Sphinx Island was a not particularly large island located in the New World.
From afar, the entire island appeared to have been formed by a single volcano. Around the volcano, along the coast, lay ruins of cities of all kinds.
There had once been a country here, but because it was too poor to pay the Heavenly Tribute, it had been completely destroyed by war more than sixty years ago, and the country vanished entirely.
However, although the country was gone, some of its people survived. They found a hidden paradise deep within the island and, with the support of a stranger, gradually rebuilt a town of their own.
That person was the legendary great pirate, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates: Edward Newgate. This place was his childhood homeland.
Even so, Sphinx Island, situated in the New World, could not avoid harassment from pirates and slave traders.
Whitebeard also knew that, given his reputation, if others learned that this had once been his homeland, not only would he be unable to protect it, he might bring even greater trouble upon it. Thus, even he was sometimes powerless. All he could do was keep sending his money to the island under a stranger's name, like drinking poison to quench thirst, hoping to help his homeland.
It was not until twenty years ago, when the Four Emperors Alliance was formed and Fire Dragon Ye Mu took this island, along with many others, under his protection, that Sphinx Island finally escaped the harassment of slave traders and pirates. It began to prosper, and its former small town was developed into a bustling city.
But ten years ago, with the sudden rise of Red-Hair Shanks, the balance of the Four Emperors Alliance in the New World was shattered. Furthermore, after ten years of