Somewhere in the New World.
The pungent stench of gunpowder hung thick in the air. The wreckage of ship after ship drifted upon the sea; some were engulfed in raging flames, others emitted thin wisps of gray smoke, and some were nearly submerged, leaving only a massive whirlpool in their wake.
In this stretch of sea, aside from the remains of dozens of vessels and a vast field of floating debris, the eye met only the gruesome sight of corpses—thousands of bodies bobbed in the water, their blood staining the ocean a deep, morbid crimson.
Initial estimates suggested that at least twenty thousand people had perished here. It was, without a doubt, a catastrophic war.
As a light breeze blew, a tattered Jolly Roger drifted across the waves. The broken, crescent-shaped white mustache on the flag seemed to tell the silent tale of the fall of a titan.
The Blackbeard Pirates, led by Marshall D. Teach, and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Marco the Phoenix, had clashed in three final, fierce conflicts.
As the world had expected, faced with the power of Teach's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the war ended in a crushing defeat for the Whitebeard survivors.
"Zehahaha! From this day forward, no one stands in my way! Zehahaha—!" Teach stood at the bow of a massive pirate ship, laughing maniacally as he surveyed the graveyard of ships. At that moment, he was brimming with pride and ambition.
"From this day forth, I am one of the Four Emperors!!"
…
Kingdom of Clifford, Royal Capital, Nakor.
Palace Entertainment City.
Top of the Central Tower.
"The 'Payback War'... Marshall D. Teach, don't let me down now! Emperor Blackbeard!"
Aeridar stood before a massive golden bell, gazing into the cloudless clear sky as he murmured to himself. "It has truly begun. The New Age!"
"Captain! Blackbeard Teach has announced it to the world, he's claimed the title of Emperor!"
With a flurry of urgent footsteps, Mina rushed up behind Aeridar, clutching a thick stack of newspapers.
"Is that so? He certainly moved fast!"
Aeridar arched an eyebrow and turned around, taking the papers from Mina's hands to scan the headlines.
[Ascending to the Four Emperors: Blackbeard's Declaration!]
[The Fourth Emperor, Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach!]
[Blackbeard's Proclamation: Truth or Bluster?]
[...]
Multiple newspapers featured Blackbeard Teach's self-proclaimed ascension to "Yonko" status as their front-page lead.
"Captain, do we need to release a statement?" Mina asked, her brow furrowed with a heavy, serious expression.
"A statement? What for?" Aeridar countered with a tilt of his head. He continued calmly, "I needed Blackbeard to take the heat for us. There is a polar difference between a Yonko-level crew and a non-Yonko pirate. Only with him as an Emperor will the world's eyes stop focusing so intently on us!"
Step, step, step...
Aeridar walked toward Mina, reached out a hand, and tilted her smooth chin up. A cryptic, mocking smile played on his lips.
"When we become gods, what do the Four Emperors matter? All living things... are but ants!!!"
…
When Teach's declaration spread across the globe, the world erupted, not in shock or fear, but in mockery and ridicule.
"Emperor Blackbeard? Hahaha! That's the funniest joke of the year! Hahahaha!"
"He thinks stealing Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor power makes him an Emperor? What a delusional bastard!"
"In the New World, the only man truly qualified to be an Emperor is the Master of the World Neutral Zone, Golden Ring Aeridar. Anyone else is a second-rate hack!"
"Slayer Oliver, Blue-Haired Gilbert Arlan, God Enel... with monsters like those under him, what does the Blackbeard crew even amount to?"
The public sneered at Blackbeard's hubris, eagerly awaiting a violent clash between the Chris Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates.
Indeed, by defeating the Whitebeard remnants, Blackbeard's momentum was unparalleled. In the original timeline, it could be said that no one was left to stop him.
However, with the emergence of Aeridar and his Chris Pirates, Aeridar was now widely considered the "Number One Man below the Yonko." In the eyes of the world, if Blackbeard wanted that throne, he had to kick aside this massive stumbling block first.
Otherwise, he'd have to take down one of the other established Emperors.
Yet, ten days passed, and Aeridar and the Chris Pirates remained utterly silent.
At this, the world began to waver. Could it be that the prestigious Master of the World Neutral Zone... actually acknowledged Blackbeard's claim to the throne?
…
Red Line, Holy Land Mary Geoise.
"What on earth is happening?"
"Blackbeard makes this declaration to the world, and what is that man, 'Golden Ring,' thinking?"
"As I suspected, that meeting between Blackbeard and Golden Ring must have resulted in a secret pact!"
"He's giving up a seat among the Four Emperors? Does he care that much about his position as a Warlord of the Sea?"
"Can a Warlord position even compare to being a Yonko?"
"Or does he have some other, deeper motive?"
"Whatever the case, as long as Golden Ring Aeridar remains within the Warlord system, it's better than him becoming an Emperor!"
"What I fear is that this man has a far more profound objective!"
Teach's ascension hit the Gorosei hard. They simply could not fathom why a man who was closest to the throne would forfeit it and allow an enemy the chance to grow. What kind of secret was hidden behind this move?
…
Marine Headquarters, New Marineford.
"Blackbeard is an Emperor? And that fellow Golden Ring Aeridar hasn't lifted a finger?" Sakazuki sat in the Fleet Admiral's office, a cigar clamped between his teeth, staring grimly at the newspaper.
The front-page photo showed Blackbeard standing at the bow of his ship, looking triumphant and wildly arrogant.
"That man... from the very beginning, he seemed to know exactly what he wanted!" Great Staff Officer Tsuru sat on a sofa, arms folded and expressionless. She said tonelessly, "Developing new warships, creating bio-weapons, researching genetic serums, and recruiting elite shipwrights, scientists, and doctors on a massive scale... he doesn't behave like a pirate at all."
"If he had defeated Blackbeard to become an Emperor, I wouldn't be surprised. Even if Blackbeard had defeated him, though unexpected, it would be understandable," Sakazuki's voice was cold, yet tinged with confusion. "But he actually gave up the throne and stepped aside for Blackbeard!"
Despite being a Marine, Sakazuki understood what the title of "Yonko" meant to a pirate. He believed no pirate could resist such a temptation. It was the equivalent of a common seaman's desire for the rank of Admiral or Fleet Admiral, nearly impossible to turn down.
Except, perhaps, for that old man Garp.