Suddenly, a piece of news changed Newgate's and Hades's expressions.
After its defeat in the war two years earlier, the World Government had finally made its move.
Most of the Marines' forces had been driven out of the New World.
The "Golden King" Donovan had also led the Golden Pirates back to his old territory, Golden Island.
Compared with the entertainment on Hachinosu, Donovan preferred staying in his own independent kingdom.
There was something else he could not deny: although he remained at his peak, he was getting older and could not keep it up for many more years.
His ambition had inevitably waned. He had even lost his competitive edge, especially with so many exceptional figures in the Rocks Pirates. The title of "Golden King" no longer shone as brightly as it once had.
So Donovan returned to Golden Island, where he was the undisputed emperor.
And that gave the World Government an opportunity: a chance to weaken the Rocks Pirates by taking away one of their Top Combatants.
In truth, the World Government and the Marines had been waiting for just such an opportunity.
The "Golden King" Donovan had killed a Celestial Dragon, an unforgivable crime. He had long been a thorn in the World Government's side.
The CP0 Chief, Army General "Storm Dragon," Marine Admiral "Day Tiger" Davis, and Marine Vice Admiral "Buddha Sengoku."
The World Government had sent four Top Combatants at once to launch an aerial assault on Golden Island, aiming to defeat the "Golden King" Donovan as quickly as possible.
On top of that, a mysterious expert clad in Golden Armor had joined them.
Against five Top Combatants, Donovan had held out for less than two hours, even with the other members of the Golden Pirates buying him time.
By the time the news