A massive storm was quietly brewing across the world, and the Nightfall Pirates stood at its very center.
Although they had not yet entered the New World, their involvement in future major events was already inevitable. From this moment on, nearly every major power had begun to closely monitor their movements.
"Heavenly King" Rhinos streaked through the sky, riding a massive current of compressed airflow as he headed back toward the New World. He could tell that the Nightfall Pirates were not a force that could be ignored or easily influenced. Once they arrived, they might not overturn the New World's entire structure overnight, but they would definitely shake it hard.
Conflict with the Flying Pirates was unavoidable.
In the New World, pirate crews fought the moment their interests collided. There were no exceptions.
That said, the Flying Pirates were still the strongest pirate crew in the New World. They were already a Sea Emperor, with a Sky Kingdom of their own. They had no reason to fear the Nightfall Pirates, though some preparation was still necessary.
Marco flew through the sky in his phoenix form, flames trailing behind him. His expression was unusually serious.
The emergence of the Nightfall Pirates placed tremendous pressure on him.
The Whitebeard Pirates were undeniably powerful, but in terms of true top-tier combat strength, they relied almost entirely on Whitebeard himself. The others had not fully matured yet. Marco knew this better than anyone.
Even now, much of his combat effectiveness came from the convenience of his Devil Fruit rather than overwhelming raw power.
Among the cadres of the four Yonko-level pirate crews who had appeared at Urso Island, he was the weakest.
"Heavenly King" Rhinos was in another league entirely. A natural disaster-level Paramecia user, a top-tier swordsman, and a true monster of the sea.
Marco was only twenty-four years old. Among his peers, he was already considered top class. Yet when compared to King the Conflagration or Charlotte Katakuri, who were only a few years older and radiated terrifying pressure, he held no clear advantage. He might even be slightly weaker.
He needed to grow stronger.
Compared to the Flying Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates faced even greater pressure, despite both being Emperor-level crews.
Aside from Shiki the Golden Lion, who rivaled Pops himself, the Flying Pirates also possessed Rhinos and "Thunder Tyrant" Kronos, two absolute powerhouses. Combined with their immense influence, any attempt by the Whitebeard Pirates to expand or challenge dominance would invite countless enemies.
The Nightfall Pirates, on the other hand, already had three top-tier combatants.
"Dark Emperor" Teach.
"Shadow Dragon" Redyat.
"Ferocious God" Ares.
There were no weak links among their subordinates either.
Marco recalled crossing paths with Mostima in the New World. They had fought once, and neither had gained an advantage. Yet Marco knew the truth. He survived only because of his Devil Fruit. Every exchange had been dangerous. Mostima was a deeply perilous opponent.
Times had changed.
A few years ago, the New World belonged to three legendary pirate crews. Then the Roger Pirates disbanded, the Great Pirate Era began, and the struggle for the Emperor's throne ignited everything.
Even now, after becoming a Sea Emperor, the Whitebeard Pirates remained under constant pressure. Territory disputes never ceased.
As Whitebeard continued taking in sons and forming affiliated crews, the land they needed also expanded. Inevitably, conflicts involving those affiliated crews required the Whitebeard Pirates to intervene.
No matter what, the arrival of the Nightfall Pirates would only intensify this pressure.
The New World was filled with rising monsters, young pirates stirring chaos, coveting not just Warlord positions but even the Emperor's throne itself.
One of them was Gecko Moria.
His abilities were bizarre, and his personal strength formidable. He had once challenged both Whitebeard and Kaido alone. At first, unfamiliar with his strange powers, they fought him to a stalemate. Once they adapted, they overwhelmed him, but Moria still escaped.
Despite his defeat, his reputation soared, and the Gecko Pirates gained significant influence.
Everyone was growing.
They had to.
To protect their families. To protect their comrades.
"Soon, our era will arrive," Mostima said quietly on White Sand Island, barely suppressing his excitement.
"Ares, where are you going?" he asked as Ares suddenly stood up.
Ares's massive frame rivaled Kaido's in size, and his aura had grown even more terrifying over the past year.
"To challenge Kaido," Ares said simply.
He strode away without another word. The ground trembled beneath his steps. Sarika followed behind him, her fierce presence no less intense.
Mostima sighed, then smiled.
He could not command Ares, but Ares had already developed a sense of crisis. Over the past few years, his strength had grown at a terrifying pace, even faster than Mostima's own.
Mostima had once worried that Teach might not be able to suppress Ares in the long run. Ares was a born king, domineering by nature.
But after witnessing Teach's current strength, that concern vanished.
Now, it was time to act.
Before Teach and the main Nightfall Pirates force arrived, territory had to be secured.
Spread out before Mostima were documents detailing St. Louis Island and the Kingdom of Cristy, prime targets that Teach had set his sights on long ago.
