The Wheel of the Era

It was the seventh month after the God Valley Incident.

Hachinosu had changed.

Not a little, but a lot.

The harbor had expanded from ten berths to twenty. The stone had come from an entire barren mountain in the West Blue—Lin Yuan opened doors, King transported it with the Float-Float Fruit, Kaido smashed it apart, and Bullet leveled it. They finished in three days.

The castle had gained three more floors. The underground storehouse had been dug down to a third level, and the walls of the lowest level were built with Seastone bricks. Even the floor was Seastone. Lin Yuan had "borrowed" a batch of Seastone from Wano Country, and Ginny's hands had trembled as she entered it in the ledger: "How much did this cost?" "Nothing. I borrowed it." "And you're not giving it back?" "No."

The training ground had doubled in size. The number of raw Seastone blocks had risen from three to ten, lined up in a row. Kaido smashed one every day, Bullet smashed another, and King used the Float-Float Fruit to lift one into the air and smash it. Kuma didn't smash stones. He stood by the shore, striking his palms toward the sea. His air blasts now had a range of five hundred meters. With a single strike, the sea exploded and schools of fish floated belly-up.

Moria's shadows now reached fifty meters. His Shadow Horn Spear could hit a bullseye thirty meters away in the dark, and his Shadow Wall could withstand three punches from Bullet without breaking.

Inazuma had found all sorts of uses for the Snip-Snip Fruit. He could cut steel plates into any shape to make weapons, armor, or parts. Ginny had him help process supplies—crates of weapons and ammunition, grain and cloth. He cut open the packaging and sorted everything ten times faster than people could by hand.

"That ability of yours works better than any cutting machine," Ginny said, clicking her tongue in amazement as she watched Inazuma open a crate of cannonballs in three seconds.

"The Snip-Snip Fruit isn't for opening packages." Inazuma's face was expressionless.

"Then what do you use it for?"

"Cutting enemies."

"There aren't any enemies right now. Cut the packages first."

Inazuma took a deep breath and kept cutting.

Ginny made an entry in the ledger: Inazuma, work efficiency +300%.

The wanted posters had been updated again.

Ginny put a stack of new wanted posters on the Intelligence Room wall, stepped back twice, and tilted her head as she looked them over.

"Kaido, 850 million. Up 150 million."

The photo showed the moment Kaido transformed into an azure dragon on Bison Island, his body covered in blue-green dragon scales, his wings spread, and his dark golden slit pupils fixed on the camera. The World Government had added a special note to the poster: "Confirmed to possess the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon. Extremely dangerous."

"Bullet, 600 million. Up 100 million."

The photo showed Bullet smashing a gun emplacement with one punch, lightning from his Conqueror's Haki dancing around his fist. The note read: "Possesses Conqueror's Haki. Extremely skilled in physical combat."

"Kuma, 550 million. Up 100 million."

The photo showed Kuma using his paws to send civilians flying—not the one where he sent civilians flying, but another one, showing him sending a CP0 agent flying with a palm strike at God Valley. His epithet had changed from "Tyrant" to "Paw."

"King, 500 million. Up 100 million."

The photo showed the moment King awakened his Conqueror's Haki on God Valley's northern front, flames soaring behind him and dark red lightning circling his body. The note read: "Lunarian remnant. Possesses Conqueror's Haki."

"Moria, 200 million. Up 100 million."

The photo showed Moria standing in the doorway of the darkroom, scissors in hand and a fierce look in his eyes.

"Inazuma, first bounty, 50 million."

The photo showed him aboard the Impel Down escort ship, his long purple hair covering his face and a look of disdain on his face.

Ginny stepped back, looked at the wall full of wanted posters, and whistled.

"Seven people, and we're worth almost three billion altogether."

"We're still a long way off." Lin Yuan stood behind her. "Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Big Mom from Rocks's ship—any one of them is worth more than our whole crew combined."

"And you can still smile?"

"Even if I can't smile, I still have to live."

Ginny rolled her eyes and continued putting up posters.

Morgans's newspaper arrived on schedule.

The front-page headline read: "Rocks Pirates splitting up? Whitebeard goes independent, Golden Lion strikes out alone, Big Mom expands."

