The epilogue officially concluded, and audiences across the world had learned through the Sky Screen about the principal characters involved in the Dressrosa incident and their subsequent fates. Generally speaking, the arc had ended with the complete annihilation of Doflamingo's forces—a total defeat for the Heavenly Demon and everything he'd built.
The screen showed brief glimpses of Homelander transporting Ada back to Egghead—the location of Dr. Vegapunk's primary experimental facility, home to the most advanced technology on the entire planet. However, the Sky Screen did not linger on this location, offering only fleeting shots of the island's magical creations before moving on. Viewers caught glimpses of massive mechanical constructs, buildings that seemed to defy physics, and technology that appeared decades ahead of anything else in the world.
In a quiet hospital ward far from the chaos of battle, the former Fleet Admiral had finally overcome his vegetative state through sheer perseverance and the devoted care of Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had retired from active duty to attend to him. After regaining consciousness, Sengoku found himself confined to a wheelchair—his body had survived, but at a terrible cost.
As soon as he was physically able, the former Fleet Admiral made his way to Rosinante's cemetery. A new grave had been added beside that of his adopted son—a cenotaph bearing Trafalgar Law's name. Although it was merely an empty tomb, the fact that the two could be symbolically buried together represented something profound: the entire Marine organization had officially recognized their contributions to justice, their sacrifices in service of something greater than themselves.
Afterward, familiar yet imposing bold subtitles appeared on the Sky Screen once more, indicating that this particular viewing experience was approaching its end. Most viewers felt genuine reluctance at the prospect of saying goodbye, but that sentiment was tempered by eager anticipation—wondering which character would be evaluated next, whose past and future would be laid bare for the world to witness.
-Broadcast-
The aftermath of the Dressrosa incident continues to spread across the world like ripples from a stone cast into still water. According to rough statistical analysis compiled by historians of later generations, when Eren launched the Rumbling for the first time in recorded history, the scale of devastation swept across the entire planet.
The drastic decline in population numbers had almost no direct impact on pirate organizations, whose members were scattered and mobile by nature. However, the Rumbling seriously damaged the prestige of the World Government and began to fundamentally shake the foundations of its eight-hundred-year rule. Even the supposed sanctity of the Celestial Dragons—their divine right to command and consume—came under open questioning for the first time in living memory.
The Dressrosa incident became a historical turning point, marking the transition between eras. The so-called "gods" had relied upon the World Government's machinery to rule this planet for nearly eight centuries. But the corrupt system, the extravagant waste of the upper classes, the casual cruelty inflicted upon those below—all of it had made this operating mechanism increasingly unstable. A more turbulent era was beginning, whether the world was ready or not.
The Marines suffered consecutive defeats at Dressrosa, culminating in their total annihilation during the Iron and Blood Massacre. These catastrophic losses served as a brutal wake-up call to the Marine organization. After a joint petition submitted by all twelve Admirals, the Acting Fleet Admiral finally agreed to initiate large-scale conscription efforts and accelerate the expansion of both armaments and personnel, preparing the military for the more severe conflicts that lay ahead.
The pirate crew led by Red-Haired Shanks was finally removed from the list of Four Emperors in Morgans' widely-distributed newspaper. The publication's content deliberately concealed certain facts, attributing the entirety of Shanks's defeat to the New Marines alone. The significant efforts made by the Beasts Pirates before the Marines' arrival were glossed over, mentioned only in passing if at all.
Shanks's former friend and rival, Buggy the Clown, replaced him as one of the Four Emperors. After the Iron and Blood Massacre, Buggy engaged in combat against Admiral Smoker, he proved no match for the cunning conspirator and required rescue by another Admiral to avoid capture or death. Judging purely from numerical strength comparisons on paper, Buggy individually should be no match for two Admirals working in concert.
However, numbers told only part of the story.
Since the New Marines had circumvented the World Government's traditional approval procedures and unilaterally abolished the Shichibukai system, the biggest beneficiary of this political upheaval was not the enslaved civilians who suffered under pirate depredations, but rather Buggy the Clown—whose ambition and strength had only recently been exposed to public view.
