"A Road Poneglyph? How boring. I'll keep it in mind for now."
Although Shiki sounded indifferent, he had clearly taken the news to heart.
He was curious about the great treasure Roger had left behind on Laugh Tale. In truth, there were probably very few people on the seas who were not curious about it. In Shiki's mind, the Ancient Weapons he coveted most were likely hidden on that final island.
Still, his true objective had never changed.
He wanted to become the King of the World and destroy the World Government.
Compared to that goal, the Road Poneglyphs could wait.
"Focus on completing our plan," Shiki said. "Accelerate the research on IQ until it's ready for practical use."
The Golden Lion Pirates had discovered an island known as Vermeil, a land inhabited by thousands of strangely evolved creatures. After extensive research, they discovered the cause was a special plant called IQ.
The plant could stimulate animal brains and trigger unique evolutionary changes depending on environmental conditions.
Further study revealed that IQ contained a mysterious substance. Once extracted and injected into animals, it could push their evolution in a combat-oriented direction, dramatically increasing their strength and sometimes even granting special abilities.
Because of this, Shiki intended to create a drug based on IQ.
His goal was simple.
He wanted to create gigantic, ferocious beasts with overwhelming destructive power and build an army born solely for war.
When the time came, he would unleash that army upon Mariejois and Marine Headquarters.
Achieving his dream through his own strength alone was difficult enough. Even with the Golden Lion Pirates at his side, challenging the World Government head-on was no easy task.
The Golden Lion Pirates possessed powerful fighters, but they lacked numbers.
That was why Shiki had monopolized Vermeil and lifted the entire island into the sky with his Devil Fruit ability. Hidden within the clouds of his Sky Kingdom, the colossal island continued serving as the center of his secret project.
Everything was still in its early stages.
"Research is progressing smoothly," Rhinos reported with a smile. "We're recruiting additional scientists, especially biologists. With Indigo leading the project, I believe we'll see significant results within a few years."
IQ was simply too important.
Once completed, it would greatly strengthen the Golden Lion Pirates' middle and upper combat forces. During a large-scale war, the enhanced beasts could inflict tremendous casualties on enemy forces.
With sufficient funding and an expanding scientific team, there was no reason the project would take twenty years to complete.
As for the Road Poneglyphs, they were not going anywhere.
The current state of the seas still required Shiki's attention. If Whitebeard made a move, only Shiki could stand against him.
At the heart of the Beast Pirates' territory stood the Barbarossa Kingdom.
Its most iconic landmark was a colossal skull-shaped fortress crowned with massive bull horns.
The Beast Pirates' core members had gathered there.
After experiencing the luxury of the Battle Pyramid on Parage Island, Kaido and his subordinates had returned home with new ideas. Large portions of their stronghold had been renovated to imitate the Battle Pyramid's interior design.
As a result, their headquarters was now considerably more comfortable than before.
"Can this information be verified?" Kaido asked.
He sat at the head of the table, his enormous body dominating the room.
Rather than directing the question at Crayel, the Beast Pirates' strategist, he looked toward King.
Kaido knew King's origins better than anyone.
As a descendant of the Lunarian race, King possessed knowledge of many ancient secrets hidden from the world.
"I know that old hag has a Road Poneglyph," Kaido continued.
During his time with the Rocks Pirates, he had personally seen the stone. After Rocks' downfall, Charlotte Linlin had seized a portion of his legacy, including one of the Road Poneglyphs.
"If we ignore some of the details, the information is likely accurate," King replied in a deep voice. "Four Road Poneglyphs are indeed required to reach Laugh Tale."
Hidden behind his black mask, King revealed none of his thoughts.
"There is also a strong possibility that Wano possesses a Road Poneglyph. The Poneglyphs were originally crafted there nearly eight hundred years ago. The script carved upon them is connected to the secret language passed down through the Kozuki Family."
King paused.
Like Katakuri, he found himself wondering about the true intentions of whoever had released this information.
"Are they simply revealing the truth to the world?" he asked. "Or are they deliberately trying to create trouble for those who possess the Road Poneglyphs?"
If it was the latter, the list of suspects became much smaller.
