"Banquet?"
"Hell yeah!"
Storm's suggestion immediately ignited enthusiastic cheers from the Shandia warriors.
After centuries of wandering among the sky islands, the Shandian people had finally reclaimed their ancestral homeland today.
Regardless of how exactly they managed to retake it...
This God's Island, this homeland of theirs, had once again become the Shandians' territory!
This came with the personal endorsement of Lord Vongola Storm himself.
Not even a god could oppose this decision.
Such monumental news absolutely demanded a magnificent celebration!
The moment the banquet idea was proposed, it spread like wildfire through every Shandia warrior's heart.
They couldn't even wait to thoroughly explore their "homeland island."
The Shandians immediately rushed back to Cloud Hidden Village to gather all their people and bring them to God's Island.
They needed to celebrate their homecoming!
No sooner thought than done.
Led by Wiper, the Shandia Guerrilla fighters hastily departed God's Island after bidding farewell to Storm.
Even little Aisa, who had been crying earlier, now suppressed her tears to join the group effort.
As they were leaving, Aisa turned back toward Storm and waved her right hand vigorously.
The clay Nine-Tailed Fox doll in her hand swayed along with her movements.
Though Aisa still felt disappointed about missing out on that winged white lizard...
Storm had given God's Island back to the Shandians...
Wasn't the Nine-Tailed Fox good enough too?
'That damn brat!'
Storm's lips twitched as he watched Aisa's forced smile.
Whether it was Jewelry Bonney from before or Aisa today, these kids were all utterly insufferable!
The old saying never lied.
Five or six years old - even dogs would avoid them!
Storm shook his head as he watched the Shandians depart.
With the banquet approaching, he abandoned further testing of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit and Armament Haki abilities on God's Island.
Summoning the Blue-Eyed White Dragon, Storm mounted the beast and flew to the island's edge before plunging into the endless White-White Sea.
The surrounding Sea Clouds posed no obstacle to Storm or his dragon.
Like a drill, the White Dragon spiraled downward through the clouds.
Enhanced by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Storm's Observation Haki range expanded dramatically.
Even from the 10,000-meter-high White-White Sea, he could clearly sense Jaya Island on the ocean surface below!
The raucous laughter of pirates in Mock Town on Jaya Island now rang clearly through his Observation Haki.
If he wished, he could unleash the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power to deliver Divine Punishment upon Jaya Island at any moment.
'Best leave these small-time pirates alone for now...'
Once again, Storm had no intention of stopping at Jaya Island.
The White Dragon's massive shadow swept over the island before speeding toward Banal Island.
Not long after.
Storm spotted the legendary Godzilla standing tall on the distant island, towering at a hundred meters high, across the vast sea.
Banal Island was now in sight.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon slowed its flight speed.
Storm glanced at the statue-like figure of Whitebeard III standing quietly beside him and directly removed a ring from his finger.
This was the very ring that contained the power of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit]—
The [Thunderclap Ring]!
The moment Edward Teach put on the [Thunderclap Ring], endless lightning erupted from his body.
Even the Blue-Eyed White Dragon's Dragon Body was tinged with dazzling arcs of electricity, adding an extra layer of majesty.
BOOM—
A bolt of lightning cracked across the clear sky above Banal Island.
Robin, who had been reading a book inside the Clay House, heard the sudden thunderclap and instinctively looked out the window.
The figure of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon, wreathed in silver-white lightning, reflected in Robin's pupils.
"The boss's Blue-Eyed White Dragon…"
Robin couldn't help but stand up and lean out the window, trying to get a clearer look.
"But what's with the lightning?"
Before Robin could fully grasp the situation, the Blue-Eyed White Dragon erupted with another dazzling display of lightning, forcing her to close her eyes involuntarily.
CRACK—
A deafening thunderclap roared in Robin's ears.
It was as if a terrifying bolt of lightning had descended from the heavens.
When Robin opened her eyes, a figure both unfamiliar and familiar stood before her.
Unfamiliar because she had never truly met him before.
Familiar because she had heard countless legends about him from various sources.
Just look at that iconic crescent-shaped white beard…
The very figure Crocodile had dreamed of night after night—
"Whitebeard???"
Robin stood frozen in shock as she watched Whitebeard descend from the sky, his body enveloped in lightning.
The overwhelming mental impact left her rooted to the spot, even forgetting how to blink.
Why was Whitebeard in Paradise?
Why did Whitebeard look so young?
Why did Whitebeard possess the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit]—the legendary, unrivaled power—instead of the [Tremor-Tremor Fruit]?
