After that day, the "Four Emperors" of the New World became the "Five Emperors".
While some high-ranking officers in the Navy regretted pushing a super-strong individual who originally had an extremely friendly relationship with the Navy to the opposite side and turned into a pirate, they were also glad that this person was now Shichibukai and could be considered as one of their own combat forces.
This great battle not only heralded the birth of a new Sea Emperor, but also marked the first time that Meikyō's fleet truly raised its own banner.
"The Fan Pirates".
In fact, Meikyō intended to use his own surname Uchiha, as the name of his pirate crew. However, in Japanese, the pronunciation of Uchiha sounds almost identical to that of Gunbai. Moreover, the pirate symbol that Meikyō personally designed is a skull evolved from the Uchiha Clan Crest, with the top and bottom separated. It looks like a skull with the chin and upper part of the head separated, as well as a Gunbai.
Below the skull are two diagonally forked longswords, representing the Ama-no-Ohabari.
Because the pirate symbol is full of Gunbai elements, the outside world naturally called the "Uchiha Pirates" the "Fan Pirates". Even though Meikyō later felt that the name was a bit inferior, it had already spread and it was difficult to change it, so he had no choice but to let it be.
The reason why this battle changed the world's landscape is not simply because it created a new "Sea Emperor".
After this great battle, the Mogara Kingdom welcomed a guest.
Portgas D. Ace.
Long before they even set sail, Ace and Luffy recognized their childhood sworn brother from a newspaper.
At that time, he had just become the captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates. After recognizing Sabo in the newspaper, he went to the Mogara Kingdom alone to reunite with Sabo.
With Ace's encouragement, the help of others, and the guidance of Meikyō's Spirit Transformation Technique, Sabo finally regained his childhood memories and reunited with Ace.
Thanks to Ace's connection to the bridge, the Fan Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates secretly formed an alliance— Meikyō, still bearing the identity of Shichibukai, couldn't openly form an alliance.
"Ace... captured by Blackbeard and handed over to the World Government in exchange for a position as Shichibukai?"
Sabo frowned as he looked at the newspaper that Koala had brought back.
He wanted to rescue his brother.
"Robin, where is Teacher Yuan Yi?"
Sabo asked Robin.
"In the captain's cabin, we are still communicating with that person."
Following Robin's words, Sabo turned his gaze toward the captain's cabin.
He knew that Meikyō was currently discussing the impact of this matter with Dragon, as well as their next course of action.
Despite his extreme anxiety, Sabo simply stood outside the captain's cabin, waiting quietly.
Are you confident?
The Den Den Mushi faithfully relayed Dragon's voice to Meikyō's ears.
"I saw Whitebeard's injuries during the last alliance. I can heal eighty percent of his wounds."
Instead of answering Dragon directly, Meikyō said this.
Dragon remained silent for a moment, seemingly hesitating about something.
"Even with you and Whitebeard, the Navy still has the Three Admirals, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and..."
"Luffy will definitely go to save Ace, won't he? With Luffy there, what do you think Vice Admiral Garp do?"
"My Pops... will most likely take action to show that he is on the Navy's side, and then find an excuse to stand by and do nothing."
"I am Shichibukai, so they consider me one of their own. Our goal is simply to rescue Ace, and then use this opportunity, through Whitebeard, the World's Strongest Man, to test what other tricks the World Government has up its sleeve."
In the distant Wano Country, Dragon stood atop a building, watching Kurozumi Orochi's grand procession in the distance, and suddenly thought of his son.
"Be careful. If possible, please keep an eye on Luffy for me. Also, regarding the more specific location of Pluton, through Robin's translation of the Poneglyph, I have roughly determined its location in Wano Country. If a great war breaks out, I think Kaido will definitely leave Onigashima, and that will be the best time for me to make my move. As for Ace's matter, I will tell Kuma to cooperate with you as much as possible."
"I see."
Meikyō hung up the phone and walked out of the captain's cabin.
"Teacher Yuan Yi..."
Upon seeing Meikyō, Sabo hurriedly spoke up.
Behind him, Kuina, Koala, Robin, and others stood in a row.
"A new storm has arrived. Now, it remains to be seen whether the ships of the old era will be destroyed in the storm or use its power to continue sailing forward."
Meikyō turned his gaze to Sabo.
"Sabo, Enel, Caesar, in a little while, you'll come with me to patch up that old ship and make it stronger. Koala, Robin, Kuina, prepare to gather all the combatants. It won't be long before a great war that will change the world order awaits us."