Five former Shichibukai joined the Buggy Pirates, becoming powerful executive officers within his expanding organization:
Dracule Mihawk, former Shichibukai and the World's Greatest Swordsman
Crocodile, former Shichibukai and user of the Logia-type Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit)
Boa Hancock, former Shichibukai and user of the Paramecia-type Mero Mero no Mi (Love-Love Fruit)
Gecko Moriah, former Shichibukai and user of the Paramecia-type Kage Kage no Mi (Shadow-Shadow Fruit)
Edward Weevil, self-proclaimed son of Whitebeard and former Shichibukai
With such powerful subordinates, Buggy truly deserved the title of Emperor.
A new Four Emperors configuration emerged on the seas:
The Beasts Pirates led by Kaido of the Beasts
The Big Mom Pirates commanded by Charlotte Linlin
The Blackbeard Pirates controlled by Marshall D. Teach
The Buggy Pirates under Buggy the Clown
New bounties on the Four Emperors were officially announced. The well-funded New Marines, no longer constrained by World Government budgetary limitations, spared no expense in drastically increasing the rewards offered for these legendary pirates:
Kaido: 10,010,000,000 berries
Charlotte Linlin: 5,050,000,000 berries
Marshall D. Teach: 8,880,000,000 berries
Buggy the Clown: 4,530,000,000 berries
The Four Emperors serve as a microcosm of this chaotic era. The fate of individuals, even those as powerful as Emperors, is not always entirely within their own hands. History moves toward its next crossroads with inexorable momentum.
The age when Celestial Dragons commanded the world through fear and divine right has passed, never to return. On the Grand Line, heroes emerge from every corner, each carving out their own territory. For land, for wealth, for women, for raw power itself—large pirate organizations continuously wage war against one another.
The conflict consuming the seas threatens to destroy not merely the World Government that has existed for eight hundred years, but the very spiritual and social structures that have allowed this ocean and its people to maintain any semblance of stability.
[NEXT CHARACTER PREVIEW]
The next character evaluation will commence in 30 days.
The third person on the ranking list is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user—but not an ordinary Zoan. His fruit is classified among the extraordinarily rare Mythical Zoan category.
In later generations, historical evaluation of this individual remains deeply divided. Some people respectfully call him the Lord of Samurai, the Savior of Wano Country, and other honorable titles befitting a great leader.
After the final text scrolled across the Sky Screen, a static image appeared and froze in place—a beautiful panoramic view of Wano Country's distinctive architecture and natural landscape, serving as a background for what came next.
The long-dormant chat room function suddenly reactivated, and audiences who had been forced into silence for many days could finally speak freely once more. The floodgates opened immediately.
[GLOBAL CHAT ROOM - ACTIVE]
Buggy: I can talk now? Okay, I'm just passing by.
Sakazuki: Where are you? Tell me your location if you have the guts, Clown.
Charlotte Katakuri: Mr. Buggy, I have many questions to ask you regarding advanced Devil Fruit development.
Charlotte Linlin: Why did my bounty increase so little compared to the others?
Marshall D. Teach: Is my bounty too high? Zehahahaha! The Marines must really fear me!
Marco: Where are you, Teach? I'd like to have a conversation with you. Don't worry, don't be afraid—yoi.
Jack: Who would be afraid of a dead man's threats about the future? If we meet on the Grand Line, I'll sink your ship.
King: Captain Kaido's future bounty is somewhat outrageous, but it's unfortunate the Sky Screen didn't reveal what my own bounty will be.
Who's-Who: I didn't betray anyone! Boss Kaido, you have to come back and rescue me. The other officers won't even listen to my explanations!
Yamato: Where are you, Ace? I've set out to sea to find you!
Portgas D. Ace: I'll be waiting for you in the first half of the Grand Line.
Kaido: WHO LET YAMATO OUT?!
Queen: Captain, it wasn't my fault! The young master ran away on his own initiative. I've already dispatched a ship to pursue and retrieve him.
Kaku: I'm still going to die in the future...
Spandam: Ada should stay far away from you people. She needs to return to Enies Lobby immediately.
Franky: CP9, just wait for me. I'll return for revenge one day, you SUPER bastards!
Rob Lucci: You're not even in Water 7 anymore.
Caesar Clown: Can everyone please stop spamming irrelevant content? I want more scientific discussion! Can anyone explain what exactly a Seraph is?
Queen: It's a weapon system developed by Vegapunk. He preaches peace while building instruments of war—typical hypocrite. If anyone has detailed information, please share.
Vinsmoke Judge: Combat clones are more suitable for my research methods. Vegapunk is nothing but a shameless thief who stole my work.
Vegapunk: We develop weapons for the sake of world peace and stability.