The article went into detail: Whitebeard Edward Newgate had officially left the Rocks Pirates and formed a fleet of his own. A young man named Marco was aboard his ship. He had eaten the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix, and Whitebeard called him his "son." Golden Lion Shiki was also expanding his territory and had clashed with Rocks's forces several times. The two had faced each other at sea once. They hadn't fought, but the atmosphere had been tense. Charlotte Linlin had recently given birth to triplets and used the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit to put souls into desserts and furniture, creating a "Homie army."

The Rocks Pirates were still around, but they were no longer as united as they had been.

Lin Yuan put down the newspaper and fell silent for a moment.

Whitebeard had gone independent. Golden Lion had struck out on his own. Big Mom was expanding.

Rocks's crew was about to fall apart.

"Ginny."

"Yeah?"

"Make a note. When the Rocks Pirates fall apart, we'll go pick up the spoils."

"What spoils?"

"People. And territory."

Ginny made a note in her ledger and asked no more.

A few more days passed.

Big Mom's reply arrived.

It wasn't delivered by Perospero, but by a Homie—a flying cake with wings made of frosting, a sponge-cake body, and a cream hat on its head.

"Mamamama..." The cake spoke in Big Mom's voice. "You're pretty bold, brat. You want me to come to Hachinosu? Fine. I'll come. Next month. Have desserts ready."

Having delivered its message, the cake flapped its wings twice and flew away.

Ginny stood there with the ledger still in her hand, her mouth hanging open for a long time.

"She... she's coming?"

"Next month," Lin Yuan said.

"What do we do?"

"Have desserts ready."

"What desserts? How much can she eat in one meal? What if she isn't satisfied?"

Lin Yuan glanced at her.

"Find the best cook on the island. Make the biggest cake. If they can't do it well, find someone else."

Ginny took a deep breath, turned, and ran off.

Lin Yuan stood at the castle entrance, looking out at the sea.

Big Mom was coming to Hachinosu.

This wasn't tea. It was a test.

A test of his strength, his confidence, and his bottom line.

If he showed fear in front of Big Mom, Hachinosu would become her territory tomorrow.

If he could satisfy Big Mom, Hachinosu could gain a firm foothold in the New World.

This was a war without gunfire.

Lin Yuan turned and walked into the castle.

"King!"

King floated down from the lookout.

"Here."

"Big Mom is coming next month. You're in charge of aerial surveillance. Follow her the whole way, starting when she enters New World waters."

"Understood."

"Bullet!"

Bullet walked over from the training ground, Seastone dust still unwiped from his fists.

"Here."

"When Big Mom comes, stand behind me. You don't need to speak or fight. Just stand there."

"Just stand there?"

"Just stand there."

Bullet frowned but didn't object.

"Kaido!"

Kaido walked out of the storehouse with a piece of meat in his hand.

"Here."

"When Big Mom comes, sit in the hall and eat meat. You don't need to pay attention to her or offer her a toast. Just eat and drink as you normally would."

"Wororororo... sure! I'm good at that!"

"Kuma!"

Kuma came back from the shore, the pads on his palms slightly red.

"Here."

"When Big Mom comes, stand at the entrance. You don't need to welcome her or see her off."

Kuma nodded.

"Moria! Inazuma!"

Moria walked out of the darkroom, his eyes not yet adjusted to the light. Inazuma poked his head out of the storehouse.

"You two don't need to show up that day. Stay at the training ground."

Moria's expression soured.

"Why won't you let us show up?"

"Because your bounties are too low," Lin Yuan said. "People Big Mom looks down on will only annoy her if they hang around in front of her."

Moria gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Inazuma shrugged and withdrew into the storehouse.

With everything arranged, Lin Yuan stood in the middle of the hall and glanced over everyone.

"Big Mom is coming next month. This will be Hachinosu's first time receiving a guest at the Four Emperors' level. If we do well, Hachinosu's name will spread throughout the New World. If we don't..." He didn't finish.

"What if we don't?" Kaido asked.

"If we don't, we'll find another island and carry on."

"Wororororo... then let's do it well."

Lin Yuan turned and walked to the window, looking out at the sea.

The sea breeze blew past, carrying a salty, fishy smell.

In the distance, a seagull swept across the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

The wheel of the era was picking up speed.

And he would stand atop that wheel, not be crushed beneath it.

(End of Chapter 49)