Everyone responded in unison, while Meikyō led Sabo, Enel, and Caesar onto a small airship.
This was a combat airship built by Caesar after he arrived in the Mogara Kingdom and had more resources at his disposal.
Either Caesar or Enel could launch the airship on their own, and when both were present, the combination of gas jets and electrical power would greatly increase the airship's speed.
Before setting off, Meikyō specially moved a bunch of medical equipment onto the airship.
Sphinx Island, the home of Whitebeard.
Currently, the Whitebeard Pirates are roaming in the nearby seas.
Meanwhile, Meikyō's airship also flew into the sky over this sea area.
Suddenly, the sky darkened and thick clouds gathered.
Below, two terrifying auras collided, and powerful shockwaves, accompanied by red Inazuma, surged out, tearing the sky apart.
"Huh? This is..."
Meikyō raised an eyebrow, swung his longsword, and his unstoppable Sword Intent instantly broke through the aftershocks of the collision between the two top-tier Conqueror's Haki.
"What day is it today? You young people are coming to my ship one after another."
Whitebeard, leaning on his Murakumogiri, glanced at the red-haired man who had sheathed his Gryphon, then looked at the airship with the Gunbai- shaped icon in the sky, before returning to his seat and sitting down with an air of great poise.
The airship slowly descended onto the sea surface, retracted its airbags, and transformed into a medium-sized vessel.
"Flame Sword, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, what's he doing here?"
Shanks looked at Whitebeard, somewhat confused.
Whitebeard did not answer, but looked at the two people who slowly boarded the ship.
"Gurararara, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, are you here to persuade me like that red-haired brat?"
"Won't you introduce the other guests first, Whitebeard?"
Meikyō tossed a jar of sake toward Whitebeard and looked at Shanks, saying...
"Well, well, well, I guess I don't need an introduction, right? By the way, you have red hair like me and use a sword, you wouldn't happen to be a fan of mine, would you?"
Shanks had just exchanged blows with Whitebeard, now looked all smiles, his eyes involuntarily drifting to the several sake jars carried on Sabo's back.
He could already smell the aroma of the fine wine that the Whitebeard was drinking.
It's a wine I've never tasted before!
Do you think that's possible?
Meikyō looked at Shanks speechlessly.
In some respects, Tsugikuni Yoriichi and Shanks share some similar main characteristics.
Red-haired, and wielding a sword.
"Could it be true? Then I'll have to charge you royalties. The wine looks really good to me!"
Shanks wore a nonchalant smile, but inwardly he was calmly trying to figure out Meikyō's intentions.
He remembered that the newly Sea Emperor still held the title of Shichibukai.
Could this person be here for the same reason as me?
Or are they here to join forces with Whitebeard?
"Gurarara, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, could you bring some other kinds of sake next time? This one has a different flavor from other sakes on the sea, and it's really quite novel to me."
Whitebeard tossed aside the empty sake jug and looked at the sake jar on Sabo's back, saying...
Whitebeard was a heavy drinker who had tasted wine from almost every place along the sea in his life. No matter what kind of wine it was, he could tell where it came from just by tasting it.
But Meikyō's wines are different; some come from the Naruto World, some from the Demon Slayer World, and some are brewed using modern techniques from the One-Punch Man World.
This gave Whitebeard a great deal of novelty.
"Your body is not suited to drinking that much alcohol."
Meikyō shook his head and casually tossed a jar of wine to Shanks.
Shanks opened the jar and began to drink it down eagerly.
"Gurararara, Yuan Yi, isn't it because you and Marco are still there to heal us!"
Whitebeard said nonchalantly.
Shanks' eyes flickered slightly.
"Hey kid, I remember you and Ace are sworn brothers, right? Are you planning to make a move this time too?"
"More or less, but to avoid my men being upset if the operation fails, I need to treat your injuries first. But right now..."
Meikyō turned his gaze to Shanks.
"I think you, Whitebeard, are well aware of this person's identity, aren't you?"
"Of course, seeing Shanks' face reminds me of which bastard left these scars on my body. But Yuan Yi, how do you know all this?"
Whitebeard touched the scars on his body and asked Meikyō with a slightly surprised expression.
Shanks also looked at Meikyō with a curious gaze.
He knew about his background and even had connections with the Five Elders.
