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Final Chapter
Three bold, sweeping characters flashed across the screen.
Thud…Thud, thud…
Across all worlds, people froze mid-breath, eyes wide, swallowing nervously.
Final chapter?
What does that even mean?
"Could this be the ultimate battle in the world of pirates?"
"Has the Straw Hat finally become the Pirate King?"
"Who's their final opponent? The rotten World Government, maybe?"
"Or is this the last leg of the Straw Hats' legendary journey?"
"Or… could it just mean the end of the Straw Hats' heroic saga?"
Speculation ran rampant.
Then, the screen flickered to a breaking news report.
EMPEROR LUFFY!!!Bounty: 1.5 Billion Berries!!!
The news sent shockwaves.
"Emperor? There are… five emperors now? What does that even mean?"
"I don't know what 'Emperor' means, but it sure sounds awesome!"
"Did the Straw Hat earn this after taking down Donquixote Doflamingo?"
"And that bounty… 1.5 billion? That's insane!"
People everywhere were in awe.
"Emperor Luffy… so that means he's insanely strong!"
In the Demon Slayer world, Inosuke, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu all tilted their heads in confusion.
"According to the info we've got, in Luffy's world, besides the Shichibukai recognized by the government, there are four rulers of the seas known as the Four Emperors," explained Yoriichi, dropping a fact that had only appeared briefly before.
"Originally, there were just four… now there's a fifth. That's recognition of Luffy's strength and status."
Flame Pillar Kyojuro Rengoku nodded.
In the Naruto world:
"So far, the battles haven't revealed much about the Four Emperors. All we know is that Crocodile once lost to one of them."
"And Doflamingo worked with one of the Emperors. Trafalgar Law orchestrated that factory incident to draw an Emperor to defeat him… showing how terrifying the Emperors really are—far beyond the Shichibukai!"
The Konoha intelligence division, led by Shikaku Nara, briefed Tsunade.
In the Food World:
"Mr. Arlong, Luffy's title of Emperor means he's officially one of the top figures of the seas, right? Incredible~" said Chef Komatsu, eyes sparkling."That was inevitable. Luffy is meant to become King of the Sea," Arlong said calmly.
In the Tutor World:
"The news picture didn't even seem to come from Dressrosa. That means the Straw Hats' adventure skipped some events… which is exciting! We might finally see more of their growth," said the Baby Assassin Reborn, nodding in anticipation.
Meanwhile, in the Pirate World, chaos erupted again.
No one outside the pirate world truly knew what "1.5 billion and an Emperor" meant. But the pirates themselves? They knew exactly.
"Hey, what did the Straw Hat even do to get a 1.5 billion bounty?"
"As far as I know, besides the Four Emperors and legendary pirates, no one's bounty comes close to 1.5 billion!"
"Even the senior officers of the Emperors are under that. This is a clear dividing line!"
"But more than the bounty, look at the title: Emperor Luffy! The Straw Hat is officially an Emperor!"
"The Four Emperors are now Five! A 19-year-old, the youngest Pirate Emperor in history, has emerged!!!"
Across the seas, those who understood world affairs were utterly shocked.
"My son became a Pirate Emperor at 19?"Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, staggered back. Even he, usually calm, was taken aback.
"What? My grandson's an Emperor at 19? This is insane!"Marine hero Garp gawked, his nose dripping.
"Just defeating Doflamingo wouldn't justify this. The Straw Hats must've done something even more monumental afterward," murmured Marine Lieutenant General Tsuru.
"Emperor… are you ready to face me, Luffy?"Red-Haired Shanks smiled lightly.
"What a joke! An Emperor? I'll never admit it. Just some brat thinking he's equal to us?"Big Mom thundered.
"That's ridiculous!""Just a Straw Hat, how dare he claim Emperor?"Her crew fumed with indignation.
"Heh, just 1.5 billion and already an Emperor… if I meet him, I'll show him the real level of a Pirate Emperor!"Kaido slurred drunkenly.
"Kai-Kai-Kaido…"Quin of the Disasters froze, eyes wide.
"Wano! It's Wano! The Straw Hats are coming to Wano!"Page One shouted.
"Let them come. No reason to panic. If they do, we'll crush them all," Run said, brimming with murderous intent.
"Seems like the 'final chapter' is really the final adventure of the Straw Hats," Black Maria mused with a smile.
"Daring to provoke the Beasts Pirates… they'll pay dearly!"Sasaki spat venomously.
"Straw Hat Luffy, only you will not be forgiven!"Fossa trembled with rage.
"Defeating that useless Joker doesn't make him equal to the Emperors! I alone can handle him!"Jack declared confidently.
At this very moment…
On the Sabaody Archipelago, inside Shakky's bar:
"1.5 billion! I'll have 1.5 billion in the future!" The Straw Hat's eyes shone, excitement written all over his face.
"Incredible!"
"Luffy is an Emperor!"
Though they didn't know what an Emperor was, Usopp, Chopper, and the others cheered anyway.
"Little Monkey, in just two years you've become a major figure of the seas—the youngest Pirate Emperor ever!"Shakky took a deep breath, trying to explain the magnitude of the title.
Luffy just blinked, clearly not understanding.
"Wano… appears? Is that where our next adventure is?"Nami gasped.
"Wha… Wano?"Shakky's face turned grave.
"Wano… what's wrong with it?"Usopp and Chopper asked.
"It's Kaido's stronghold," Robin said seriously.
"The strongest creature in sea, land, and air, Emperor Kaido… Bounty: 4,611,100,000 Berries!!!" Zoro said, word by word, revealing what he knew.
"Wha… 4.6 billion?! That's more than three times Luffy's bounty!" Usopp and the others froze in shock.
"..."
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