Just as Ray and the others set sail for Whole Cake Island, several news events occurred, causing a massive upheaval in the pirate world.
...
New World, Dressrosa.
A man dressed in a flamboyant flamingo-feather coat woke up early.
As was his routine, he walked to the balcony to retrieve the day's newspaper and catch up on world affairs.
For Doflamingo, who survived in the narrow space between the two behemoths of the Yonko and the Marines, staying updated on current events had become a habit.
Only by understanding all information and maneuvering skillfully could one have a chance to control their own destiny.
However, as Doflamingo opened the newspaper and skimmed through it, a cold sweat involuntarily broke out on his forehead, and his muscles tensed.
Excitement, worry, and anticipation—various emotions intertwined on his face.
Eventually, they transformed into a burst of laughter directed toward the sky.
"Fufufufufu! The Straw Hat Pirates... hailed as the 'Fifth Emperor' level pirate crew on the sea? A mere rookie pirate crew that advancing so quickly... This seemingly calm ocean is finally about to be stirred up by stormy waves!"
...
Grand Line, Thriller Bark.
This was a massive pirate ship, as large as an island, and its owner was none other than one of the Shichibukai, Gecko Moria.
At that moment, Moria had just finished severing the shadows of a few unfortunate pirates who had strayed into his ship's territory, preparing to turn those shadows into new zombies.
Suddenly, a girl wearing Gothic Lolita fashion and holding a playful small umbrella drifted in.
"Moria-sama, something fascinating has happened on these seas."
The Ghost-Ghost Fruit user, Perona, handed the newspaper to Moria.
"I'm too large to hold newspapers! How many times must I remind you, Perona!"
"Sorry~ Then let me read it for you, Moria-sama," Perona chirped.
"First major headline: The Straw Hat Pirates stole goods belonging to the Celestial Dragons and directly confronted one Marine Admiral and five Vice Admirals. After several hours of intense fighting, they used cunning tactics to destroy Enies Lobby, delayed Admiral Aokiji's pursuit, and successfully escaped. They have been dubbed by the Marines as: The Number One Pirate Crew beneath the Yonko."
"Second major headline: The Straw Hat Pirates' 'Ray' single-handedly battled Admiral Aokiji, holding his ground for half an hour without showing suffering any injuries."
"Third major headline—you might want to protect your heart for this one. Straw Hat Pirates Captain, Straw Hat Luffy's combat capability has been assessed as superior to that of Shichibukai Gecko Moria."
Upon hearing the first two reports, Moria had merely sighed lightly, mostly contemplating how to avoid conflict with the Straw Hat Pirates.
After all, he currently needed to accumulate strength, prepare his zombie army, and plan his counterattack against Kaido in the near future.
But when he heard the newspaper's assessment of Straw Hat Luffy's combat power, he instantly flew into a rage.
Regardless of whether the statement "Luffy is stronger than him" was a Marine scheme or not, he couldn't accept such slanderous news.
"He's a mere rookie! Perona, find a way to investigate the Straw Hat Pirates' movements and lure them onto our ship. I'm going to kill them."
After all, this was the man who had challenged Kaido in his youth, so he still held some confidence in himself!
...
Grand Line, Kuraigana Island.
Dracule Mihawk revealed a rare smile on sunny morning.
"Ray, you've already reached this level? Roronoa isn't bad either—450 million Belly."
Then, on Mihawk's typically expressionless face, an excited smile appeared.
"It's been too long since I've felt this thrilled... ever since Shanks lost his arm."
...
New World, within the territory of the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard.
A massive pirate ship was sailing away from the island belonging to the Yonko Whitebeard.
The sky above revealed the recent clash of emperors that had occurred there.
It was the Red Force, the pirate ship of Yonko Red-Haired Shanks.
Shanks had just finished his meeting with Whitebeard and was sulking because the negotiations hadn't gone well.
Then, his subordinate came before him carrying a stack of fresh bounty posters.
When Shanks saw that familiar straw hat, he smiled, all his previous displeasure vanishing like mist.
