In the New World, the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates stood on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, their faces masks of profound despair following the aftermath of that massive battle.
"Luffy and Usopp!?" Chopper wailed in distress, while Nami stood nearby, her features etched with worry. Sanji felt a sharp pang of sympathy in his heart and moved to comfort them. "Don't worry, Nami-san, Chopper. Since Luffy made that decision, all we can do is trust him. Right now, our priority is to find Zou and gather enough strength to rescue him."
"Mm!" Both of them nodded, finding a small measure of solace in his words. Sanji breathed a slight sigh of relief, though his thoughts drifted across the sea to wonder how Zoro, Robin, and Brook were faring. Franky, having finished docking the ship, turned to the Wano samurai on deck with a grave expression. "Hey, samurai, where is this elephant you mentioned? You aren't playing a trick on us, are you?"
Kin'emon hesitated. He knew the location of Zou, but because Zunesha's movements were unpredictable, he wasn't certain they had arrived at the right time. Suddenly, Momonosuke, standing nearby, pointed toward the horizon. "He's here!"
The crew was stunned, instinctively following his gaze. Their eyes widened as they saw it: through the dark shadows, an elephant the size of a mountain was slowly stepping through the sea with heavy, rhythmic footsteps. A wave of excited relief washed over them. "Luffy and Usopp, they're going to be saved!"
However, the hope they felt upon climbing the rope ladder to Zunesha's back—the island of Zou—was quickly replaced by a devastating reality. Inside a stone house, the former retainers of Oden and the former daimyo of Wano were gathered. Kin'emon stared in disbelief at Hiyori, Oden's daughter, tears welling in his eyes. He had only just learned from Raizo, who had arrived earlier, of her difficult decision.
"Why, Hiyori?" Kin'emon asked, his voice trembling. "Have you forgotten what Kaido did to Oden and to Wano Country?"
Kozuki Hiyori's gaze was heavy with emotion. She had never expected to see her brother and Kin'emon again, but she stood firm. "No, I have never forgotten. But it is precisely because of that memory that I have chosen to let go of the hatred. Everyone has finally found a way to live in peace after such a long struggle. I cannot lead them all to their deaths for the sake of the Kozuki Clan."
Her words brought a crushing sense of grief to the Wano samurai. Kin'emon, Raizo, Kanjuro, and Kiku—the warriors who had traveled through time—wept in disbelief. "We are not afraid of death, Hiyori! Our lives belong to Oden!"
"I know," Hiyori replied, "but I don't want everyone to die in vain. You don't understand—Kaido is a demon we cannot defeat. I will not let the remaining samurai and the Mink Tribe throw their lives away. I do not have that right." She then turned to her brother. "Brother, are you sure you have the courage to face Kaido?"
Momonosuke seemed to recall something at her mention of the Emperor, and his body began to tremble, his eyes filled with stark fear. This reaction deepened the despair felt by Kin'emon and the others, while Denjiro and those who had remained with Hiyori kept a somber silence. Sanji watched this scene and sighed, realizing that rescuing Luffy was proving to be far more complicated than they had anticipated.
A man stepped forward then, breaking the tension. "Kin'emon, I will go with you."
"Yasu-sama!!!" Kin'emon stared at the blue-haired man in surprise.
"That is all, however," Yasu continued. "Just as Hiyori said, everyone is no longer in Wano Country. They each have their own path. I may choose to sacrifice myself, but I have no right to demand that of others."
Slowly, other retainers—Denjiro, Ashura Doji, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, Izo, and Hana no Hyogoro—spoke up to join the cause. Yet, when Kin'emon turned to the other samurai residing on Zou, none of those who had lived in peace were willing to follow. Kin'emon felt a mix of anger and helplessness.
Elsewhere, under Law's leadership, Zoro, Robin, and Brook had made a critical contact.
"I never expected this, Jinbe-kun! It hasn't been long since we last parted," Law noted. Jinbe, who had received the news and brought his subordinates to the sea, frowned as he assessed the situation.
"Big Mom, is it? She is a truly troublesome woman," Jinbe remarked. "However, to save my little brother Luffy, we must fight, even if it is against one of the Four Emperors."
The Straw Hat crew understood the stakes. They had already witnessed the overwhelming power of a Four Emperors pirate crew. Even with Luffy, Zoro, and Law working together, they had struggled against the likes of Katakuri, whose mastery of Observation Haki—allowing him to foresee the future—completely countered Law's Devil Fruit abilities. The prospect of potentially facing two of the Four Emperors simultaneously made them realize they needed all the help they could gather.
"Thank you, Jinbe!"
"Do not mention it," Jinbe said. "Please, wait a moment. I will gather every Fishman I can, and we will formulate a plan to rescue my little brother. Charging into the territory of a Four Emperor without a plan would be foolish."
"Understood. We will leave it to you!"
Back at Marineford, the personnel were flooded with a continuous stream of intelligence, leaving them unsure whether to be amused or concerned.
"It is truly exaggerated, isn't it?" Borsalino remarked in his slow, peculiar tone. "One Straw Hat has managed to stir up so many people."
Garp remained silent, lost in deep thought.
"Sakazuki," Kizaru asked, "is there anything the Marine needs to do?"
"Do what?" Akainu replied. "Isn't it better to let the pirates fight among themselves? This time, at least one of the former Four Emperors will be removed from the board. Isn't that wonderful?"
It seemed inevitable; Charlotte Linlin had no path to victory. With the Whitebeard Pirates, Red Hair Pirates, Straw Hat Pirates, Heart Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and countless other forces converging on her, even Kaido would struggle to survive such a siege.
"I truly cannot understand what that madwoman, Charlotte Linlin, is thinking," Akainu mused. "No matter how you look at it, this is not a wise move."
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