Echoes of the Old Era Are Also the Horn of the New!
The Sphinx is surrounded by smaller islands that guard the main island.
The pirates under Whitebeard Pirates were thrown out of the newly built taverns and wooden houses during this period, and amidst the chaos, barrels and wooden crates were scattered everywhere.
"What's going on?!"
"An earthquake? No! This is Dad using the Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruit ability!"
"Look at the sky!"
A pirate pointed to the sky in terror, and everyone instinctively looked up.
A shockingly huge crack stretched across the azure sky, as if the vast blue glass of the sky had been shattered by an immense force.
"It's Dad!"
"It's Dad's power! Who is he fighting?!"
After a brief silence, shouts and screams erupted.
Squard was the first to react. He rushed to his pirate ship, roaring with a livid face, "Everyone, get on board! Quick! Something's happened to Dad!"
"Decalvan Brothers! Your boat is fast!"
"Marco! Stop spacing out! Keep up!"
The more than forty captains belonging to the Whitebeard Pirates reacted one after another, and then rushed to the warships docked on the shore.
Soon, a fleet of pirate ships of various styles set sail urgently, heading at full speed towards the main island of Sphinx.
The mighty fleet stirred up towering white waves, and tens of thousands of pirates stood on the deck with swords and guns in hand, their faces filled with anxiety and murderous intent.
However, when they stormed onto the main beach of Sphinx Island and surged toward the cherry blossom grove like a black wave, they were blocked by more than a dozen figures.
Leading the group was Marco, the captain of the First Division, alongside Diamond Jozu, Vista the Flower Sword, and other captains.
"Marco!" Squard rushed to Marco's side, looking anxiously at the eerily quiet cherry blossom grove ahead. "What was that commotion just now? Who was fighting with Father?"
"Navy Marshal Akira has arrived."
Marco faced the cherry blossom grove and spoke slowly and deliberately, his calm voice like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of all the pirate captains who rushed up at him.
The words "Navy Marshal" seemed to possess some kind of magic, abruptly halting the torrent of tens of thousands of pirates.
Fear was evident on everyone's face.
"Damn it, is the Navy Marshal determined to wipe us out? We've already retreated here to cultivate this wasteland!"
"Let's fight him! We're going to die anyway! Rather than sit and wait to die, we might as well go crazy!"
"Yes, yes, yes! If the Navy Marshal goes too far, we'll take one of them down with us, even if it means our own deaths!"
"Marco, what are you doing standing here? Go help your father!"
"Wait!" Suddenly, a captain looked around the sea and shouted, "Captain Marco, the warships from the Sphinx Marine Base haven't been deployed! There are no naval fleets around either. What's going on?"
"Did the Navy Marshal come alone?"
"This is utterly disregarding the Whitebeard Pirates! They actually think they can take us down all by themselves!"
"Captain Marco, let's charge in! No matter how strong Akira is, we can wear him down!"
Hearing the noise behind him, Marco turned around abruptly and said in a deep voice, "Quiet down, all of you!"
With that, Marco drew a deep line in the sand with his foot, and then said, "No one is allowed to cross this line until Father gives the order."
As Marco finished speaking, the previously agitated crowd instantly fell silent. Although everyone was anxious, no one dared to take another step forward.
Just then, footsteps came from the side and behind.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge bird-man dressed in an extravagant suit and top hat, leading a group of naval soldiers, swaggering over.
It was none other than Morgans, the News King!
Behind him followed Leo and others from the Sphinx Marine Base.
Morgans ignored the tens of thousands of unfriendly pirates present, as if they were just an insignificant background group, and walked straight to the line drawn by Marco, directing his men to set up all sorts of strange Visual Den Den Mushi.
"This is a great vantage point, directly facing the cherry blossom grove; it's sure to create a truly epic feel!"
"Lighting setup? Oh, I didn't bring the lighting setup. Oh well, natural light has a more fatalistic feel to it!"
"Remember to handle the sound propagation properly; after all, this is an echo of an old era!"
The naval soldiers who accompanied him worked in an orderly manner and quickly completed the debugging of each piece of equipment.
The pirates present were stunned as they watched the busy naval soldiers and Morgans pointing and gesturing.
What the heck is this "epic feel"?
What do you mean by the lingering echoes of an old era?
Marco frowned, his gaze fixed intently on Morgans, and said in a deep voice, "Morgans, your nose really is sharper than anyone else's. You were able to sniff out the Navy Marshal's whereabouts and arrive at Sphinx so precisely on time."
Morgans turned his head and adjusted his top hat, saying calmly, "Marco, you should thank me. My appearance is not just about broadcasting the end of an era and the beginning of a new one; it's also about bidding Whitebeard a final farewell! Because the era of Whitebeard has ended, today!"
Upon hearing this, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates present all turned their heads, and the crowd erupted in excitement.
"You bastard! What did you say?!"
Diamond Jozu was the first to erupt in fury. His massive body stomped forward, shaking the entire beach. "How dare you disrespect your father! I'll kill you!"
The Vista the Flower Sword's waist emitted a soft hum, and a sharp sword intent emanated from his body.
The other captains, their eyes blazing with fury and filled with murderous intent, all drew their weapons.
Faced with this group of terrifyingly powerful individuals capable of overthrowing a nation, not a single naval soldier behind Morgans retreated.
Led by Colonel Leo, the soldiers raised their rifles, the dark muzzles aimed at the pirate captains ahead.
Although they were well aware that their weapons might not even be able to pierce the skin of their opponent, they were heroic marines, soldiers under the command of the Lord Marshal. Even if they were not strong enough, they would never lose the honor of the navy!
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and a bloody conflict was about to erupt.
Just then...
An old yet grand voice, tinged with laughter, drifted from the depths of the cherry blossom grove, echoing clearly in everyone's ears.
"Gulalalalalala..."
"My sons."
There is no need to fear the end, nor to be anxious about the inevitable farewell.
"The ship of the new era has set sail, my sons, there is no need to look back. The echoes of the old era are also the clarion call of the new era. Let the marks of the past become the starlight illuminating the way forward!"
"Gulalalalala~"
--