New World, Wano Country, Onigashima.
The Beast Pirates had also received today's newspaper.
Two low-ranking members of the Beast Pirates rushed into the Skull Dome at the center of Onigashima, clutching the latest news.
The eerie, skull-shaped dome, resembling a monstrous devil's head, housed the grand castle of Kaido of the Beasts.
Beast Castle, Third Floor, Banquet Hall.
Kaido of the Beasts sat at the head of the banquet hall, gripping an enormous wine-red gourd in his hand.
As the two underlings entered with the newspaper, Kaido was tilting the gourd to his mouth, gulping down the liquor in loud, hearty swigs. The pungent aroma of strong alcohol filled the air.
Any connoisseur present would have instantly recognized it as the signature vodka from the Kingdom of Vorka—a notoriously potent spirit.
"Worororo—!"
Kaido of the Beasts roared with laughter between swigs.
"Keep the music playing! Keep dancing! We're about to welcome two new 'Ancient Zoans'!"
The banquet hall was a scene of wild revelry.
"Lord Kaido!"
A grunt with long purple hair and a white-and-green bucket hat raised the newspaper in his hand.
"Big news!"
Hic!
Kaido let out a thunderous belch, his bleary eyes squinting at the newcomer.
"Oh, it's you, Page One... What's the matter? Read the paper to me!"
"This drunkard!"
Standing nearby, Ulti—her twin horns protruding from her head, her long hair a mix of pink and blue—openly grumbled.
"How much has he even drunk?!"
"Big sis!"
Page One shot her a glare, hissing under his breath.
But Kaido had heard Ulti's complaint.
"Worororo! Ulti, if a pirate doesn't drink, life loses half its meaning!"
Ulti pursed her lips but said nothing more.
The other members of the Beast Pirates didn't intervene in the exchange between their captain and the two underlings.
For one, everyone in the crew knew that Ulti and Page One had been adopted by Kaido as children and shared an unusually close bond with him.
For another, the Beast Pirates' culture was simple: as long as you had strength, Kaido would favor you—even tolerate outright defiance.
Ulti and Page One were young, but their talents were undeniable.
The siblings had survived the ruthless hierarchy of the Beast Pirates precisely because of their formidable potential.
Many in the crew believed that, had they possessed Devil Fruit abilities, the two could have contended for a spot among the Flying Six!
The once-rowdy banquet hall gradually quieted as Page One began reading the day's headlines.
When he reached the part about Lizard King Hanafuda's defeat at the hands of an unknown rookie—
Kaido's body trembled. Suddenly, he raised his right hand, covering his eyes as tears spilled between his fingers.
"Hanafuda... lost..."
"Does that mean... we can't increase our Devil Fruit users anymore...?"
"Uwooooh—!"
Kaido of the Beasts burst into loud, drunken sobs.
Tears streamed from his eyes in torrents, splashing onto the banquet hall floor like a localized rainstorm.
The massive teardrops carried surprising force—even the newspaper held by Page One was pierced straight through by Kaido of the Beasts' weeping.
Seeing their captain break down into loud sobs, many members of the Beast Pirates froze in place, as if turned to statues.
Meanwhile, Ulti quietly took a few steps back, avoiding Kaido's "tear barrage."
"I told you this guy was completely wasted! Crying like a fool after drinking… what an idiot!"
This time, Ulti's voice was completely drowned out by Kaido's wailing.
"Hanafuda! Poor, poor Hanafuda!"
Kaido continued to bawl.
"How could you lose to some rookie?! It's all because you were too weak!
"But… but…
"You still owe me two Devil Fruits!!!"
Kaido's emotions shifted as quickly as they came.
One moment, the Pirate Emperor was weeping uncontrollably.
The next, he flew into a thunderous rage.
The surrounding pirates held their breath in fear.
Oh no…
The boss is about to go on a drunken rampage…
Only Ulti's eyes gleamed with a hint of desire.
Devil Fruits?
And… two of them?
...
The White Dragon's name had spread far and wide.
Nearly every major power on the seas had taken notice of this terrifyingly strong rookie.
