With full force, Whitebeard unleashed his terrifying power.
His quake-inducing strikes reverberated across the land, spreading violent tremors outward in all directions.
Whole Cake Island crumbled beneath his feet.
He howled toward Big Mom's retreating direction, his body like a god of ruin.
A massive white energy sphere erupted from his fist and instantly engulfed half the island.
High-frequency seismic waves began tearing through everything within.
Big Mom's powerful physique allowed her to resist the destructive force for a while.
But for her children, including Perospero, it was a different story.
This invisible vibration was far more terrifying than any physical blow.
Gura Gura no Mi — the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Officially a Paramecia, but now more divine than any Logia or Mythical Zoan.
It no longer merely triggered earthquakes, seaquakes, or airquakes...
It generated hundreds of shockwaves per second within a space.
How could anyone withstand that?
In the span of a few breaths, life turned into blood mist.
Even with Devil Fruit abilities, no one could escape the white void of death.
One after another, members of the Charlotte Family fell.
As the eldest, Perospero transformed into a giant candy monster — but it made no difference.
He collapsed to the ground, sweet syrup leaking from his wounds.
His vision blurred.
"Am I dying...?
What a tragic life... If only Mama had surrendered..."
His eyes dimmed as he resigned himself to death.
Charlotte Linlin — Big Mom — knelt on one knee inside the quake sphere.
She punched at the air, using her powerful Armament Haki to try and escape.
But her strength rapidly weakened.
Eventually, she collapsed completely.
Ten minutes later, the last of the Four Emperors — Charlotte Linlin — was dead.
Whitebeard felt her aura vanish and picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Reporting in: I've eliminated Linlin and Kaido.
Next stop: Wano Country."
The operator on the other end nearly dropped the receiver.
"What?! You already finished?!"
They'd only received news of Whitebeard entering Totto Land this morning.
Everyone had expected a long, drawn-out battle.
But it ended that quickly?
The operator scrambled in a panic before a familiar voice joined the line.
"Is that you, Mr. Edward?"
The gentle, cheerful tone made Whitebeard smile.
This kid…
"Kerla, how many times do I have to tell you—don't call me Mister!
It's Uncle Edward! You're part of the Church!"
"Ah—sorry! I forgot again. Uncle Edward!"
She laughed.
"Don't forget to take pictures, okay? It's great for our outreach."
"Got it. I'll upload them in a bit."
"Thanks, Uncle!"
Kerla ended the call with a playful smile.
Soon after, more than a dozen photos arrived—
—Images of Cake Island's destruction
—Photos of the fall of Totto Land
—And clear, undeniable proof of the deaths of two of the Four Emperors
The world would shake again.
Hmph… So, World Government dogs…
How will you survive this round?
Kerla closed the files and turned to her fellow believers.
"Contact Morgans. Tell him to stop stalling and release this story.
And someone tell him—gambling is strictly forbidden within the Eternal Church!"
"Yes, Sister Kerla!"
That day, the world was stunned.
Whitebeard had single-handedly slain two of the Four Emperors.
The era of pirates was over.
Only one power remained across the seas—
The Eternal Church.
In a matter of months, they had taken over one-fourth of the entire planet.
"This is bad! Whitebeard took down Kaido and Big Mom!
The New World has completely fallen!"
"What the hell do you mean bad? This is great news!"
The tavern crowd turned to glare at the man who'd spoken in panic.
The Eternal Church was the best thing that had ever happened to them.
How dare he badmouth it?
With the Four Emperors gone, daily life could finally return to peace.
Every day now, the news spoke of countries being liberated.
And their people...
Growing stronger.
The most comical was Alabasta.
Once ruled by Crocodile, the country had fallen into ruin.
Even after Luffy defeated him, their situation remained dire.
But with the aid of the Eternal Church, although geography couldn't be changed, the strength of the people rose drastically.
Pirates didn't even dare dock there now.
"You step foot in Alabasta?"
"You get mugged by civilians."
Simple as that.
This was no longer the Pirate Era.
This was the era of righteous domination.
The era of faith.
In a dimly lit tavern, a white-haired old man sat quietly in the corner.
He adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses and held out a few coins.
"One newspaper, please."
"Thank you, sir!" the paperboy replied cheerfully.
The man unfolded the paper.
The front page shone with clarity.
A youthful Whitebeard dominated the headlines — glowing with health, no scars in sight.
In the background lay the ruins of Cake Island, the mangled corpses of Kaido and Big Mom barely recognizable.
The old man's lenses glinted.
"The power of the Eternal Church... It's too overwhelming."