Captain - Straw Hat Luffy: 900,000,000 Belly
Cold Prince - Ray: 1,500,000,000 Belly
Pirate Hunter - Zoro: 450,000,000 Belly
Black Leg - Sanji: 360,000,000 Belly
Devil Child - Nico Robin: 290,000,000 Belly
Extremely Vicious Cat Burglar - Nami: 100,000,000 Belly
Disgusting Tactics Sniper - Usopp: 100,000,000 Belly
Shipwright Iron Body - Franky: 50,000,000 Belly
Pet Dog - Chouchou: 1,000 Belly
Pet Tanuki - Chopper: 1,000 Belly
Total Bounty: 3,750,002,000 Belly
"The number one pirate crew under the Yonko? This progress is faster than I imagined."
After carefully storing the bounty posters, Shanks walked to the bow of the ship and gazed at the distant sea, murmuring to himself.
"Luffy, your progress brings me great joy, but the strength of your subordinate seems somewhat terrifying. As the captain, can you truly keep him in check?"
At that moment, his first mate, Benn Beckman, approached and patted Shanks on the shoulder.
"Shanks, are you still worried about that guy, Ray, betraying Luffy?"
Shanks nodded without hesitation, voicing his concerns openly.
"If Luffy is a leopard, then Ray is a tiger. A tiger killing a leopard in its territory depends solely on its mood."
Beckman naturally understood Shanks' worries—it was simple logic, the law of the jungle.
But he had his own perspective.
"I don't think their relationship is purely hierarchical. Haven't you seen Luffy's charisma for yourself?"
Hearing this, Shanks paused for a moment before exhaling deeply.
"You're right. That kid Luffy can turn even enemies into allies, let alone someone like Ray who is with him day and night."
Then, Shanks picked up a bottle of fine wine beside him and raised his voice to the entire crew.
"Men! To celebrate Luffy's growth, let's throw a feast!"
"YEAH!!"
…
Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Office.
The old duo, Sengoku and Garp, were once again sharing snacks.
"Don't you think the bounty is set too low?" Garp asked between bites.
Sengoku stroked his goatee thoughtfully before replying with a meaningful tone.
"We can't raise it too high yet. If we do, we won't be able to focus entirely on Whitebeard when the time comes."
Garp munched on a rice cracker, lost in thought for a moment. "You're afraid of spreading panic among civilians?"
"Exactly. If you were an ordinary citizen who trusted the Marines, and suddenly heard that another Yonko had emerged on the seas, wouldn't your faith in us waver? But if it's just the Straw Hat Pirates—a crew with bounties noticeably lower than a Yonko's but slightly higher than other pirates—it'll only spark some bathroom chatter. Public opinion remains manageable."
"We won't face overwhelming demands to crusade against them. Once we defeat Whitebeard, public attention toward the Straw Hats will naturally fade."
Garp shook his head after hearing this. "You crafty old fox. And by labeling the Straw Hats as the strongest pirate crew below the Yonko, you're practically inviting other pirates to challenge Luffy and Ray."
"Hahaha, exactly. This way, Ray can help us eliminate a bunch of troublesome pirates for free. A win-win situation for us, don't you think? I'm just curious about what surprises they'll bring us."
"Assuming Ray can even make it out of Big Mom's territory alive."
…
The New World.
After a day's voyage, Ray—the subject of Sengoku's thoughts—was about to enter the waters under Yonko Big Mom's rule.
Feeling the immense power within him, Ray recalled the moment he received his system rewards after leaving Water 7.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the Water 7 arc. Fusion rate has broken through 70%.]
[Reward: Tessaiga.]
[One weapon fusion opportunity remains. Would you like to proceed?]
After Ray nodded, Tenseiga and Tessaiga merged.
Now, sheathed at his waist was the original Tessaiga—the pinnacle demon blade wielded by Inu no Taisho, capable of both healing and destruction!
------
I was researching this first, and turns out Inu Taishou split the original Tessaiga into two, Tenseiga and Tessaiga!
Each sword was designed to teach certain values to his sons; ironically, Inuyasha (who is full of hatred) received a destructive sword, while Sesshomaru (who is cold) received a healing sword.