Meanwhile.
The New World, in the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Aboard the Moby Dick, the ship that symbolized the title of the "World's Strongest Man," a "giant" over six meters tall sat at the bow. IV tubes hung from his body as he held the latest newspaper in his hands, reading it with intense focus.
He didn't move, yet simply sitting there, he radiated the kingly aura of someone who looked down upon the world. An invisible pressure made it hard for anyone to raise their head and meet his gaze.
Edward Newgate, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and a Tremor-Tremor Fruit user, was known as the World's Strongest Man. His crew affectionately called him Pops.
On deck, the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders and combatants all fell silent, as though afraid to disturb their Pops. They even walked so quietly that they made no sound.
The person closest to Edward Newgate was Marco, first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. With his blond pompadour and the epithet "Phoenix," he was one of the few commanders currently watching their Pops expectantly.
Still, he made no sound, quietly waiting.
Before their Pops had looked at the newspaper, they had already read it themselves. They knew that the World Government and its Navy had been thrust into a tense standoff overnight.
They were pirates, and commanders under the strongest man ruling the New World. They wouldn't panic over sudden upheavals, but they couldn't help taking the day's news seriously.
The reason was simple. If the World Government and its Navy, the massive war machine under its command, entered a tense standoff, it would inevitably affect the situation across the world. The New World's hard-won balance would inevitably be shaken.
"Gurararara!"
After reading the paper, Edward Newgate suddenly burst into laughter, then spoke with a bold air. "Looks like Sengoku and Garp are getting old. They actually let some brat take over their house."
"But Sengoku and Garp aren't the ones who should be worried now. It's the Five Elders in the Chamber of Power in the Holy Land!"
He paused briefly, then his expression changed. Picking up the paper again, Edward Newgate said gravely, "What exactly does this Vice Admiral brat named Akira want? Did he just stage a coup to become Navy Marshal and keep serving the World Government? Or does he want to lead the Navy, that massive war machine, away from the World Government and become a king ruling over his own domain?"
"If it's the first, it won't have much effect on the current situation. But if it's the latter, the already turbulent Grand Line is sure to be swept up in a storm!"
At that, Marco immediately stepped forward. "Pops, I've already stationed people in the Sabaody Archipelago. No matter what happens next, we'll know right away!"
Then Marco abruptly changed the subject. "Also, Kaido went to Sky Island yesterday to kill himself again. Unlike before, he didn't return to Wano Country after failing. Instead, the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates have been leaving Wano one after another. They must have heard the news ahead of time and want to seize this chance to start another war!"
"Leave it be."
Edward Newgate waved a hand, his eyes fixed intently on the photograph in the newspaper's headline. He enunciated each word. "Akira? What an extraordinary young man."
Somewhere in the Grand Line.
Aboard a small coffin-shaped boat cutting through the waves, a young man with keen, hawklike eyes sat with his legs crossed on a deck barely large enough for one person. A massive long blade with a cross-shaped hilt was strapped to his back. Waves splashed over the boat as it plowed through the sea, but just before they could land on him, an invisible force stopped them. The spray then scattered in the wind.
Dracule Mihawk, known as Hawk Eyes, was the World's Greatest Swordsman who stood at the peak of swordsmanship. Once a Marine hunter, he was now one of the Shichibukai under the World Government.
Just then, a bird's cry rang out of the sky.
When Mihawk looked up, a News Coo had already swooped down to fly above him.
Since he liked reading the news, he didn't hesitate. He tossed the News Coo a Beli and took a newspaper.
"Hm?"
The moment he saw the headline, Mihawk, who had been lounging leisurely just a second ago, sprang to his feet. Shock flashed in his sharp, hawklike eyes.
A coup at Marine Headquarters?
Vice Admiral Akira had taken full control of the Navy, putting it at odds with the World Government?
After quickly reading the news, Mihawk recovered from his shock and looked ahead.
He wasn't unfamiliar with the name Akira!
He had once attended a meeting at Marine Headquarters after receiving a summons from the Navy as a member of the Shichibukai. He hadn't met Akira then, but he'd heard plenty about him from officers at Headquarters.
He wasn't interested in the other details. He remembered the name because one officer had said that Marine Headquarters had produced a young powerhouse who had mastered all the Navy Six Styles in just six years. Not only that, this young powerhouse had astonishing talent in swordsmanship, surpassing many of the swordsmen at Marine Headquarters.
"Vice Admiral Akira?"
After a brief silence, a spark of fighting spirit suddenly kindled in Mihawk's eyes. "You took full control of Marine Headquarters in just one day. I didn't expect you to have grown this formidable!"
"Then it's time we met!"
As soon as he spoke, the powerful aura of the World's Greatest Swordsman burst forth.
The next second, the coffin boat beneath him suddenly accelerated, speeding toward Marine Headquarters.
A dozen seconds later, the boat had just burst through a massive wave when it broke down and came to a dead stop.
"???"
Mihawk glanced at the boat, now drifting with the current, and was instantly left with a head full of question marks.
Then he let out a helpless sigh.
He quickly scanned the surrounding sea. After confirming there were no other ships nearby, he took the Supreme Grade Sword off his back and used it as an oar, skillfully paddling through the waves with a single stroke.
The first half of the Grand Line.
In the Kingdom of Alabasta, inside a dim room at Rain Dinners, the largest casino in Raindinners, a mighty-looking man stood with his back to the room's only beam of light. A deep, unsettling laugh escaped his lips.
"Shihahaha!"
"This is unbelievable. Marine Headquarters has been taken over by a Vice Admiral!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the man turned around, revealing a face marked by a long, horizontal scar and slicked-back hair. An oppressive air of ambition radiated from him.
Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, was also the founder of the criminal syndicate Baroque Works, where he went by the codename Mr. 0.
Of course, no one in the Kingdom of Alabasta knew his true identity. He was currently building a reputation as a righteous hero in Alabasta, using that identity to look for an opportunity to carry out a long-nurtured plan.
"Miss All Sunday~"
After turning around, Crocodile, a cigar between his teeth, looked toward the shadowy corner opposite him and said with a slow grin, "We'll have to move our plan up."
As Crocodile finished speaking, a tall young woman wearing a white cowboy hat emerged from the shadows.
Nico Robin, vice president of Baroque Works, went by the codename Miss All Sunday. She was a Flower-Flower Fruit user and the sole survivor of the Ohara Incident. The World Government had branded her the Demon of Ohara and placed a bounty of 79 million Beli on her.
Crocodile watched Nico Robin emerge from the shadows, his expression stern. "The World Government or Marine Headquarters may issue a summons to the Shichibukai. If the Navy and the World Government become sworn enemies because of this coup, the Shichibukai, caught between them, will be the first to get dragged in."
"To make sure our plan isn't affected, I'll need to leave Alabasta for a while. I'm leaving Baroque Works in your hands."
As he spoke, Crocodile's lips curved into a smile. His eyes fixed intently on the woman in the white cowboy hat before him. "Don't disappoint me, Nico Robin."
Before you continue