Only those who stood to benefit from weakening the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, or Wano Country would have reason to spread such news.
"Who cares what their plan is?"
Kaido snorted.
One hand held a sake gourd while the other rested on the spiked kanabo beside him.
He tilted his head back and drank deeply before letting out a satisfied breath.
"Worororororo!"
"At least we need to get our hands on one Road Poneglyph," Kaido said, his eyes burning with anticipation as he looked toward King. "If we have one, then the person from the prophecy will eventually come to us, won't they?"
"That's correct."
King nodded.
He understood exactly what Kaido meant.
Kaido had never believed himself to be Joy Boy.
Over the years, King had shared many secrets with him, including the ancient prophecy connected to the Void Century.
If Kaido possessed a Road Poneglyph, then the individual destined to uncover the world's hidden history would inevitably seek him out.
To reach Laugh Tale, that person would have no choice.
And Kaido wanted to see who that person truly was.
The other Beast Pirates exchanged puzzled glances.
They had no idea what prophecy their Governor-General and King were discussing.
Still, neither seemed interested in explaining.
No one pressed the matter.
Instead, the conversation shifted elsewhere.
"If we start a war now, it's not a good idea," Crayel said with a frown.
"Even if we ignore the Whitebeard Pirates, the Nightfall Pirates are positioned between us and Wano. There's a vast stretch of sea separating us."
"The closest target is Big Mom, but even then we'd have to cross territory controlled by numerous other forces. The Red-Haired Pirates, the Buggy Pirates, the Gecko Pirates, and many more stand between us."
"Starting a war with any of them right now would be costly and would bring us little benefit."
As the Beast Pirates' chief strategist, Crayel had to think about the organization as a whole.
"Forget the old hag," Kaido said dismissively. "I'll give her some face."
His gaze sharpened.
"Focus on Wano."
"I want a Road Poneglyph, not a rubbing."
For Kaido, the decision had already been made.
Though he still had some ties to Big Mom, stealing a Road Poneglyph directly from Whole Cake Island would be troublesome.
Wano, however, was different.
Its samurai were famous throughout the world.
And there was another reason.
Kaido was a dragon.
The legendary tales of dragon slayers originating from Wano Country had always irritated him on some level.
Naturally, he wasn't foolish enough to challenge Whitebeard right now.
That left Wano.
Crayel sighed heavily.
A headache was already forming.
"Fine," she said. "But we won't rush into anything."
"Give me time to gather intelligence. We don't even know where the Road Poneglyph is hidden."
"Besides, Wano won't simply surrender because a pirate crew shows up at their doorstep."
The situation was far more complicated than Kaido made it sound.
Fortunately, her words managed to calm him down somewhat.
Even Kaido understood that passion alone was not enough.
Preparation was necessary.
Among the parties named in the leaked information, the Whitebeard Pirates found themselves in a similar position.
Only a handful of senior officers knew about the Road Poneglyph.
Whitebeard himself certainly knew.
Roger had personally informed him of its location. After claiming Fish-Man Island under his protection, Whitebeard had retrieved the stone and hidden it away.
What puzzled them was that someone had somehow guessed the truth.
The result was accurate.
The reasoning behind it was not.
Still, what truly angered the Whitebeard Pirates was a different part of the report.
The leaked information claimed Roger had defeated Whitebeard.
To the Whitebeard Pirates, that statement was outrageous.
Their Pops was the Strongest Man in the World. How could Roger have defeated him?
They held no ill will toward the Roger Pirates.
In fact, many remembered them fondly. But they would never accept such nonsense.
The Whitebeard Pirates' affiliated crews were equally furious.
The revelation that Whitebeard possessed a Road Poneglyph did not bother them. If anyone deserved one, surely it was Whitebeard.
What infuriated them was the suggestion that Roger had won. Everyone who knew the story understood what had actually happened.
The two crews had fought fiercely for three days and three nights before ultimately calling a truce.
There had been no victor.
There had been no loser.
Furious, Whitebeard's forces immediately began investigating the source of the information.
Bounties appeared throughout the underworld.
Whoever had spread the rumor would be found.
