Chapter 44: The Weight of the New Era
Whitebeard stood at the edge of Wano's shore, the steam-filled clouds still drifting across the sky like scars left behind by gods. He let out a long, heavy sigh, his massive chest rising and falling slowly. "Gurararara… this new era is really something," he muttered, gripping his bisento tighter.
"There are already two people who can destroy the world," he continued quietly, his sharp eyes reflecting the distant sea. "And they're still young." A faint chill ran down his spine as he imagined Ren and Loki fighting side by side instead of against each other.
Just then, soft footsteps echoed behind him against the wooden planks. Whitebeard turned, and for a moment his breath caught in his throat. Before him stood a young girl with familiar eyes and a face that felt like a ghost from the past.
"Toki…" he whispered hoarsely. His eyes became moist as he saw the faint resemblance so clear it hurt.
She must be fourteen or fifteen now, he thought bitterly. Alone in a land where enemies were everywhere, surviving in silence while the world burned around her. Just imagining the hardships this child—who once laughed in his hands—had endured made his chest tighten painfully.
"And through it all…" Whitebeard's voice trembled slightly, though he forced it steady. "I wasn't even able to help her." He clenched his jaw. "Heck, I didn't even know she was alive… struggling in Wano."
From behind him came a broken cry. Izou stumbled forward, tears streaming down his face, before dropping to his knees before Hiyori. His hands trembled as he pressed his forehead to the ground.
"Hiyori-sama!" Izou cried openly. "I am sorry… I am so sorry!" His voice cracked as years of guilt poured out. "When my lord and his family needed me, I wasn't there!"
"I stayed with Whitebeard," he continued, fists clenching against the floor. "Oden-sama gave me a new life… and I failed to repay that debt." His shoulders shook as he bowed lower. "I was not there to protect you."
Hiyori stepped forward slowly, her expression soft despite the sorrow in her eyes. She knelt down and gently placed her hands on Izou's shoulders, lifting him slightly. "Izou… please look at me."
He hesitated, tears blurring his vision as he raised his head. She smiled faintly, though her own eyes shimmered. "You did not abandon us," she said softly. "Father chose his path. And you honored his memory by living."
Izou shook his head fiercely. "But you suffered! You hid, you endured Orochi's tyranny—"
"And I survived," Hiyori interrupted gently. "Because Father believed we would. Because Mother believed we would." Her voice trembled slightly but remained steady. "And because I knew somewhere, our family was still out there."
Whitebeard stepped forward slowly, his massive presence casting a shadow over them both. He knelt down—an act that stunned every pirate watching—and placed a large hand gently on Hiyori's head.
"I failed you too," Whitebeard said quietly. "I should have come back sooner. I should have searched harder." His deep voice softened in a way only his sons had ever heard. "Oden was my brother."
Hiyori looked up at him, eyes glistening but determined. "You were his family too," she said. "And you are still here."
Whitebeard let out a low breath. "Gurararara… you've grown strong." His hand tightened slightly on his bisento. "If anyone dares touch you now, they'll answer to me."
Behind them, Teach stood at the shoreline, staring at the steaming sea where Ren and Loki had clashed. The world felt different after witnessing that battle. It felt smaller.
Teach's eyes were dark, calculating, and troubled all at once. "Monsters…" he muttered under his breath. "They're monsters."
He replayed the sight in his mind—the miniature sun swallowing dragon fire, the boiling ocean, the sky cracking like glass. His desire for the Dark-Dark Fruit burned hotter than ever, but for the first time, doubt crept in.
"Even if I get it…" Teach thought grimly, clenching his fist. "Even if I take the power of darkness itself… could I stand against that?"
His teeth ground together. "The Dark-Dark Fruit is the strongest Logia," he whispered to himself. "It can swallow everything… even light." Yet his heartbeat betrayed him, pounding unevenly.
"What if… even that isn't enough?" His eyes narrowed, fear and ambition clashing violently within him. "No… no, I can't hesitate."
His mind spiraled between greed and dread. "If I don't rise, I'll be crushed beneath them," he thought bitterly. "But if I reach too high… I might be burned alive."
Back at the sea, Ren and Loki approached the giants' ship. Loki landed heavily on the deck, the wood groaning beneath his weight, before turning back toward Ren with a grin.
Ren floated nearby on Nimbus, cloak fluttering calmly. "You could stay, you know that?" he said casually, arms folded.
Loki stretched his shoulders. "Nah, I gotta go. There are some things I have to do." His tone carried a subtle seriousness beneath the laughter.
Ren nodded once. "Well, if you need any help, just give me a call. Elbaf is close to Wano." His voice lowered slightly so only Loki could hear. "If the World Government moves… I can help."
Loki stared at him in shock for a second. "You really know too much," he said slowly, before laughing. "Fine. I'll give you a call."
They clasped forearms briefly, warriors acknowledging each other. Then Loki leapt back toward his ship, laughter echoing as he departed toward Elbaf.
On Wano's shore, Yamato was already sprinting forward before Ren even landed. She leapt at him without hesitation, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
"You are the best! That fight was awesome!" she yelled excitedly, her voice full of pure admiration. Her cheeks rubbed against his as she hugged him tightly.
Ren laughed, slightly embarrassed but amused. "Well, you were watching," he teased. "So I couldn't afford losing."
Yamato grinned brightly. "You looked like a sun eating a dragon!" she exclaimed. "I thought the whole ocean would disappear!"
Ren chuckled as Nimbus lifted them gently into the sky. "Maybe next time," he joked lightly.
"Next time?!" Yamato's eyes sparkled. "You're going to fight him again?"
"Probably," Ren replied with a grin. "It'd be boring not to."
Far away in Marineford, inside Sengoku's office, a Den Den Mushi crackled with fresh reports. Sengoku slammed his fist against his desk, veins bulging on his forehead.
"You've got to be kidding me!" he roared. "What kind of monsters are those guys?!"
Garp leaned back in his chair, unusually silent, while Tsuru stood with folded arms. Kuzan stared lazily at the floor, though his eyes were sharp, and Kizaru adjusted his glasses quietly.
Garp finally spoke, voice low but serious. "So what are you going to do when he retaliates?"
The room went silent instantly. Even Sengoku froze at the question.
Garp continued calmly, "He's been working on the recovery of Wano. Now that no Emperor would dare attack it, he'll hear about us moving agents against Hancock soon."
Sengoku's face darkened further. "Where the hell is Sakazuki?!" he roared. "Why hasn't he contacted back? What happened on Amazon Lily?!"
No one answered. No one wanted to.
Tsuru finally spoke, her voice steady but grave. "By the reports, Ren can grow so large that even Marineford would be crushed by a single punch." She paused slightly. "And Loki's Devil Fruit… let's not even talk about that."
"According to reports, they stopped fighting," she continued. "Loki returned to Elbaf. But Ren and Loki were laughing and chatting like old friends." Her eyes narrowed. "So yes… Loki will stand with Ren."
The silence that followed was suffocating. No one in the room wanted to imagine fighting both the Dragon and the Monkey King together.
Kuzan sighed quietly. "Scary stuff…"
Kizaru muttered, "How troublesome."
Sengoku slammed both hands onto the desk again. "We poked the Monkey King," he growled bitterly. "And now the Dragon is watching."
For a brief moment, even the Fleet Admiral looked powerless. "Damn the Gorosei… and damn those Celestial Dragons," he muttered under his breath.
Outside Marineford, the sea remained calm. But beneath that calm surface, the tides of the world had already begun to shift.