East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
This is a secluded village, isolated from the world, where even the news birds always seem to arrive a little late.
Just in time—it was the night of the changing year.
The old year became the past, and the year 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar quietly came to an end.
That night, lanterns were hung at the entrance of Isshin Dojo, with kadomatsu and shimenawa decorations on both sides of the gate. Koshiro personally led the disciples in a thorough cleaning of the house to ward off bad luck.
These were customs passed down from ancestors of Wano Country and have been preserved at Isshin Dojo.
In the kitchen, Bellemere was helping to prepare "Toshikoshi Soba" noodles. She had a cheerful smile and was humming a little tune.
—It was obvious she had just received some good news and was in a very good mood.
As for a certain green-haired guy and a curly-browed one...
The two of them stood atop the village's water tower with arms folded, staring into the distant sea as snow fell heavily around them.
Tucked under their arms was a newspaper each—clearly already read.
"After tonight, I'll be sixteen," Sanji sighed.
"Yeah, me too."
"Nokiko and the others went out to sea at this age."
"Yeah, Kuina too."
"Brother Shano's bounty is already stacked several stories high."
"Yeah, Kuina too."
"Green algae head, why do you keep saying that?"
"Because I can't wait anymore!" Zoro finally lost it and shouted, "This time last year, we were still neck and neck, but now we've been completely left in the dust—we can't even see that guy's butt anymore!"
"…That's a disgusting way to say it."
"?" Zoro's face was full of question marks. What does his butt have to do with disgusting?
"It's fine, go ahead and say it… Anyway, let's set sail! I can't wait anymore!"
Sanji raised his arms and laughed. "We'll depart tomorrow when the snow stops—head for the Grand Line! I hereby declare the formation of the Chef Adventure Group! Hey, my vice-captain, you ready?"
"Huh? Why are you the captain and I'm the vice-captain? And! What the hell is the Chef Adventure Group? Your naming sense is awful!"
"Then what do you want to name it?"
"Swords, swords… Two Swords Adventure Group?"
"Even worse!" Sanji rolled his eyes. "Forget it, I'm not being your deputy. We're going our separate ways!"
"Just what I wanted!" Zoro scoffed. "When my Two Swords Adventure Group becomes famous in the Grand Line, don't come crying and begging to join me!"
"You can talk once you can find the Grand Line first," Sanji sneered.
The two glared at each other atop the water tower, locked in a cold standoff.
The wind howled, and the snow fell harder…
——
Some people were still talking nonsense at home, while others had already embarked on their journey.
Reverse Mountain.
A bright yellow submarine emerged from the sea, riding the upstream current toward the summit of the Red Line.
From the top, all four seas came into view—and the direction they were heading was clear.
Law adjusted his leopard-print hat and grinned slightly.
The Grand Line.
"Captain, are we really going to look for Mr. Shano?" Bepo's nervous voice came from behind.
"Yeah…"
Law chuckled. "I'm not talking about joining or anything, but for Shano—our benefactor—I have to meet him in person and thank him."
In fact, there was another person he also wanted to thank.
Coincidentally, he had just seen in a newspaper that the other person had also joined the Fallen and become one of its three main officers.
Now that the two of them were together, things would be easier.
"Wuuu…"
A faint sobbing sound came from behind.
Law frowned and turned to see Bepo squatting in the corner, covering his face with his furry paws. His shoulders trembled, and tears fell to the ground.
"Bepo?"
Law was confused. "Why are you crying?"
"Wuuu…"
"First of all, you're a mink, our partner—not a pet, and definitely not food."
"Second, you idiot, use that big head of yours and think! When have we ever believed anything the World Government says? They've tried every dirty trick to smear Shano's name. How could something like that be true?"
"Really?" Bepo lowered his head, pinching his round belly. "But I do look really delicious… I was actually planning to lose weight and get skinny so they'd lose their appetite."
"I said there's no such thing! And you are not allowed to shrink my napping pillow!"
Law finally lost it and bonked Bepo on the head with the hilt of a knife. "Come on! Don't worry about it. Focus on sailing. We're about to enter the Grand Line!"
The submarine plunged forward off the peak and into the Grand Line. Law stood at the bow, the flag of the Heart Pirates flapping in the wind.
He stared out into the unpredictable sea ahead.
"Boss Shano…"
Law whispered to himself, "Let me see with my own eyes what kind of man could kill Doflamingo and make the World Government so afraid of him…"
——
New World, Onigashima.
Thick fog shrouded the horned skull castle.
"Wuaahahahaha!!!"
A massive figure who had just woken up grabbed his wine gourd and let out a hearty laugh. "That brat really did it this time. It's been a long time since the World Government took a hit like this!"
King sat silently by the window, reading the newspaper in his hand.
2.86 billion berries?
That's nearly at the level of the Four Emperors.
Looking at the dazzling bounty far above his own, a flicker of complex emotion passed through his eyes.
Bad news—his bounty and strength had been completely surpassed. If that guy joined the Beasts, he'd instantly become Kaido's second-in-command and trample over King.
Good news—a man like that would never be someone's subordinate…
But is that really good news?
King set the newspaper down on the windowsill, eyes thoughtful. Maybe it was time to order increased surveillance of nearby waters.
That boy was charging straight toward the throne of a Yonko.
And since he had a grudge against Kaido, his first target might very well be the Beasts.
