Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.
"Mama... mamamama!"
A massive woman, Charlotte Linlin—better known as the Yonko BIG MOM—flipped through a stack of papers with surprising speed.
"So Whitebeard won, did he? The Navy is becoming more useless by the day. It seems Newgate isn't quite ready for the grave yet..."
She clutched a set of freshly issued bounty posters. The rewards for the various Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates had seen a significant spike following the war. However, her eyes quickly locked onto the "Four Brothers."
"Fire Fist" Ace: 800,000,000 Berries
"Chief of Staff" Sabo: 680,000,000 Berries
"Dragon Soul" Vale D. Drake: 400,000,000 Berries
"Straw Hat" Luffy: 400,000,000 Berries
With this, the name Dragon Soul was officially seared into the consciousness of the entire world.
"These are the four brothers who caused such a stir in the war?"
"Yes, Mama." Before her, a man with legs like utility poles and a round body—Baron Tamago—bowed slightly. "However, Mama, there is a problem with one of them."
Tamago pointed at Dragon Soul's poster, which had fallen to the floor. "We can find absolutely no prior records for this 'Dragon Soul.' Even his name was only revealed through Navy channels. It's as if he appeared out of thin air."
"Hmm?" Big Mom looked at the photo. On the poster, Dragon Soul held his sword at a slight angle, a trace of untamed arrogance on his face.
Tamago swallowed hard, fearing her wrath. As a Yonko crew, failing to find information was a grave oversight. But Big Mom didn't explode. Instead, she issued a cold order: "The Whitebeard Pirates are riding a wave of momentum. Tell our people to avoid direct conflict with them for now."
"Understood!"
As Tamago left, Big Mom muttered to herself, "Have you truly returned to your peak, Newgate...?"
Decades ago, they had both been members of the legendary Rocks Pirates. She knew better than anyone how terrifying Whitebeard could be. If his strength had truly been restored, it was best to wait and see.
Elsewhere in the New World, the other Emperors reacted. Red-Haired Shanks, knowing the truth, remained unbothered. But Kaido of the Beasts felt a surge of predatory interest.
"A New Era? What a load of garbage! Gugu-gugugu..." Kaido guzzled sake, his subordinates trembling beside him.
Meanwhile, the "Supernovas" who had gathered at Sabaody were now flooding into the New World, with the exception of Law's Heart Pirates. Even a recovering Blackbeard was on the move.
The pirates called the first half of the Grand Line "Paradise." The New World was a different beast entirely. It wasn't just the erratic weather or the volatile seas; it was the people. Those who thrived in "Paradise" often found themselves inferior to a low-level officer in a Yonko crew.
Here, Haki was common. Relying solely on the properties of a Logia fruit was a fool's errand. The word "Yonko" defined this ocean. Newcomers had two choices:
Challenge the Emperors and try to carve out a kingdom of their own.
Submit and serve under an Emperor's flag.
Territory wars were brutal, and the dream of being the "freest man on the sea"—the Pirate King—was a high-stakes gamble that required absolute, crushing strength.
Under the Sea, Aboard the Magic Protector.
The ship drifted through the depths, heading toward Fish-Man Island. Dragon Soul, Kenshin, and the boy they had encountered sat around a table piled with food.
"Mmm!" Dragon Soul's eyes lit up with every bite. Only he and Kenshin knew the struggle of the last three days. Ever since eating the world-class food on the Moby Dick, their ship's standard rations tasted like cardboard.
A chef! I need a chef more than anything!
"Bell, your cooking is incredible!?" Dragon Soul was genuinely shocked.
Kim D. Bell—that was the boy's name. After the "incident" with the Celestial Dragon, Dragon Soul had scooped the kid up to avoid the inevitable Navy investigation. Bell had said he wanted to go to Fish-Man Island, and Dragon Soul figured it was better than leaving him to be caught.
But he never imagined Bell would be a master of the culinary arts!
As he tore into a perfectly seasoned roast, Dragon Soul made a silent vow: I am not letting this kid leave this ship. A crew without a chef is a tragedy, but a crew with a chef this good is a legend!
Dragon Soul has his first official crew member and a massive 400 million Berry bounty! How will the World Government react to the murder of Saint Charlos?
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