Shocking the World
After delivering the final blow, Yang Ning turned away decisively, not sparing another glance at the fleeing escape boat. He kicked the old man awake.
"Go to my ship and lead the way. If we don't reach your destination within six hours, I'll hang you on the bow and use you as a ram."
The old man trembled, head bowed, not daring to utter a word.
Yang Ning then roused Esdeath, Nami, and the others one by one. Together, they carried the unconscious Sylvester back to the New Windbreaker.
Once everyone was aboard, Yang Ning's expression turned icy. Sword in hand, he swept through the enemy ship—from bow to stern, deck to cabin—plundering it thoroughly. Twice over.
If Sylvester weren't waiting on the brink of death, he'd have looted it at least two more times.
Back on his own ship, he fixed the old man with a cold stare. The man shuddered—and wisely shouted:
"Set sail! Let's go—now!"
With sails raised and rudder turned, the old man—under Nami's watchful eye—steered the New Windbreaker into the waves, cutting a path through the sea.
The ship sailed quietly.
But the world? It erupted.
---
News Coo Urgent Bulletin – SHOCKING!
Celestial Dragon Attacked!
Saint Charmaz Loses Arm to Pirates in Early Grand Line!
---
Marineford – Fleet Admiral's Office
Sengoku the Buddha listened to the Den Den Mushi, its face contorted as spittle flew from its mouthpiece. The voice on the other end was furious.
"Sengoku! Is this the sea under your rule?! Is this the capability of your Navy?!"
"A small-time pirate from the first half of the Grand Line dared to attack a Celestial Dragon—and even severed Saint Charmaz's arm!"
"What blasphemy! What arrogance! And how utterly incompetent you are!"
"You will take full responsibility for this, Sengoku!"
The Den Den Mushi's exaggerated features perfectly mirrored the caller's rage.
Sengoku sighed. "Saint Saturn, the Navy cannot monitor every corner of the ocean. Such incidents are—"
"Enough!"
The Den Den Mushi's face shifted—and so did the voice.
"Sengoku, we don't want excuses. We want results."
"Send Borsalino immediately. Bring that pirate who started this back to Mary Geoise. The rest? Public execution."
"Impossible."
Akainu's hoarse voice cut in, tone as scorching as lava.
The Den Den Mushi sputtered. "Akainu! How dare you interrupt?!"
Unfazed, Akainu didn't even open his eyes. "Borsalino is currently confronting Shanks in the New World—stationed at the front of Elegia. Do you want Shanks to discover the World Government's research base?"
A pause. Then, colder:
"Sengoku—you have three days to handle this. Send a general. Now."
"Remember who you serve. Remember that the Celestial Dragons' affairs come before everything else."
Click.
The Den Den Mushi slumped, signaling the call had ended.
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead as he slammed his fist on the desk.
"Damn it, at a time like this—"
Crunch. Crunch.
He turned—and saw Garp lounging nearby, happily munching senbei.
"Garp! Can you stop eating so loudly?!"
Sengoku snatched the entire bag and shoved it into his own mouth, chewing aggressively.
Garp didn't mind. He leaned back on the sofa and picked his nose.
"Hahaha! It's just some trash who lost an arm. No need to ruin our plans over him."
"Garp! Watch your words, you muscle-headed idiot!"
Sengoku glared—but a flicker of envy crossed his eyes. A vice admiral's life was easier than a fleet admiral's.
Swallowing the last of the senbei, Sengoku turned serious.
"The rules are clear: when Celestial Dragons are attacked, an Admiral must respond. Borsalino's occupied. Akainu's deterring Big Mom. That leaves…"
He looked to the corner.
"Kuzan. You go. Take two lieutenant generals and four major generals from headquarters. At least make it look like we're in control."
From the sofa, Aokiji lazily lifted one corner of his eye mask.
"Oh dear… this is such a troublesome thing…"
---
New World – Whole Cake Island
Big Mom, holding a newspaper half the size of her palm, stared wide-eyed—then grinned ear to ear.
"What a brave kid! But he's too weak… oh my god."
Perospero, licking his giant lollipop, ventured carefully, "Should we bring him here, Mom?"
She glared. "He's just a weak human—not a rare race. Why capture him? A tea party would be far more interesting."
---
New World – Moby Dick
"Kurahahahaha! Another audacious young man appears on this vast sea! He's truly done something grand! Bring me wine—we feast tonight!"
"Dad… your body can't handle more drinking," Marco frowned, arms crossed.
He'd tried persuading his father countless times. Never once succeeded.
After a sigh and a rub of his forehead, Marco smiled. How could a man like Whitebeard ever quit his joys just because death loomed?
---
Unknown Island Ahead of New World – Elegia
Across a quiet stretch of sea, Red-Haired Shanks sat facing a naval warship—calm, relaxed, sipping wine and reading the newspaper.
Pfft!
He spat out his drink, eyes wide, expression unreadable—admiration? shock? disbelief?
"Hey, Beckman! Come see this. A super reckless newcomer's appeared. This ocean never runs out of interesting people."
Beckman strolled over, glanced at the paper—and his pupils contracted sharply.
"They're really stirring things up. These newcomers these days… something else."
---
Grand Line – Calm Belt, Amazon Lily
Boa Hancock, in a red lace dress, pressed the newspaper to her face, eyes wide, fingers whitening on the paper.
Beneath her throne, her sisters knelt slack-jawed, whispering in awe:
"There are actually people… Do gods bleed…?"
In her frenzy, Hancock tore the paper in half. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she rose, voice ringing through the palace:
"The Kuja Pirates are to be mobilized immediately!"
"I must find this man! I must see him with my own eyes!"
---
A single newspaper had sent shockwaves across the world.
For eight hundred years, the myth of the Celestial Dragons' invincibility stood unchallenged.
Now, it was shattered.
And the name Yang Ning entered the world stage—loud, violent, and unforgettable.
At Marineford, a fleet of seven warships—one flagship, two medium, three small—sailed from port in solemn formation, cutting through the Calm Belt toward the early Grand Line.
And within two hours, freshly printed bounty posters of the Windbreaker Pirates—still warm with ink—were spreading across every port, every island, every ship in the sea.