The God Valley Incident, which took place decades ago, was caused by the Celestial Dragon carrying out a massacre in God Valley, but they were attacked by the Rocks Pirates, and a great battle ensued between the two sides.
The Rocks Pirates were ridiculously strong at the time. Even Whitebeard and Golden Lion, who had reached their peak, were only the second and third members of the crew. The young Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were also in the crew.
Faced with such a lineup, even the Holy Knights, the strongest organization among the Celestial Dragon, suffered a crushing defeat. Saint Garling, as the strongest Holy Knights, was also seriously injured at the time and was unable to escape with his newborn son. So he put the still-infant Shanks in the box as a prize.
Later, Roger also came to God Valley for some unknown reason. Garp heard from Sengoku that Roger was there, so he followed Roger's trail to God Valley.
Thus, a great war broke out between several forces. The once invincible Rocks Pirates disappeared. Kaido, who was still an apprentice member, obtained the Fish-Fish Fruit - Azure Dragon Form as one of the spoils of war from Charlotte Linlin. Shanks was adopted by Roger, while Garp gained great merit and prestige and became Hero of the Marines.
"I have a good relationship with another Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma."
Meikyō gave a vague answer.
"Oh, I see."
A knowing look appeared on the Whitebeard's face.
Kuma was also one of the witnesses to this incident. He was originally a resident of the island. With Ginny's help, he stole the Paw-Paw Fruit and rescued more than 500 people.
In fact, Ivankov was also one of the participants in this world event. He stole the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, which was then taken away by Charlotte Linlin.
"Ahem, I can guarantee that what happened here today will not reach the ears of a fifth person before you take action."
Shanks wiped his mouth, put down the wine jar, and said.
"Since you have other matters to attend to, I'll be leaving now. Tsugikuni Yoriichi, I'll introduce you to a friend next time. Perhaps you two will get along well. Oh, I almost forgot, if you're going to get involved in this incident, you'll probably run into him before then."
Shanks, shameless as ever, took another jar of wine from Sabo, then left without looking back.
"If you run into Mihawk, remember to say hello for me!"
Shanks waved his hand with his back to the crowd, then leaped back onto the Red Force.
"The rest is between us."
Meikyō withdrew his gaze and looked at the Whitebeard.
"Have Marco prepare a room, and have someone help me move my things over from there, then we can begin the treatment."
"That's too much trouble, why don't we..."
"If you want to bring Ace back to life, you'd better do as I say. At least I can heal most of your injuries. Otherwise, if you can't hold on in this battle, not only will you die, but Ace and many others will also perish with you."
Meikyō crossed his arms and looked directly at the Whitebeard.
Whitebeard remained silent for a moment after hearing this, then sighed and nodded.
"Jozu, go help move those things from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's ship over here. Marco, come here!"
Soon, a clean and tidy room was prepared—this was the largest room on the Moby Dick, because Whitebeard was 6.66 meters tall, so the space had to be large enough.
What are you planning to do?
Marco looked at Meikyō, who had changed into a mask and a white coat.
"Operation, surgical treatment. In a little while, you'll need to use your abilities to stop the bleeding for your Pops. Leave the rest to me."
Meikyō replaced the IV drip hanging on Whitebeard's body with a tag containing Golden Potion.
"Your lungs must have been severely injured. When you were young, your strong physique allowed you to withstand it, but now it will definitely have a significant impact on your combat endurance. So I will perform surgery to remove the injured areas in your lungs and then use my other abilities to make them regrow."
The name "Meikyō" means to restore Whitebeard's lungs using the Active Regeneration Technique.
Although using the Active Regeneration Technique would shorten Whitebeard's lifespan, if left untreated, Whitebeard could only live for another two or three years at most before dying due to the flare-up of other hidden injuries on his body.
However, as long as Meikyō can follow the treatment plan he has planned, Whitebeard can still live for another ten years or so.
"Although you have many other injuries, in theory, your physical condition shouldn't have dragged you down to this extent. So it's highly likely that when you used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power, you left extremely minor hidden injuries all over your body, and every time you use the power, it aggravates all the injuries on your body."
"Although I don't have the ability to restore it to its original state, just like a broken mirror can't be put back together, but if you glue it together, it can still be used barely."
Meikyō gave an analogy, and a pale blue Chakra Scalpel lit up in his hand.
"Next, it might hurt a little."
"Just bring it on, I've never been afraid of pain in my life."
"You said it yourself."
Meikyō shrugged and extended his evil hand towards Whitebeard.
