"In order to deter the growing pirate forces across the seas, the World Government has decided to implement the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' system."
The newspaper provided a clear and detailed explanation of the system's rules.
Any pirate successfully selected as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea would receive official recognition from the World Government, granting them legal rights to plunder. From that point on, they would no longer need to fear indiscriminate pursuit by the Marines for acts of piracy.
However, power always came with obligations.
Should the World Government face a crisis or require external support, the Seven Warlords would be required to respond unconditionally and lend their strength to resolve the situation.
This was both the price of their authority and a means for the World Government to keep these powerful pirates in check.
At the same time the system was announced, the first batch of Warlords was revealed—and every single name was enough to shake the seas:
"Hawk-Eyes" Dracule Mihawk, a man who pursued the title of World's Greatest Swordsman, whose terrifying swordsmanship was said to be capable of cleaving massive warships in half;
Kozuki Moria, the shogun who ruled Wano Country, wielder of the bizarre Shadow-Shadow Fruit, commanding a zombie army that struck fear into countless pirates;
Crocodile, the newly crowned ruler of Hachinosu Island, whose Sand-Sand Fruit could turn lush oases into endless deserts in an instant—his ambition matching his strength;
Bartholomew Kuma, King of the Sorbet Kingdom, who had eaten the Zoan-type, Mythical Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, a power that filled pirates across the seas with dread;
The underground emperor known as "Heavenly Demon" Donquixote Doflamingo, whose String-String Fruit abilities were unpredictable and deadly, and who controlled an immense black-market trade network with near-absolute authority;
And finally, Hanafuda, former All-Star of the Beasts Pirates, a warrior who had carved countless legends into the battlefields of the New World, his true strength unfathomable.
At the end of the article, the newspaper also noted that the World Government had no intention of stopping there.
They would continue selecting suitable candidates from among the strongest pirates on the seas, constantly replenishing the ranks of the Seven Warlords to ensure the system's long-term stability.
Shiro read the article carefully, word by word, his fingers lightly brushing the edge of the newspaper. A meaningful smile slowly spread across his lips.
This outcome had long been within his expectations.
In fact, the implementation of the Seven Warlords system—and the selection of certain members—had not been possible without his influence behind the scenes.
Of the six Warlords announced so far, five were forces he had secretly cultivated himself, all deeply tied to him.
When those five had received their invitations from the World Government, each had immediately contacted Shiro through encrypted Den Den Mushi, reporting the contents of the offer in detail and asking for his opinion.
Shiro's response at the time had been crystal clear:
Accept the World Government's invitation and operate openly as members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
This was the perfect opportunity to plant themselves directly under the World Government's watchful eye—and to use the Warlords' official status to greatly facilitate future plans.
What shocked the world even more was that shortly after the Seven Warlords system was officially enacted, the World Government made yet another announcement.
They named three "Emperors of the Sea", formally dividing the power structure of the New World.
The three Emperors were:
"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, the man known as the Strongest Man in the World, whose Tremor-Tremor Fruit could summon tsunamis and shatter the earth itself, his Whitebeard Pirates standing among the strongest forces in the New World;
"Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, ruler of Totto Land, whose Soul-Soul Fruit allowed her to manipulate souls at will. Violent in temperament and monstrous in strength, none within her territory dared defy her;
And the third Emperor—
The master of the Virtue, the strongest king of the next generation:
"The Tyrant" Jimir Shiro.
The World Government's reasoning behind establishing the Seven Warlords and recognizing the Emperors was actually quite simple.
They hoped to create a system of balance across the seas.
The Seven Warlords would suppress ordinary pirates, while the Emperors would restrain both the Warlords and the Marines, forming a web of mutual checks that would ultimately reduce the burden on the Marines and the World Government—maintaining the appearance of peace across the oceans.
Yet the so-called "wise" decision-makers sitting atop the World Government would never realize the truth.
Most of the Seven Warlords they had personally sanctioned, as well as the Emperors they viewed as existential threats, were all closely connected to Shiro.
The "balance of power" they believed they had constructed had long since fallen under Shiro's control—each piece nothing more than a chess piece in his grand design for the seas.
After finishing the article, Shiro casually handed the newspaper to a nearby crewmate and turned his gaze back toward the endless ocean.
The Virtue, like a massive, steady whale, continued its slow voyage through the unpredictable waters of the New World.
After several more days at sea, a strangely shaped island appeared on the horizon.
Egghead Island.
The Virtue soon entered the waters near Egghead.
Yet beneath the surface calm, a fierce confrontation was already unfolding—one between two women whose personalities and ideals stood in complete opposition.
For years, the woman known as the "Science Pirate," Buckingham Stussy, had rarely left Egghead Island.
She had been working closely with the world's foremost scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, devoting herself to the research projects of the organization known as MADS.
Thanks to their extraordinary intellect and technology, MADS' results were astonishing—producing cutting-edge creations capable of reshaping the battlefield.
From advanced weapons to special pharmaceuticals, every invention carried tremendous potential.
This time, Stussy had finally departed Egghead, carrying several of MADS' latest research.
Her objective was clear:
To find Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, somewhere in the vast seas of the New World.
As for why she sought Whitebeard—no one but Stussy herself knew.
What she hadn't expected was that not long after her ship left Egghead's waters, a Marine warship bearing the Navy flag appeared on the horizon, cutting off her route.
The vessel belonged to Marine Base G-14, and its commanding officer was Colonel Doll.
At the time, Doll was barely in her early twenties, brimming with confidence and ambition.
A rising star within the Marines, she firmly upheld Marine justice and followed a simple principle when dealing with pirates:
Arrest them all.
No matter how powerful her opponent, she had never known hesitation.
The moment Stussy saw the Marine warship approaching, she immediately produced the identification documents she had prepared in advance, declaring herself a collaborator of the World Government, hoping this would convince them to let her pass.
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