Sea Era 1503.
This year was designated the beginning of an era.
At the end of the previous year, one of the two veteran kings had died, while the other had fallen silent, marking the end of an era.
The remnants of the old era had finally been swept aside.
Fortunately, their stories had ended at their peak, rather than with them growing old and being bullied by younger pirates.
In a way, this was also "Demon King" Nash's way of showing respect for Ochoku.
His defeat at Nash's hands had completely crushed Ochoku's spirit.
He returned to Hachinosu and holed up in his headquarters, refusing to come out.
His behavior left everyone stunned.
After all, even if Ochoku had lost to Nash, he was still not someone the small fry of the seas could challenge.
Besides, his strength was on par with Nash's. He had only narrowly lost, and his crew remained one of the New World's top powers.
Yet when numerous factions provoked him, Ochoku did not fight back. Instead, he surrendered some of his territory and let them compete for it.
It was not just him. The entire Five Peaks Pirates had lost their fighting spirit.
Only a handful of members remained loyal to him.
Most of the ambitious pirates who refused to settle for mediocrity left the Five Peaks Pirates.
After their defeat by the Demon King Pirates, and especially after they voluntarily abandoned some of their territory, the Five Peaks Pirates' strength declined sharply. Large numbers of pirates, even core officers, left the crew.
They struck out on their own or joined other factions.
The younger Demon King Pirates and Overlord Dragon Pirates, both at the height of their power, were excellent choices.
The Beasts Pirates were no weaker. Their development had gone smoothly over