemy's home turf, and kill Big Mom there, even if the Twelve Zodiac had planned every step in advance, was still an achievement so unbelievable that even they found it shocking. So naturally, they had become wary of the Twelve Zodiac.
But unlike his sons, Whitebeard himself didn't seem particularly concerned. "How's Linlin's territory holding up?" he simply asked casually.
"It's fairly stable," Jozu answered in a deep voice. "A while ago, a group of reckless pirates took advantage of the situation and attacked Totto Land. Katakuri led the Homie army and wiped them out completely. That scared off quite a few people. And since the Twelve Zodiac only left recently, and apparently said something to Katakuri and the others before they departed, anyone with real strength is still waiting to see what happens."
"According to our intelligence, Katakuri has already ordered the Charlotte Family to evacuate civilians to the core islands of Totto Land, and the Homies have started building defensive fortifications. Oh, and one more thing. They've been moving huge amounts of treasure lately. They even sold the footage of Totto Land's battle to Morgans, so we suspect the Twelve Zodiac demanded a large payment from them."
Despite his burly appearance, Jozu organized and explained the intelligence with remarkable clarity.
"Linlin's second son, huh?" Whitebeard grinned. "That kid's got some backbone."
Even so, he showed no interest whatsoever in taking advantage of the situation by attacking Totto Land himself. The members of the Whitebeard Pirates weren't surprised. They knew exactly what kind of man Pops was.
He claimed territory, he plundered like any pirate, and his name was feared throughout the seas. But attacking Big Mom's children while they were grieving, killing a man who was only trying to protect his family and the people under his care... that simply wasn't something Whitebeard would do.
"What about Kaido and that Red-Haired brat?" Whitebeard asked again.
"Red-Hair hasn't done anything, same as always. Though he did leave his territory once not long ago," Flower Sword Vista answered casually. As a fellow swordsman, he paid the closest attention to Shanks' movements. And he knew that, much like Whitebeard, Red-Hair Shanks had little interest in expanding his territory by invading Totto Land.
The surprising one was...
"Kaido hasn't made any moves either."
"Hm?" Even Whitebeard looked a little surprised. Unlike Whitebeard or Red-Hair, "Hundred Beasts" Kaido was a man who wore his ambition openly. Yet despite Totto Land having lost one of the Four Emperors, he had done absolutely nothing. That was strange.
"Maybe it's because of the friendship he had with Big Mom?" Vista could only guess as he looked toward Whitebeard.
"Friendship?" Whitebeard burst into laughter. "Gurarararara!"
He lifted his cup and drained it once more, seemingly reminiscing about the old days. "That brat really did get along with Linlin back then. Hearing she lost... he'll probably bawl his eyes out."
But then his expression turned serious. "Still... getting held back by friendship? That's not the kind of pirate he is."
Whitebeard spoke with absolute confidence, clearly understanding Kaido better than most. The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates weren't surprised either. They had fought Kaido and the Beasts Pirates more than once, and they knew exactly what kind of man "Hundred Beasts" Kaido was.
He was bold and straightforward, the sort of man who would get drunk and cry his eyes out over the death of a worthy opponent.
But when it came to ambition, he was a pirate in the purest sense of the word. Morality, honor, personal feelings... none of those things would ever restrain him. He would admire a powerful enemy and then kill that enemy by any means necessary. That was Kaido's way.
Which was why, compared to Red-Hair or Big Mom, the Whitebeard Pirates had always considered the Beasts Pirates to be their greatest rival in recent years.
"I've heard Kaido's been getting pretty close to Joker lately," Marco finally spoke up after remaining silent with a dark expression. "They seem to be planning something important. Apparently, the Three Disasters are even going to Dressrosa together before long. I think the reason he hasn't moved against Totto Land probably has something to do with that. He's too busy right now."
"Hah... Joker? That Donquixote brat?" Whitebeard glanced at the enormous wine cup in front of him, now completely empty. "Hey, Marco. Fill it up already. Didn't we agree I could have three cups today?"
"...That's cheating!" Marco, who had been scowling the entire time, finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
Marco and Whitebeard had already agreed that he would only drink three cups today, but who could have guessed the old man would pull a trick like this?
"I put away all the cups we bought in Elbaf! Who knew you'd hidden one away? That thing holds the equivalent of two cups by itself! There's no way I'm pouring you a third!"
That's right. Marco recognized the massive mug Whitebeard was using at a glance, it was a giant-sized drinking cup made in Elbaf. Judging by its appearance and craftsmanship, it was already quite old. No wonder Marco was furious. As far as he was concerned, Pops was blatantly cheating.
"Hahahaha!"
"Marco got completely outplayed!"
"Zehahaha! That's Pops for you!"
"Hey, Teach! Your wounds from the last fight haven't even healed yet. Stop laughing so hard!"
The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates burst into laughter.
"Hah?" Whitebeard shot a sharp glare at his "rebellious son." "Oi, Marco! Didn't I tell you? A man who makes a promise has to see it through! Now quit whining and pour your old man a drink!"
Marco gritted his teeth in frustration. "You stubborn old fossil!" He clenched his fist so tightly he looked ready to punch Whitebeard. In the end, though, he could only sigh and refill his old man's cup.
"Gurarararara! I'm Whitebeard!" Whitebeard paid no attention to his son's complaints. Once the cup was filled again, he lifted it into the air.
But what surprised Marco, and every member of the Whitebeard Pirates, was that Whitebeard didn't drink it. Instead, he stood up, carrying the enormous cup over to the edge of the deck.
"Hey..." He raised the cup high, gazing out across the sea. As he spoke, his eyes seemed to look beyond the sparkling waves, back to thirty-two years ago. Beneath that colossal World Tree, he had once raised a cup with a man who had returned from the dead.
Marco's guess hadn't been entirely right. Whitebeard hadn't "hidden" this cup. On the contrary, it had always been kept aboard the 'Moby Dick', locked away inside the captain's cabin with his most treasured possessions. Because, just as Whitebeard had said, to him, promises and bonds were among the most precious things in the world. And this cup carried one of those promises.
He hadn't taken it out today simply because he wanted another drink. More importantly, he now knew for certain.
"The new era you chose... has finally begun! Gurarararara!"
Still laughing, Whitebeard slowly tipped the cup. The sake caught the sunlight as it poured into the sea.
'Splash...'
The waves rippled outward, as if the sea itself accepted the toast. Only then did Whitebeard turn back around. He looked at his sons, all of whom wore puzzled expressions, but he offered no explanation.
"My sons... tonight, we're throwing a feast!"
(End of Chapter)
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