Three hours later.
Hearing the Whitebeard groans coming from the room, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates wanted to go in and find out what was going on.
But no matter who it is, they will be stopped by Jozu and Vista standing outside the door.
As veterans of the Whitebeard Pirates, the strength of these two division commanders is beyond doubt. In the original work, their battle records are also consistent—they have both fought against Dracule Mihawk head-on.
When Whitebeard appeared, Hawk Eyes unleashed a sword strike at Whitebeard, wanting to see the difference between himself and the World's Strongest Man, but Jozu blocked it head-on.
Since he wanted to see the difference between himself and Whitebeard, it's clear that Hawk Eyes was serious about his move.
Vista also stopped Hawk Eyes during the Paramount War. Although the two were fighting in sync, there is no doubt that Vista's strength is also very powerful.
This one is actually a Great Swordsman.
"Brother Jozu, Pops... really alright?"
The fat man Blamenco, looked at the location of the cabin with a worried expression.
"Marco is in there too, he'll be fine."
Jozu glanced at the cabin behind him with a hint of worry, and replied to Blamenco.
He knew how bad Whitebeard's physical condition was.
However, if Tsugikuni Yoriichi can truly heal his Pops's injuries, then without a doubt, the Whitebeard Pirates will become his most steadfast ally.
Another hour or so passed.
Inside the room, the Whitebeard's muffled groans had ceased.
"Alright, Marco, you don't need to help me. If you help me out, my bunch of idiot sons will start worrying again."
Whitebeard pushed away Marco, who tried to help him up, got off the bed, and stretched his body.
"It's been years since I've felt this relaxed. Yuan Yi, why don't you become my son? After this fight, and a year or two after you've established your prestige, I can retire properly and live with my silly sons. Then you can inherit the vast empire I've built up over the years."
"There's no need for that. I have no interest in being someone else's son. You should leave your family business to Marco and Ace."
Meikyō's face darkened, and she refused.
Whitebeard's words always gave him the feeling that he would set a flag if he accepted the task.
"Actually, you don't need to worry about me. I know my own abilities. I'm already this old, and this is my limit. I'm still far from being able to take over Pops's job. Ace has shown that potential, but he's still too young. You saved Pops, and everyone will definitely recognize you."
Marco, seeing Whitebeard seemingly fully recovered, crossed his arms and nudged Meikyō's shoulder, saying...
"I told you I'm really not interested. I already have the ability, wouldn't it be better to build a bigger and stronger one myself?"
Meikyō said helplessly.
"Gulalalala, young man, do you have the ambition to make a name for yourself through your own abilities? At your age, you should indeed be experiencing the most unforgettable adventure of your life on the high seas."
The Whitebeard laughed heartily, pushed open the door, and went out.
"Pops!"
"Pops! How are you feeling?"
"That's great, Pops! You've recovered?"
"Men, let's have a grand feast! Eat and drink our fill, then follow me to rescue Ace!"
Whitebeard waved his hands and shouted to the people on the ship.
"Tsk, eat less at the banquet later, and don't touch a drop of alcohol. The surgery is only half done now. It has dealt with the minor hidden injuries and the easily treatable wounds on your body. The other half can only be continued after the medicine has fully taken effect in a day."
Meikyō took off his white coat and walked to the Whitebeard's side, saying...
"Gurgle! No need! I know my own body best. I feel like I've completely regained my youth. I can have a feast while traveling, and after I'm full, I can start fighting right away!"
Whitebeard waved his hand dismissively and was about to pick up the wine jar and gulp it down.
"Alright, Pops."
Marco snatched the wine jar from Whitebeard's hand.
"Since there is a possibility of recovery, let's not let everyone down!"
"Marco, you..."
"Pops, everyone hopes that all their family members can be safe and sound!"
Jozu also grabbed Whitebeard's arm and tried to persuade him.
"Yes, Pops! I knew when I was three that I should listen to the doctor when I'm sick!"
"Let's postpone the banquet until we've all rescued Ace!"
"Yes, Pops!"
The crew members stepped forward to dissuade him.
They have been searching for a renowned doctor to treat Whitebeard for so many years. They have finally seen hope, so how could they let that hope disappear?
"Oh well."
To avoid worrying his foolish sons, and in order to be in better condition to save Ace, Whitebeard decided that this time, he wouldn't drink.
Thank you to "Book Friend 20220804231118713" for the 101 Qidian Coins!