Gordon looked at the resolute Shanks:
"I understand....."
"The heritage of all the music-loving residents of Elegia will be entrusted entirely to Uta."
"I will raise Uta to become the greatest singer in the world."
He raised his right hand as if making an oath, calling out to the departing Red-Haired Pirates.
The crew already aboard gave the island one last glance.
There was reluctance in each of their eyes. Shanks gazed silently at the island without a word.
He turned his back, facing the several warships approaching.
A faint red aura flickered around the long sword in his hand:
"Set sail!!!!"
...
The next day.
Countless News Coo flew in all directions. The nation-exterminating massacre caused by the Red-Haired Pirates shocked the world.
East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
Shimotsuki Kōshirō, with a gentle expression, sipped his tea as he watched two youngsters sparring in the courtyard.
Smack—
With a crisp sound, a green-haired little boy was struck down by a slightly taller girl, ending the match.
The green-haired boy looked unwilling:
"Damn it!!!"
Kōshirō chuckled, took another sip of tea, then set his cup down.
He picked up the latest issue of the newspaper, flipped through it, and frowned slightly:
"Elegia, huh....."
"The residents all wiped out..... that's truly something else."
...
The sea restaurant Baratie, in the kitchen of this pirate-founded eatery.
Everyone—except for Sanji, Judge's fourth son who had appeared here somehow—was shocked by today's newspaper.
Fat chef Patty, who was cutting meat while cooking, spoke as he worked:
"A whole country exterminated."
"What a lunatic."
Beside him, the skinny chef cutting so fast his knife left afterimages casually remarked:
"A hopelessly wicked man."
"But then again, he is a pirate."
Head chef and owner Zeff walked in.
He picked up the newspaper from the counter, flipped to the page about the Elegia tragedy, and said:
"That guy..... used to be a crewmember of the Pirate King."
"For him to do something like this, not surprising."
"Truly..."
...
Grand Line, just out of the Calm Belt.
A News Coo flew down and landed on a warship. An officer on Kuzan's ship bought a paper and flipped through it.
He suddenly froze, nearly losing his voice in shock.....
"This....."
"How cruel....."
On the headline, the words "Nation Exterminated" were bolded.
Behind it, the entire population of the country was listed as dead.
He hurriedly ran toward Kuzan's deck chair:
"Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
"A major event!!!"
The booming shout woke Kuzan before the officer even reached him.
He cracked open a slit beneath his sleep mask:
"Hmm?"
"What is it?"
The officer stumbled forward and handed him the paper.
Kuzan accepted it, looked at the headline, then tore off his mask and sat up.
After a while, he finally spoke:
"Ala la....."
"Truly terrifying... a nation wiped out."
"Was the Sea Kings' rampage because of this.....?"
Beyond shock, Kuzan instantly thought of the cause of the Sea Kings' frenzy—the provocation by Red-Haired Shanks' Haki.....
...
New World, Whole Cake Island.
Charlotte Linlin's body had long since lost its shape.
But it did not affect her eating.
While she gorged herself in the grand hall, no one dared disturb her.
Only when she was satisfied did someone approach.
Seeing Perospero enter with a newspaper in hand, Charlotte Linlin showed curiosity:
"Is there some big news, Perospero?"
Perospero answered respectfully:
"Yes, Mama."
"Concerning a remnant of the Roger Pirates—Red-Haired Shanks."
Charlotte Linlin perked up with interest:
"Oh?"
She took the paper and began reading:
"mamamamama~"
"So that brat from Roger's ship has grown this far already."
The wanted poster in the paper bore the words:
"Red-Haired Shanks."
"Bounty: 1,080,000,000."
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sengoku sat in his office, while Garp slouched silently on the sofa below, lost in thought.
Staring at the report on his desk, Sengoku said gravely:
"Elegia has been destroyed."
"The battle was brutal."
Even Garp, usually careless, spoke heavily:
"Seems like the Red-Hair did it."
Sengoku glanced at him:
"It was the Demon King of Song."
Garp closed his eyes:
"The Demon King of Song..... went too far this time."
Sengoku looked down at the wanted poster on his desk:
"Indeed."
"He's finally showing his true nature."
"Some of his recent inexplicable actions have been very conspicuous."
"Roger would weep for you..... Red-Hair."
...
On a warship just arriving at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Karol, with a grave expression, handed over a newspaper:
"Admiral Sakazuki."
Sakazuki, puzzled, took the paper, read it once, and his expression grew steadily colder:
"Exactly like that Roger trash."
"A whole nation wiped out....."
Unbidden, he recalled years ago, when Roger had wantonly slaughtered thousands of troops on Kesia Island.
Karol sighed:
"According to internal investigation data, it can be almost confirmed—it was the Demon King of Song."
Sakazuki sneered:
"What kind of nonsense is that, ever heard of such a thing?"
Karol thought for a moment:
"Seems like..... it's a legend from the first half of the Grand Line."
Boom—
The paper in Sakazuki's hand burst into flames.
"Shifting blame onto some vague legend?"
"Who was responsible for this investigation?"
Karol replied:
"Admiral Sengoku."
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed:
"That old man..."
...
Grand Line, on Borsalino's warship.
In a Vice Admiral's office, a sudden exclamation rang out:
"Oh~"
"As expected of the man called Red-Haired Shanks~"
Strawberry below looked helpless:
"His nickname has nothing to do with exterminating a nation, Vice Admiral Borsalino."
Borsalino then reacted:
"True, isn't it~"
He casually set the newspaper down on the desk:
"By the way, what were you reporting just now~"
Strawberry's brow twitched:
"It's the Sun Pirates."
"For some reason, they suddenly turned around and are heading toward the first half of the Grand Line."
Borsalino looked a bit puzzled:
"Oh~"
"Then keep an eye on them~"
Strawberry sighed helplessly:
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, we've been chasing them for three years already."
"Headquarters is quite displeased..."
Borsalino scratched his cheek:
"Sou ka~"
"Looks like my pleasant vacation is over~"
"Then we'll just arrest them at their destination~"
He stood up, stretched, and sighed:
"After all, those fish-men are each monstrously strong~"
"They're a real handful~"
"Three years of pursuit isn't unreasonable~"
...
Grand Line, the Sun Pirates.
A fish-man navigator gazed at the Eternal Pose in his hand and said with emotion:
"We finally got it."
"The Eternal Pose to Koala's homeland."
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