Among pirate crews, the Beast Pirates currently held the largest territory. The Barbarossa Kingdom alone surpassed dozens, even hundreds of islands in size. Its population, resources, and wealth were staggering.
Pirate wars were ultimately wars for population and resources.
Because of this, the Beast Pirates did not need many islands. One massive kingdom, plus a few surrounding islands, was enough.
St. Louis Island was different.
It was powerful, vast, and only lightly affected by the Great Pirate Era. Pirate activity was mostly limited to coastal raids, which the ruling powers largely ignored.
More pressing were the tensions among the four kingdoms on the island. Small-scale skirmishes were frequent, but full war had yet to break out.
St. Louis Island alone would never satisfy Teach.
What the Nightfall Pirates wanted was the entire sea region.
Islands in this world were countless, scattered across the ocean like stars. Far more numerous than the anime ever depicted.
Even Totto Land, the core of the Big Mom Pirates, consisted of dozens of islands. And that did not even include her extended sphere of influence, affiliated territories, or islands paying protection fees.
St. Louis Island would become the Nightfall Pirates' core territory. Beyond it would lie their sphere of influence.
After all, protection money was the lifeblood of pirate empires.
The Beast Pirates were also expanding this way, though their development time was still short. One Barbarossa Kingdom already kept them busy.
The White Bird Pirates' expansion had been different.
Rather than spreading outward from White Sand Island, their territory stretched in a long, narrow strip, almost worm-like in shape. They currently controlled fourteen islands.
This had been part of Mostima's long-term plan.
However, St. Louis Island lay far from their current holdings. These territories would eventually be abandoned. Mostima had already made that decision.
The Whitebeard Pirates controlled a vast swath of the New World's core regions. Another large portion belonged to the Flying Pirates. If the Flying Pirates ever fell, that land would inevitably be seized by the Whitebeard Pirates.
Whitebeard's influence even brushed against the Sargasso Sea, where St. Louis Island was located, though it had not fully entered it.
The Sargasso Sea contained numerous islands and was contested by many pirates. Crucially, no Yonko-level crew had claimed it yet.
That made it perfect.
Mostima had once considered trading islands with the Whitebeard Pirates. He abandoned the idea. Conflict between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Nightfall Pirates was inevitable. Selling territory to them was not an option.
Through years of careful management, his islands had become highly valuable. White Sand Island alone generated staggering profits through trade.
Many great pirates coveted White Bird territory, but Mostima's strength, his connection to the Nightfall Pirates, and Ares as a deterrent ensured stability.
Their land bordered Whitebeard's territory and maintained strong trade ties, while no other Yonko-level pirates were nearby.
Even so, Mostima knew the Whitebeard Pirates had long been eyeing his islands. They simply lacked the spare strength to move against him.
Over the years, the White Bird Pirates had grown rapidly. Many pirates joined them, drawn by the Nightfall Pirates' reputation. As an affiliated crew, joining the White Birds was effectively joining Teach's camp.
Some believed Teach himself had once used the Whitebeard Pirates as a stepping stone.
Ambitious but weaker pirates often chose to lie low under powerful bAnniers. Time and stability were invaluable.
In this Great Pirate Era, the struggle for the Emperor's throne was a feast.
Those who could not survive the tide had no choice but to hide and grow quietly.
Though it was painful to abandon years of hard-won territory, Mostima had already set events in motion.
Mobius's Snake King Pirates had entered the Sargasso Sea and occupied an island, accompanied by the "Thorn Woman" Loya.
There was also Annie.
The daughter of Anthony, a former Marine Vice Admiral.
Now the ruler of the neutral Seth Island, Annie possessed Admiral-level combat power and was known as "Queen Annie."
Her identity had only recently come to light.
Annie was a fearsome close-combat fighter and a user of the Bubble-Bubble Fruit, an ability Teach and Mostima had obtained in Sabaody.
It was the power Annie wanted.
In her hands, the Bubble-Bubble Fruit became terrifying.
Through Mobius, both sides had already begun interacting. Seth Island lay close to the White Bird Pirates' path.
Mostima trusted Mobius's strength, but caution demanded speed.
Teach and the Nightfall Pirates would reach the New World within a year.
Before that, enough territory had to be seized.
Behind Mobius came the second wave.
"Jetman" Kaski.
"Mantis" Abby.
The brothers "Monitor Lizard" Hadena and "Silverback Gorilla" Hademan.
All pirates with bounties in the two to three hundred million range.
They were already nearing the Sargasso Sea.
While the world focused on the Nightfall Pirates, the White Bird Pirates were quietly shifting their forces.
Now, all that remained was to complete the transaction with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Devil Fruits or Belly.
Once the deal was done, they would leave.
And the real expansion would begin.