In contrast, Storm—the actual person involved—received the news much later than everyone else.
The World Economic Journal could deliver newspapers and bounty posters worldwide via their News Coos.
But there were still a few "remote areas" outside the birds' delivery range.
Such as the Calm Belt.
Rumor had it that News Coos never ventured into the Calm Belt.
Those living there had to rely on other means to get their hands on newspapers.
The Calm Belt was beyond the News Coos' reach.
And the White-White Sea, floating ten thousand meters above in the sky?
Expecting a News Coo to deliver there was simply asking too much of the poor birds…
Storm only managed to get a newspaper because he personally descended to Jaya.
He "borrowed" a copy from some pirates on the island, while also doing Jaya a favor by cleaning up some trash.
And of course, cleaning up trash came with a reward.
Storm also acquired some insignificant Grand Prize Trophies.
The moment he got the newspaper,
Storm immediately flipped to his bounty poster.
"What the hell? Still only 95 million Belly?"
Storm glared at the number on the poster, sorely tempted to give Aokiji a call.
"That damn blue pheasant is seriously unreliable!"
He distinctly remembered telling Aokiji to have the Marines increase his bounty.
Yet the amount hadn't budged at all!
Damn it!
With a measly 95 million Belly bounty,
anyone who didn't know the truth might mistake Storm for some low-tier Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea like Sand Crocodile!
But the newspaper was already out, and the bounty had been issued.
If Storm wanted to raise his bounty further now,
there was only one way…
He'd have to quit being a Warlord!
"No rush, no rush. I'll think about resigning after I visit Punk Hazard."
Storm skimmed through the newspaper, only for his attention to be caught by another bounty poster.
"What is this? A bounty poster for the Blue-Eyed White Dragon?"
Storm stared at the exaggerated bounty of "up to" 9,500 Belly—enough to buy at least 190 blue-nosed tanukis or 19 polar bears—and fell into complete silence.
Seriously, what kind of joke was this?
Storm didn't believe the Marines couldn't recognize the true nature of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
Yet they still issued a bounty for it!
Fine.
Issuing a bounty was one thing.
But 9,500 Belly? What kind of insult was that?
"Not even 10,000 Belly? The value of a dragon can't even compare to a branded shirt for a sumo panda?"
Storm was utterly baffled.
"Are the Marines treating the Blue-Eyed White Dragon as my 'pet'?
"Granny Tsuru, is she even in her right mind?"
Reading the newspaper first thing in the morning left Storm with a dull headache.
Just then.
The sound of heavy footsteps reached Storm's ears.
He turned to see Robin approaching, carrying a tiny Godzilla in her arms.
Hmm...
The scene was a bit too surreal.
Storm almost couldn't bear to look.
"Captain, do you have any tasks for me today?"
Robin stopped in front of Storm.
"If there's nothing else, I'd like to explore this island."
Before becoming Storm's crewmate, Robin had never imagined that "sailing" and "landing" could be such thrilling adventures.
"Explore? You mean go treasure hunting, don't you?"
Storm waved her off.
"Go ahead. Stay as long as you like.
"I have to head back to Banaro Island today to take care of some business."
Those pirates on Banaro Island, right? The ones to be handed over to the World Government and Marine Headquarters...
Robin seemed to recall something and nodded lightly.
"Understood."
Yet even after saying this, Robin didn't leave. Her feet seemed rooted to the spot.
Storm looked at her curiously.
"What? Something else?"
"Captain, I'm just a delicate woman."
"...I can see that. So?"
"I'm about to go exploring."
Robin lifted the little Godzilla in her hands.
"But I still need a guardian to make me feel safe. Could you make me a big, adorable one?"
"You could always ask Wiper and the others to go with you. Or Aisa..."
Storm sighed.
Still, he activated his [Clay-Clay Fruit] ability and molded a several-meter-tall clay Godzilla.
Robin's eyes sparkled with delight as she gazed at the massive creature before her.
"So kawaii..."