And punished.
For the Whitebeard Pirates, it was not merely misinformation. It was an insult to Edward Newgate himself.
The news naturally reached Wano Country as well.
Inside the Flower Capital, the daimyos and senior officials of Wano gathered within the Shogun's palace.
Their purpose was simple. They wanted to discuss the consequences this revelation might bring.
Opening Wano's borders had brought many benefits, but it also carried risks. Now those risks were becoming very real.
All eyes turned toward the current Shogun.
Kozuki Oden.
Everyone present knew his history.
He had sailed with Whitebeard. He had journeyed with Roger. And he had helped Roger reach Laugh Tale.
"The Kozuki Family does indeed possess two Road Poneglyphs," Oden admitted openly.
He had no reason to hide it.
Many of his retainers, including Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, had known for years.
The people gathered here were individuals he trusted.
There was no need for secrecy.
"In that case," one daimyo asked, "shouldn't we prepare? Spies from every corner of the world will surely increase."
Oden rubbed his chin thoughtfully before nodding.
"Strengthen security."
"Have the samurai patrolling the ports and coastline increase their vigilance."
"From this point forward, all foreigners entering Wano must be carefully monitored."
The current level of openness suited Wano well.
Oden understood the outside world better than most.
He had long realized that fully opening Wano overnight would create enormous problems.
The differences in culture and tradition were simply too great.
What he truly wanted was balance.
He wanted Wano to learn from the outside world while allowing its people to experience the wider seas.
That dream had largely been achieved.
Now his goal was to continue improving Wano's future.
"If someone wants to challenge us," Oden declared with a booming laugh, "then let them come."
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
"It's been a long time since I've fought seriously."
"Let's see whether my blade has grown dull."
"Yes, Shogun!"
The daimyos and ministers bowed respectfully.
The Road Poneglyphs belonged to the Kozuki Family.
Therefore, they belonged to Wano.
Anyone attempting to seize them would become an enemy of the entire nation.
Regardless of what happened next, preparations had to begin immediately.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Sengoku rubbed his temples.
"Leave this matter to the World Government," he said.
"The Marines will focus on recovery and development for the next few years."
The last thing he wanted was another major war.
The Marines had only recently regained stability.
Furthermore, the World Government's finances were nowhere near strong enough to support another massive military campaign.
"Still," Sengoku added, "we can't completely ignore it."
"Send intelligence agents to Wano Country."
Although he gave the order, he held little hope. Wano was notoriously difficult to infiltrate. Its customs, language, titles, and mannerisms were fundamentally different from the outside world.
Even a perfectly disguised outsider could often be identified after only a few conversations.
The people of Wano noticed such things quickly.
Suspicious individuals rarely escaped attention for long.
In truth, Sengoku was far more concerned about Kong. After spending three months in a coma, Kong had finally awakened.
However, he remained bedridden. His condition was still extremely fragile.
The injuries he had suffered during the Golden Sea Battle had stabilized, but recovery was slow. For months he had survived on intravenous nutrition because he was unable to eat properly.
Now that he was conscious, his healing had accelerated considerably.
His extraordinary vitality, combined with the resilience granted by his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, kept him alive.
Even so, a complete recovery was impossible.
The damage remained severe.
Most notably, both of his arms were gone.
Though assistance was often necessary, Kong's pride compelled him to do as much as possible himself.
Only when absolutely necessary would he accept help.
The Marines and the World Government had also attempted to acquire the Nightfall Pirates' mechanical prosthetic technology.
Every effort had failed.
The Nightfall Pirates had completely locked down access. The key component was genetic synchronization.
Each mechanical arm was custom-built and bound to a specific individual's genetic profile. Even if someone purchased one and attempted to transfer it elsewhere, it would become useless.
To anyone with mismatched genes, the prosthetic was nothing more than expensive scrap metal.
The system protected both the technology and the product.
Meanwhile, the World Government wasted no time dispatching agents.
The Road Poneglyphs were directly connected to the Void Century.
If they could seize even one, they might sever the path leading future pirates toward the truth.
For the World Government, one Pirate King had already caused enough damage.
A second was something they would never allow.