"It's already restored Whitebeard's prime. Who could possibly stop them now?"
He tucked the newspaper under his arm.
History… was now being rewritten.
And it no longer belonged to pirates.
It belonged to gods.
Now that it's over, a new chapter will surely begin.
The Pirate Era, which had lasted over twenty years, was finally and utterly finished.
But the Navy's era—that too was approaching its end.
Back at a quiet bar, Rayleigh returned home with a newspaper in hand.
This bar, long serving as both residence and hideout, was now a resting place for the old pirate.
Shakuyaku raised an eyebrow at him, surprised.
"You didn't even get drunk today? That's rare."
Rayleigh gave a bitter smile and held up the newspaper.
"Whitebeard killed Big Mom and Kaido.
The era of the Four Emperors is officially over.
You think I could get drunk after reading that?"
"What?! Whitebeard? That strong?"
Shakuyaku was stunned.
"Wasn't he… old and dying not long ago?"
Rayleigh nodded.
"Not anymore. He regained his youth.
And now? He's stronger than ever.
Killed two Emperors without even a scratch."
"Yikes… That's really bad news for the Navy."
Shakuyaku looked over the paper and sighed.
The Pirate Era is dead. The New World has fallen.
The Eternal Church's next step?
The Four Seas... and then Mary Geoise itself.
Rayleigh collapsed onto the sofa and sighed deeply.
"That's why I've been thinking… Should I go see them?"
The Eternal Church was recruiting followers.
As long as you weren't a heinous criminal, they would accept you.
For an ex-pirate like Rayleigh, they'd likely roll out the red carpet.
But joining meant accepting their divine rule.
Rayleigh didn't want to be bound by anyone—not even a god.
Still...
If he joined, he could finally reveal the secrets of the Final Island.
Information that would shake the world to its core.
The World Government and the Celestial Dragons were little more than a farce once the truth came out.
Shakuyaku saw the hesitation in his eyes and smiled.
"Why don't I go with you?
After all these years, being the boss's wife is getting boring."
They exchanged a look—and laughed.
They didn't seek immortality or a second youth.
They just wanted to fulfill the Captain's last wish.
If they stayed silent now...
That era—their history—would be buried forever.
Someone has to tell the truth about this world.
Aboard the Moby Dick
Katakuri lay on the deck, listless and defeated.
A plate of food and a bottle of water sat beside him—untouched.
His eyes were vacant.
"Not hungry?"
Marco walked over, sitting beside him.
His tone was casual—like he was commenting on the weather.
But his words struck a nerve.
Katakuri's fist shot forward, slamming toward Marco's face.
"That was my mother! You think I could just stand by and do nothing while she was killed?!"
But the punch was caught—effortlessly.
Marco deconstructed the blow and stripped away the fruit power, de-elementalizing him.
"Did she ever really care about you?"
Marco's voice was steady, piercing.
"To her, you were a weapon.
If she felt even a shred of love for you, you wouldn't be lying here like this.
You're torn because you're starting to realize it, too."
He paused, looking at the man beside him.
"The bond between siblings—that's the only real thing you had.
Whitebeard didn't go after them.
He let them live."
Katakuri opened his mouth—then closed it.
He remembered all too well.
His mother had never been kind.
She used her children.
Stronger ones were favored.
Weaker ones? Married off like bargaining chips.
Chiffon… his other sisters…
It was always like this.
He had never truly been loved.
Just… used.
"Then… what do I do now?"
Katakuri's voice was hollow.
He had no purpose.
Marco placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Come with us.
See the world.
Or… join the Eternal Church.
Start fresh."
The Eternal Church never forced conversion.
But someone like Katakuri?
They'd gladly accept him.
He had strength.
He had scars.
He wasn't evil—just lost.
"We're setting sail soon," Marco said.
"Think it over."
Katakuri gave a bitter smile.
He couldn't bring himself to call Whitebeard "Dad,"
Or bow to that radiant god.
Not yet.
"I'll watch... for now."
Back in the cabin, Whitebeard sat cross-legged in meditation.
His eyes opened slowly as Marco returned.
"Still won't eat?"
"No. But he's better.
Just needs time."
Marco poured a cup of warm milk and sipped it.
The aroma filled the room.
Whitebeard nodded, then added:
"Give him the meditation scripture tomorrow.
If he studies that, he'll recover on his own."
"Got it, Pops.
By the way, news from above—
Our recruitment numbers just skyrocketed after the last battle."
Whitebeard grinned.
"Of course.
The weak follow the strong."
"Always have… always will."