"Has Fish-Man Island left the World Government? It seems that Neptune finally made a choice."
In the town of Kokoyashi, Nicolas couldn't help but speak as he looked at the newspaper that had been delivered.
"Fish-Man Island has left the World Government's alliance, so it's likely to face retaliation from the World Government, isn't it? After all, the actions of Fish-Man Island are almost challenging the authority of the World Government. If they don't teach Fish-Man Island a lesson, many of the over two hundred allied countries under the World Government might get ideas."
With his crow-masked face, Karasu sat beside Nicolas, holding another newspaper.
Upon hearing Karasu's words, Nicolas couldn't help but glance at the Revolutionary Army's East Army Commander with a sideways look.
"What, do you guys plan to try to win over Fish-Man Island?" Nicolas asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.
"At present, our Revolutionary Army's strength is still too weak. Besides, even if we could gather enough strength to win over Fish-Man Island, simply contacting them while they're in such a precarious position would draw heavy retaliation from the World Government. The Revolutionary Army has already strained the nerves of the World Government. If we were to have dealings with Fish-Man Island, currently standing on the edge of a knife, I fear the World Government, and even the Marines, wouldn't hesitate to divert their full attention to crush us," Karasu explained.
"By the way, when is Dragon arriving?"
"After receiving the news, the Chief has already set out,"
Boom!
Just as Karasu finished speaking, a loud explosion echoed from outside.
"Calculating the time, he should be..."
As Nicolas and Karasu stepped out of the house, they saw a massive crater on the lawn outside, and standing in it was none other than Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
...
On a sunny island in the New World...
Here, lush green grasses swayed gently, and the breeze felt like invisible hands stroking the herds of cattle and sheep in the distance.
Amidst the vast expanse of fields stood numerous oddly-shaped rocks.
Perched atop one of the rock formations, a man lay reclined, a stalk of grass dangling from his lips, swaying gently in the breeze.
With a piece of the latest intelligence in his hand, the man's face showed a pensive expression.
"Captain Marco..."
Below the rock, a group of people dressed in various strange garments stood, looking up at Marco, their faces filled with concern.
Marco set down the intelligence in his hand, gazed up at the blue sky and white clouds, then rose to his feet with a graceful flip, exclaiming, "Everyone! Pack up everything, we're setting sail!"
"Yes!"
The crew below quickly sprang into action.
"It's about to get windy," Marco murmured to himself, gazing at the distant horizon.
Whoosh~
The answer to his thoughts came in the form of a gust of wind from afar.
...
On a certain island in the New World, covered in towering trees...
The crew of the Moby Dick was holding a feast, while Whitebeard sat casually on a rocky reef by the shore, gazing out at the distant sea.
Splashing waves crashed against the reef, breaking into myriad spray.
Whitebeard paid no mind to the sea spray dampening his clothes, his gaze calmly fixed on the distant horizon.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him.
"Dad..."
Without turning around, Whitebeard could already tell who the owner of the voice behind him was.
Jozu came to Whitebeard's side, sitting down beside him. He hugged his knees and glanced sideways at the distant sea, where Izo, his brother, was catching up with Dogstorm and Cat Viper.
"Old man, did they really take out Oden so easily?"
Jozu looked at the sea, speaking softly. Though he hadn't spent much time with Oden, the bond between the members of the Whitebeard Pirates was strong. After all, choosing to stay on Whitebeard's ship, even with Oden's consent, still felt like a betrayal to the people of Wano.
"Old man, are we going to Wano?"
Hearing Jozu's words, Whitebeard turned his gaze towards the distant sea, pondering. Although Jozu hadn't mentioned avenging Oden, it was clear that going to Wano was not a leisure trip.
"We'll decide when Marco returns," Whitebeard replied calmly.
"Nicolas and Kaido, those two bastards, dared to mess up Wano like that! Unforgivable! They must pay the price!"
Upon hearing Jozu's words, Izo's eyes filled with anger. Seeing the missing arms of both Izo and Dogstorm and Cat Viper, the flames of rage within him burned even hotter.
"That's right. They dared to attack members of our Whitebeard Pirates. They must be given a painful lesson!"
Squard also chimed in, voicing his agreement. While aboard the ship, he had formed a strong bond with Oden and his wife.
As everyone simmered with righteous indignation, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Oden wasn't a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, was he?"
"Who!?"
Upon hearing this, Squard's anger flared up, and he turned to look for the source of the voice. Clearly, this statement had deeply wounded him.
"Do you remember the rule on our ship that we absolutely cannot violate? We must never harm our own family. Do you want to hurt me, Captain?"
"What are you saying, Thatch!?"
The other Whitebeard Pirates couldn't stand by any longer.
"I've made myself clear, haven't I? From the moment he chose to leave the ship, Oden was no longer one of us! Now, are we going to start a war with Kaido and Nicolas for someone who isn't 'family'? Are we going to sacrifice more 'family' for this?"
Thatch's emotions ran deep, tears even streaming down his face.
The angry expressions on the faces of the other Whitebeard Pirates gradually softened as they pondered his words.
Indeed, both Kaido and Nicolas were formidable adversaries. While Whitebeard Pirates might not fear them in a one-on-one fight, if they were to engage in battle simultaneously, how many of their comrades standing here today would remain after the dust settled?
Even Squard released his grip on his gun, gazing towards the distant sky.
In the far-off meeting of sea and sky, a black line began to emerge and swiftly approach.
It was a storm cloud.
A harbinger of the storm was about to descend.