…Hmm?
King suddenly sensed something and looked up.
He saw Kaido put down his wine gourd and walk to the window. He stretched, then twisted his neck, bones cracking.
Wait a second…
King's pupils shrank.
Was he planning to head out and challenge Shano to a duel?
"Brother Kaido!"
He quickly stepped forward to block him—but Kaido only yawned and returned to his throne.
King froze in place.
"What's with you?" Kaido asked, confused. "I just had a stiff neck last night and sprained my back. Just wanted to stretch. Why are you blocking me?"
Are you teasing me on purpose!?
A black line appeared on King's forehead. He couldn't be bothered with this guy anymore.
Neither of them noticed that a sea breeze had blown through, carrying the newspaper off the windowsill.
No one knew how far or how long it drifted…
Snap.
A pair of slender white hands reached out and caught the newspaper, curiously unfolding it.
The movement was a bit too strong, and the iron chains rattled crisply, echoing across the quiet grass.
——
Dressrosa.
A week had passed since the earth-shaking battle, yet the End was still anchored off this passionate island.
Shano hadn't planned to stay long.
But it was the turn of the Sea Circle Calendar.
And Dressrosa was known as the "Fairy Kingdom of Love and Passion." The humans and dwarves here had bold hearts full of warmth.
As a result, they were pulled into banquet after banquet and simply gave up trying to leave.
They decided to stay and celebrate the New Year.
Once the festive spirit faded and everyone had recovered, it wouldn't be too late to depart.
"Boss, Boss!"
Jack, holding a massive wine barrel, shouted drunkenly outside the window.
"We got another invite! This time it's from the little guys of the Tontatta Tribe—they want us to visit Green Bit. Should we go?"
"You guys go. I've already been once. I've got things to do now."
Shano replied casually, sitting cross-legged on the sofa.
"Oh, alright."
Jack's footsteps faded into the distance.
Shano turned his eyes back to the coffee table.
Lined up were three suits in different colors, a kimono, and a flat hat.
These were sent today by CP0 on behalf of the Five Elders, fulfilling their agreement.
Without hesitation, Shano sacrificed them one by one.
[You sacrificed the flat hat of the God of Science and Defense, Saturn, and received 2,000 points.]
[You sacrificed the suit of the God of Environment, Marcus Mars, and received 2,000 points.]
[You sacrificed…]
All five of the old men gave exactly the same—2,000 points each.
In total, that was 10,000—a decent bonus.
However…
This request wasn't just for points.
He also wanted insight into their combat strength.
"Only 2,000?" Shano's eyes gleamed.
No matter how many years those five had lived, or what strange powers they had from Im…
If their equipment was only worth this much—less than Chaton's cowboy hat—then their true strength likely wasn't that high.
At most, they were around a Yonko's right-hand man in power.
Immortality just made them trickier to deal with.
It seemed the true top combat power of the World Government still lay with the Admirals and the Holy Knights.
Shano checked his remaining points.
With the 10,000 from the Five Elders, plus 1,500 from Enel, and 2,500 total from King Riku, Violet, Kyros, Rebecca, and others—
He now had 57,600 points.
Quite abundant once more.
Also…
Shano glanced at the katana behind him.
These days, while sorting Devil Fruits, he noticed the sword "Masamune" would often tremble—like a child seeing candy.
It trembled most around the Thunder Fruit.
No way.
He had no plans to do that.
He wasn't a true swordsman—his only move was Roger's Divine Departure. He didn't use swords otherwise.
Besides, a Logia fruit—especially the rare Lightning—would be wasted on a sword.
Maybe if he found a good Paramecia in the future, and the katana liked it, he could consider it.
As for the Thunder Fruit, he planned to save it.
With the right user, it could create a senior officer rivaling the Three Evils.
"Three Evils…"
Shano shook his head.
The Navy's intelligence work was reliable. Kuma had officially joined his crew and was one of the highest combat forces.
But their naming sense…
"Three Evils," "Disasters"?
Felt more like the Beasts' naming style—very edgy.
But it did sound intimidating.
Probably created by someone at Marine HQ.
It was acceptable.
Besides Kuma…
The Tontatta Pirates, led by Captain Leo, had also joined the Fallen.
They were called a pirate crew, but really, they were a guard force of only 200-some dwarves from the Tontatta Kingdom.
Currently, they had returned from Green Bit and were stationed here—serving alongside the Riku Army as protectors of this land.
Dressrosa now flew the Fallen's flag—at the port and atop the Royal Plateau—just like the Agatha Islands.
King Riku had abandoned his World Government allegiance and officially joined Shano's cause.
The Tontatta Kingdom had done the same.
Their hatred for the Donquixote Family ran even deeper than the Riku royal line—stretching back 800 years.
Shano and Kuma had not only saved Dressrosa—but also them.
Shano opened his backpack interface and unrolled a parchment scroll.
On the map, amidst the fog, the second and third islands north of Agatha were now lit up.
[Territory: Dressrosa]
[Land Area: 26,000 km²]
[Population: ~1.3 million]
[Regional Leader: King Riku]
[Happiness: Low → Medium]
[Territory: Green Bit]
[Land Area: 2,800 km²]
[Population: ~8,000, all Tontatta dwarves]
[Regional Leader: Gancho]
[Happiness: Medium → High]