Whitebeard's bold laughter rolled like thunder, shaking the surrounding clouds until they scattered and broke apart.
That mighty sound seemed powerful enough to shake heaven and earth.
Every laugh carried endless dominance and confidence, as if announcing his place to the world.
As for Big Mom, even through layer after layer of screens, her greedy swallowing could still be heard clearly.
That sound was like a starving beast devouring its prey, enough to send a chill through anyone who listened.
Looking farther into the distance, Kaido's Azure Dragon form appeared and disappeared within the drifting clouds.
His massive body revealed itself only in brief flashes, gleaming with a cold light like a dragon lying hidden above the clouds, ready at any moment to descend upon the world and unleash a storm.
Yet now, these three legendary figures, each one an Emperor of the Sea, had all been reduced to the backdrop behind that young man—
Ron.
Their former glory and brilliance seemed to dim in that instant.
Bullet stood quietly to the side, staring at everything before him with complicated eyes.
Unconsciously, he slowly reached toward his chest.
There hung a special badge, one red star coiled around another.
The moment his fingers touched it, a bone-piercing cold spread through his entire body.
Once, in his eyes, this badge had been nothing more than a childish little trinket.
But now, it felt like a heavy shackle forged from Seastone, pressing hard against his heart, making him feel suffocated and restrained.
He lowered his head and carefully examined the badge in his hand, his rough, callused fingertips gently rubbing along its edge.
Beneath that seemingly smooth surface was an almost invisible hairline crack.
It was a mark he had left three days ago, when in his rage and despair, he had tried to crush the badge with all his strength.
He had failed to destroy it, but the crack remained, like a wound buried deep in his heart that could never be erased.
"Ron…"
Bullet's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable emotion as it slowly echoed beneath the vast dome.
It sounded like the growl of a beast rising from the depths of hell, filled with unwillingness, jealousy, and hatred.
Just then, the surveillance feed on the wall, which had been still a moment ago, suddenly flickered.
The image quickly switched to real-time footage of the harbor.
On the screen, the Germa Family's flagship was slowly descending toward the docks, its enormous hull stirring up sheets of white spray.
As the hatch slowly opened, a figure walked out at a steady pace.
It was Reiju, her long pink hair fluttering in the wind.
Her appearance was like a bright stroke of color breaking the harbor's original silence.
What was surprising was that this woman, once feared as "Poison Pink," who could easily destroy an entire fleet with her toxic powders, had now changed into a plain white dress.
The snow-white hem swayed gently in the wind, giving her an air of purity and elegance.
Even the combat mask that had once been her trademark was gone, revealing her refined and beautiful face.
Seeing this, a strange light flashed through Bullet's eyes.
Then the corner of his mouth slowly pulled into a savage, eerie curve.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and at that moment, all the mysteries seemed to find their answer.
"So that's how it is…"
He slowly rose to his feet, his towering figure instantly casting half the hall into shadow.
By the window, soft yet slightly cold light spilled down, outlining Reiju's slender but resolute figure.
She stood there quietly, raising her head slightly, her focused and solemn gaze fixed on the magnificent headquarters building in the distance.
In her hands, she carefully held Germa Kingdom's most important technology chip, the crystallization of countless minds and years of effort.
Her posture was like that of a dignified envoy presenting an invaluable tribute, filled with respect and expectation.
This exceptionally intelligent woman understood it very clearly.
In this new era shaped by Ron's own hands, the rules had already changed completely.
Beneath the seemingly calm surface, hidden currents surged and danger waited everywhere.
Sometimes, the deadliest weapon was not a blatant attack with fangs bared and claws out.
It was a posture of obedience that looked harmless.
Such a posture was like a blade hidden in the dark, capable of striking a fatal blow when no one expected it.
"Choosing a side is the current of the era."
At the same time, in another corner, Bullet suddenly turned around.
His tall, powerful body stirred the air around him, and the black cloak on his shoulders swept upward with the motion like an eagle spreading its wings.
A powerful gust instantly swept across the room, scattering all the neatly arranged documents from the table.
Papers flew everywhere, rustling as if whispering of the storm to come.
His gaze finally settled on the screen.
There, Ron's back was clearly displayed.
In the image, Ron stood with commanding presence at the peak of the world, surrounded by top-tier powerhouses such as the Emperors.
Yet he talked and laughed freely, calm and composed, every movement showing the confidence of someone who controlled the entire situation.
The vast sea had already become his chessboard, a place where he could move freely and plan at will.
Every decision and every conversation was like a brilliant move placed upon that enormous game.
"Then let me see…"
Bullet's low, powerful voice echoed through the silent space, carrying a trace of resolve and challenge.
Then his iron-hard fist slammed down heavily on the control panel with a dull boom.
That strike seemed to trigger some hidden mechanism.
In an instant, every screen went dark at the same time, and darkness swallowed the entire room.
Within that pitch-black silence, Bullet's hearty yet oppressive laughter rang out like rolling thunder.
"Whether you can bear the weight of this 'loyalty'!"
That laughter carried endless meaning and power, enough to make one's skin crawl.
Outside the hall, the flag of the Eternal Divine Kingdom snapped loudly beneath the falling dusk.
The emblem on the flag swayed in the wind, speaking of the nation's glory and splendor.
Farther away at the harbor, the sea breeze blew freely against Reiju's white dress, making the hem flutter lightly like a carefully designed white flag.
...
The next day.
At daybreak, the morning light pierced through the thick clouds like an incomparably sharp sword, unstoppable in its force.