[Shocking! The New World's Landscape Completely Rewritten!]
Newspapers fluttered through the air like snowflakes, scattering across the world, each headline printed with startling titles!
As news coos flew by, paperboys' hoarse cries echoed through major ports,
"Extra! Extra! Yonko Big Mom storms Impel Down alone!"
The front page of the World Economic News boldly displayed three lines of crimson, bold headlines:
SHOCKING! BIG MOM OF WHOLE CAKE ISLAND BATTLES FOUR ADMIRAL-LEVEL COMBATANTS AND RETREATS UNSCATHED!
STUNNING! ANOTHER THREE-DEVIL FRUIT USER EMERGES! BIG MOM'S POWER IS ABSOLUTE, HAILED AS THE WORLD'S STRONGEST DEFENSE!
EXCLUSIVE! THE MASTERMIND IS SUSPECTED TO BE RON, THE MYSTERIOUS VICE CAPTAIN OF THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES!
EARTH-SHATTERING NEWS! ADMIRAL AKAINU DEFEATED INSTANTLY BY WHITEBEARD!
...
On Sabaody Archipelago, there stood a uniquely styled bar.
As night quietly fell, the dim yellow light cast shifting shadows on the wooden countertop, elongating and shortening with the flicker of the lamps and the flow of air.
Rayleigh sat quietly at the bar, tightly clutching a newspaper in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly—not out of fear, but from deep-seated shock and disbelief.
With the trembling of his fingers, the newspaper rustled faintly, a sound that seemed particularly distinct in the otherwise quiet bar.
"Unbelievable…"
His eyes behind his reading glasses widened, filled with boundless astonishment and confusion.
Crash!
A sharp, abrupt sound shattered the silence.
The glass of rum in his other hand slipped and smashed heavily onto the oak floor.
The glass instantly shattered into countless tiny fragments, scattering in all directions.
Amber liquid splashed like a blooming flower, some of it landing squarely on his faded leather boots.
Yet, Rayleigh remained completely unaware, his gaze still fixed intently on the newspaper as if nothing else in the world mattered.
"How… how is this possible?" Rayleigh's voice carried a shock he hadn't felt in years.
He slowly removed his glasses, repeatedly wiping the lenses with the corner of his shirt, as if trying to see more clearly.
His lips trembled slightly, his eyes reflecting deep confusion.
"Impel Down is in the treacherous Calm Belt! How could that madwoman just… charge in like that?!"
The vivid illustration in the newspaper seemed to possess a magical quality, making Rayleigh's breath catch.
In the image, Charlotte Linlin, transformed into a black dragon, was enveloped in a brilliant and mysterious golden aura, like blazing flames, making her appear even more formidable.
She stood proudly amidst Magellan's deadly poison clouds, the coordinated assaults from the Admirals appearing utterly futile against her.
Behind the bar, Shakky silently observed Rayleigh's reaction, a lit cigarette held between her slender fingers, its ash grown long.
She took a gentle drag, the smoke rings drifting and gradually dissipating in the air.
"It seems the tide of the new era," Shakky's voice was magnetic, tinged with a hint of emotion, "is arriving faster than we imagined."
Rayleigh didn't take the new glass Shakky offered.
Instead, he abruptly flipped to the next page of the newspaper.
He knew more about this insane era. "First, Newgate's changes weren't even over, and now even Big Mom has become a Three-Devil Fruit User TOO. Truly terrifying…"
In a corner of the bar, a few young pirates were excitedly discussing the recent rumors.
"I heard the strongest level now is called 'Above the Yonko'!" one young pirate exclaimed excitedly.
"Both Whitebeard and Big Mom are Three-Devil Fruit Users, each capable of fighting four at once, toying with Admirals like it's nothing!"
"Does that mean we have a chance too? Just thinking about that level of power makes my blood boil!" shouted a third pirate, his eyes sparkling with longing as if he could already see himself standing atop the world.
Rayleigh shook his head with a bitter smile, tilting his head back to drain the strong liquor in one gulp.
The fiery liquid flowed down his throat, burning with an intense sting.
Yet this physical sting couldn't extinguish the chill rising in his heart.
Looking down at his wrinkled hands, those creases resembled carvings of time recording all the storms he'd weathered throughout his life.
"Truly.... I'm getting old..."
...
In the New World, inside a casino on a certain island, the bustling gamblers suddenly stopped their activities.
A merchant wearing a monocle frowned deeply, swallowing hard before speaking slowly.
"Even ignoring the ferocious Sea Kings prowling the Calm Belt, calculating at normal speed, the naval reinforcements from Marineford to Impel Down would take at minimum..."
"Thirty minutes at fastest," came a hoarse voice from the corner.
A cloaked man appeared holding a wine glass that hadn't been there moments before.
With a tight squeeze, the glass shattered into pieces.
"But that mad woman just swaggered right in, then casually swaggered out again."
The man's eyes revealed unconcealed shock and confusion.
At that moment,
A newspaper was placed before the crowd, its third page featuring an exclusive combat illustration.
In the image, Charlotte Linlin transformed into a black dragon soared through magma and frost, surrounded by four figures emitting terrifying auras that trapped her at the center.
Most chilling of all, her body simultaneously radiated a mysterious and solemn Buddha's light!
All evidence indicated that this woman called Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, seemed to possess three Devil Fruit powers!
This news struck like a boulder crashing into still waters, instantly causing an uproar among the crowd.
Naval branch officers gathered around, discussing the newspaper's contents with rising voices.
"Big Mom's constitution was already called the 'Iron Balloon' - ordinary attacks were like tickling her, barely causing real damage. Now with two additional Devil Fruit abilities, her power is simply unimaginable!" one officer said with a furrowed brow.
"Look at this detail!" another officer suddenly pointed below the news content, voice trembling with shock.
"She actually emptied the impel down??? This isn't something ordinary pirates can accomplish!"
All eyes focused on that line of text, and the room fell into silence.
After a moment, someone broke the quiet, voice filled with concern.
"Another batch of terrifying pirates has escaped. I fear the seas are about to descend into chaos!"
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