[Chapter-opening Extra: Days on the Kuja East Route - Bug Fix - "Now, You Can't See Anything…"]
[Hancock equips herself with Jolyne's Flower-Flower Fruit and turns away. Before long, she feels warmth beside her ear. Amid Jolyne's amused whisper, a strand of snake hair slips around Hancock's fair, smooth neck and gently bites her collarbone…]
〖North Blue…〗
The weather in the Four Blues was remarkably stable. Once winter arrived, it stayed winter. Unlike the Grand Line, it didn't suddenly decide to turn scorching hot for no reason…
Snowflakes drifted through the air as a warship bearing the word 'Tsuru' on its sail cut cleanly through the icy waves.
All across the deck, the Marines were busy with their usual duties. Some kept watch from the crow's nest, others scrubbed the timber and cleared away clutter, while sentries maintained their regular patrols.
A few Marines with nothing better to do gathered along the port railing, watching the dark waves roll past.
Suddenly, a massive shadow beneath the water expanded rapidly. With a violent 'BANG', the surface exploded as a several-ton sea beast erupted into the air, its head covered in swelling knots from a recent beating. A split second later, a second shockwave blasted the beast even higher, sending it tracing a high arc directly over the ship. The Marines scattered with startled cries.
'BOOM!'
The heavy creature slammed onto the deck, making the entire warship shudder.
Everyone turned toward the rail just in time to see a soaked, muscular figure vault out of the ocean. He landed lightly on the railing, stepped down, and casually wrung out his wet hair.
Liam looked around at the stunned crowd in confusion. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
"You're... you're not a Fruit user?!" several Marines yelled in absolute shock.
Giorno had just taken a dive into the deep ocean without drowning, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wasn't bound by the Devil Fruit curse. As for him casually tenderizing a massive sea beast underwater and tossing it aboard, that was almost an afterthought. It would have been stranger if he couldn't.
Liam waved a hand dismissively. "Don't sweat the small stuff. Where's the cook? Get me a cook!" he shouted toward the ship's galley.
'Small stuff, my ass!'
The Marines stood frozen, minds racing. 'So you're telling us that when you smashed Doflamingo into a charred pile, you didn't even rely on a Devil Fruit?!'
And what about the terrifying rumors claiming the JoJo Pirates could steal other people's Devil Fruits? Were those actually real?! Watching Giorno shake sea water off his shoulders like a dog, their brains short-circuited. 'Was that terrifying ability actually held by their female Captain, Jolyne Cujoh, all along?!'
Before long, the rich, mouth-watering aroma of roasted meat drifted across the deck.
A gigantic platter of sizzling sea beast meat was piled high in front of Liam. He tore into a huge joint, sighing between bites. "This is supposed to be a Vice Admiral's warship, yet the pantry's practically empty!"
"Who could've guessed you'd eat like a sea king yourself?!" the Marines complained in unison. "At this rate, we'll all starve to death before we even reach Headquarters!"
"Come on!" Liam kept chewing, gesturing with a massive bone toward the gathered crowd. "Don't just stand there making noise. Grab a plate."
The Marines swallowed hard, looking at the steaming meat, but not a single officer took a step forward.
"Who wants to share a meal with a pirate…" someone grumbled under his breath. "Shichibukai or not… you're still criminals…"
Liam didn't lose his temper. He looked past them toward the warship's head chef, who was carrying out another heavy platter. The chef rolled his eyes, setting down a bubbling stew pot right next to Liam.
"Food is food, eating is eating. You think Vice Admiral Tsuru's kitchen is going to let a Shichibukai starve on our watch?" the chef grunted.
"See? That's professionalism," Liam grinned, giving the chef a thumbs-up before diving back into the feast.
'Wait... he isn't furious?'
The Marines exchanged bewildered looks. They had openly drawn a boundary between them, yet Giorno hadn't shown a sliver of malice.
"Oh? Smells like you caught something good."
Robin strolled out from the cabin, offering a mild smile. She adjusted her coat, sat down on the bench beside Liam, and looked over at the chef. "Could I trouble you for a cup of black coffee?"
"Right away, ma'am," the chef nodded briskly.
The nearby Marines grumbled silently. 'Sure, she's gorgeous, but aren't you being way too polite to a pirate, head chef?!'
