Under the persuasion of the other division commanders, Fire Fist Ace finally let go of his urge to hunt down Teach—for now.
He understood he had to grow stronger first, strong enough to stand face to face with Souta Kiryuu one day, and reclaim justice for that traitor with his own hands.
Seeing the determination in Ace's eyes, the Whitebeard Pirates finally sighed in relief.
They had truly feared that this hotheaded fool might rush off the Moby Dick again and cause trouble with the Ardragon Pirates.
If that happened, even the entire Whitebeard crew wouldn't be enough to stand against Souta's might.
"Ace," Whitebeard said, his deep voice rumbling like thunder, "you must once again awaken the power that sleeps within you!"
For the first time, Edward Newgate began training Ace not just as a subordinate, but as his successor—guiding him to unlock and master the Conqueror's Haki that lay dormant inside him.
None of the division commanders—Marco included—had the potential to awaken that royal will.
Only the young Fire Fist Ace carried that spark.
He alone could one day bear the banner of the next Emperor of the Seas.
"Father! Please—teach me everything!!"
Ace's eyes blazed with the fire of resolve.
During the war on the Island of Gods and Demons, he had witnessed the terrifying might of Conqueror's Haki infusion, that supreme art wielded only by legends.
Without mastering it, he could never defeat Kaido of the Beasts, avenge Kozuki Oden, or help Yamato open the borders of Wano.
And without it, he could never hope to defeat Souta Kiryuu—or bring Teach back alive.
At that moment, Ace's gaze hardened like steel.
Whitebeard smiled proudly.
He believed that one day, Ace would grow into a man as great as Gol D. Roger himself.
New World — Aboard the Red Force
"Don't even think about picking a fight with the Ardragon Pirates again,"
Benn Beckman said grimly, cigarette between his lips as he stared at the newspaper.
"At this point, if they don't come after us… we should count ourselves lucky."
The Ardragon Pirates had grown into a force that even threatened the World Government itself.
Beckman couldn't even imagine how terrifying their ranks must be now, after Souta Kiryuu had recruited so many Impel Down monsters.
Even the Red-Haired Pirates couldn't withstand them.
Yet their captain, Shanks, still wanted to avenge Figarland Garling by confronting Souta Kiryuu—
a plan Beckman could only describe as suicidal.
"They've become the most unstable force in this entire world,"
Shanks admitted, his face unusually serious.
The Ardragon Pirates' explosive growth had already shattered the delicate balance of the seas.
But what could he do to stop them?
For the first time, Shanks felt truly powerless.
"Luffy's only just set sail this year…"
He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What a terrible age to start chasing dreams."
Could that boy—Roger's spiritual heir—really grow strong in such chaos?
Perhaps, Shanks thought, he would need to go to Marijoa himself soon…
to try to cool down this burning, violent world.
New World — Dressrosa, King's Plateau
"He actually stormed Marijoa?! Hahahaha!!"
Donquixote Doflamingo burst out laughing, eyes gleaming with manic delight.
The thought of those pompous Celestial Dragons being beaten and humiliated again and again by the Ardragon Pirates filled him with savage joy.
How he wished he could have been there to see it—
to watch those arrogant fools, who once denied him his return to the Holy Land, grovel in the dirt.
"This world… there's no one left who can stop Souta Kiryuu's rise."
The thought made Doflamingo's smile falter.
The moment Souta recruited those legendary pirates from Impel Down,
a chill of real fear took root in his heart.
He couldn't afford to stand against that God-Slayer.
He would have to flatter him instead—
win his favor, as he once had with Kaido.
Women, Devil Fruits, treasures—
the best of everything, he decided, would go straight as tribute to Souta Kiryuu.
He would follow behind the Ardragon Pirates' shadow,
watching with glee as the Celestial Dragons were dragged from their thrones,
forced to taste the same darkness and despair he once endured.
New World — Aboard the Gran Tesoro
"Ahahaha! Souta Kiryuu… you've really come this far."
Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor, laughed in his private chamber, trembling with excitement.
"Maybe it's time for me to shed this old identity.
Those Celestial Dragons… I want to kill them myself."
His voice darkened, his eyes burning with hate.
"I'll never forget the humiliation and pain they caused me.
Stella, I'll avenge you—no matter what it takes!"
For the first time in years, Tesoro saw hope for revenge—
a chance to tear down the World Government itself.
And if, along the way, he could seize the immortality rumored to belong to the King of the World…
why not?
What better ending for a man of gold?
Grand Line — The White Earth Island, Baltigo
"I really wish we had the Ardragon Pirates' Seraphim weapons..."
Monkey D. Dragon muttered, unable to hide the envy in his voice.
He remembered inviting Vegapunk long ago—only to be rejected.
Now, seeing the technological might of Souta Kiryuu's crew,
he couldn't help but feel a pang of bitter admiration.
If such power had belonged to the Revolutionary Army…
what a different world it would already be.
Even Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Revolution's founders,
had been taken by Souta Kiryuu.
That loss still stung deeply.
"The World Government's true power is slowly surfacing,"
said Belo Betty, cigarette between her lips.
"We have to move carefully.
Unlike the Ardragon Pirates, we don't have their mobility.
If the Gorosei use their teleportation magic, we'll be crushed before we can even react."
She was right.
The Five Elders' mysterious linked teleportation made them nearly impossible to evade.
No faction in the world could currently withstand a surprise attack by the Gorosei backed by Marine Admirals.
"Fwahahaha! Our second base in the Kamabakka Kingdom is complete!"
Emporio Ivankov laughed loudly. "Time to build a third one!"
After learning about the Gorosei's teleportation arrays—and witnessing the fall of Amazon Lily—they had no choice but to expand.
If the World Government launched a sudden assault, one stronghold would never be enough.
"With the chaos caused by Souta Kiryuu's actions,
the Celestial Dragons have lost their aura of fear among the people,"
said Sabo, the Chief of Staff, eyes bright with hope.
"Eight new nations' leaders have contacted us—they want help overthrowing their royal families!"
Dragon's face softened into a faint smile.
The winds of freedom were blowing again.
The prestige of the World Nobles had crumbled, and fear of the Government was fading fast.
Ordinary people were beginning to rise.
"Then we ride this storm," Dragon declared.
"Let the wind of freedom sweep the world once more!"
He clenched his fist, rekindling the fire of revolution.
Whether he gained allies like Vegapunk and Kuma or lost them to fate,
he would never abandon the cause.
East Blue — Cocoyasi Village
In the peaceful village of Cocoyasi, Nami and Nojiko continued their quiet ritual—
secretly collecting every newspaper and bounty poster about Souta Kiryuu.
He had warned them never to reveal their connection to him,
and they obeyed—though it wasn't easy.
They both knew how dangerous the world's most wanted man truly was…
but they couldn't stop themselves from wanting to know more about him.
If not for the safety of the village,
Nami might already have left to join him.
The Sorbet Kingdom incident was still vivid in her mind—
a grim reminder that joining Souta Kiryuu's crew wasn't a simple dream.
Still, part of her envied Karina, the orphan girl who had followed her own heart without hesitation—
who was now already sailing through the New World,
heading toward Gild Tesoro's Golden Entertainment City
to chase her dream of becoming a singer…
and perhaps to join Souta Kiryuu's forces.
Karina had already begun to suspect what few dared to say aloud—
that Tesoro himself might secretly be one of Souta's allies.