The churning seas of Whole Cake Island in the New World had now fallen into complete chaos.
When news spread that the Marines, led by Kizaru, had struck while the Big Mom Pirates were weakened—charging in with overwhelming force, wiping out the entire crew in one decisive blow, and then quickly withdrawing from Whole Cake Island—everyone was left shocked, eyes wide with disbelief.
After the brief shock wore off, all major forces began moving at once, sending their top people racing toward Whole Cake Island to find out the truth and the details.
And it wasn't just the big, powerful groups. Many mid-sized and even small pirate crews in the New World also smelled a huge opportunity.
They surged toward the territory like a rising tide, gathering together in the land that once belonged to Big Mom.
The reason so many pirate crews rushed there was simple—they had all heard an irresistible rumor: that after ruling the New World for decades, the Big Mom Pirates must have left behind a massive treasure hidden somewhere in Whole Cake Island.
As this rumor spread further and further, it seemed to gain a strange, magnetic pull, drawing in more and more greedy and ambitious people from all directions.
Elbaf, New World.
When the Red-Haired Pirates heard that the Big Mom Pirates had been completely wiped out by the Marines led by Kizaru, every one of them was stunned, their faces showing disbelief.
For a moment, the once lively deck fell silent, the only sound being the whistling sea wind.
"No doubt about it, the Marines are carefully plotting something big enough to shake the balance of the entire sea!" Beckman finally broke the silence. His voice was heavy and firm, as if he could see through every scheme. "And among the forces working with them, there's no way the Dream Expedition isn't involved, even though they've vanished without a trace."
Lately, it seemed that the Dream Expedition's shadow could be seen behind almost every major event.
This group was now like a ghost, hiding deep in the darkness, making it impossible to figure out their true goals. Ever since the Big Mom Pirates were wiped out, they had disappeared completely, their movements becoming even more mysterious.
"Beckman, I remember... the navigator in the Dream Expedition is the one with the Door-Door Fruit, right?" Shanks suddenly spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, his eyes fixed on the distant sea, but his mind was already on the man he feared the most—Ryuen.
Hearing Shanks' words, Beckman was startled for a moment, then his expression changed in realization.
"If that's true, then the priceless treasures Big Mom's crew kept, along with the vital Road Poneglyph, might have been taken by the Dream Expedition before anyone else could get to them!"
At that thought, Beckman couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
Those treasures and Poneglyphs were what countless pirates dreamed of having. They didn't just mean immense wealth—they might even reveal the location of the legendary One Piece.
"If things really go the way we think, this is going to be a nightmare. We already have three Road Poneglyphs. We're just one step away from unlocking the route to Laugh Tale. But now, the final, most important one has ended up in the hands of that cursed Dream Expedition! And if it's in Ryuen's hands... trying to take that fourth Poneglyph from him feels like nothing but a hopeless dream," Shanks thought to himself.
The moment he remembered that Ryuen was someone who never played by the rules, Shanks' thoughts became a tangled mess. The more he thought about it, the more restless he felt, as if his head was being struck again and again by a heavy hammer, throbbing with unbearable pain.
Nearby, Lucky Roo also wore a troubled expression. He spoke with worry in his voice.
"So... boss, what should we do now? The Marines clearly aren't hiding their ambition to wipe out all pirates across the seas.
They've clearly been planning this for a long time, even sending out their best forces in full strength, flooding into every region. Now, in the four seas, the Marines' heavy crackdown has made almost no one dare to set sail anymore.
It's obvious they're using their overwhelming power to enforce total, merciless control over the seas," Lucky Roo said, his face clouded with deep worry, as if a heavy storm cloud was slowly pressing down from above.
"Looks like we'll have to get in touch with Vice-Captain Rayleigh. Right now, the Kuja Pirates led by Boa Hancock are clashing fiercely with the Dream Expedition. Our best shot is to see if Rayleigh can find us a way in," Shanks said helplessly.
When Shanks said that, everyone fell silent, but their expressions clearly showed they agreed with him.
Even Beckman, who was known for his brains and seen as the group's strategist, frowned deeply. After thinking hard for a long time, he shook his head, admitting he couldn't come up with a better idea for now.
They already knew the Dream Exploration Team was hiding on some mysterious sky island, but the problem was, how could they possibly find it?
Compared to searching for ordinary uninhabited islands in the endless sea, finding a drifting, unknown sky island was like trying to reach the heavens.
Instead of blindly searching for that sky island like headless flies, it might be better to try their luck through the Kuja Pirates. Who knows, maybe they could gain something from it.
"In that case, let's go. We'll head back to Sabaody Archipelago. Maybe old man Rayleigh knows something too," Shanks said, standing up and pushing aside those troublesome thoughts for now.
"Yes!"
"Captain!" everyone responded right away.
Right after that, the Red-Haired Pirates left Elbaf and sailed toward the first half of the Grand Line.
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