Edward Newgate, Whitebeard — the strongest man on the seas — was different from other Yonko. His dream was not to become King of the Pirates but to have a family: a big, loving family that trusted and relied on him.
Sachi's death had wounded him. Teach's betrayal angered him. Ace's pursuit worried him. Yet Whitebeard showed none of those emotions outwardly. He remained calm, inscrutable, and still the father his sons relied on.
When Marco offered the green pill, Whitebeard didn't take it immediately; instead he asked, "I heard the Beasts Pirates attacked Dressrosa. What happened, Marco?"
Marco had witnessed the whole Dressrosa incident and knew more than the newspaper reports. The other captains — Diamond Jozu, Vista with the Flower Sword, and the rest — leaned in to listen. If not for Sachi's death, they'd have been debating Dressrosa as the hottest topic.
"It basically happened as the news said," Marco replied. "We were all distracted by the Senzu-bean auction. We didn't expect it to be a ruse set up by the Beasts Pirates. Their real goal was to seize Dressrosa and take everything Doflamingo owned."
"Father, I came back to tell you we need to take the Beasts Pirates much more seriously from now on."
Whitebeard narrowed his majestic eyes and spoke in a low tone: "Do you think this was Kaido's idea?"
There was no need to say more — it had to be that Beasts Prince. Marco blurted, "It must be Luo Xing! That man mastered the same ryūō-like flow-cherry technique as Oden, and that strangest form of Conqueror's Haki that wraps and injures — he one-shot Doflamingo even after he ate the Mutant Cell!"
The Whitebeard captains were stunned. The reports had only suggested Luo Xing might use Conqueror's Haki; Marco confirmed it — and that Luo Xing wielded advanced Armament Haki flow-cherry. With those two facts alone, that mysterious Beasts Prince deserved the title of a Fifth Sea Emperor.
"So that's it…" Whitebeard whispered. Having once sailed with Kaido, he knew Kaido's style and already suspected Kaido was not behind Dressrosa. Aside from Kaido, only someone of Luo Xing's status could pull off such a plan.
"Teach, Ace, Luo Xing…" Whitebeard's eyes clouded with memory. "Roger started this age, and even I can't see it all now. Maybe one day it won't be the D. clan who remakes the world."
Roger had said the D.s were the gods' enemies; only they would change the world. But Luo Xing had appeared like a comet, leaving everyone behind. Even Ace and patient, scheming Teach could not compare.
Whitebeard finally ate the Senzu bean Marco brought. All his external injuries and old wounds healed in an instant. The Whitebeard crew showed smiles they hadn't had in a long time. But Marco's smile faded — because although Whitebeard looked much better, the underlying disease remained.
On the Red-Haired ship, Lucky Roochiru returned and reported much the same. Shanks and Beckman exchanged a bitter smile. Shanks said, "We thought we saw through the Senzu auction's purpose, but we only saw layer two; that Beasts Prince stands on layer five."
Beckman felt his cigar lose its taste and regretted his own sluggishness. "I pride myself on being clever — yet I was played by a kid."
"He's no kid," Shanks said in a rare serious tone. "Anyone who masters Conqueror's wrapping — it's only a matter of time before they become someone like us."
"But for now we can't focus on him. First I must stop Ace." Shanks' words were deliberate: "We can't let Ace chase Teach!"
On the Thriller Bark, Gecko Moria read the papers and could not believe his eyes. Damn Kaido — where did he recruit such a monstrous son-in-law? Moria still had a score to settle. Perona hovered and comforted him: "Don't worry. No matter how strong the foe, once my Negative Hollows pass through him, there'll be nothing to fear."
In Alabasta, Crocodile's expression grew dark as he read the news. Robin, dressed in a small dark suit that exposed her midriff and with a perpetually mocking look in her eyes, watched him. Crocodile was shaken — if Luo Xing could one-shot Doflamingo, then Crocodile himself, who'd also taken a Mutant Cell, might be as vulnerable.
After a long pause Crocodile stood and said in a grim voice, "Robin, tell all Baroque Works members to accelerate the plan to seize Pluton." The ancient weapon Pluton could supposedly destroy a country with a single shot. Crocodile had based himself in Alabasta for years to find Pluton. Doflamingo's death made him feel urgency: without an ancient weapon he could be swept away like Doflamingo.
Somewhere on the East Blue, Dracule Mihawk read the report and a fighter's light sparked in his sharp eyes. "He used that blade called Enma? Interesting — so he's a swordsman as well."
Unknown to many, beyond the cloud layers in the East Blue floated an island: the sky fleet made by the Golden Lion using the Float-Float Fruit. On it, Golden Lion was berating his scientist Indigo.
"Indigo, you promised IQ would be ready in a few days! It's been days — you keep saying a few more days. Are you screwing with me?!"
Indigo cowered, trying to explain. Golden Lion wasn't stupid, but he'd been eager when he heard the Beasts Pirates had Mutant Cells and Senzu beans — he'd wanted to attack Wano and seize them himself. Indigo delayed him with the excuse that IQ development needed time; delay, the scientist hoped, would prevent Golden Lion from making a rash move. But Golden Lion exploded: "Enough talk! Whether IQ is ready or not, we're leaving for Wano now — right this instant!"
Golden Lion was impulsive and decisive. The whole sky fleet fell silent when he ordered the ship toward the New World and Wano.
Luo Xing didn't know that Wano was about to face the biggest crisis since his time-crossing. He himself was already en route back to Wano. He had arranged everything in Dressrosa: he'd left Fuz-Fu, Runty, and Page One — strong Flying Six — to garrison the island. Unless an Admiral-level force attacked, Dressrosa was stable.
Meanwhile, his improved artificial Devil Fruits — mass-produced under Caesar Clown's supervision with the little people as labor — were being cranked out. It wouldn't be long before the first batch of upgraded SMILEs rolled off the line.
"Master, master, we made more than a hundred billion Berries this time!" little maid Carrot leaped about, her rabbit eyes forming Berry signs.
Luo Xing tapped her on the head. "Little money-lover."
Carrot stuck out her cute tongue. Luo Xing looked at the full chests aboard their ship with a pleased mood. The Dressrosa trip had been perfect: kill Doflamingo, pocket billions, secure SMILEs — every goal fulfilled. He'd even forged an unexpected alliance with the Pirate Empress. The only regret was Viola and Rebecca — he couldn't take the two blossoming flowers back to Wano; his wife Yamato would be jealous.
The ship sailed on. Half a day later they reached Wano. Kaido, Yamato, the Three Calamities and all senior Beasts members waited at the port, and many ordinary Wano citizens turned out too — the food shipments Luo Xing had personally funded weren't wasted. The people's hearts were slowly tilting his way.
That night they held a grand banquet. Kaido sat at the head; the usual second seat for the leader of the Disasters was occupied by Luo Xing instead of the Fire Disaster, indicating Luo Xing's de facto status. Yamato and other important members were beneath him — Luo Xing was treated like the Beasts' heir.
After heavy drinking, Luo Xing carried Yamato to his room and slept until noon, then spent half a day visiting Komurasaki. Afterwards he locked himself in the lab and told everyone not to disturb him unless it was important.
He was about to manufacture another top-tier invention triggered by reaching Level 4 in the Grand Inventor system — the Fusion Earring.
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