You Will Die

Something big has happened!

That was the thought that naturally surfaced in Smoker's mind as he walked over and stood behind the single sofa where Garp was seated. He looked at the rear admirals sitting on the long sofa, their eyes betraying unease and agitation, and his own mood grew so heavy it felt suffocating.

Just what, exactly, had happened?

"Vice Admiral Garp, is the news true?" Rear Admiral Sprenger couldn't help but ask eagerly. "That BIG left Whole Cake Island ten days ago." His voice was very soft, especially when he mentioned BIG's name—it floated like it had no weight, as if a gust of wind would scatter it.

"I'm not familiar with the intelligence division, but this came from Sengoku, so it should be real. That crazy woman seems to be looking for someone called... Black Prince? That's the name, right? Smoker?"

Garp turned his head to glance at Smoker, who was tense and barely daring to move.

"Relax, smoke brat. Nothing major—just a crazy woman whose brain's been fried by too much sugar." As he said this, he seemed to find it hilarious and burst into laughter, instantly shattering the hard-won seriousness from before.

"Whoosh—"

A very, very soft exhale echoed through the room.

Smoker rolled his eyes, watching Hina beside him, who had clearly relaxed with a sigh. He understood—he wasn't the only one tense. Especially when Vice Admiral Garp, usually so carefree and jokey, had put on a stern face they'd never seen before, it had put considerable pressure on them "youngsters."

Realizing he wasn't alone in his tension, and that Vice Admiral Garp had dropped that serious demeanor, Smoker—a notorious troublemaker at headquarters—finally eased up a bit, regaining some of his usual swagger.

"Sokachio Aleus. That's the Black Prince's full name."

Smoker opened his mouth, answering Garp's question in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Vice Admiral Garp, are you saying that BIG, one of the Four Emperors, is going after the Black Prince?"

"That's right!"

Garp nodded.

"Damn it, doesn't that mean our mission's a bust?" From the long sofa, Rear Admiral Bishiman, sitting next to Sprenger, let out an irritated complaint. He looked at Garp and asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, is there any point in continuing the mission? With a Four Emperor making a move, that kid Aleus will either die or be forcibly recruited into the BIG Pirates. He's lost any value for contact."

With that, Rear Admiral Bishiman glanced up at Smoker and Hina standing behind Garp.

"You two probably don't know the details of this mission yet, right? Listen up—this time we're going to make contact with the recently famous Black Prince. Fleet Admiral Sengoku believes he can break the deadlock in the New World. If possible, we're to win him over, making the Ekmondo Kingdom a reliable ally for the Navy in the New World, not just a member of the World Government.

Here, one thing needs to be made clear:

The Navy is the direct armed force under the World Government, while the World Government's member states are the crucial foundation of its structure. The Celestial Dragons and the Holy Land are just the head of the World Government; the over one hundred and fifty member states are its main body.

That means the World Government's member states are above the Navy in status. Although these countries can't directly meddle in Navy affairs, the Navy has an obligation to provide them with a certain level of protection, while also not interfering in their internal affairs.

The clearest example is how the Alabastan Kingdom openly sheltered the Straw Hat Pirates in the original story, hiding them in the Royal Palace and lying straight to the Navy's face. The Navy had no choice but to wait at sea outside the port for the Straw Hats to come to them.

In the New World, the World Government still has numerous member states—Dressrosa and the Ekmondo Kingdom are just two of them.

But these member states aren't the Navy's allies, because the Navy can't guarantee their safety from the Four Emperors, so they refuse to support the Navy's authority. The reason the Navy was so easily driven out of the New World by the Four Emperors is closely tied to these member states standing by and watching.

Clearly, the setbacks in the New World made Fleet Admiral Sengoku realize that for the Navy to gain a foothold there, it needs the support of the World Government's member states in the region.

The World Government's scope is just too vast. The territory the Navy has to cover is therefore enormous. Nearly ten million sailors sounds like a huge number, but spread them across the Four Seas and the Grand Line, and they vanish. That's why the Navy couldn't hold its ground in the New World.

Not to mention, if the Three Admirals joined forces and charged, even Whitebeard couldn't stop them!

But the problem is, the Navy can't do that. Too many places need Admiral-level power. The three Admirals wish they could split into nine people. So in many areas, the Navy cooperates with local kingdoms' navies to maintain peace and stability in a region.

This not only solves the manpower shortage but also eases logistical burdens.

In a treacherous place like the New World, gaining local support is even more critical for the Navy. After all, any kingdom that survives in the New World is no pushover.

This time, Garp leading a team back to the New World is to make a tentative contact with the Ekmondo Kingdom, to see if it can become a bridge for the Navy to rebuild ties with local forces in the New World... Rear Admiral Bishiman carefully explained to Smoker and Hina.

Not that Bishiman was the type of good senior who eagerly helps juniors.

Rather, Smoker and Hina were both members of his faction—the one led by Admiral Aokiji. As a senior in the faction, he naturally had to look after the juniors. Especially Smoker, who had an excellent personal relationship with Admiral Aokiji and, as a Logia user, was destined to become a key figure in the faction. When Aokiji became Fleet Admiral, Smoker would take over as Admiral... That was the bright future many in the faction envisioned.

"Black Prince... I see."

Smoker finally understood the mission's purpose, but soon he shared Rear Admiral Bishiman's concerns.

"What's the rush?"

Garp pulled a pack of snacks from under the coffee table beside the sofa and started eating without a care, munching as he said, "BIG that crazy woman left ten days ago—we definitely can't catch up. But it's too early to talk about retreat now. Who knows how this will turn out?"

"But, Vice Admiral Garp, that's a Four Emperor!"

