To prevent Kizaru from rambling on, Haku said to the still-questioning Kizaru, "All right, whatever business you have can wait until I've rested enough! I'm too tired and need to sleep soundly for a while!"
Without waiting for Kizaru to react, Haku said this as he walked toward the cabin.
Just as he was about to reach the door, Haku tossed the log pose to Kizaru and said, "Good thing you're here, and you don't have anything to do anyway. Just help me keep an eye on the Ark's course. Remember to wake me up when we reach the destination!"
Kizaru was struck dumb by Haku's blatant passing of the buck, and he didn't react until the very end.
By the time he snapped out of it, Haku had already slipped into the cabin and was snoring away!
With no other choice, Kizaru could only mutter quietly under his breath, "What a pain. If I'd known this kid was fine, I would have headed straight back to Marineford."
Yet even if he wanted to go back now, it was already far too late!
After all, the ship that had brought him to Wano Country had turned back for headquarters long ago.
With no choice, he had just to follow along with Haku for the entire journey!
The next day, the entire pirate world was shocked by the newspapers scattered by the News Coo!
Among them, the most eye-catching headlines were: Shocking! The successor to the Hero of the Marines defeats the Beasts Pirates! Marine Admiral Purple Blade takes on the entire Beasts Pirates single-handedly! Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, meets an unknown fate, and so on!
In the New World, on a certain island.
Marco had just received a copy of the newspaper from a News Coo, right after reading the front page.
An expression of utter disbelief appeared on his face, and he checked the newspaper again, muttering, "Th-this Kaido was really defeated?"
Immediately, he rushed back onto the ship with the paper in hand.
"Gurararararara! Interesting! I never expected this brat to be so strong. Marco, I remember you guys questioning his strength the moment you learned he'd become a Marine Admiral at such a young age."
"Look at you all now!"
The division commanders still remaining on the Whitebeard Pirates Ship shook their heads helplessly!
Marco spoke up then, saying, "Old Man, that's not the point. Our priority should be guarding against the Marines, who could mobilize at any moment! Besides, we need to pay even closer attention to this Marine Admiral!"
"Gurarararara! Don't worry! The Marine side won't make any major moves! As for that Marine brat, it'd be even better if he wanted to come challenge me! It's just a pity that kid is a Marine, or else I'd really love to take him in as my son!" Whitebeard said with a laugh.
If Haku had been here, he surely would have remarked: As expected of Whitebeard, such an old fox! He saw right through the Marine Headquarters' intentions!
New World, Whole Cake Island.
"Mama! Mama! Something big has happened in the New World!"
Charlotte Perospero, the Candy Minister with his long tongue dragging behind him, rushed into Charlotte Linlin's room holding a newspaper!
"Hmm? Perospero, what on earth has happened?" Charlotte Linlin asked her son with displeasure.
Feeling Big Mom's aura and her murderous gaze, Perospero almost began to stutter on the spot.
In the end, he fought through his inner fear and handed the newspaper in his hand over to Big Mom.
Puzzled, Charlotte Linlin unfolded the newspaper. When she saw the news claiming that the Four Emperors Kaido had been defeated, an expression of sheer disbelief appeared on her face.
She asked Perospero, "Is this true? Kaido was beaten?"
Perospero nodded and replied, "Yes, Mama. This is newly published news, and I believe it is real. As one of the Four Emperors, Kaido's strength is immense, but he has been defeated nonetheless. It is truly shocking."
Charlotte Linlin lowered the newspaper, ambition and greed flashing in her eyes. She knew in her heart that this was an opportunity—an opportunity that might allow her Big Mom Pirates to grow even stronger.
She said to Perospero, "Go summon all the ministers and officers. I have an important announcement to make."
Perospero nodded and immediately left the room. He knew Charlotte Linlin's ambitions and plans, and he had to make preparations as quickly as possible to maintain his own position and power amid the coming turmoil.
That's right! Upon learning that Kaido was severely injured, Big Mom's first thought wasn't about how to guard against the Marines.
Her very first thought was to annex some of the islands under the Beasts Pirates' control in order to expand her own strength.
Moreover, and most importantly, she had been eyeing some of Kaido's islands that produced special desserts for quite a long time.
For the sake of this "little selfish desire" of hers, she wouldn't mind kicking the Beasts Pirates while they were down at a time like this!
... ...
New World, East Blue.
Ben Beckman also learned of Kaido's defeat from the newspaper in his hand!
When he returned to the Red Force and looked at his sprawling, tipsy crewmates alongside his captain, Shanks!
Ben Beckman said to the subordinates who were still drinking and playing cards, completely oblivious to his return, "Everyone sober up, I have an announcement to make!"
With that, Ben Beckman walked over to the deck and slapped the newspaper down onto the table.
Meanwhile, Shanks had been rudely shoved toward the newspaper by his underlings right out of his slumber! With no other choice, this Four Emperor who loved partying the most was still in a drunken stupor, even with the sun high in the sky, due to a severe hangover!
"Hey, Captain, wake up and look at this! Kaido's been beaten!"
Shanks looked blearily at the newspaper before him, but the moment he caught sight of the contents within, his eyes widened steadily.
"Beckman, th-th-this..."
"That's right! It really is Luffy's older brother!"
"Whoa! That is seriously amazing! Just how old is the kid?" Shanks said, displaying unusual excitement.
Beckman immediately covered his own forehead, and then he turned to Shanks and said, "Don't you think you ought to be worrying about yourself?"
"Have you forgotten that time you kidnapped little Luffy into becoming a pirate, which led to Garp chasing us all across the New World?"
Looking a bit dazed, Shanks asked, "What does that have to do with this?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Ben Beckman gave his captain a solid smack on the head!
Immediately, he spoke up, "This brat has the strength to overturn the Beasts Pirates. How do you think it's going to go if a guy like that comes chasing after us?"
Shanks fell silent, beginning to realize the gravity of the situation.
He rubbed his own head and muttered, "Seems like this situation might be a bit tricky."
At that moment, some of the crewmates chimed in to stir trouble: "Looks like the Captain's chickened out!"
"Yeah! Looks like he knows just how terrifying Luffy's older brother really is!"
Shanks glared at the heckling crewmates, having no desire to show weakness at a time like this.
Still, the atmosphere on his ship was indeed just like that, so the others were mostly just messing around!
Before you continue