Storm shook his head. Summoning the Blue-Eyed White Dragon, he took off from the island—now renamed "Skypiea of the Blue Sea."
Before long.
Storm returned to Banaro Island.
During his time in Skypiea, he had fully mastered the abilities of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit].
Now back on Banaro Island, he resumed honing his [Armament Haki].
A continuous stream of inspiration surged through Storm's mind.
From the most basic "coating" and "hardening" to more advanced "flow" and "emission."
Storm swung his pitch-black fist, striking hard at the clay golem before him.
With a loud "boom,"
his fist connected, and his [Armament Haki] flowed into the clay golem.
The chest and abdomen of the Clay Golem exploded with a small gap in an instant.
"This power... still a bit lacking."
Storm stared at the gap he had punched into the Clay Golem—a result of pure [Armament Haki].
This was a technique far more advanced than "Hardening" or "Emission"—
Internal Destruction Armament Haki!
Storm had originally intended to continue honing his [Armament Haki].
But suddenly, a warship intruded into the range of his perception.
The Marines had arrived.
The clay on Banaaro Island surged like ocean waves.
Storm, along with everyone else on the island, was swept by the clay and carried to the shore.
A massive warship sailed quietly across the sea.
At the bow of the ship stood a tall, lean figure, the sea breeze lifting the Justice Coat draped over his shoulders.
Storm recognized him at a glance.
They had once crossed paths before.
Back when Storm had been assigned to work at Impel Down, the one who accompanied him was none other than—
Marine Headquarters Elite Vice Admiral, Grizly.
The Prison Battleship slowly docked at the shore of Banaaro Island.
Yet, no one disembarked for a long while.
"To think..."
Grizly stood at the bow of the warship, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his expression cold and sharp.
"That the Marine who once traveled with me would become one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
Storm had never been one to look up at others.
The Giant Wave Clay surged, and the height beneath him rapidly rose, instantly surpassing the bow of the Marine warship.
"Long time no see, Vice Admiral Grizly."
Storm observed Grizly's right hand gripping his sword hilt, clearly sensing the undisguised hostility radiating from him.
"Do you intend to make an enemy of me?"
Grizly tightened his grip on the sword hilt—he did indeed have that thought.
But Storm's current status was that of a Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea.
Without orders from higher-ups, the Marines could not act against the Warlords.
Grizly had to abide by the rules.
Storm, however, did not.
"Vice Admiral Grizly."
Storm raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and wrapped it in [Armament Haki].
"See this fist?"
Veins bulged on the back of Grizly's right hand—he had already prepared himself for battle in secret.
"You—"
"—are too weak."
Storm's figure vanished from his spot like a bursting bubble.
In the next instant, his [Armament Haki]-wrapped fist slammed into Grizly's stomach.
Boom!
A dull impact resounded.
Storm's iron fist struck Grizly with pinpoint accuracy.
Only then did his earlier remark reach Grizly's ears.
But by now—
Grizly could no longer make out the words.
Storm's punch was too fast, too heavy—far beyond what he could withstand.
In just a single exchange—
Grizly was knocked out cold.
A dazzling Grand Prize Trophy materialized out of thin air.
[Diamond Trophy: Grizly]
[Trophy Rating: ★★★★★★]
Storm's brow twitched in surprise.
No way… Grizly's strength was actually six stars?
He had assumed it would be five at most…
The highest-ranking officer on the Marine warship had been taken down in a single punch by a Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea.
Instantly, chaos erupted across the entire battleship.
"Vice Admiral Grizly!"
"The Warlord attacked Vice Admiral Grizly!"
Amid the clamor—
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon soared from Banalo Island, unleashing a thunderous roar toward the warship.
"ROAR—"
The earth-shattering Dragon Roar drowned out all other noise aboard the Prison Battleship.
"Now, listen to my orders! Transfer all the prisoners from Banalo Island onto the battleship!"
Storm, having taken Grizly's position, barked commands at the others on the Prison Battleship.
"Then set sail for Jaya Island—there's another island's worth of trash there that needs hauling away."
"Isn't the ocean vast enough? Get this ship moving!"
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