Just then, the familiar sound of beating wings rustled overhead. A News Coo dropped from the snowy sky, carrying the morning papers.
Another News Coo landed near the bow beside Vice Admiral Tsuru, who casually tossed the bird a few coins.
Robin reached into her coat, paid for a fresh copy, and unrolled it. The front page featured a massive, stark photograph: Donquixote Doflamingo's charred, hollow corpse standing upright in the North Blue snow.
The headline was printed in thick, imposing block letters:
'"NEW SHICHIBUKAI STRIKES NORTH BLUE: DONQUIXOTE FAMILY WIPED OUT IN A SINGLE BLOW!"'
Liam leaned over, grease on his chin, tearing a chunk of meat off the bone as he chuckled. "Ah, perfect. My favorite part, reading the public reaction."
Robin glanced at him with a slight smile. 'You almost never read the papers unless your name is on the front cover...'
…
The news that the newly appointed Shichibukai had descended upon the North Blue and annihilated the entire Donquixote Family in less than a day spread across the seas like wildfire.
On dozens of islands that had suffered under Doflamingo's oppressive shadow, citizens poured into the streets. People wept, laughed, and set off fireworks, openly celebrating the warlord's death.
"Thank the heavens! That monster finally got what he deserved!"
"Waaah! My hometown was destroyed by those bastards years ago… They're finally dead!"
"The JoJo Pirates are incredible! I want to set sail and join them!"
"Are you crazy?! The Donquixote Family were pirates too! Doflamingo needed to die, but this is just one group of killers putting down another…"
"If only there were no pirates at all…"
"What were the Marines even doing all this time? They let a pirate crew handle a threat on their own turf?!"
"Giorno and Jolyne Cujoh showed up and crushed those bastards in a single afternoon! Yet our local Marine bases couldn't touch them for a decade! Have they just been sitting on their hands?!"
Across countless kingdoms and ports, people from all walks of life argued over the exact same topic.
While there was bitterness that the North Blue's greatest plague had been cleansed by pirates rather than the Marines, the overwhelming sentiment was pure relief.
Countless people shed tears over the morning news. Countless others quietly etched those two names into their memories with deep gratitude.
Some young men and women decided to take to the sea, not to pillage or burn, but to enforce the kind of decisive action the World Government seemed incapable of delivering, following the example of Giorno and Jolyne Cujoh.
Others ran straight to the nearest Marine recruiting station, swearing to become officers who could reform the system from within, vowing never to let pirates be the sole deliverers of justice again.
'Justice relying on pirates? What a humiliating joke!'
"JoJo Pirates…"
"Giorno Giovanna…"
"Jolyne Cujoh…"
"Oka Shichibukai…"
Flocks of News Coos burst from printing presses all across the world. They cut through storm clouds and crossed vast ocean lines, carrying fresh ink to the East, South, West, and North Blues… to Paradise in the first half of the Grand Line, to the treacherous New World, and even into the quiet stretches of the Calm Belt…
…
〖New World, Wano Country - Flower Capital, General's Residence〗
Kurozumi Orochi flipped through the paper, cackling wildly. "Gyahahaha… How terrifying! Are the people out on the ocean really this barbaric? Gyahahaha…"
"I have never crossed the borders myself, so I cannot speak to their customs." Kyoshiro sat at the low table, taking a slow sip of sake with a faint, unreadable smile. "Though someone capable of such a feat would likely be a warrior capable of walking in Kozuki Oden's footsteps if he were born in Wano."
"Hey!" Orochi flinched violently, spilling his drink. He slammed his cup down and snarled, "Why do you always have to bring up 'that' name?!"
Kyoshiro merely kept his smile fixed, swirling his cup in silence.
…
〖Onigashima - Beast Pirates Stronghold〗
High-ranking officers of the Beast Pirates gathered in the main hall, passing the newspaper around.
"Doflamingo… Yeah, I knew of the guy." Queen took a heavy drag from his cigar, blowing smoke into the rafters. "Didn't expect him to be such a useless fraud. Getting himself turned into charcoal like that. 'Tch…' What a joke."
