His Name, Feng Lei, Spread Across the Seas!

"That Special Recruit actually killed Charlotte Cracker? He was an officer of the Four Emperors with an 860 million bounty!"

"How old is he? He actually managed to do something like that?"

"As expected of Vice Admiral Garp's disciple. With a feat like that, even the Three Admirals wouldn't have dared claim they could do the same back then, right?"

"No wonder he dared take on the hardest assessment in history. I never imagined he was so terrifyingly strong. That was Cracker!"

"I heard ages ago that the Big Mom Pirates were investigating Cracker's death. So Feng Lei killed him. That's incredible!"

"At his age, how far will he go in the future? I can't imagine it!"

"I heard Instructor Zephyr told everyone to challenge Feng Lei. Anyone who beats him can be recommended as a Special Recruit!"

"Really?"

"Forget it. That guy killed Cracker!"

"True. I doubt anyone but a Vice Admiral could beat him, right?"

"After more than twenty years, someone has finally passed the Special Recruit assessment again!"

"A new star is rising!"

As news of Feng Lei passing the Special Recruit assessment spread throughout Marine Headquarters, it caused a huge stir.

Countless people were shocked!

After all, it was almost unimaginable for a sixteen-year-old to kill a senior officer of a Four Emperors pirate crew single-handedly!

Meanwhile.

At the recruit camp.

Koby and Helmeppo also heard the news.

Both were utterly dumbfounded.

"Feng Lei... he's actually grown this strong!"

Koby's eyes widened as he struggled to digest the unbelievable news.

Helmeppo's mouth fell open.

"Did he really start training on the same day as us?"

"He's a monster!"

That was a great pirate with an 860 million bounty!

And an officer of a Four Emperors pirate crew in the New World, at that.

Just imagining him made their legs go weak, let alone the thought of killing him single-handedly.

How much courage and strength would that take?

And Feng Lei had done it.

The key was that Feng Lei had started training on the same day as them. In less than a month, the gap between their strength had grown so vast that it felt like something out of a fairy tale.

"Yeah. And the funny thing is, we thought he was being reckless and stupid!"

A bitter look appeared on Koby's face.

Earlier, when he heard that Feng Lei intended to capture Charlotte Cracker, he had thought Feng Lei had gone mad.

He had only been training for a few days, yet he dared go after a senior officer of the Four Emperors?

But now, it seemed he was the fool!

A sense of frustration welled up in Koby's heart.

He had boasted before that he wanted to surpass Feng Lei, then chase after Luffy.

Now, it seemed that even Luffy, the goal he had always wanted to surpass, couldn't compare to Feng Lei.

After all, Luffy's current bounty was only 100 million!

As time passed, news of Feng Lei becoming a Special Recruit at the Marine Academy began to spread from Marine Headquarters to the other Marine Branches!

It immediately caused a tremendous stir.

The position of Special Recruit had been vacant for over twenty years. Passing the assessment meant one was halfway to becoming a Marine Admiral!

As long as one proceeded steadily in the future, becoming a Marine Admiral was certain!

In the New World.

On an island buried in ice and snow, a crowd of pirates gathered around a bonfire, drinking together!

Just then.

A pirate came running over in a hurry, treading through the thick white snow. He spoke reverently to a red-haired man missing an arm.

"Boss, quick, look!"

As he spoke, he handed over a newspaper.

A huge, eye-catching headline appeared on the newspaper.

"Marine Special Recruit position filled after twenty years: Feng Lei from the East Blue!"

"Hm?"

Red-Haired looked surprised.

As a Celestial Dragon, he had close ties to the World Government.

He also knew something about the Marines' Special Recruits.

Every Special Recruit represented the greatest fighting strength of the Marines' new generation and was certain to become a Marine Admiral in the future.

Yet more than twenty years had passed, and aside from the current Three Admirals, no Marine had become a Special Recruit.

He had thought the Marines had no one to carry on the mantle, but then Feng Lei had suddenly appeared!

Red-Haired took the newspaper and read it carefully.

When he came to the report that Feng Lei had killed Cracker single-handedly, Red-Haired's expression shifted.

"What is it, boss?"

Beside him, Lucky Roux was gnawing on a large drumstick when he noticed something was off with Red-Haired.

Hearing him, the others stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

Red-Haired put down the newspaper and said slowly, "The person who killed Cracker has been revealed. I didn't expect it to be a Special Recruit from the Marine Academy named Feng Lei!"

Everyone was stunned by his words!

Cracker's death had previously sent the New World into an uproar, and everyone had been guessing who was responsible!

They hadn't expected the Marines to have done it.

"Are the Marines going to war with Big Mom?" Benn Beckman frowned.

Red-Haired shook his head. "As cautious as Sengoku is, he's plotting against Whitebeard now. There's no way he'd make a move against Big Mom as well!"

He had already received word that Ace had been captured.

Given what he knew of Whitebeard, the man would never stand by and watch. He was certain to take action.

And now Feng Lei had appeared as another unforeseen factor.

"This sea has finally reached the point where storms are brewing!"

With that.

Red-Haired slowly stood up.

"Men!"

"Today's feast ends here. Our next destination is Wano Country!"

A battle between Whitebeard and the Marines was inevitable sooner or later!

Now Big Mom was also at odds with the Marines. Once Whitebeard and the Marines went to war, Kaido would surely take the opportunity to seize Whitebeard's territory.

Meanwhile.

In Totto Land.

On Whole Cake Island.

News that Feng Lei had killed Cracker had also reached the Big Mom Pirates.

"Damn Marines, are they trying to start a war with us?"

"I can't believe Cracker really died at that Marine's hands!"

"Sixteen? When did the Marines get someone like that? He actually managed to kill Cracker!"

"No matter what, he killed a member of the Big Mom Pirates. Now it's a fight to the death!"

"From this day on, this Feng Lei is a target we have to kill!"

"But that guy is hiding at Marine Headquarters now. There's nothing we can do to him!"

Inside the palace, many of Big Mom's children wore angry expressions.

They had never imagined that the person who killed Cracker really was the man who had declared he would capture him!

As long as Feng Lei hid at Marine Headquarters, they had no chance at all.

"Mamamama!"

"My beloved son is dead. No matter what, even the Marines will pay the price!"

Big Mom's face turned vicious.

"Katakuri!"

"Mama!"

Katakuri stepped forward.

"The Marines have a branch in the New World, don't they?" Big Mom said in a low voice.

"Yes, Mama! The Marines' G-1 Branch is established in the New World as their bridgehead for keeping watch on us!" Katakuri nodded.

"In that case, destroy it!"

Big Mom's eyes turned scarlet.

"If that man Feng Lei shows up, tell me immediately. I'll kill him myself!"