The third rear admiral, Cajetan, couldn't help but speak up.

"So what?"

Garp rolled his eyes, looking at Cajetan with a "why can't you get it" expression. "The Four Emperors weren't born as Four Emperors. Sengoku and I took losses when we were young too! Being a Navy scared of pirates—what kind of look is that? Too shameful! How do you know that little prince will definitely be killed or recruited by BIG?"

"It's Black Prince, not little prince."

Cajetan retorted.

"What did you say?"

Garp's eyes bulged like cow's eyes, scaring Cajetan into shrinking his neck and shutting up. Vice Admiral Garp was a crab—he could walk sideways through the entire Navy Headquarters. Even the Fleet Admiral and Admirals couldn't do anything about this Navy Hero.

A mere Rear Admiral should just shut his mouth!

"Just wait and see! Maybe the result will surprise us all!" Garp continued enjoying the snacks he'd swiped from Sengoku's office before departure, his calm demeanor infecting those around him, gradually easing their earlier anxiety and unease.

Saiboy Island.

At the port, a fleet so vast it blotted out the sun nearly filled the entire bay. Black flags fluttered in the wind like a dense flock of Death Birds spreading their wings under the blue sky, proclaiming death's arrival to every living thing on the island.

In the New World, there was no one who didn't recognize that flamboyant pirate flag.

And precisely because they recognized it, they felt the terror of death all the more keenly.

"How could this be..."

"Why does it have to be now?"

"Couldn't it... couldn't it have come sooner? Or even later would be better than this! Now... there's no way to survive!!!"

The nobles, officials, and merchants who had sworn loyalty to Aleus burst out of the Royal Palace hall, raised their pocket telescopes, and saw the pirate flag clearly. In an instant, they crumpled as if their spines had been yanked out.

Even when His Majesty the King had his head lopped off by Aleus, they hadn't looked so utterly defeated and despairing.

Because they knew full well who would be the one to take their lives.

Based on Aleus's actions over the past month, it was enough to confirm that he genuinely intended to take over Umit's greatest legacy—the vast shipping network spanning the New World. This gave them enough confidence that Aleus wouldn't swing his blade at them, since killing them would only plunge the country into collapse and chaos, hindering his plans.

But, BIG, this Mad Emperor, didn't have the mental capacity to bother with such trivial matters. After the king was killed, small fry like them weren't even worth her attention. All that awaited them was destruction.

"The Four Emperors... So this is the power of a Pirate Emperor?"

Watching these people's despair and terror, Aleus once again deeply understood what kind of authority the Pirate Emperors wielded in the New World. Just showing their flag was enough to break the courage of these bastards who had been putting on airs in front of him.

Such was the fearsome reputation of the Pirate Emperors.

Their names, their flags—all carried a power that made people tremble in silence.

Such authority, such renown, exuded an intoxicating allure, stirring a heart that was never all that placid to begin with. His ambition nearly slipped out of control, but he reached out and pressed down on his chest, steadying the Hogyoku with its subdued luster and his wildly pounding heart.

"Eat your meal bite by bite, walk your path step by step. Can't be too impatient!"

Aleus repeatedly warned himself.

He didn't think "insatiable greed" was a derogatory term, because desire was the driving force behind human progress. But a person should control their desires, not let them cloud their mind... "What I should do now is test how far I still am from the Four Emperors!"

Aleus murmured to himself.

Through this act of speaking aloud, he reorganized the future plans recorded in his mind.

"How exciting! This world... what will it become?"

Aleus climbed into the carriage that had been driven over. Four purebred tall horses, under Fran's whip, pulled this super-luxurious carriage—once belonging to the nation's supreme ruler—racing toward the port, heading straight for the approaching Mad Emperor.

At the port, The last remnants of this country, the Kingdom of Himuyel's defeated troops, had long since fled. After being crushed by Aleus once, they had no fighting spirit left, and now seeing the BIG Pirates' flag, they ran as far as their legs could carry them.

It wasn't just the defeated soldiers—even the residents near the port scattered at the mere sight, each wishing their parents had given them an extra pair of legs, terrified that one step too slow would make them prey for the BIG Pirates.

Before the BIG Pirates even landed, the port was already deserted.

Thus, The luxurious carriage driving against the flow from inland to the port's pier stood out starkly.

Queen Mama Chant.

This was the flagship of the BIG Pirates, a living warship imbued with a soul by BIG herself. It was well-known as BIG's Flagship; seeing this ship meant BIG had personally set sail.

On the deck of this flagship.

Several towering figures stood.

They had naturally noticed that eye-catching luxury carriage, and those with Observation Haki could clearly sense the powerful presence sitting inside.

"Katakuri, Older Brother, looks like a pretty troublesome guy!"

A man with a large sword strapped to his back said with a grin, reaching out to grip the hilt, ready to strike.

"Yeah, a tricky enemy indeed. Snag, you're no match for him. Don't you dare engage."

"Huh?"

Charlotte Snag, who had been ready to fight, let go of the sword hilt and stared blankly at his second brother—Charlotte Katakuri—whom all his siblings regarded as the perfect superman.

"Katakuri, Older Brother, you're saying I'm... no match?"

He didn't want to believe it, but since it came from Katakuri, Older Brother, he didn't doubt the judgment at all. Still, it stung... a little.

One moment brimming with excitement, the next knocked from the clouds.

Such a rise and fall was a bit of a blow for a "young man" under thirty.

"That's the truth."

The man wearing a white scarf shaped like a flower, his overall style steeped in darkness, stated the fact he had "seen" in an unchanging tone. "The gap between you and the person in that carriage is too wide. If the other party doesn't fear Mother, you'll die."