Robin barely managed to regain her composure. Her peripheral vision shifted past the towering figure of Whitebeard to the white dragon in the sky.
Blue-Eyed White Dragon, why are you just standing there watching?!
Wait!
Blue-Eyed White Dragon, why are you flying away??
The lightning surrounding Edward Teach gradually dissipated.
But Robin found the man before her even more unreal…
She must be dreaming, right?
Just then.
Edward Teach spoke, his voice deep, carrying a faint magnetic resonance of thunder.
"Nico Robin?"
Hearing "Whitebeard" call her name directly, Robin jolted as if struck by lightning.
"Yes!"
"Edward Teach."
Whitebeard III gave a simple introduction, then turned away.
"Come. Vongola is waiting."
Vongola?
Robin was stunned.
Wasn't that the boss's surname?
Did the boss know… this Whitebeard?
Edward Teach?
Who was that?
Wasn't Whitebeard's real name Edward Newgate?
Questions flooded Robin's mind, but she had no answers.
Beside her, the clay Godzilla of equal height took the first step with its lower limbs, following Edward Teach as he walked away.
Robin snapped out of her thoughts, quickly tidied up, and immediately followed with a hand-drawn island design blueprint in hand.
Not far away, the legendary hundred-meter-tall Godzilla slowly sank into the earth, disappearing without a trace.
By the time Robin caught up with Edward Teach and arrived beside Storm, the legendary Godzilla had completely vanished. Even the earlier clay Godzilla, which had been human-sized, had been submerged underground by Storm.
Big Cutie and Little Cutie...
Robin inwardly sighed at the loss.
Storm glanced at Robin while Edward Teach stood silently to the side.
"You're here? No trouble on the island, right?"
As if anyone would dare cause trouble in front of Big Cutie—a hundred-meter-tall behemoth!
Robin shook her head silently, then handed the design blueprint to Storm.
"Boss, here's the island layout plan for Banal Island you asked for earlier."
"Hmm, not bad."
Storm skimmed the blueprint briefly, relieved to find none of Robin's usual dark, eccentric aesthetic choices.
"Hold onto it for now... Anything else to report?"
"Nothing..."
"Then let's head to Sky Island."
The ground beneath Storm, Robin, and Edward Teach rippled like waves. A Blue-Eyed White Dragon emerged from the earth, carrying the three of them into the sky.
Robin barely steadied herself, glancing at Whitebeard, who sat meditating with his eyes closed, before subtly inching closer to Storm.
"Boss, who is this?"
"Teach, my first crewmate."
Storm replied.
"Didn't I mention this before?"
Not at all!!!
Even someone as composed as Robin was internally screaming. Why was there a "Whitebeard" accompanying the "White Dragon"? Had the world gone completely mad?
The archaeologist raged inwardly, but outwardly, she maintained her serene expression, even managing a charming smile.
"Of course."
"Don't think I can't hear the sarcasm~"
Storm raised an eyebrow, mimicking Robin's tone.
"Anyone would say that~"
There was an old master of sarcasm in the Marines, after all. Storm was all too familiar with such tones.
Robin's charming smile stiffened slightly.
"Alright, enough joking."
Storm shrugged, reluctantly gesturing toward Edward Teach.
"His full name is Edward Teach, a 'Lightning Man' with the power of the [Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit]."
As Storm introduced him, Edward Teach opened his eyes, giving Robin a cool, indifferent glance before nodding almost imperceptibly.
So it really was the legendary [Rumble-Rumble Fruit]!
Cold sweat trickled down Robin's back as she cautiously greeted Edward Teach.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Nico Robin."
"No need to be so cautious."
Storm slung an arm around Edward Teach's shoulder.
"Teach has a great personality—"
Zzzzt—
As soon as Storm finished speaking, Edward Teach's body transformed into a dazzling flash of lightning.
Robin instinctively closed her eyes, and by the time she opened them again, Edward Teach had completely vanished.
This personality...
Was it really a good thing?
Robin glanced at Storm, deeply skeptical of his earlier claim.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Storm clapped his hands, and the Thunderclap Ring quietly returned to his finger.
"If you don't mind, you can call Teach 'Whitebeard III.'
"However, although Teach's surname is Edward
, he has absolutely no relation to Whitebeard Edward Newgate."
Hearing this, Robin blinked.
Really? I don't believe it.
Just look at Edward Teach's signature crescent-shaped white beard.
Who would dare say he bears no resemblance to the real Whitebeard?
A rather dark thought even surfaced in Robin's mind.
Could this "Whitebeard Teach"...
Actually be Whitebeard's son?
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