"That's only because his opponents were absolute monsters…" The tall, striking Black Maria purred as she ran a finger over the photos of Giorno and Jolyne. She licked her lips. "What an exquisite pair… I'd love to drag them back here in chains and give them some… personal training…"
Queen sputtered, pointing a mechanical finger at her. "Hey! You're barely out of your teens, why are you talking like an old creep?!"
Black Maria giggled softly behind her hand. "Can anyone in this crew really out-creep you, Queen-sama?"
"Don't twist my words! I'm an entertainer!" Queen barked.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them lurched. The stone pillars groaned as the entire island of Onigashima rattled to its foundations.
"What's going on now?" Black Maria asked, steadying her pipe.
"Must be Boss Kaido…" Queen exhaled another cloud of smoke, chuckling darkly. "You haven't been here long, so you don't know yet. Whenever the Boss reads about a real monster out there, he gets so fired up he wants to fly straight over and have a kill-or-be-killed brawl! Either he flattens them, or they split him open…"
"He's really that impulsive?" Black Maria murmured.
Queen grinned wide. "Well, considering how absurdly strong the Boss is, it's almost always the other guy who ends up dead! Hahaha… Even if this Giorno kid is a beast, the result won't change. Let's just hope he stays out of Wano! Hahahaha…"
High above Onigashima, a colossal azure dragon tore through the storm clouds, roaring as lightning flashed around his scales, leaving the rank-and-file pirates below trembling in terror.
…
〖New World - Totto Land, Whole Cake Island〗
Big Mom stared at the front page, her yellow eyes burning with rage. "So that insect ran all the way back to the North Blue?!"
She whirled on her trembling staff, her voice echoing through the throne room. "Is there any update from Praline yet?!"
The officer fell to his knees, sweat pouring down his face. "L-Lady Praline… she's still scouring that sea territory… but so far, she hasn't located… the sea beast that witnessed the fight where Lord Snack was killed…"
"Useless trash!!" Big Mom roared.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged from her frame, flattening the furniture. The officer gagged, eyes rolling back as he collapsed foaming at the mouth.
…
〖New World - The Underground World〗
Several brokers and kingpins of the shadow market sat around a luxury lounge, sipping heavy liquor.
Giberson, the storage-industry titan known as the "Hider," slurred his words, sloshing his glass. "Doflamingo… 'Heh heh.' I thought the kid had enough grit to make a splash in the New World and join our table. 'Heh…'"
Umit, the Shipping King known as the "Deep Sea Current," snorted in disdain. "Just proves he was all talk and no real foundation."
Dr. Pieldro, the funeral mogul known as the "Medicine King," adjusted his porcelain mask, letting out a high-pitched giggle. "Giorno Giovanna… Jolyne Cujoh… 'Heehee.' I do hope I get the contract to preserve those magnificent corpses one day~"
…
〖New World - The Moby Dick〗
The Whitebeard Pirates crowded around the deck, reading the morning delivery.
"Another massive story…" Vista twirled his mustache, his mismatched eyes wide with astonishment. "Is there any major incident lately that this kid 'isn't' tied to?"
"Shichibukai, huh…" Teach leaned against the ship's railing, chewing on a slice of cherry pie with a wide, greasy grin. "The kid sure knows how to make a name for himself… 'Zehahaha…'"
Marco leaned back against a barrel, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Not bad at all. Looks like those two are climbing the ladder fast."
Jozu grunted, his diamond arm glinting in the sunlight. "They're young, full of energy, and still sharpening their edge…"
The commanders nodded in quiet agreement. Giorno couldn't be older than his early twenties, and Jolyne was even younger. Yet here they were, flattening established warlords and shaking the global powers. How far would they go once they hit their prime?
They were watching the rise of the next era's absolute monsters… and those two might very well end up standing at the absolute apex of it.
Across the deck, the commanders turned to check on their captain. Ever since his health had miraculously turned around, Pops had been drinking with even greater abandon, giving the ship's nurses endless headaches.
"Donquixote Doflamingo…"
Whitebeard set his massive sake cup down, a deep, rumbling laugh rising from his chest. "Gurararara… Looks like that brat thought he could use my name as a shield!"
The commanders blinked in confusion, but Whitebeard offered no further explanation. He simply threw his head back, laughing heartily as he drained the giant jug.
(End of Chapter)
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