With countless people watching, the Rainbow Country's World Martial Arts Tournament came to a close. But most of the ten who had placed—Ace, Buggy, Sabo, Burgess, Moria, Crocodile, Drake, Kid, Bege, and Bonney—had no desire to bask in the attention and applause. They slipped away from Golden Crow Island by whatever means they could.
They had little choice.
The moment Flame Emperor Ye Mu, Grand President of the Rainbow Country, handed the Poneglyphs to them before countless onlookers, they became targets.
No one dared make a move on them in the Rainbow Country's territory. But once they left the North Blue and entered the Grand Line, that would change.
And so, with the Rainbow Country deliberately steering events, the world began to change at an accelerating pace.
The first move, however, was a devastating betrayal of the Marines and the World Government by members of the World Government's own Shichibukai.
On the very day the tournament ended, the newly appointed Shichibukai Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, and fellow Shichibukai member Catarina Devon invaded Impel Down. They defeated its Chief Warden, Magellan, and freed countless prisoners. Then they cast aside their Shichibukai status, entered the New World, and formed a new Blackbeard Pirates. Shiryu of the Rain, formerly Impel Down's deputy chief warden, Sanjuan Wolf the Colossal Battleship, Bassque Shot the Barrel, and a host of other villains joined them. With the Poneglyph Burgess had won by placing fourth in the tournament, the Blackbeard Pirates instantly became a force capable of rivaling any of the Five Emperors' crews—and a serious contender for Laugh Tale's treasure.
Before anyone could even come to grips with Marshall D. Teach's sudden rise, another headline stunned the world.
Three days later, an unfamiliar man burst into the spotlight.
With Marshall D. Teach and Catarina Devon having betrayed