Rosinante versus Kaido—the sea has witnessed the birth of yet another emperor!
Under a sky torn apart by thunder, the dark world met its end. In a single instant, thousands of warships were annihilated beneath a storm of divine lightning. The Grey Nation's "Thunder God" unleashed power so devastating it seemed to erase heaven and earth.
No one even saw the battle itself. By the time the world realized what had happened, the entire underworld had already fallen—and the unbelievable potential of the Perforation Fruit was revealed to all.
After the clash at Sabaody, every newspaper across the seas blazed with the same headlines. The news birds carried the story to every corner of the world, and the front pages all screamed two things.
First—the strength of Rosinante and the Grey Nation. Countless reports declared that a new emperor had risen over the seas. The terrifying might of the Grey Nation, the thunder that shattered the skies, the duel between Rosinante and Kaido that shook the world—all of it.
Second—the announcement of Rosinante's dream project. The Grey Nation would invest one trillion Berries to build a global entertainment city, the "Evernight City," a place where even merfolk and other unique races would be free to live in equality.
As for the destruction of the underworld broker Fosfite and his entire network—no one cared. At most, papers praised the eradication of human trafficking at Sabaody as a righteous act, and used it to highlight the might of the Grey Nation.
"Gurararara! So there's a new emperor at sea now? Never thought that brat Rosinante could actually make Kaido taste defeat!" Whitebeard laughed loudly aboard the Moby Dick, holding the paper in his massive hand.
"Old man, Rosinante's power is skyrocketing," Marco said, frowning slightly. "If he could make Kaido retreat, then the rumors about him fighting Sengoku to a draw might not be so exaggerated after all."
"You're just too lazy, yoi," Whitebeard said with a grin. "If you trained seriously, your strength wouldn't be lagging behind either. But his power doesn't concern me as much as his promises. Those three promises he made… if he can actually pull them off, this Evernight City of his might be worth seeing."
"It's impossible though," Jozu said bluntly. "Just the part about not bowing to the Celestial Dragons would be nearly impossible. Not to mention ending racial discrimination and curbing human greed toward the fish-men. That's a mountain too high even for him."
"Precisely because it's difficult, it's worth looking forward to! Gurararara!" Whitebeard's booming laughter echoed across the sea.
…
In Totto Land, the territory of the Big Mom Pirates.
"Mama, Mama! Look at today's newspaper!" Perospero burst into Charlotte Linlin's chamber, waving a freshly printed paper.
"Is there any news about the nun?" Big Mom didn't even look up as she asked, her tone sharp. She didn't care about most world news anymore—her focus was entirely on that particular matter.
"Mama, not yet. The World Government's covering it up tightly. It concerns one of the strongest nations in the world. If it's true, and they really deceived the giants of Elbaf, then that kingdom of monsters will be furious. But we've found some leads—give me a little more time, and I'll uncover the truth!" Perospero said nervously.
"Ma~mamamama… good. Whatever it costs, find out the truth." Big Mom's sharp eyes bore into her eldest son like daggers.
"Y-yes, of course, Mama!" Perospero stammered, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Then her mood swung back like a storm giving way to sunshine. "Mamamama~ So? What's in the paper? Anything interesting?"
"Mama, Rosinante's at it again," Perospero said quickly. "You know how he fought with the underworld not long ago—no surprise there, those rats couldn't touch him. But this time, Kaido himself appeared… and according to the papers, he actually lost to Rosinante!"
Big Mom's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Nonsense. Kaido wouldn't lose to that boy!" she snapped, snatching the paper from Perospero's hand.
But as she scanned the front page, her expression changed.
"Ma~mamamama… so it's true! That little brat actually managed to humble Kaido!" she said with a gleeful grin.
Sure, newspapers often exaggerated. But this time, there were photos—clear ones. Kaido, bloodied, with unhealed scars across his torso, his expression thunderous. No editing tricks, no fakes—because in this world, there was no such thing as Photoshop.
Then Big Mom's eyes caught another line, and they lit up like jewels.
"Hmm? 'A trillion Berries invested into Sabaody's lawless zone… building a city of freedom and equality… all races welcome… and world-class cuisine?'" She leaned forward, her grin widening. "Ma~mamamama! That brat Rosinante might be annoying, but this idea… I like it! All races together, all the world's food… he shares my dream! When is this Evernight City supposed to be finished? I'll be going!"
"Mama, wait—that's Sabaody! It's right next to the World Government!" Perospero said, nearly panicking.
"Do you think I'm afraid of the World Government, Perospero?" Big Mom's eyes went cold as ice.
"O-of course not, Mama!" Perospero stammered. "But, this project—it's only just been announced. There's no telling if it'll actually happen. One trillion Berries, and right under the Government's nose… and those three promises—none of them are easy!"
"What? Are you saying Rosinante was lying to me?" Big Mom's temper flared instantly. "That bastard! I was actually excited! Go tell him—if that Evernight City doesn't get built, I'll flatten him myself!"
"Yes, Mama!" Perospero squeaked, trembling.
…
Meanwhile, in Sabaody Archipelago—
A massive Marine battleship docked quietly, escorted by several ships flying the World Government's flag.
From the largest vessel, a tall man in a justice coat stepped ashore. Anyone familiar with the Navy's upper ranks would recognize him instantly.
Sengoku the Buddha—the Navy's sole active Admiral, soon to be Fleet Admiral.
And from the Government ships, surrounded by masked CP0 agents, another figure in a white suit descended the gangplank with quiet authority.
"Kahahaha, Sengoku, they actually made you come in person?" Garp said with his trademark laugh as he stood waiting at the pier.
"I didn't have a choice," Sengoku sighed, adjusting his glasses. "That boy Rosinante has stirred up quite the storm. The World Government is very interested in that trillion-Berries investment of his."
He was supposed to be finalizing the transition to Fleet Admiral, but the World Government had personally summoned him for this mission.
The delegation included CP0 operatives and several high-ranking World Government officials.
Rosinante's project had caught their attention—not just because of its scale, but because of the money.
A trillion Berries was enough to make even the World Nobles salivate. And no one knew Rosinante's true intentions, which made the Government uneasy.
Their goal was simple: investigate, evaluate, and—if possible—get a share of the profit. After all, both the Navy and the Government were perpetually underfunded, burdened by the extravagant waste of the Celestial Dragons and the corruption of parasites within.
The Evernight City hadn't even broken ground yet…
And already, countless greedy eyes had fixed upon it.
But those who truly understood the man called Rosinante knew one thing—
He was not someone whose dreams could be measured, or bought, by greed.