Winter came to Hachinosu earlier than in previous years.
The sea wind blew in from the north, carrying tiny ice crystals that struck the makeshift huts of planks and canvas with a crackling patter. Ships rocked in the harbor in the cold wind, their mooring ropes pulled taut.
Two months earlier, vicious brawls had broken out here almost every day, escalating from fists to blades, from blades to life and death, like a bloody revel that would never end.
But recently, the atmosphere had changed.
Not because the pirates had suddenly learned to behave, nor because the Four Emperors' orders were finally being obeyed.
It was because-all four Emperors of the Sea had begun internal purges almost simultaneously.
Whitebeard called Marco into his room, shut the door, and spoke with him for an entire afternoon.
The next day, three members of the Whitebeard Pirates disappeared. No one asked where they had gone, and no one dared to.
Kaido's approach was more direct. He summoned all his officers to his temporary palace, stood before the wall covered in weapons, and said, "I don't care what you did before. But from today on, if I hear of anyone wagging their tongue behind my back again-I'll send them to their grave myself."
That night, five Headliners of the Beasts Pirates were demoted, and two were executed.
Big Mom's methods were the mildest, and the most thorough. With a list in hand, Katakuri visited the homes of every suspect, one by one. The next day, seven people "voluntarily" left Hachinosu.
The Red Hair Pirates were the only crew without any "disappearances." But Yasopp's tolerance for alcohol had clearly improved-or rather, he no longer got drunk.
Pirates had never had clean hands to begin with.
Selling information about their comrades to underground forces, or even